At a glance
- The tour booked from this site runs 2 - 3 hours from US$173, rated 4.67 from 5,246 reviews, with groups limited to 10 participants.[1]
- Guided walks across Timanfaya's lava fields start from US$48, with a live guide and small groups limited to 8 participants.[2]
- E-bike tours between craters and vineyards start from US$137 and run about 3.5 hours with a small group.[3]
- Tandem paragliding over the volcanoes and the Atlantic starts from US$138, and a coastal cruise with an aperitif from US$86.[4][5]
- Lanzarote Airport is 12 km from Puerto del Carmen and 33 km from Playa Blanca, and many tours offer pickup.[6][7]
| Off-road buggy | Volcano hike | E-bike and vineyards | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | from US$173[1] | from US$48[2] | from US$137[3] |
| Duration | 2 - 3 hours[1] | 3.5 - 4 hours[2] | 3.5 hours[3] |
| Group size | Limited to 10 participants[1] | Limited to 8 participants[2] | Limited to 6 participants[3] |
| Guide languages | Catalan, English, French, Spanish[1] | English, French, Spanish[2] | English, Spanish[3] |
| Rating | 4.67 from 5,246 reviews[1] | 4.85 from 929 reviews[2] | 4.92 from 11 reviews[3] |
| Cancellation | Free cancellation up to 24 hours[1] | Free cancellation up to 24 hours[2] | Free cancellation up to 24 hours[3] |
The Lanzarote Biosphere Reserve comprises the northernmost island of the Canary Archipelago, including the northern islets.
Our verdict: buggy first, then build your days
Read before booking
What to bring and know
- Sun cream, sunglasses and a cap: black lava throws back a lot of light
- A buff or light scarf keeps dust out of your mouth on the dirt sections
- A thin windproof layer for exposed ridges and breezy coastal stops
- Plenty of water, plus closed shoes with grip for the walking parts
Why Lanzarote suits an active holiday
Lanzarote looks like a place that was assembled yesterday. Black lava fields run to the sea, cinder cones stand in lines along the horizon, and vines grow in hollows scooped out of ash. The Timanfaya eruption lasted six years and covered 23% of Lanzarote in fresh lava and spatter.[9] Much of the south still reads as bare rock and clinker rather than soil, ground that suits buggies, bikes and boots far better than it suits a sun lounger.
The island has a warm climate throughout the entire year, with an average annual temperature of about 21ºC,[10] and it sits in the area of the trade winds, where the wind blows steadily from the north-east all year round, though its speed varies.[11] Pack a light layer for exposed ridges, and treat the breeze as part of the day rather than something to complain about.
For adults travelling without children in tow, the mix on offer is unusual: guided buggy convoys, e-bikes rolling between vineyards, hikes across lava, tandem paragliding and boats along the coast. Distances between the resorts and the lava fields are short, many tours show pickup options when you check availability, and a single week is enough to try several of them properly.
The off-road buggy tour booked from this site
The Lanzarote: Guided Off-Road Volcano Buggy Tour is the tour booked from this site. It runs for 2 - 3 hours with a live guide who speaks Catalan, English, French and Spanish, and groups are limited to 10 participants, with prices from US$173.[1] It is rated 4.67 from 5,246 reviews.[1]
If you want to drive rather than ride as a passenger, there are firm rules to meet. Drivers need to be 20 or older, with a driving licence held for two years or more.[8] Bring the licence with you on the day, and expect to be in the open air for the whole run, so dress for sun, dust and a little wind.
Booking terms suit a trip that weather can nudge: reserve now and pay later, with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[1] Pickup is available, and the options appear when you check availability.[1] Wear things you do not mind dusting off, and take sunglasses you can live without. There is little shelter from the sun or the wind along the way, so a light long-sleeved layer helps.
Black lava, a dust track and cones on the skyline: classic Lanzarote adventure country.
Buggy, quad and jet ski options across the island
Once you start listing things to do in Lanzarote beyond the beach, the wheels stack up quickly. The Guided Can-Am Trail Buggy Tour runs 3 hours from US$196 and is rated 4.54 from 243 reviews, with an instructor who speaks English and Spanish.[12] The On-Road Guided Buggy Volcano Tour lasts 2.5 hours from US$207 and is rated 4.58 from 627 reviews.[13] They all run on the same volcanic ground, so the choice usually comes down to machine, duration and price.
Roomier machines exist for groups and families. The Off-Road Guided Buggy Volcano Tour (4 / 6 seater) runs 2 - 3 hours from US$230 and is rated 4.48 from 644 reviews.[14] A 3 Hour Buggy Tour with views of the Volcano Park starts from US$196 and is rated 4.77 from 117 reviews,[15] while the 3-Hour Maverick Buggy Tour starts from US$265.[16] For a shorter run, the Puerto del Carmen Buggy Adventure lasts 2 hours from US$288 with groups limited to 6 participants.[17]
Water toys fill the gaps, and they pair well with a morning on the lava. If you want land and sea in one booking, the PACK DUO pairs a buggy with a jet ski for 3 hours from US$230,[18] while the PACK TRIO adds parasailing from US$346.[19]
Volcano hikes and Timanfaya on foot
Walking is a fine way into the lava, and the guided options are many. The Guided Volcano Hike with Transfers lasts 3.5 - 4 hours from US$48, is rated 4.85 from 929 reviews and is limited to 8 participants.[2] The Volcano Hike runs 3 hours from US$51 and is rated 4.76 from 371 reviews.[20] Pickup is available on some of these walks, shown when you check availability.
