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 about 110 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. About 110 mm across the whole year at the airport weather station, most of it from November to February, and 19 days a year with a millimetre or more. Rain almost never 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. The airport, on the east coast near Puerto del Carmen, logs close to 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, which works out at around eight hours a day. 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. January and February suit the longer hikes best. Pack a light windproof layer: an exposed crater rim in the trade wind feels several degrees cooler than a sheltered resort pool.
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. April and May also give you sea warm enough for a beach afternoon after a morning on the lava.
June to August: hot and busy. Highs near 29 °C in August, and the black ground makes the afternoon feel worse than the number. The coach route through Timanfaya stays easy, because you see most of it from an air-conditioned seat. Walks are another matter: Caldera Blanca and the other open routes have no shade at all, so start early 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 suits a trip that mixes walking with warm beach days; November is the quiet month experienced walkers pick.
The best months by activity
- Best all round: March to May, and October to November
- Longer hikes: October to April, with December to February the coolest
- Warm beach weather: June to September
- Timanfaya by coach: any month
| Activity | Best months | Our pick on GetYourGuide |
|---|---|---|
| Timanfaya’s Route of the Volcanoes | All year | Timanfaya National Park Tour, $68, 4.4/5 from 1,046 reviews |
| Volcán del Cuervo (short crater walk) | October to May; early mornings the rest of the year | Free, self-guided |
| Caldera Blanca (longer, shadeless walk) | October to April | Free, self-guided |
| Guided volcano hikes | October to April; first departure in summer | Hike Across Timanfaya’s Volcanic Landscapes, $51, 4.8/5 from 1,545 reviews |
| Buggy tours | All year | Guided Off-Road Volcano Buggy Tour, $174 per buggy for two, 4.6/5 from 5,627 reviews |
| Lava caves | All year, and the fallback on a calima day | Cueva de los Verdes & Jameos del Agua Tour, $73, 4.4/5 from 410 reviews |
| Beach and volcano in one day | May to October | 4x4 Volcanic & Coastal South Adventure, $79, 4.4/5 from 103 reviews, with free time at Papagayo beach |
The two free walks sit outside the park’s ticketed core. Volcán del Cuervo is a short loop around and into a crater, so a warm day only means an earlier start. Caldera Blanca is a longer climb with no shade from car park to rim, which is why it drops out of the summer months.
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.
Can you visit Timanfaya in winter?
Yes. The park opens every day of the year, and winter highs around 21 °C are comfortable on the coach route and on foot. Bring a windproof layer for the viewpoints.
Is October a good month for a volcano tour?
Yes, one of the best. Highs have dropped from the late-summer peak, the sea is still warm, and you can hike in the morning and spend the afternoon on a beach.
What is the best season for serious hiking?
October to April, with December to February the coolest. For longer routes such as Caldera Blanca, those months are the ones to aim for.
Does it rain in Lanzarote?
Barely. The airport records about 110 mm a year, falling on 19 days with a millimetre or more, mostly between November 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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