Upon reaching the car park at the base of the mountain, you are 10 minutes away from the cable car that reaches up to 3000 meters height. The cost of the cable lift ride is 25 Euros. It may be a little steep for some but with that high a drop, you expect an extraordinary view and Mount Teide certainly does not fail to offer. For a 1 hour trip, you would have consumed a whole memory card with photos that you could take of the area. You can extend a little bit since the 1 hour rule is not enforced that strictly. You will definitely enjoy the incredible panoramic views across the island.
There is a little but more walk in order to reach the actual summit of this mountain. However, you should ask for permission at Santa Cruz where you can find the National Park Office. This is to ensure your safety since that is still a 168 meter peak to traverse. At the peak of the mountain, you will see an incredible view of Tenerife so if you are really going to head to Mount Teide, take the extra mile and ask for permission to reach the top.
On foot, the point where you start heading up from the base to the top is the Montana Blanca which is 2200 meters high and the parking is very spare. Remember, even if the walk is a little short, the high altitude can give you bit of difficulty especially if you are not used to climbing mountains or being in high altitudes generally. There are numerous points where you will be having some stopovers and it is very nice to take a little bit of time to enjoy and explore the area. The entire experience can take six to eight hours and so you really need to invest some time for it. Again, it is highly advised that if you are not experienced to just visit the other sights at Tenerife since Mount Teide is very challenging. Nonetheless, the experience is incredible once you reach the summit.
