Volcano Tour Lanzarote: Buggy, Hike or 4x4?

• Top choice Off-Road Volcano Buggy from US$173 Duration2 - 3 hours^[1]Rated4.67 from 5,246 reviews^[1]Group sizeLimited to 10 participants^[1]Guide languagesCatalan, English, French, Spanish^[1]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours^[1] Check availability
• Guided Can-Am Trail Buggy from US$196 Duration3 hours^[3]Rated4.54 from 243 reviews^[3]Group sizeSmall group available^[3]Guide languagesInstructor: English, Spanish^[3]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours^[3] See this tour
• On-Road Guided Buggy from US$207 Duration2.5 hours^[10]Rated4.58 from 627 reviews^[10]Group sizeCheck availability for detailsGuide languagesLive guide: English, Spanish^[10]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours^[10] See this tour

Why the Lanzarote volcano landscape looks like this

Lanzarote is young, geologically speaking, and the south of the island is still almost bare. The Timanfaya eruption lasted six years and covered 23% of Lanzarote in fresh lava and spatter.^[11] What is left today is a spread of black and rust-red slopes, wide ash fields and cones standing against the sky with almost nothing growing on them. Driving or walking through it can feel like crossing a building site on another planet, except that the dust under your boots is rock that came out of the ground.

The island is listed as a Biosphere Reserve under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme, comprising the northernmost island of the Canary Archipelago and the northern islets.^[12] Its high point is Peñas del Chache, the tallest mountain on Lanzarote, which stands 672 meters (about 2,205 feet) above the sea.^[13] On the ground that means lava on one side of the road, vineyards and white villages on the other, and a coast road that keeps interrupting the view.

The volcano buggy tour Lanzarote: what the main tour is like

The tour booked from this site is the Lanzarote: Guided Off-Road Volcano Buggy Tour, listed from US$173.^[1] It runs for 2 - 3 hours, and it is rated 4.67 from 5,246 reviews.^[1] The listing describes a small group limited to 10 participants, a live tour guide in Catalan, English, French and Spanish, pickup available with options to check when you book, reserve now and pay later, and free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.^[1]

That format suits people who want the volcano country in the open air rather than through a coach window. Expect dust. Sunglasses, a bandana or buff, closed shoes and clothes you do not mind washing are the practical kit, and a light windproof layer helps early and late in the day. Leave the flip-flops at the hotel: ash is fine, sharp and hot underfoot.

Ash plains, black cones and a horizon that keeps moving: southern Lanzarote from a buggy seat.

Off-road or on-road: choosing a volcano buggy tour

There is more than one way to ride the lava. The Guided Can-Am Trail Buggy Tour is listed from US$196, runs 3 hours, and is rated 4.54 from 243 reviews, with small group availability and a wheelchair accessible option.^[3] The On-Road Guided Buggy Volcano Tour is listed from US$207, runs 2.5 hours, and is rated 4.58 from 627 reviews, with pickup available.^[10]

For bigger groups there is the Off-Road Guided Buggy Volcano Tour in a 4 or 6 seater, listed from US$230, running 2 - 3 hours and rated 4.48 from 644 reviews.^[4] The Puerto del Carmen Buggy Adventure is listed from US$288 and runs 2 hours, rated 4.51 from 147 reviews.^[14] A 3-Hour Maverick Buggy Tour is listed from US$265 and rated 4.42 from 144 reviews.^[15] Names tell you something: an on-road tour keeps to surfaced roads, an off-road tour spends its time on dirt, and a seater number says how many people fit in the vehicle. Check the listing text for what your chosen tour includes.

Quads are the other self-drive machine on the island, although no guided quad tour is listed with our partners right now. A quad feels more exposed than a buggy, with no shell around you and a riding position that puts you right in the wind. Riders who want that rawness tend to love it, while anyone who prefers a bit of protection should stay with a buggy.

Guided volcano hikes: seeing the lava on foot

Hiking covers ground a buggy cannot reach. The Guided Volcano Hike with Transfers is listed from US$48, runs 3.5 - 4 hours, and is rated 4.85 from 929 reviews, with small groups limited to 8 participants and a live tour guide in English, French and Spanish.^[2]

Two more hikes sit at a similar price point. The Volcano Hike is listed from US$51, runs 3 hours, and is rated 4.76 from 371 reviews, with pickup available.^[16] The Hike Across Timanfaya's Volcanic Landscapes is listed from US$51, limited to 10 participants and rated 4.80 from 1,450 reviews.^[17] For a longer, quieter walk, the Guided Hike discover volcano history and culture is listed from US$62, runs 3.5 hours, and is rated 5.00 from 21 reviews.^[18] Bring proper trainers or walking shoes, more water than you think you need, and a hat; there is very little shade out there.

