Hotel pick-up, sunset above the clouds with sparkling wine, and a guided stargazing tour through a 500 mm telescope in Teide National Park.
About this tour
An evening on the mountain with nothing to arrange. We collect you at your hotel or apartment, take you up into Teide National Park and bring you back afterwards — so nobody in your party has to stay sober at the wheel, or find their way down a dark mountain road at eleven at night.
First the sun goes down above the clouds from a viewpoint high in Teide National Park, with a glass of sparkling wine in your hand. Then, once the light has gone, the group moves on and the sky takes over.
There is a reason astronomers come here. The park sits above 1,500 metres, above the cloud layer and the damp air that comes with it, and the skies over Tenerife have been protected by law since 1988 to keep them dark. UNESCO listed the park as World Heritage in 2007. On a clear night the Milky Way is not something you have to look for.
Accredited professional astronomers take you through what you are looking at, using a 500 mm Sky-Watcher Stargate GoTo telescope — a 20-inch mirror that gathers four times as much light as a 250 mm instrument and tracks each object on its own. Galaxies, globular clusters and nebulae, the cloud bands of Jupiter and the Great Red Spot, the rings of Saturn.
A digital eyepiece puts the same view on a screen in real time. The sensor collects far more light than the eye, so nebulae and galaxies appear there in colour. Through the eyepiece you see the real thing with your own eye; on the screen you see what the camera sees.
Door to door the evening takes about four and a half hours, of which around three hours is the guided programme itself; the rest is the drive up and back. We cap the group size so that everyone can enjoy the experience in comfort.
Included
Hotel pick-up and drop-off, at no extra cost
Welcome glass of sparkling wine at sunset (non-alcoholic option available on request)
Guided sunset viewing above the clouds
Guided stargazing tour under the skies of Teide National Park
Observation through a 500 mm (20-inch) Sky-Watcher Stargate GoTo telescope, with digital eyepiece
Accredited professional astronomers
Souvenir photo, delivered digitally
English-speaking guide, with Hungarian commentary on request
Not included
Food and drinks other than the welcome drink
Warm clothing and closed shoes
Pick-up from outside the El Médano – Los Gigantes area
Teide cable car (teleférico) ticket and Teide Observatory visit — neither is part of this tour
Gratuities
What to bring
Warm, layered clothing — essential all year round, including summer
Closed shoes
Your own water and a snack, if you wish
Please note
What to wear — Warm, layered clothing and closed shoes are required. Sandals, flip-flops and sleeveless tops are not suitable.
High mountain — The tour takes place outdoors after sunset, above 1,500 metres. Temperatures can change sharply and unpredictably compared with the coast, and it gets considerably colder once the sun has set.
No facilities — There are no toilets, restaurants or other facilities at or near the locations we visit.
What you will see — What you see depends on the night — the Moon's phase, cloud and haze all matter. The colour images come from the digital eyepiece on screen; through the eyepiece itself, deep-sky objects appear in shades of grey, as they do in any telescope.
Pick-up included — Hotel pick-up and drop-off are included and available between El Médano and Los Gigantes at no extra cost. Please give us the name of your hotel or apartment when booking. You do not need your own car for this tour.
Total duration — About 4.5 hours door to door, of which around 3 hours is the guided programme; the rest is the drive up and back.
Language — Our tours are conducted in English. Hungarian commentary is also available on request; please let us know when you book, so we can arrange it for you.
Pick-up time and location — Once your booking is confirmed, you will receive a personal message with your pick-up point. The exact pick-up time is confirmed by message on the day of the tour; please disregard any other time shown on your digital ticket.
Arriving the same day? — If your flight is due to land in the afternoon, we recommend booking for a later evening rather than the same one.
Please stay reachable — Make sure we can contact you by phone, WhatsApp or email on the day of the tour. If we cannot reach you, or if you do not arrive at the agreed place at the agreed time, the booking is treated as a no-show and no refund is given. Please also keep an eye on your phone and email on the day of the tour: in poor weather conditions we may have to change or cancel the programme. If that happens, we will notify you by phone, WhatsApp or email.
Age limit — Children under 8 cannot take part. Children aged 8–11 book at the child rate; guests aged 12 and over book at the adult rate. Guests under 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Health and suitability — For safety reasons the tour is not suitable for pregnant guests or for guests with reduced mobility, and we are unable to accept bookings for them.
Non-alcoholic option — A non-alcoholic option is available instead of the sparkling wine (children's sparkling drink or a soft drink).
Booking deadline — Bookings close at 10:00 on the day of the tour, Canary Islands local time.
Where we go — The activity takes place at public viewpoints authorised by the local authorities, not on Mount Teide itself.
Cancellation policy — Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time. Later cancellations and no-shows are not refunded. If the sky is cloudy, you may choose a new date or a full refund.
Good to know
Duration: 4 hours 30 minutes (door to door)
Difficulty: Easy
Minimum age: 8
Guiding languages: English, Hungarian