7 Days In Tenerife – What To Do, Tourist Attractions, Daily Itinerary, Costs
Tenerife is definitely one of our favorite destinations visited so far. We spent a 7-day vacation in Tenerife during New Year's and had wonderful experiences: the island is gorgeous, warm, colorful and has a very, very good vibe. We hardly left this place, but we plan to come back, especially when we want to escape the cold at home.
It is one of the warmest locations in Europe, yet close enough to our home country. You don't have to go to Asia or the Caribbean to experience summer weather on a January day. Tenerife is at a distance of a couple of hours by plane from continental Europe.
In this article I will present you our 7-day itinerary from Tenerife, and how we organized our program, trying to make it as efficient as possible. The island has a lot to offer and there are many beautiful places that you can explore. For a first visit here, be inspired by this guide, where we have checked the main and most famous tourist attractions in Tenerife.
Before proceeding with the organization by days, I recommend you to read the following article, where you will find everything you need to know about Tenerife: what Tenerife means, what are the most important tourist attractions, how to get around Tenerife or where to stay: Tenerife - Discover Tenerife Island, Top 10 Tourist Attractions.
Content
- What to do in Tenerife - Daily itinerary
- How much did our vacation in Tenerife cost
How we arrived in Tenerife
The easiest way to get to Tenerife is by plane.
We left from Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and the most convenient option for us was to leave from Budapest with Wizz Air, a direct flight to the south airport in Tenerige. For a ticket during New Year's Eve, we paid around 400 euros, with checked luggage. It should be mentioned that the prices increase quite a lot during the winter holidays, but in the rest of the year normally you can find tickets at lower prices.
Where we stayed in Tenerife
Traveling in a winter month and with the desire to enjoy the summer weather as much as possible, we decided to choose an accommodation in one of the resorts in the south of the island. The reasons were the better weather than on the rest of the island, the atmosphere of a lively resort and the wide beaches with fine white sand. In short, we wanted to feel like we were on vacation at the sea.
We chose this accommodation in Los Cristianos, perfect for our needs: https://www.booking.com/hotel/es/castle-harbour-ocean-apartment.en-gb.html. A studio in a residential complex, where we had access to a heated swimming pool. The price of the apartment per night was around 60 euros.
How to get around in Tenerife
Tenerife has a well-developed infrastructure, and we managed traveling with both public transport and a rental car.
For the period in which we stayed only in the south, we traveled by buses or electric scooters:
- I recommend traveling by bus for short distances. We paid the ticket directly to the driver, cash or card, and the amount depended on the distance traveled. We also used the application of the transport company Titsa for more details.
- We also had the opportunity to ride the electric scooters, through the application Superpedestrian. These can be found in certain scooter parking lots, and after a ride, the application only lets you stop these scooters in the places marked on the map as parking lots. The price differs depending on the duration of the ride (1 minute = 0.20 euro cents).
- We traveled by taxi from and to the airport in the south and the accommodation in Los Cristianos, and the price of a trip was 25 euros.
For the days when we visited different places on the island, it was most convenient for us to rent a car. For 4 days we rented an Opel Astra from Cicar , at the price of 200 euros: being New Year's Eve, car prices were also higher than in general. What I liked was the simple process by which we rented the car: we made a reservation online on their website, without having to add any credit or debit card, and then we just showed up after the car. The price reserved on the website was also the final price, with full insurance, without other taxes or deposits.
Tenerife from the car
What to do in Tenerife - Daily itinerary
We arrived in Tenerife in the evening of 30th December, at 9 p.m., so this day was for traveling and finding the accommodation. I wrote about the next 7 days in Tenerife below:
Day 1 – Los Cristianos, Playa de las Americas
The first day for us in Tenerife was the last day of 2022, on December 31st. We found a warm, lively, animated Tenerife, waiting for the new year. This day was left for discovering and understanding what this island means and what its vibe is.
We visited Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas, the two popular resorts in Tenerife, which were buzzing with the presence of tourists. There are resorts by the ocean, which have wide beaches with fine yellow sand or volcanic sand, with elegant cliffs surrounded by tall palm trees, with many terraces and shopping areas.