Other ways to cover the lava fields

Buggies are not the only way into the ash. The E-Bike Tour: Volcano Craters & Scenic Vineyards is listed from US$143, runs 4 hours, and is limited to 6 participants, rated 4.90 from 150 reviews.^[5] The E-Bike Tour Timanfaya Volcano, Crater & Vineyards is listed from US$137, runs 3.5 hours, and is rated 4.92 from 11 reviews.^[19] Both put you on two wheels with a bit of help from a motor, a comfortable way to cover vineyard country and crater rims.

For a driven day, the 4x4 Volcanic & Coastal South Adventure is listed from US$78 and runs 6 hours, with pickup included, and the 4x4 Volcanic North Landscapes Adventure is listed from US$78 and also runs 6 hours, rated 4.89 from 14 reviews.^[6][20] Coach and bus options include the Timanfaya Volcanic day Tour in Lanzarote, listed from US$90 and running 6 hours, and the Timanfaya National Park Volcanic Craters Tour, listed from US$68, running 5 hours and rated 4.35 from 2,523 reviews.^[21][22] Tandem paragliding over the volcanoes and the Atlantic is listed from US$138 with flights of 20 - 40 minutes.^[7]

Choosing between buggies, hikes and full-day trips

What is the best way to see volcanoes Lanzarote has close to the resorts? Think about time first. A buggy tour fits into a morning or an afternoon, a hike takes a similar block of the day, and a full-day coach trip takes up most of the daylight. Then think about what you want to feel: a buggy is noisy, dusty and physical, a hike is slow and quiet, and a coach trip is easy but keeps you further from the rock.

Combine the volcano with the landscapes around it. La Geria is known for its unique volcanic vineyard landscape where vines are grown in pits dug in volcanic ash, a centuries-old technique that uses the exceptional properties of volcanic ash.^[23] On the coast, Los Hervideros is a stretch of dramatic black lava cliffs on the wild south-west coast, where the Atlantic surges into a labyrinth of sea caves and blowholes and appears to boil among the rocks.^[24] Nearby, the El Golfo green lagoon, known as Charco de los Clicos or Green Lagoon, is a Natural Reserve formed where an extinct volcano crater on the west coast near Yaiza submerges into the Atlantic.^[25]

When to go, what to wear and what to sort out first

Lanzarote has a warm climate throughout the entire year, with an average annual temperature of about 21ºC.^[9] The island sits in the area of the trade winds, where the wind blows steadily from the north-east all year round, though its speed varies.^[26] In practice that means light layers, a windproof top for open vehicles, closed shoes for any walking, and more sun protection than you would use on a cloudy day at home.

Two details catch people out. To drive a buggy on this tour, drivers need to be 20 or older, with a driving licence held for two years or more.^[8] And it is worth knowing your transfer distances before you pick a tour: the distance between Lanzarote Airport and Puerto del Carmen is just 12 km, while the distance from Playa Blanca to Lanzarote Arrecife Airport is 33 km.^[27][28]

If you arrive by sea, ships dock at the Puerto de los Mármoles, which is 3 km (1.9 miles) from the city centre.^[29] On costs, Lanzarote currently does not charge a general overnight tourist tax.^[30] It is a busy island: Lanzarote receives just over 3 million holiday tourists per year, plus a further 500,000 day visitors arriving by cruise ship.^[31]

Booking your volcano tour

1. Choose the format

   Decide between a buggy, a guided hike, an e-bike ride or a full-day coach trip before you start looking at times.

2. Check the driver rules

   The buggy tour booked here asks drivers to be at least 20 and to have held a licence for two years.^[8]

3. Compare from-prices

   Buggy listings start from US$173 for the off-road tour and from US$196 for the Can-Am trail tour.^[1][3]

4. Pick a time

   Check availability to see starting times, then look at pickup options if you would rather not drive to the meeting point.^[1]

5. Pack for ash and sun

   Sunglasses, a bandana, closed shoes and a light windproof layer make the open-air hours far more comfortable.

Answers before you go