Still undecided?
With small children, family. To switch off without over-planning, sun and beaches. If you like early starts and walking, nature. If you prefer villages and good food without rushing, culture.
Itinerary · 3 days
Tenerife in 3 days
Three days can cover a lot, but not everything. Choose what kind of trip you want: family, sun and beach, trails and nature, or culture and history — and follow that thread for all three days.
4Routes to choose from
3Days per route
12Possible plans
How each route is designed
Full days, not races.
On each of the four routes, days that combine two places do so only when the real distance allows it — normally under 35–40 minutes by car, or when the stretch is covered on foot or by boat rather than by road. The other days stick to a single destination, because some places deserve a full day on their own.
With just 3 days, each route covers the essentials of one type of trip without stretching the margin. If it falls short, the 5-day route extends any of the four without changing the approach.
Choose your pace
There isn't just one Tenerife in 3 days.
The same three days, four different ways to explore the island depending on what you're after. Choose an option and the itinerary below changes.
Family
Family
Slides, animals and wave pools — a pace designed for children, with big parks as a breather between excursions.
South
Sun and beaches
The route stays in the south almost the whole time: golden-sand beaches, near-guaranteed sun and the island's most developed tourist infrastructure.
North
Nature and trails
Laurel forest, ravines and the volcano: for those who prefer hiking boots to flip-flops, on the island's most spectacular walking routes.
Heritage
Culture and history
Colonial old towns, living traditions and the story of an island that was the gateway to the Americas — for travelling slowly, camera in hand.
Route: family
Day by day.
Three full days, designed around what you chose above.
01
Day 1 · Teide by cable car
The cable car takes eight minutes to reach easy viewpoints, with no need for long trails, and it can work well for families who meet its access conditions. Book tickets online — they sell out in high season.
Before you book: the cable car has access conditions. Under its official rules, children under 3, pregnant women and people with cardiovascular conditions cannot ascend, and there are limitations for people with physical or motor disabilities; under-16s must be accompanied by an adult. Service can be suspended or limited by wind or other weather, so it is worth checking the cable car status on the day.
Full day02
Day 2 · Siam Park
The Costa Adeje water park voted the world's best in Tripadvisor's Travellers' Choice Awards 2024: slides for all ages, a wave pool and quiet areas for the little ones. Book in advance in high season.
Full day03
Day 3 · Loro Parque and Lago Martiánez
In the morning, Loro Parque in Puerto de la Cruz: orcas, penguins and one of Europe's biggest aquariums. In the afternoon, a relaxed dip in Lago Martiánez, the seawater pool designed by César Manrique.
Full day01
Day 1 · Los Cristianos and Las Vistas
Land and head straight south: two urban beaches with a promenade, restaurants right on the sand and the calmest sea on the island to start without rushing.
Half a day02
Day 2 · El Médano and Los Gigantes
Spend the morning in El Médano, the south's most authentic beach, and have lunch on one of its seafront terraces. In mid-afternoon, drive about 35 minutes along the TF-1 to Los Gigantes to see the cliffs from the viewpoint before the sun goes down.
El Médano guide · Los Gigantes guide
Full day · 35 min transfer03
Day 3 · Whale watching and Playa de la Arena
In the morning, a boat trip from Puerto de Santiago to see wild dolphins and pilot whales. In the afternoon, without moving the car, relax on the black sand of Playa de la Arena, next to the same harbour.
Full day01
Day 1 · Anaga
The island's oldest massif: trails through laurel forest, viewpoints over the Atlantic and Benijo, the wild beach at the end of the road.
Full day02
Day 2 · Teide on foot
Go up by cable car or, if you are in good shape and have arranged the permit in time, walk up to the summit. Las Cañadas offers routes for all levels among lava flows.
Full day03
Day 3 · Masca and Los Gigantes
The most famous ravine in the Canary Islands: a demanding four-to-five-hour walk between rock walls down to a cove that can only be seen on foot or by boat. Many hikers walk down and return by boat to Los Gigantes instead of climbing back up, ending the day with the cliffs seen from the sea.
Masca guide · Los Gigantes guide
Full day01
Day 1 · La Laguna and Santa Cruz
A World Heritage Site since 1999: La Laguna's colonial layout in the morning, with the Cathedral and Plaza del Adelantado. It is only 10 minutes by car or tram from Santa Cruz, where you can spend the afternoon seeing the Calatrava Auditorium and the waterfront.
La Laguna guide · Santa Cruz guide
Full day02
Day 2 · La Orotava and Puerto de la Cruz
The Casa de los Balcones and La Orotava's old town in the morning; in the afternoon, the island's first tourist destination, Puerto de la Cruz, with more than two centuries of hotel tradition.
La Orotava guide · Puerto de la Cruz guide
Full day03
Day 3 · Garachico and Icod de los Vinos
A town reborn after a volcano buried it in 1706, with natural pools on the lava, and the Drago Milenario of Icod, one of the oldest trees in Europe.
Garachico guide · Icod de los Vinos guide
Full dayBefore you set off
How to organise these 3 days.
Three decisions that depend on which route you chose above.
Frequently asked questions
Before you book your flights.
Which of the 4 three-day routes is best?
There is no objectively best one — it depends on who you travel with and what you're after. The family route prioritises theme parks, the sun-and-beach route stays in the south, the nature route covers the north and its trails, and the culture route focuses on historic old towns.
Can I combine two routes, for example two days of beach and two of nature?
Yes, no problem. The four routes share the island and can be swapped freely — each route's itinerary is just a starting point, not a closed package.
Do I need a hire car for these 3 days?
For the sun-and-beach, nature and culture routes, yes — several stops have no direct public transport. The family route is the only one that can be done without a car, relying on tourist buses and the parks' own transport.
Are 3 days enough to see Tenerife?
For a first look focused on one type of trip, yes. If you want to combine several of these four routes without giving anything up, the 5-day route gives you more time and the 7-day route lets you do it all at ease.
Why do some days combine two places and others don't?
When two places are less than 35–40 minutes apart by car, combining them on the same day makes better use of your time without rushing — for example, El Médano and Los Gigantes, or La Laguna and Santa Cruz. Teide, Anaga, Masca or the theme parks, on the other hand, take a full day on their own: they are big destinations that gain nothing from being combined with another stop. Some combinations, such as Masca and Los Gigantes, work even though the road is longer (45 minutes) because the stretch is done on foot and by boat, not by car.
Have more time?
The 5-day route adds the north and the beach.
If you can stretch the trip by two more days, add the historic towns of the north and a coastal day without losing the rhythm of this route.