Visiting Lanzarote means discovering a variety of landscapes: volcanoes, caves, lagoons, cliffs, beaches… And you don’t always have to take your car.
See our selection of the best excursions in Lanzarote to admire the different landscapes, have fun, go off-road or hop over to Fuerteventura.
This guide also includes some of the best boat excursions in Lanzarote to discover the island from another point of view.
This opinion is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Lanzarote’s most beautiful excursions – quick answers
If you don’t want to read everything, we recommend these 4 excursions to see the best of Lanzarote:
- Admire the landscapes of Timanfaya National Park and a best-of of the island
– see program and availability - Dolphin cruise
– see our preferred option - Discover the works of César Manrique, including the caves
– see program and availability - A day trip to the island of La Graciosa
– see bus + ferry option
Most excursions can take you to the 3 main areas of Lanzarote: Playa Blanca, Playa del Carmen and Costa Teguise. But be sure to check first.
1. Excursion to Timanfaya only
Timanfaya National Park is the best excursion in Lanzarote. It’s absolutely breathtaking!
It’s a national park and you can’t walk around on your own. But even in a group, it’s fantastic to see the colors and power of the Earth.
Timanfaya National Park is located on the west coast of the island and consists entirely of volcanic soil. Access is limited, with just one road and a bus to take you out to see the scenery.
This route offers fantastic panoramas of the many volcanic craters (formed mainly between 1730 and 1736), different types of lava and incredible colors.
It’s a much-visited attraction, but it’s well done and well worth the effort.
If you don’t want to rent a car, there are excursions from all the resorts (Playa Blanca, Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise) and the cruise terminal.
- A half-day which covers only the journey to Timanfaya, the fire experience at the restaurant and the park tour by bus – See program and availability
Tip: We recommend sitting on the right-hand side of the bus when taking the Timanfaya bus. There are beautiful things to see on both sides, but some of the best views will be to your right.
2. A little of everything in Lanzarote – day trip
You can also combine the park with other attractions over a full day. This way, you can discover more of Lanzarote’s beauty.
We particularly like the option that adds the green lagoon, César Manrique’s Jameos del Agua cave and the Geria vineyard.
Here are the other locations in addition to Timanfaya:
Here, at Charco de los Clicos, the combination is exceptional: a green lagoon, the remains of the volcano with red, yellow and black rocks, and the black sand beach.
The volcanic crater was formed during eruptions in the 1730s and flooded by the ocean. With erosion, only half the cone remains.
Yes, there are vineyards on Lanzarote. It’s quite amazing, but by using picon on the soil to capture moisture and creating small rock walls to protect from the wind, they are able to grow grapes and make wine!
You’ll visit the most famous bodega: La Geria, with its impressive valley.
We think it was one of the most frustrating things about Lanzarote. This pool in Jameos des Agua is so inviting!!!! Isn’t it?
Here, César Manrique transformed part of a long lava tunnel that had collapsed in several places. There’s an underground lake, restaurants and an amphitheatre…
CHOOSING A HOTEL IN Lanzarote
Choosing where to stay:
Select by hotel type:
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- Best adults-only hotels
- Best all-inclusive hotels
- Best hotels for families
Our favorite: Hotel Cala Lanzarote – See prices, photos and availability
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3. Dolphin-watching boat trip
We love the whale and dolphin watching tours. We had high hopes, and were lucky enough to see an impressive number of dolphins. A wonderful experience with the Lanzarote landscape in the background.
You can also often see bottlenose dolphins in the Canary Islands, including Lanzarote.
See our article.
Choose from 4 tour formats:
Option 1 – Daytime speedboat – duration 1h30 with swimming
See details and availability
Option 2 – sunset speedboat – 2h30 with champagne
See details and availability
Option 3 – fast boat and Lobos Island – 5h with discovery of part of Lobos Island
See details and availability
Option 4 – Catamaran sunset cruise – 2h
See details and availability
There are resident dolphins all year round. Some say that June is the best month to see many of them, but we haven’t found confirmation.
4. Tour of César Manrique’s works
César Manrique left an indelible mark on Lanzarote thanks to his commitment to respecting the environment and integrating himself into it. His works on the island are surprising, combining the work of nature with discreet, curving architecture that blends with the rock.
It’s not possible to visit all the places linked to the artist in a single day. But you can discover some of it.
We recommend this excursion: see program and availability.
It covers a good variety of locations:
- Monumento al Campesino highlights local culture
- The César Manrique Foundation
- Mirador del Rio, hidden in the cliffs with breathtaking views
- The Cactus Garden, a must-see
- Jameos de Lagua, in a lava tube with lake and pool
OUR ADVICE FOR RENTING A CAR IN Lanzarote
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- A small car is all you need.
- But you can also choose a larger one if you wish, as the parking spaces are rather large.
- Demand is high, so book early.
