Independent guideWe are not the official Tenerife tourism website, nor the site of any park or operator. We are an independent guide and earn a commission when you book through our links.
EN

1,400 m · Midlands Motor · Teide and the southern hills

Quad biking and buggy safaris in Tenerife: what you can do on Teide and what it costs

A buggy or quad tour in Tenerife is almost always a guided convoy on tarmac roads up to 2,200–2,400 m on Teide: inside the national park, leaving the road is banned. You pay per vehicle, you need a full car licence (photocard) and you'll want a warm layer for the top.

Check availability from €40See all options on GetYourGuide

↓ Our picks

Affiliate link: it costs you nothing extra.

Direct price
buggy €140–200 per vehicle; quad €105–125 per quad
Duration
2–3 h at the wheel; 4–5 h with pick-up
Departs from
Tamaimo, Adeje, Playa de las Américas, Guía de Isora, Puerto de la Cruz
Licence
full category B car licence, physical photocard; held 1 to 2 years depending on the operator
Age
driver from 18, 20 or 25; passengers from age 7 or 1.20 m
Cancellation
free up to 48 h ahead with several operators; one is far stricter

Updated 2 October 2026Facts checked against official sources

GetYourGuide Our picks

Tenerife: Teide Quad Trip (daytime/sunset) with optional jet ski

4.7 (1,601)from €40

Affiliate link: it costs you nothing extra.

Quads and buggies
Photo: Falk2 · CC BY-SA 4.0

The short version: the classic "buggy safari up Teide" is worth it for the scenery and for driving yourself up past 2,000 m, but it's tarmac from start to finish. Inside Teide National Park vehicles may only use the TF-21, TF-24 and TF-38, and the dirt tracks are closed to motor traffic. If you're after dust and dirt, book the 2-hour off-road circuit on the slopes above Adeje, which includes about 45 minutes of track. For a couple, a two-seater buggy works out at about €90 each; for a family with children over 1.20 m, a 4-seater buggy; on your own, a single quad is the cheapest option.

Our picks

1

The most tried and tested quad

Teide by day or at sunset, with the option of adding a jet ski ride; more than 1,600 reviews and the lowest entry price.

2

Buggy up Teide, morning or sunset

Rated 4.8 from more than 500 reviews. The price is usually per buggy, so split it between you.

3

If you're staying in the north

Leaves from the Puerto de la Cruz area, with a Teide or off-road version: no transfer to a base in the south.

4

A route that isn't Teide

Buggy towards the Masca valley, rated 4.8. During a wildfire alert the TF-436 to Masca closes to private and hire cars from 09:00 to 16:00, so ask which route is running that day.

Buggy or quad bike: which to choose

You drive a buggy sitting down, with a steering wheel, like a small car. The ones used here are 800 to 1,000 cc, automatic at Buggy Safari Tenerife, and Buggy Teide in the north has 1-, 2-, 4- and even 6-seaters. One adult with a licence can take the whole family.

You sit astride a quad, with handlebars, and it takes one passenger behind at most. It's more physical and cheaper: Club Canary charges €110 for a single quad and €120 for a double, and in that case the combined weight can't exceed 160 kg.

How to decide:

  • Couples: a two-seater buggy or a double quad. The double quad is cheaper; the buggy feels more like driving a car.
  • Families with children: a 4-seater buggy (€299–349 at Buggy Teide), about €75–87 a head and no need for two drivers. Children can ride from 1.20 m.
  • A group of friends or a stag or hen do: several single quads, so everyone gets to drive.
  • Solo travellers: a single quad at €105–110, or Quads4Fun's 40-minute taster quad for €55.

Where they really go: tarmac on Teide, tracks elsewhere

In Teide National Park

The park's management plan (Plan Rector de Uso y Gestión), published in the BOC, the Canary Islands' official gazette, allows free traffic on the TF-21, TF-24 and TF-38, bans vehicles from the tracks and treats driving off authorised roads and tracks as an offence. The operators say so on their own websites: tarmac only.

