What to Pack for Tenerife: Travel Essentials and What to Leave at Home
2026. November 8., Sunday, 08:00
What should you bring to Tenerife? Do you need vaccinations, special preparation, or just a suitcase with working wheels? In this guide we go through the FINESTPASS™ Survival Kit from your hat to your power bank, the apps worth downloading, documents, insurance and money, and finally what you can happily leave at home because it's cheaper and easier to get on the island, with plenty of local PRO tips.
A cloudy morning on the golden sand of Playa de Las Teresitas, near San Andrés at the foot of the Anaga mountains. In Tenerife the weather can change within a few kilometres (a couple of miles), so pack a pullover alongside your beach gear.⏐Fotó: Unsplash, Kirke Kiki
What should you bring to Tenerife? Do you need vaccinations, special preparation, or just a suitcase with working wheels? We live here on the island, and in this guide we'll show you how to prepare for Tenerife like a professional: what you absolutely need to bring, and what you can leave at home without having a nervous breakdown halfway through your holiday. For the basics (where the island is, how to get there and which part of it suits you), read Tenerife as a Destination: Everything You Need to Know.
First things first: book early
Tenerife has become hugely popular with European travelers, especially in summer and winter. So if you're planning a holiday here, start early, ideally several months ahead. You'll have a much better chance of finding good accommodation in a great location, at a price that doesn't require selling a kidney. Of course, you can organize everything just a few weeks before departure, but expect higher prices and fewer options, especially for the best places to stay. We cover the different areas and types of accommodation in detail in Where to Stay in Tenerife.
The same goes for quality activities and experiences, especially in peak season: the best slots are often gone weeks in advance.
The FINESTPASS™ Survival Kit
Now let's move on to the world-famous FINESTPASS™ Survival Kit. These are the essentials that, once packed, could keep you happily alive on the island for five years. We put the list together based on many years of local experience: these are the things we'd bring to Tenerife ourselves. It's made specifically for this island, not some generic packing list. You'll also find the full list in our free digital travel guides.
1. Comfortable headwear
A baseball cap, a sun hat, a bandana, pretty much anything except a woolly winter hat. Make sure it fits properly or has an adjustable strap: in a few parts of Tenerife, the wind is so strong it can almost rip your face off.
A hat matters because Tenerife is close to the Tropic of Cancer, and the sunlight here is extremely intense. Sunburn and heat-related illness can catch you off guard even on cloudy days, so don't underestimate the power of the sun. We explain more in our article on Tenerife's weather.
2. Comfortable sneakers
Wear them on the flight and around the island. Lightweight, breathable running shoes with mesh uppers and cushioned soles are excellent: your feet can breathe, they're comfortable for walking, and they don't weigh as much as a small household appliance. We'd avoid heavy designer trainers and stiff leather shoes.
If you're planning more serious hikes in one of the rural parks or the national park, bring proper hiking shoes or boots. Volcanic rock can be hard, uneven and surprisingly sharp, so you'll want footwear with good ankle support and firm, grippy soles.
By cable car to the upper station (3,555 m / 11,663 ft), then onward with a local guide to the summit of Mount Teide (3,715 m / 12,188 ft) - the highest point in Spain. The most complete volcanic experience on Tenerife.
A private high-altitude hike all the way to the crater rim at 3,715 metres (12,188 feet), with a named permit and your own private guide, followed by a cable car descent.
Guided, group tour with spectacular stops amid the volcanic landscapes of Teide National Park, including return transfer - without using the cable car.
Comfort means different things to different people, but in Tenerife, comfort always wins over fashion. Those expensive designer slides look magnificent in a Dubai hotel, right up until you've walked 100 steps in them here. Remember, this is a volcanic island: you'll encounter sloping promenades, uneven surfaces and beaches with coarse sand, and any of them is perfectly capable of rubbing your feet raw. Choose soft, comfortable slides that fit properly. We've seen a few holidays ruined by a bad pair of slides.
4. One or two comfortable jumpers
We'd suggest leaving the designer brands at home here too. Choose something soft and stretchy that you can get dirty or accidentally tear without having to observe a period of mourning. You may need a jumper all year round in the mountains, on the north side and in the evenings. If you're doing the island even remotely right, comfort comes first and fashion comes second.
5. A quality pair of polarized sunglasses
We've already mentioned how intense the sunlight can be here. You'll especially appreciate good polarized sunglasses when driving a rental car, exploring the island or spending time on the beach, particularly at sunset.
6–7. A backpack and a waist bag
That might sound excessive, but holidays here can be surprisingly active. Even a beach day often starts with a drive, followed by a walk carrying enough equipment to establish a small settlement. We'd choose a backpack over a tote bag or a duffel bag: it leaves your hands free and is much more comfortable for exploring Teide National Park, Puerto de la Cruz, Garachico, Icod de los Vinos or Loro Parque.
PRO tip: during the day, always keep plenty of bottled water in your backpack. You could need it literally anytime.