5. Excursion to the island of La Graciosa
La Graciosa is a small island to the north of Lanzarote. Access is by ferry and there are no roads at all, just tracks in the sand. You can explore it on foot or with one of the 4WD cabs.
Unlike Lanzarote, it is covered in golden-white sand. But there are also a few volcanoes. The colors are magnificent and you can enjoy different landscapes: beaches, volcanoes and basalt columns.
Even the ferry crossing is fascinating, with superb views of the Famara cliffs to the north of Lanzarote.
See our article.
We recommend taking the first ferry in the morning to avoid the crowds who come to spend the day at the beach.
Ferries depart from Orzola. Note that for those staying in Playa Blanca, it takes longer to get to the north (1h10min by car). 2 companies offer ferries from Lanzarote to La Graciosa. See departures and book or book with bus pick-up.
And on site, we recommend hiring a 4WD cab to explore the island’s most beautiful landscapes: book your 4WD tour in advance!
Another option if you don’t rent a car is to take part in a day’s sailing on a catamaran around La Graciosa – see program.
6. Volcano hiking
The best way to discover Lanzarote’s volcanic landscapes is by hiking. The island offers a wide choice of hikes of varying lengths and difficulty. See our favorite hikes.
If you don’t want to hike alone, you can join a group.
Here’s a small-group option around Timanfaya: see program and availability
Or head north to the La Corona volcano and its impressive views: see program and availability.
WITH OUR GUIDE PLAN YOUR DREAM TRIP TO lanzarote
All the information you need for your trip:
- 7 maps that make planning easier
- + 75 pre-selected locations
- Practical advice
- + 140 photos to help you choose
7. Immerse yourself in the world of Lanzarote wine
If Lanzarote’s vineyards fascinate you, given the island’s extreme climatic conditions, you can combine a hike, a vineyard tour and a wine tasting!
Find out more about Lanzarote wine in our article.
This tour takes you to La Géria bodega, the island’s most famous. You can hike in the valley surrounded by vineyards protected by low walls.
The views are exceptional!
And you can enjoy one of the island’s most famous white wines to reward yourself after the effort!
8. Alternative excursions
You can also go off the beaten track to discover Lanzarote’s volcanic landscapes from a different angle.
Depending on your sporting or mechanical desires, you can go exploring:
- by eBike – see program and availability
- by buggy – see program and availability
9. Excursion to Fuerteventura and the Corralejo dunes
Another classic is to set aside a day to discover the neighboring island of Fuerteventura. It’s so close and yet so different.
The landscapes are more mountainous and less volcanic. It has better beaches but not the same charm as Lanzarote, in our opinion.
The island is large, so you’ll only be able to discover the north. But you’ll spend some time in the sand dunes of Corralejo. And we love it!
It’s an opportunity to discover another side of the Canary Islands.
10. Excursion to Fuerteventura and the island of Lobos
But if you want to keep with the volcanic theme, you can also book a fairly free excursion that takes you to spend some time on the beautiful little island of Lobos and also to the town of Corralejo on Fuerteventura.
Lobos Island is one of our favorite spots in the Canaries. It’s like entering another world.
11. Catamaran to Papagayo beaches
Lanzarote’s southwest coast is a must-see.
Papagayo and its neighboring golden sandy beaches are considered to be the best on Lanzarote and are one of the island’s main attractions.
Their vast sandy expanses have remained largely untouched, with no paved roads leading to them.
These beaches are located on the Macizo de los Ajaches (Natural Monument), the island’s oldest territory, formed around 14 million years ago (hence the rounded peaks and deep ravines).
You can explore it on foot, or via an unpaved track.
Or you can take a boat out to sea and admire the wilderness. Just be aware that you won’t be able to get to the beaches from the boats.
From Puerto del Carmen:
Catamarans allow you to explore the entire south coast and perhaps catch a glimpse of dolphins. You can swim or kayak around the boat.
See program and availability
From Playa Blanca:
You’ll discover these magnificent landscapes on a yacht. You can swim and stand-up paddle around the boat.
See program and availability
Other activities in Lanzarote
And here are some other ideas for fun activities:
HAVE FUN WITH THESE Lanzarote activities
- Dolphin watching
- Buggy / Quad
- Kayak excursion
- But also: Diving at the Museum of the Atlantic, Catamaran outings, Paddle excursions, Parasailing
Other boat tours
And there are more boat tours available around the island:
Find out more in our article dedicated to boat tours in Lanzarote.
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO Lanzarote
- Best of
Most beautiful landscapes
Best things to do in Lanzarote
Most beautiful beaches
Most beautiful villages
Best boat tours
César Manrique’s attractions
Secret places, off the beaten track
Most beautiful hikes
- Practical advice
25 tips for a successful trip to Lanzarote
How to get around
How to rent a car in Lanzarote
Driving tips
Where to stay in Lanzarote
Best hotels in Lanzarote
Best excursions
Itineraries: 3 days – 4 days – 5 days – 1 week – 10 days