So every "Teide" tour is a convoy behind a guide. In the south they climb the TF-38 from Chío or the TF-21 via Vilaflor; in the north, the TF-21 from La Orotava. They reach about 2,200 m (Club Canary's quad safari) or 2,400 m (Buggy Safari Tenerife), with photo stops. It's a scenic drive through the volcanic landscape; if you want the cable car or a walk in the park, see our Teide guide.

Outside the park: forest tracks and private circuits

The island's forest tracks are also closed to motor vehicles as a general rule. The Cabildo (the island council) only allows recreational driving on the VM network, marked with blue signs: quads with handlebars need prior authorisation from its booking office, with a maximum of 150 vehicles a day and convoys of no more than 6. Companies also need their own authorisation. It's all explained on the Cabildo's forest tracks page.

That's why genuine off-roading is short and lower down, on the slopes above Adeje and Arona. Buggy Safari Tenerife's 2-hour tour, which leaves from Calle Archajara 10 on the Las Torres industrial estate in Adeje, combines about 45 minutes of dirt track with a stretch of mountain road. The 4-hour "forest" tours (Quads4Fun, €125 single, €150 double) run through pine forest, but the operators don't say which tracks they use.

Prices: per vehicle, not per person

This is where almost everyone goes wrong. Operators charge per buggy and per quad, with a small supplement if a passenger rides behind. On the booking platforms, the "from" price you see is usually per person sharing a vehicle, so always compare like with like.

Operator and tour Duration Direct price
Buggy Safari Tenerife · Teide (12:00, from Tamaimo) 3 h from €179 per buggy
Buggy Safari Tenerife · Teide at sunset 3 h from €199 per buggy
Buggy Safari Tenerife · off-road (11:00, 13:00, 16:00, from Adeje) 2 h from €140 per buggy
Buggy Teide · north (10:00, 14:00, 17:00) 3 h €170–179 (1 seat), €199 (2), €299–349 (4), €399–449 (6)
Club Canary · Teide Quad Safari (11:00, 14:30, 18:30) about 3 h €110 single quad, €120 double
Quads4Fun · taster 40 min €55 single
Quads4Fun · Ocean Quad Tour 3 h €105 single, €125 double

Work it out per head: the €179 buggy shared by two is about €90 each; Club Canary's double quad, €60; Quads4Fun's double Ocean Tour, €62.50.

Deposits. Several operators take part of the price when you book online and the rest on the day (Buggy Safari Tenerife mentions "part of the total price"; Club Canary, a "small deposit"). For unguided quad hire, Club Canary asks for a €100 deposit to cover parking fines or driving off-road, which isn't allowed either. Nearly all of them advertise "insurance included" and Quads4Fun sells extended cover for €10 a day, but nobody publishes the excess for damage: ask how much it is and whether they'll put a hold on your card.

Cancellation. Buggy Safari Tenerife and Club Canary refund you up to 48 h before. Ultimate Quads is much stricter: a full refund only more than a month ahead, 50% within the last month and nothing in the final 14 days. On GetYourGuide the general rule is free cancellation up to 24 h before, unless the listing says otherwise.

See the morning or sunset Teide buggy tourfrom €200Affiliate link: it costs you nothing extra.

Licence, age and weight

To drive you need a valid full category B car licence, as a physical card: photos and provisional licences don't count (Club Canary specifically turns away UK provisional licences). The minimum age and how long you must have held your licence vary by company:

Operator Driver Passenger
Buggy Safari Tenerife 18, licence held 1.5 years from age 7 or 1.20 m
Club Canary 18, licence held 1 year from age 7 or 1.20 m; 160 kg per quad
Quads4Fun 20, category B licence from age 8
Buggy Teide category B licence from 1.20 m
A Viator "Quad Adventure Teide Tour" 25, licence held 2 years —

If anyone in your group is 18 or 19 or passed their test recently, check this table before you pay: anyone who doesn't meet the requirement doesn't drive, even with a booking.

