Gran Canaria · GUIDED
Good guided tours fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Ride through Maspalomas Sand Dunes in a padded two-seater saddle, guided by Saharawi staff who speak Spanish, English, and German. The 30-minute route offers quiet desert scenery, gentle camels, and a simple family activity for $21, with no hotel pickup.
“Very relaxing and an experience to remember! Guides were excellent and camels were beautiful.”
Explore a working banana farm near Arucas with an English-speaking guide, then visit a restored 1804 Canarian house, interpretation center, and shop. Expect a 45 to 60 minute tour with banana wine, jams, montaditos, and other island-made tastings.
“Very interesting and informative. We learnt a lot. Bought some banana liqueur and some hand cream! Happy to recommend.”
Join guides such as Lucian, Eloy, and Speedy for a two-hour buggy ride through Ayagaures and Fataga. Expect mountain roads, reservoir views, village scenery, short off-road sections, safety goggles, and chances to swap drivers in the two-seater buggies. Hotel pickup is available in selected Maspalomas areas.
“We booked the 2 hour buggy tour which was great fun! Eloy collected us with the van at our hotel on time. On our way there we collected other passengers that were also participating in the same tour. They give a good in depth briefing on how to drive the buggy and safety. Goggles are provided as you will be going through some dirt roads. You can buy a face scarf there or bring your own. We did a couple of stops during the tour to take some cool scenic pictures up in the mountains and change driver, in case you are two people and want to take turns. Eloy…”
Join a multilingual guide such as Kevin, Fabio, Uwe, or Jan for an 8-hour van tour from southern Gran Canaria. Visit Fataga, Tejeda, Artenara, and more, with mountain views, cave houses, almond treats, an optional Canarian lunch, and hotel pickup.
“Definitely worth the money. Great day on the Panorama tour. it's a must. Gran Canaria is a beautiful diverse Island away from the resorts. Thumbs up to Kevin our Guide. Brilliant. Brings a lot of vibrancy and energy to the dsy”
Paddle from Taurito Beach with Yukan Outdoor Gran Canaria guides such as Manuel or Ari, entering volcanic sea caves, stopping to snorkel at Playa de Tiritana, and choosing from several cliff jumps. Kayaking is active work, but equipment, snacks, drinks, insurance, and guidance are included.
“We really enjoyed the caves. Especially swimming through them was exciting.”
Join RockNatour in Taurito for a four-hour, four-kilometre kayak trip along Gran Canaria’s volcanic coast. Pablo and his team guide you through sea caves, optional cliff jumps, cave swimming, and snorkeling at a wild beach. You need solid sea-swimming skills and a good level of fitness.
“It was a fantastic experience and honestly once a lifetime experience. Pablo is the best guide in this Kayaking experience and his special designed tour gave us so many first time and awesome experiences. He always says “it’s almost safe” but reality is you are in very good hands, Pablo makes sure you experience is exciting enough but yet still safe! Recommend anyone who’s up for a little adventure to seize this opportunity and follow Pablo and be together with the Ocean! Pablo is funny, experienced and the trip is very well organized. Giving 100 points!!!Read more”
Drive a buggy on 100% off-road mountain tracks south of Las Palmas with an English- or Spanish-speaking guide. You will tackle rocky ground, stop for wide views and photos, and return by arranged transfer. Bring a physical license, credit card, and closed shoes.
“We had so much fun and the trails are perfecto for enjoying the activity”
Join a small group of up to eight for a four-hour guided via ferrata near Bahía Feliz. José, Jorge, Juan, Javier, or Dani may lead you across cliff routes, chain steps, a suspension bridge, and a cave swing, with safety gear, water, snacks, insurance, and photos included.
“Jose was brilliant from start to finish , he was very clear on the instructions and a brilliant guide , very passionate and gave us some fantastic facts about local wildlife ! Thank you Jose 😀”
Spend about an hour at Arehucas Distillery in Arucas with an English-speaking guide such as Elena or Sofia. See the ageing cellar with 4,308 American oak casks, learn about milling, fermentation, distillation, and bottling, then sample a generous range of rums and liqueurs.