We enjoyed the holiday atmosphere of these two resorts, you can't help but feel relaxed and content here. All the more so since we were on New Year's Eve, which led to a general festive atmosphere throughout the resort.
If you want to find out more information about the resorts from the south of the island, I recommend you to read this article: South of Tenerife Island - Top 3 Resorts With the Most Beautiful Beaches.
Los Cristianos
Playa de las Americas
How to celebrate New Year's Eve in Tenerife
Parties at the oceanfront restaurants, music on the stages in the center, a lot of happy and partying tourists, and at midnight, fireworks directly on the beach - this is what marked the transition to the new year in Tenerife, and I can say - this is my favorite way to celebrate New Year's Eve.
Day 2 – Siam Park
The next day we enjoyed one of the most famous parks in Tenerife and Europe. Siam Park is an aquatic park in Costa Adeje, with Thai characteristics, suitable for all ages. It is one of the most beautiful parks of its kind in the world, and its advantage is that it is open every day of the year, thanks to the warm weather in Tenerife. From Los Cristianos we quickly arrived by bus to Siam Park.
An adult ticket starts from 45 euros and you can buy it here: Tenerife: Siam Park Entry Tickets. The price for a child aged between 3-11 years starts from 38 euros, and for children under 2 years access is free.
Read here more details about Siam Park: Theme Parks In Tenerife - Top 5 Water Parks And Zoos.
Day 3 – Monkey Park, Costa Adeje
Monkey Park
In the first part of the day we visited the small monkey park on the outskirts of Los Cristianos. There are many small monkeys in the park, and the nice part is that visitors can offer them food. Unfortunately, they are fenced and you cannot reach them, but even so, the animals are very cute.
An entrance ticket costs 5 euros, and, optional, a casserole with food another 3 euros.
Read here more details about Monkey Park: Theme Parks In Tenerife - Top 5 Water Parks And Zoos.
Costa Adeje
From Los Cristianos we arrived by bus in Costa Adeje, a little quieter resort but just as beautiful as the other two, Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos.
From the end of the resort, from Duque beach, we walked to Los Cristianos, a distance of 8 km. We walked only by the seafront, surrounded by tourists and palm trees, we discovered the beaches of each resort and enjoyed the walk on the ocean shore.
I invite you to read this article to find out more details about these resorts and the beaches here: South of Tenerife Island - Top 3 Resorts With the Most Beautiful Beaches.
Day 4 – Masca, Loro Park, Puerto de la Cruz
We decided to use the next 4 days to explore the whole island, and for that it was easier for us to rent a car, to have flexibility and to easily reach all the locations on the list.
On the first day we chose to visit the northwestern part of the island, with the picturesque village of Masca, the beautiful town of Puerto de la Cruz and the Loro Park zoo.
Masca
Our first destination was the village of Masca, and I can say that the beginning was the most difficult. The road to this village seemed to us the most difficult on the whole island, the village being a little more isolated, 5 km from the main road, on a very narrow, steep road with many curves. And then came the even more complicated part, looking for a parking space in a very small village, but visited by many tourists.
But besides these less pleasant aspects, the final destination is spectacular. We had some fascinating views and panoramas and the village itself is charming. This place is peaceful, between the mountain peaks and overlooking the ocean.
Loro Park
From Masca we hurried to Loro Park, the most famous zoo, known for its paradisiacal parks and animal shows.
Entrance costs 42 euros/adult and 30 euros/child 3-11 years old, and tickets can also be bought online: Puerto de la Cruz: Loro Parque Entry Ticket.
Read here more details about Loro Park: Theme Parks In Tenerife - Top 5 Water Parks And Zoos.
Puerto de la Cruz
Our evening was spent walking around Puerto de la Cruz. I liked this city very much, the old center is wonderful, a city with an architecture specific to the island, with access to the ocean and a relaxed and warm atmosphere.