Departure and pick-up points

Each company has its own base, and nearly all of those in the south pick up free of charge in Las Américas, Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje:

  • Tamaimo (Santiago del Teide), Carretera Puerto 22: Buggy Safari Tenerife's Teide tours.
  • Adeje, Las Torres industrial estate, Calle Archajara 10: the 2-hour off-road tour.
  • Playa de las Américas, next to Vivo Mini Golf, Avenida Rafael Puig Lluvina 7: meeting point for Ultimate Quads and Ultimate Buggies.
  • The hills above Guía de Isora: Club Canary's quad base.
  • Puerto de la Cruz area: Buggy Teide, which climbs via La Caldera in La Orotava.
North ↗↙ South 1Playa de las Américas2Adeje3Santiago del Teide4Guía de Isora5Vilaflor6Teide summit7La Orotava8Puerto de la Cruz
1 Playa de las Américas2 Adeje3 Santiago del Teide4 Guía de Isora5 Vilaflor6 Teide summit7 La Orotava8 Puerto de la CruzOutline: © OpenStreetMap contributors

If you're staying in Puerto de la Cruz, book an operator in the north. Quads4Fun charges €75 to collect you from the north (Santa Cruz, Puerto de la Cruz or Tenerife North airport) and between €25 and €75 from other outlying areas.

What to wear and how the day goes

Closed shoes are compulsory, plus long trousers and sunglasses. Bring a proper warm layer too: at 2,000 m it's cold even in summer. Operators lend you a helmet, goggles, gloves and a windproof jacket, not a warm coat. And on the dirt sections you'll end up covered in dust.

  1. Hotel pick-up (free from Las Américas, Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje with most operators) or meet at the base.
  2. Check of your plastic photocard licence, then helmets, goggles and gloves handed out.
  3. Drive in single file behind the guide: Club Canary goes out with a maximum of 7 quads; on the VM network convoys can't exceed 6 vehicles.
  4. Photo stops, always without leaving the tarmac inside the park.
  5. Descent and return: about 3 hours of driving and 4–5 hours in total with transfers.

Who it's for and who should skip it

It's worth it if you enjoy driving, want to see the volcanic landscape another way and accept that it's on the road. It works well for couples, groups and families with children already over 1.20 m. For a full day of adrenaline, one of the best-selling listings lets you add a jet ski ride.

Better to skip it if you were expecting off-roading on the volcano, if you don't have a category B licence held for as long as the operator requires, or if you want peace and quiet: there's no silence in a convoy. To see the park properly, book a Teide excursion with the cable car or a hiking route. If you just want to get around the coast, look at scooter hire and tuk-tuks.

And before booking with a particular company, read our comparison of buggy and quad operators: minimum age, real minutes on dirt, cancellation terms and pick-up surcharges vary a lot from one to the next.

More buggy and quad tours

See all options on GetYourGuide →

Can you go off-road by buggy or quad on Teide?

No. Inside Teide National Park vehicles can only use the TF-21, TF-24 and TF-38 roads; the tracks are off limits. For dirt there are short authorised circuits on the slopes above Adeje.

How much does a buggy tour cost in Tenerife?

Booking direct with the operator, between €140 (2-hour off-road) and about €200 (3 hours up Teide) per two-seater buggy. The 4-seater costs €299–349 at Buggy Teide, in the north.

What licence do I need to drive a buggy or a quad?

A valid full category B car licence as a physical card, not a provisional or a photo. The minimum age ranges from 18 to 25, and you need to have held your licence for 1 to 2 years depending on the company.

Can children come?

As passengers, from age 7 or 1.20 m with most operators, and from age 8 with Quads4Fun. For families the most practical option is a 4-seater buggy with one adult at the wheel.

What should I wear on a buggy tour?

Closed shoes, which are compulsory, long trousers, sunglasses and a warm jacket, because it's cold at the top even in summer. The operator provides the helmet, goggles and gloves.

What happens if it snows or there's a wildfire alert?

When it snows, the Cabildo bans quads and buggies from the Teide roads even when they're open, and during a wildfire alert it closes the hills and forest routes are cancelled. Check the Cabildo's notices the day before and confirm with the operator.

Keep exploring

50 m · CoastTuk-tuks and scootersfrom €24 600 m · MidlandsHorse ridingfrom €45 1,000 m · MidlandsParaglidingfrom €100 600 m · SkyHelicopter ridesfrom €110 10 m · CoastSightseeing busfrom €20 500 m · MidlandsIsland toursfrom €20