A waist bag, while not exactly a fashion statement, comes in handy when you only need a few essentials: your hotel key card, apartment or villa keys, ID, perhaps some tobacco products and your medication. Strap it on and both hands are free.
8. A power bank
Tenerife gets strong sunshine, so you'll be using your phone with the screen brightness turned up. Add to that the fact that you'll probably spend the whole day taking photos and videos, and on rare occasions you might even need navigation. Those two or three things alone can drain your battery quickly, never mind all the other little dramas you manage through your phone. A power bank lets you recharge on the go.
For perfectionists: a few more useful extras
And that was the FINESTPASS™ Survival Kit. If you're a completely unhinged perfectionist, though, here are a few more things that might come in handy in certain situations:
A small, lightweight head torch: if you plan to explore Tenerife after dark as well as during the day. We use ours fairly often. It's especially useful if you end up stargazing in Teide National Park at night.
A compact phone tripod: very useful when you want a photo together but there's nobody nearby to take it, because you've managed to get lost. It's also great for long-exposure night photos, keeping your phone perfectly still.
A small phone holder for the car: if you've somehow ended up with an older rental car without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
A spare charging cable: keep one in your backpack or rental car and another at your accommodation. That way you can charge your phone wherever you need to, without suffering a complete nervous breakdown while hunting for a cable.
Add a few pairs of shorts, some T-shirts and some underwear, and you'll be pretty comfortable.
Sunset among the volcanic landscapes of Teide, a three-course dinner and guided stargazing with astronomical telescopes accompanied by Starlight-certified guides.
One of the world's most important observatories - alongside Chile and Hawaii. Thanks to the exceptional observing conditions, international researchers study the Sun and phenomena of the universe.
A few mobile apps can make your time in Tenerife a whole lot easier and safer:
Google Maps: download an offline map of Tenerife before you travel, so you can use it without mobile internet. Coverage is generally good in tourist areas and larger towns, but you can lose signal on remote roads and hiking trails. Offline maps give you peace of mind and a sense of security. Personally, we'd choose Google Maps over Apple Maps or Waze here.
Google Translate: download Spanish and English, plus any other languages you might need, for offline use, so you can translate whenever you need to, even without internet. You can type in text or use your phone's camera for easier translations. Some voice features may still need a connection, so check what works offline on your phone beforehand. It's particularly useful in shops, when you're staring at a product label wondering whether you've found shampoo or industrial glue. And if you need to ask a shop assistant something, at least you've got a fighting chance of being understood.
WhatsApp: for communicating with locals, we definitely recommend it.
Telegram: if you're traveling in a group and want to keep everyone connected, we'd recommend it too.
Both WhatsApp and Telegram offer free messaging and internet-based voice and video calls, but of course you do need an internet connection to use them.
Preparing like a PRO
Now let's look at how to prepare for Tenerife like a professional. Let's go through it step by step.
Vaccinations: not needed
You don't need special travel vaccinations for Tenerife simply because the islands sit off the coast of Africa. Traveling to Tenerife is generally straightforward, and most visitors don't need any special health precautions. You can leave your tropical disease survival kit at home. And no, there's no malaria transmission here either.
Documents: passport or ID card
Citizens of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland can generally choose between a valid passport and a recognized national identity card when traveling to Tenerife. Most other nationalities need a passport, and some may need a visa. The rules depend on your citizenship, not simply where your plane takes off.
For many visitors from outside these countries, the passport must have been issued within the previous 10 years and remain valid for at least 3 months beyond the planned departure from the Schengen Area. If you're traveling from further afield, check your exact entry requirements. Airport staff are famously unimpressed by optimism, and they're not particularly fluent in the language of love either.
On the island, always keep your original ID card or passport with you, and if you're driving a rental car, carry your original driving license as well.
Travel insurance and the EHIC
We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance with high medical and accident cover, emergency medical transport and repatriation. Without proper cover, unexpected medical bills can leave travelers in debt for years. Check the coverage limits, exclusions and excess carefully: many policies labeled comprehensive become rather less comprehensive once you read the small print.
PRO tip: if you're eligible, bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Under local rules, it gives you access to medically necessary public health care, but it doesn't replace travel insurance and it doesn't cover private treatment. Together, the two make an excellent combination.
Digital copies and boarding passes
PRO tip: scan all your documents in high resolution and save them on your phone, both in the cloud and offline. It's incredibly useful when you need to show them for certain experiences you've booked: in those cases, a digital copy is all you need.
Save your travel insurance details and boarding pass on your phone too, so you can access both without internet. Check your airline's boarding pass rules, because not all of them share the same enthusiasm for paper.
Driving license and a second driver
If you're renting a car, bring your original, valid driving license. A temporary license, a photo on your phone or a printed copy won't do. Depending on which country issued your license, you might also need an international driving permit.
We also recommend adding a second, officially authorized driver to your rental agreement. Very useful when one of you gets tired or discovers that mountain roads are fundamentally incompatible with their personality. Just remember that your second driver also needs their original license and must be registered with the rental company when you collect the car. A passenger announcing "I can drive" does not constitute a legal arrangement. We also cover car hire at the airport in our guide to flying to Tenerife. Whether a rental car is worth it, and what your other options are, we explain in our guide to getting around Tenerife.
