Lanzarote is one of the more affordable sun destinations for UK travellers. Flights leave from regional airports across the UK, there is no time difference, and the island’s volcanic scenery makes it unlike anywhere else in Europe. Budget travellers can expect to spend around €80–100 per day including accommodation, food, and a couple of activities. A 7-night trip from a UK airport, including flights in September or October, typically costs around £400–550 per person.
UK nationals do not need a visa for Lanzarote. The island is part of Spain and the European Union. Stays of up to 90 days require no paperwork, and your passport only needs to be valid for the duration of the trip. The old six-month passport rule no longer applies post-Brexit. If you are comparing options, our Cyprus budget guide and our Algarve budget guide cover two of the closest alternatives.
How much does a Lanzarote holiday cost?
The daily cost depends on accommodation type and how much you eat out. At the budget end, a self-catering apartment costs from around €35 per person per night, based on two sharing. Add a menu del día lunch, a simple dinner, and entry to one attraction, and a realistic daily total sits at around €60–80 per person.
| Category | Budget | Mid-range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | €30–45pp | €50–70pp | Per person per night |
| Meals | €15–20 | €30–45 | Per person per day |
| Activities | €5–10 | €15–25 | Averaged across 7 days |
| Transport | €5–8 | €10–15 | Car hire from ~£5/day |
| Daily total | ~€55–80pp Budget | ~€105–155pp Mid-range | Excluding flights |
When is the cheapest time to visit Lanzarote?
September and October offer the best value for UK travellers. The sea is at its warmest after a full summer of heating up, the beaches are quieter once European school holidays end, and flight prices drop noticeably. Temperatures sit at 24–26°C, warm enough for the beach without the intensity of high summer.
April and May are also good value, with mild weather, low crowds, and no school holiday premium. July and August are the most expensive months. Christmas week also sees a price spike. January and February attract steady numbers of UK winter sun travellers, so they are cheaper than summer but not the bargain they once were.
| Period | Avg temp | Weather | Crowds & prices | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan–Feb | 19–21°C | Mostly sunny | Low to medium | Good value winter sun Good |
| Mar–May | 21–24°C | Warm and dry | Low to medium | Best value overall Best value |
| Jun | 24–27°C | Hot, very little rain | Increasing | Moderate Moderate |
| Jul–Aug | 26–29°C | Hot and dry | Very high | Avoid on a budget Most expensive |
| Sep–Oct | 24–26°C | Warm, calm sea | Medium to low | Best shoulder season Best value |
| Nov | 22–23°C | Mild, occasional showers | Low | Good for winter sun Good |
| Dec | 21–22°C | Mild, some rain | Medium, spike at Christmas | Avoid Christmas week Variable |
Cheap flights to Lanzarote from the UK
Ryanair, easyJet, and Jet2 all fly direct to Lanzarote Airport (ACE) from multiple UK airports. You do not need to travel to a London airport: Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Leeds Bradford all have direct routes.
Return flights start from around £50 in the shoulder season. Book six to eight weeks in advance for the best prices. Ryanair fares look cheap at the headline rate, but adding a bag and priority boarding raises the cost quickly. Jet2 includes a 22kg checked bag as standard, which can make it better value for a week-long trip.
Flying time from most UK airports is around four hours. Lanzarote is on Greenwich Mean Time, the same as the UK, so there is no jet lag and no clock adjustment needed.
Where to stay in Lanzarote on a budget
Puerto del Carmen, on the south-east coast, is the most practical base for a budget trip. It has the widest choice of accommodation, a three-kilometre sandy beach, and enough restaurants and supermarkets that you do not need a car to eat well. Self-catering apartments here start from around €45 per room per night.
Costa Teguise, a short drive north of Arrecife, is quieter and better suited to families. Caleta de Famara on the north-west coast has a dramatically long beach and a surf-village feel, with fewer tourists and cheaper prices, but also fewer facilities.
Puerto del Carmen is the most established resort on the island and offers the widest range of self-catering apartments and budget hotels. Most accommodation is within walking distance of the beach.
Eating one street back from the Zona Dorada seafront typically cuts restaurant prices by a third to a half. The supermarkets (including a Mercadona a short walk from the main beach) make self-catering easy.
| Resort | Vibe | Budget hotel from | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto del Carmen | Lively and popular | ~€45/room/night | First-timers, singles, couples |
| Costa Teguise | Quieter, family feel | ~€40/room/night | Families, water sports |
| Playa Blanca | Upmarket, quieter | ~€55/room/night | Couples, older travellers |
| Caleta de Famara | Surf village, off the beaten track | ~€35/room/night | Surfers, those seeking quiet |
Three hotels to book on Expedia
| Hotel | Area | From per night | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apartamentos LIVVO Morromar | Tías, near Puerto del Carmen | from £52 Budget | Self-catering apartments, two pools, spa. Rated 10/10 by guests. |
| H10 Timanfaya Palace | Playa Blanca | from £95 Mid | 4-star with four pools, rooftop bar and four restaurants. All-inclusive rates available. |
| Princesa Yaiza Suite Hotel Resort | Playa Blanca | from £180 Worth it | 5-star suites with thalasso spa, seven restaurants and four pools. The island’s benchmark luxury property. |
Eating and drinking cheaply in Lanzarote
The menu del día is the single most useful way to eat well for less on the island. Available at most restaurants between around 1pm and 4pm, it typically includes a starter, main course, dessert, bread, and a drink for €10–15. Spanish and locally run places off the main tourist drag will be at the lower end. Seafront restaurants on the Zona Dorada in Puerto del Carmen charge more.
