The Best Time for a Lanzarote Volcano Tour
Lanzarote has no bad season, but the lava fields have no shade. Month-by-month temperatures, the calima, the wind, and the departure time that matters more than the month.
Lanzarote has no low season: highs run from about 21 °C in January to 29 °C in August, and the island gets under 150 mm of rain in a year.
For walking, the answer is narrower — October to April, and March–April or October–November if you also want to miss the crowds. A lava field has no shade of any kind, so in high summer what time you leave matters more than what month you booked.
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What the weather actually does here
Temperature. Highs sit around 21 °C in January and February, climb through the spring, and peak near 29 °C in August and September. Nights are mild year-round. There is no month where a volcano hike is off the table because of cold.
Rain. Under 150 mm across the whole year, concentrated in December to February, and about sixteen rainy days annually. Rain is essentially never the thing that spoils a tour here.
Wind. This is the real variable. Lanzarote is low, exposed, and sits in the northeast trade winds, which blow steadily for much of the year. The north and west coasts are consistently windier than the south. On a cinder plain that means fine grit in the air; bring something for your eyes if you are prone to it.
The calima. A few times a year, hot dry air arrives off the Sahara carrying dust. It can push temperatures past 35 °C and drop visibility to a brown haze, and it typically lasts two to four days. It is unpredictable and has been getting more frequent. If one lands during your trip, move your walk and do the caves instead — Cueva de los Verdes and Jameos del Agua do not care what the sky is doing.
North versus south. The north is windier, cloudier and gets more of what little rain there is; the south is drier and hotter, with as much as 2,500 hours of sun a year. Timanfaya and the walking country sit in the south-west.
Month by month, for a volcano day
December to February — highs around 21 °C, the coolest and greenest the lava country gets, and the best walking conditions of the year. The busiest weeks are Christmas and New Year; either side of them, the island is quiet and Timanfaya slots are easy to get.
March to May — the sweet spot. Warm, stable, long daylight, and the crowds have not arrived. If you have a free choice of dates for a hike, take April.
June to August — hot and busy. Highs near 29 °C in August, and the black ground makes the afternoon feel worse than the number. Take the earliest departure available, and expect Timanfaya’s timed slots to sell out days ahead.
September to November — the second sweet spot. September still runs near 28 °C, but by October and November the heat has dropped, the summer crowds have gone, and conditions are as good as spring. October and November are the quiet months experienced walkers pick.
The thing that matters more than the month
Departure time. Every guided walk on this site runs morning or late-afternoon departures for exactly this reason — the Timanfaya landscapes hike, for instance, has an afternoon slot starting around 4:30 pm, which puts you on the lava as the light goes long and the ground has stopped throwing heat back. In July or August that is a materially different experience from the same route at 1 pm.
If you are booking in high summer, sort by departure time before you sort by anything else. And if the only slot left is midday, the shorter guided hike with transfers is the more sensible choice — air-conditioned pickup at both ends, and less time exposed. Our breakdown of that tour →
Frequently asked questions
What is the best month to visit Timanfaya?
March, April, October and November — warm and stable, but without the summer heat on the lava or the peak-season pressure on the park’s timed entry slots. December to February is also excellent for walking if you do not mind highs around 21 °C.
Is it too hot for a volcano tour in summer?
Not for the coach route through Timanfaya, which is air-conditioned. For a hike, August afternoons on an unshaded cinder plain are genuinely hard work — take the earliest or the latest departure, carry more water than you think you need, and do not attempt the longer routes in the middle of the day.
Does it rain in Lanzarote?
Barely. The island gets under 150 mm a year across roughly sixteen rainy days, mostly between December and February. Tours run rain or shine and cancellations for weather are rare.
What is a calima and will it ruin my tour?
A hot, dust-laden wind off the Sahara that can push the temperature above 35 °C and reduce visibility to a haze, usually for two to four days. It is unpredictable. Tours generally still run, but the views suffer, so it is a good moment to swap a viewpoint tour for the lava caves.
Is Lanzarote windy?
Yes, consistently — the northeast trade winds blow for much of the year and the island is low and exposed, with the north and west coasts windiest. On the lava fields that means grit in the air rather than danger. Take sunglasses even on an overcast day.
Do I need to book further ahead in high season?
For Timanfaya, yes — entry is by timed slot, sold online only, and slots sell out days in advance in July, August and over Christmas and Easter. Guided hikes run small groups and fill too. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before means booking early costs you nothing.
Once you have a date, work out which kind of tour fits it: see our guide to choosing a Lanzarote volcano tour, or what to wear and bring.
Stand on the Fire Mountains
Guided hikes across the lava fields, coach tours with Timanfaya park entry, and the lava tubes of the La Corona eruption. Free cancellation on every tour listed here.
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