Day 5 – Teide Volcano, Icod de los Vinos
Teide Volcano
For this day we booked online tickets to go up the mountain Teide by cable car. With the cable car we reached the altitude of 3555 meters, and a ticket cost 38 euros, round trip. You can buy online tickets online: https://www.volcanoteide.com/en/volcano_teide/teide_cable_car/teide_cable_car.
If you want to climb to the top, keep in mind that you need a special permit, which you must purchase in advance from the website https://www.reservasparquesnacionales.es/real/ParquesNac/usu/html/listado-actividades-oapn.aspx?cen=2 . There are only 200 permits available per day. But when we visited, it was winter and there was snow on the mountain, climbing to the top was forbidden, regardless of whether you had a permit or not.
There are other tours to visit the Teide volcano that you can choose from, including guided tours to the top, jeep safari through the Teide natural park, climbing the volcano at sunset or during the night: Mount Teide activities.
Icod de los Vinos and Thousand-year-old dragon tree
We then went to the town of Icod de los Vinos to see the tree that is said to be 1000 years old. The tree is imposing and impressive, and it is the oldest of its kind, Drago.
We entered the park where the tree is located, the Drago park, where an entrance ticket cost 5 euros. Short mention that this tree is also visible from outside the park.
After that we visited the butterfly museum near the park, Mariposario del Drago, where there is an exhibition of live butterflies. The price of a ticket is 8 euros, but I would not necessarily recommend this place to be visited. Compared to another butterfly museum I had visited in the past, namely the one in Dubai, this one is very small, it is just a room where a few butterflies fly.
Day 6 – Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Playa de las Teresitas
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of the island of Tenerife, and it is a very cosmopolitan and bustling city. We walked for several hours through the city center, the port and the waterfront, to the Auditorium.
Playa de las Teresitas
10 km from the capital is the beach that I liked the most in Tenerife. We spent a few hours here at the beach and swimming, and the ocean temperature was 21.7 degrees in January.
Day 7 – Anaga Rural Park, Los Gigantes
Anaga Rural Park
In the first part of our last day of our holiday in Tenerife, we wanted to discover and explore the forest in the north of the island. Anaga Park is a protected natural area, a spectacular mountain area, with high ridges, steep valleys and rich green forests. By car we walked from one panoramic point to another (Mirador de Jardina, Mirador Cruz del Carmen, Mirador Pico del Ingles), and the route through the forest is charming. Cruz de Carmen is the central point from which many mountain trails start on foot, of different distances and difficulties. We also started on such a shorter route, and our regret was that we did not have more time here to explore as much of this area as possible.
Los Gigantes
In the evening we admired the sunset on the beach of Los Gigantes, the city-resort that impresses you with its landscape: the beach with fine volcanic sand, the restless ocean, and most beautiful, the high rocks that rise directly from the sand and the ocean.
How much did our vacation in Tenerife cost
Tenerife can be a cheap destination, but what is more expensive is the transport. For us, the biggest costs were the plane tickets, we were flying during the New Year's period, and then also the price of the rented car was higher during this period. The prices for January 2023 were as follows:
- Flight ticket 400 euro / persons -> 800 euros / 2 people
- Accommodation: 60 euros/night * 8 nights = 480 euros / 2 people (240 euros / person). This was our accommodation in Los Cristianos: Margherita’s Apartments
- Rental car 200 euros + gas approximately 70 euros => 270 euro / 2 people (135 euro / person)
- Entry tickets for parks (Siam Park, Loro Park, Monkey Park, Park del Drago, Mariposario del Drago) 100 euro / person -> 200 euro / 2 people
- Teide cable car 38 euro / person -> 76 euro / 2 people
- Taxi aeroport 25 euro / person -> 50 euro / 2 people
The rest of the expenses were for food and souvenirs. Roughly, 30 euros was the amount spent by one person for a whole day with food and meals in the city.
In total, with transport, accommodation, entrance tickets and rental car, without additional expenses for food or other purchases, the price paid for a 7-day holiday in Tenerife was 938 euros per person.
This island is gorgeous, and 7 days in Tenerife are not enough to discover all its wonders. But for your first visit to Tenerife, I hope the details and program described in this article will be useful to you.