“Top Führung, alles gut erklärt + feine Kostprobe. Schöne Auswahl an kostlichen Rum! Absolute Pflicht für Rum Liebhaber.”
Spend 2.5 hours with a private local guide in Las Palmas, visiting Vegueta and Triana, the Columbus House, the cathedral, and lesser-known corners. Guides include Artemi, Manuel, Arturo, and Efrén. Finish with a tapa and drink, or coffee and cake, at a local café.
“We booked a private tour with Artemi. I can highly recommend our guide. He has extensive knowledge of the history of Gran Canaria and all the Canary Islands. The tour included all the important sights , with lots of recommendations for extra visits and museums to see. We finished with a tapas and drink at a local bar, sampling local foods- totally off the tourist track. We visited places that we would never have found on our own. It was a great few hours.”
Spend one hour inside Gran Canaria Stadium with a Spanish-speaking guide. Visit the press room, changing rooms, tunnel, dugouts, and pitch area, then use a 360° VR headset to experience match day as part of the famous Pio-Pio crowd. English support is not guaranteed.
“Wow, just wow. Firstly huge thank you to Aesha who kindly replayed all information to us in perfect English - it was so appreciated! For the price, this tour was tremendous value for money. For football and non-football fans alike, if you're looking to escape the tourist crowds and be amazed in a stadium such as this - we cannot recommend enough. From press conference room to changing room, their one-of-a-kind pitch entrance to pitch-side dug outs, this tour really took you behind the scenes of being a pro footballer in Gran Canaria. We also loved the unique VR headset experience of match day. Escape the other over priced busy…”
Join local guide Naty for a private seven-hour drive through Gran Canaria. See Degollada de la Yegua, Fataga, Pico de las Nieves, Cruz de Tejeda, and Agaete Valley, with private transport, photos, tickets, wine, tapas, and coffee included.
“We had such a great tourguide( Nate ) Nathaniel . He was knowledgeable and paced the private tour well We saw a lot of views and vistas as well as indulging in a little of the cultural drinks and coffees We had a wonderful time and squeezed in a lot of sights despite being on a tight schedule because this was a cruise stop Nate made sure we saw a lot but were on time for our departure”
Ride a jet ski along Gran Canaria’s southwest coast with hotel pickup from Playa del Inglés. You’ll get a safety briefing, locker, guide, insurance, and time on the Atlantic, with views of beaches, cliffs, and caves. English and Spanish support is available. Guide Kevin has earned special praise.
“The Activity itself was great. We booked a jetski Safari. When we arrived we were told that a jetski Safari is not possible because they didn‘t have a guide. So we just got 60 minutes on the jetski driving around in circles. A refund wasn’t possible so we paid 150€ for 1 jetski per hour. If we just booked that at the beach it would cost 140€. We also had to wait for about 1 hour untill we got our jetskis. Drivin the jetskis of course was fun. The transfer back to the hotel was very bad. The Driver didn‘t show up and our messages to our contact got ignored,…”
Ride a Dutch-style bike with José or another local guide from the Port District through Vegueta, Triana, Santa Catalina Park, and Las Canteras. Stop for Agaete coffee at the city’s oldest market, hear local history, and finish with wide views over Las Palmas.
“José was an excellent tour guide - leading us on an epic city tour exploring many highlights and sharing fascinating information about his hometown.”
Meet guide Lorenzo at the Cita Shopping Center for a two-hour chopper e-scooter tour through Maspalomas. Ride past the dunes, Playa del Inglés views, Charca de Maspalomas, Playa Meloneras, and Campo Internacional. You need a valid AM or B driving license to drive.
“First of all, I recommend to take this trip in the BEGINNING of your holiday! So many things that you see and would like to explore maybe later during your stay. Lorenzo the guide was soo nice and explained things very well. I went with my 17 year old daughter and we both drove the e-scooter. First time for me :) and I was a little stressed but my daughter loved it!!”
Pick a coast, a barranco or a table.