The Hike Across Timanfaya's Volcanic Landscapes takes 3 hours from US$51 and is limited to 10 participants,[21] while the Guided Hike to discover volcano history and culture runs 3.5 hours from US$62.[22] A trek between volcanoes and vineyards at La Geria lasts 3.5 hours from US$50.[23]
For context on the ground under your boots, Peñas del Chache, the tallest mountain on Lanzarote, stands 672 meters (about 2,205 feet) above the sea,[24] though most guided routes stay lower, crossing ash plains and skirting craters. Take more water than feels necessary, wear shoes with grip, and remember that lava is uneven underfoot and sharp at the edges.
from US$173
The Guided Off-Road Volcano Buggy Tour, booked from this site, limits groups to 10 participants and takes 2 - 3 hours.[1]
Two wheels: e-bikes, vineyards and quiet roads
E-bike tours cover the same volcanic ground with far less noise. The Lanzarote E-Bike Tour: Volcano Craters and Scenic Vineyards lasts 4 hours from US$143, is rated 4.90 from 150 reviews and is limited to 6 participants.[25] A second option, the E-Bike Tour Timanfaya Volcano, Crater and Vineyards, runs 3.5 hours from US$137 with a small group limited to 6 participants.[3]
Much of that riding crosses La Geria, where vines are grown in pits dug in volcanic ash, a centuries-old technique that uses the exceptional properties of volcanic ash.[26] The result is a strange and beautiful landscape: low green rows sunk into black ground, each one walled by its own little crescent of stone.
Cycling here is less about distance than about surface and wind. Electric assistance flattens the climbs, while the trade winds blow steadily from the north-east all year round, though the speed varies.[11] If the day looks breezy, choose a shorter loop and leave time to sit in a village with something cold and local.
Unusual things to do in Lanzarote: air, water and coast
The island looks completely different from above. Tandem Paragliding over Volcanoes and the Atlantic flies for 20 - 40 minutes from US$138 and is rated 4.97 from 168 reviews, with groups limited to 5 participants.[4] The views take in craters inland and the Atlantic edge of the island, so take an early slot and keep the rest of the day free for the coast.
At sea level, a cruise along the volcanic coast with an aperitif runs 2 hours from US$86 in a small group limited to 6 participants.[5] Across the water, the La Graciosa Complete Jeep Tour with Beach Time lasts 2.5 hours from US$63,[27] and a 4x4 volcanic and coastal adventure through the south takes 6 hours from US$78.[28]
On the south-west coast, Los Hervideros is a stretch of dramatic black lava cliffs where the Atlantic surges into a labyrinth of sea caves and blowholes and appears to boil among the rocks.[29] Close by, the El Golfo green lagoon, known as Charco de los Clicos or Green Lagoon, is a Natural Reserve formed where an extinct volcano crater submerges into the Atlantic.[30] Both are easy stops to build into a driving day.
Planning your base, transfers and costs
Most visitors base themselves in Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca or Costa Teguise. The distance between Lanzarote Airport and Puerto del Carmen is just 12 km,[6] and the distance from Playa Blanca to Lanzarote Arrecife Airport is 33 km.[7] Arriving by ship, you dock at the Puerto de los Mármoles, which is 3 km (1.9 miles) from the city centre.[31]
Two useful bits of housekeeping before you budget. Lanzarote currently does not charge a general overnight tourist tax,[32] and the island receives just over 3 million holiday tourists per year, plus a further 500,000 day visitors arriving by cruise ship.[33] If your dates are fixed, book the big activities before you fly and leave the rest loose.
Then keep a day spare for the unscheduled parts: a swim, a cliff walk, a long lunch in a fishing village. A morning on a buggy tour followed by an afternoon doing very little is a well-balanced Lanzarote day, and it is the shape many people end up wishing they had booked more of. Late afternoons give the softest light along the coast.
From prices for Lanzarote adventure tours
From prices per person, in US dollars: Guided Off-Road Volcano Buggy Tour[1], E-Bike Tour Timanfaya Volcano, Crater & Vineyards[3], Tandem Paragliding over Volcanoes & the Atlantic[4], Guided Volcano Hike with Transfers[2].
From prices per person in US dollars
From prices in US dollars:[1][2][3][4]
When to go and when to book
How to plan your day
Pick your machine
Buggy, quad, e-bike or your own two feet: match the vehicle to the ground you want to cover.
Book the first tour
Lock in the guided buggy tour for your preferred morning, then build the rest of the week around it.
Sort your pickup
Check the pickup or meeting options when you reserve, and note the time in your phone.
Dress for dust
Closed shoes, sunglasses and a light scarf make open-air rides far more comfortable.
Keep an afternoon free
Leave space for a swim, a cliff walk or a long lunch between the booked activities.
Ready to take the wheel on the volcanic buggy tour?
from US$174Reserve now & pay later