Money: euros, cards and a little cash
The currency in Tenerife is the euro. Even if you mostly pay by card, we recommend bringing some cash: around 5% of your spending budget is a good starting point. Some businesses, little bars and local experiences only take cash, and hunting down a working ATM, especially in a rental car, can destroy your will to live. The withdrawal fee often costs about as much as a studio apartment in the Bahamas, too. So before you leave, find your town's resident money-changing magician. You know, the bloke who exchanges money for half the town at the best rates in a DIY store car park. Every town has one.
For online banking, we wholeheartedly recommend Wise: in our experience it's faster, simpler and much cheaper than Revolut or other online banks.
Suitcase and snacks for the flight
For flying, we recommend a suitcase with four wheels that spin in every direction. It's far easier to maneuver through the airport than dragging a two-wheeled suitcase behind you as if you're pulling a lorry with your teeth.
And make a few sandwiches. You can take solid food through airport security and onto the plane, and an airport sandwich costs about the same as a whole day's car rental.
Since 2006, liquids have been restricted at airport security, and you've generally had to throw away larger bottles of water and other drinks. However, more and more airports now allow liquids through thanks to modern security scanners, so check the rules at your departure airport. Some travelers simply take an empty bottle through security and fill it with drinking water afterwards. If you like that idea and want to save some money, pack an empty bottle. After all, your body isn't a cactus. For everything else about the airport, read Flying to Tenerife.
Toiletries and groceries: buy them locally
If you're renting a car, you can drive straight from the airport and stop at a supermarket on your way to your accommodation. Buy toothpaste, sunscreen, shower gel and shampoo there: it's easy and good value. Coffee capsules are inexpensive here too, with plenty of good-quality options, and you can also find lactose-free and gluten-free foods at reasonable prices. There's no need to carry an entire bathroom and a specialist grocery shop halfway across Europe in your suitcase: buy the everyday essentials locally.
Medicines
Medicines are a different story. Keep your essential medication in your hand luggage, preferably in its original packaging, so if you're checked, you can show exactly what you're taking. We'd also recommend packing a few basics:
painkillers
cold medicine
activated charcoal
antacids
antiseptic
a few plasters
If you have a sensitive stomach, bring something you already know works for you. And if you forget something at home, don't panic: Tenerife has plenty of pharmacies, many with long opening hours, some from 8:30 (8:30 AM) until 22:00 (10 PM), and you'll find all the usual everyday medicines there.
Towels, hair dryers and the rest
You don't need to bring bath towels: hotels provide them, and you'll find them in holiday apartments and villas too. As for beach towels, hotels provide those as well, and so do most apartments and villas, although with the latter it's worth asking your host first. If there aren't any, you can usually buy one for a few euros near the sandy beaches. Don't expect miracles: you'll generally be wetter after using it than you were before. Still, it's better than nothing.
Hair dryers, irons, coffee makers, kettles and fridges are also provided in apartments and villas, but with hotels and aparthotels it's worth checking in advance. You'll find a safe in many places too, although not everywhere. We cover the different types of accommodation and what they offer in our guide to where to stay.
Tobacco and alcohol: no need to bring them
There's little point bringing tobacco products or alcohol to Tenerife: thanks to the island's different tax system, they're cheaper here.
Traveling with small children
If you're traveling with small children, you don't need to bring a stroller or all the baby equipment: you can rent what you need for your stay from excellent local companies. Car rental companies provide child seats and booster seats. For cots, bottle warmers and similar equipment, speak to your accommodation provider, who will help you arrange it.
A Thai-themed water park voted the best in the world with 3-metre (9.8-foot) artificial waves, spectacular children's and family areas, and attractions ranging from a relaxing lazy river to a 28-metre (92-foot) free fall.
Loro Parque, regarded as the best zoo in the world, is no ordinary zoo: it brings together more than 400 animal species, an Antarctic habitat with real snow, the world's largest coral reef outside the ocean and world-famous animal presentations in an unrivalled full-day experience.
A lush, green animal and adventure park with spectacular birds of prey and sea lion presentations, suspension bridges, a summer toboggan run and experiences for the whole family.
Specially adapted vehicles are also available on the island for wheelchair users: CICAR, for example, provides adapted rental cars, including wheelchair-friendly vehicles. Planning ahead is essential here, so book early, ideally several months ahead.
Pets: better left at home
If possible, we'd recommend leaving your pets at home, especially your pig, chickens and breeding rabbits. Bringing a pet seriously limits your accommodation options, they can't join activities, and car rental companies and restaurants aren't exactly going to celebrate the idea either.
Plan ahead
Just like accommodation, popular activities are worth booking well in advance: the best dates and time slots can fill up long before you arrive. With FINESTPASS™, you can securely book tours and activities tried and tested by our local team from home. For more detail, download our free digital travel guides.
Teide National Park
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