Tapas bars are a reliable option for evenings. A round of tapas and drinks for two typically comes to €15–25. Avoid the beachfront bars in high season, where the same drinks cost twice as much as anywhere else.
Both Mercadona and Lidl have branches in or near the main resorts, which makes self-catering practical. A week’s basic shopping for two costs around €70–100. A café con leche costs around €1.50. A local beer at a bar is €1.50–2.50.
Your GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card, the post-Brexit replacement for the EHIC) is valid in Spain and covers emergency healthcare. Apply via the NHS website if you do not have one.
Three restaurants to know
| Restaurant | Price range | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| La Taberna de Nino | under £12pp Budget | Traditional tapas bar on Calle Tanausú, Puerto del Carmen. Canarian dishes at local prices, none of the tourist mark-up from the seafront strip. |
| El Diablo | set menu from £25pp Mid | The volcano restaurant at Timanfaya National Park. Food cooked over geothermal heat at 400°C inside the crater. Worth visiting for the spectacle alone. |
| Amura | from £40pp Worth it | Michelin Bib Gourmand, Puerto Calero marina. Canarian market cooking with sea views over superyachts. The best formal meal on the island. |
Free and cheap things to do in Lanzarote
Most of Lanzarote’s best-known attractions cost very little or nothing. The island’s beaches are free, including Papagayo in the south, which is among the best in the Canary Islands. The Teguise Sunday market, held in the historic island capital, is free to browse and is the largest market in the Canaries.
The main exception is Timanfaya National Park, the volcanic caldera that dominates the centre of the island. The bus tour costs €30 per person (€15 for children aged 7–12, free under 7). The tour is non-optional: you cannot enter the national park on foot. From 15 June 2026, entry requires a timed booking made in advance through ventaonline.cactlanzarote.com. Tickets sell out at weekends and during peak months, so book as early as possible.
Timanfaya is the visual centrepiece of any Lanzarote trip. The volcanic terrain, created by eruptions in the 1730s, is unlike anything else in Europe. The hour-long bus tour passes through the caldera with a commentary and a live demonstration of geothermal heat.
For official visitor information, including tour times and booking links, see turismolanzarote.com.
Here are the main attractions on the island, with current entry costs:
- Timanfaya National Park bus tour: €30 (advance timed booking required from 15 June 2026)
- César Manrique Foundation: ~€11 (his former home built into volcanic caves)
- Jameos del Agua: ~€10 (cave and lagoon art installation by Manrique)
- Cactus Garden (Jardín de Cactus): ~€7 (1,400 species around a restored windmill)
- Mirador del Río: ~€5 (clifftop viewpoint over the northern islands)
- Teguise Sunday market: Free
- Papagayo and other beaches: Free (Papagayo charges a small car park fee)
- Castillo de San Gabriel, Arrecife: Free (16th-century seafront fort)
The three Manrique sites (Jameos del Agua, Cactus Garden, Mirador del Río) can be visited on a combined ticket, reducing the cost slightly.
Getting around Lanzarote cheaply
Lanzarote is compact. It takes less than an hour to drive from Playa Blanca in the south to Orzola in the north. Car hire is the most practical option, and it is genuinely cheap if you book in advance: rates from reputable companies start from around £5–10 per day booked several weeks out.
Read the insurance terms carefully before arriving. Basic rental rates often exclude damage to tyres, wheels, and the underside of the vehicle. Full cover adds to the daily cost but avoids a large bill for minor road damage. Consider booking through a price comparison site (such as Rentalcars.com) rather than direct, as rates vary significantly between companies.
Playa Blanca, in the south of the island, has a long sandy beach and a marina with regular ferry crossings to Corralejo in Fuerteventura. A day trip to Fuerteventura by ferry costs around €20–30 return and adds variety to a longer stay.
Having a car makes reaching the less-visited parts of the island much easier, including Timanfaya, the north coast, and the beaches around Papagayo.
Arrecifebus operates the island’s bus network. The Arrecifebus website offers a Bono General travel card (€2), which gives a 10% discount on all fares. The main routes link Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise, Arrecife, and Playa Blanca, but services outside those corridors are infrequent. If you plan to visit Timanfaya, the north of the island, or Famara beach, a hire car is the better option.
Sample 7-day budget for Lanzarote
The table below sets out realistic costs for a 7-night trip from the UK, per person, based on travelling in September or October. Prices are in pounds sterling.
| Item | Budget trip | Mid-range trip |
|---|---|---|
| Return flights | £50–80 | £80–130 |
| Accommodation (7 nights) | £175–280 | £300–490 |
| Food (7 days) | £100–140 | £185–245 |
| Activities | £40–55 | £65–100 |
| Transport | £35–55 | £55–85 |
| Total per person | ~£400–610 Budget | ~£685–1,050 Mid-range |
For comparison with other popular UK sun destinations, our Santorini budget guide and our Malta budget guide cover two alternative options that attract similar UK visitor numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lanzarote expensive for a UK holiday?
Lanzarote is one of the more affordable sun destinations for UK travellers. Budget travellers can get by on £60–80 per day all-in, and seven nights with flights typically costs £400–550 per person in the shoulder season.
What is the cheapest time to visit Lanzarote?
September and October offer the best value, with warm weather (24–26°C), lower flight prices, and fewer crowds. July, August, and Christmas week carry the biggest price premiums.
How much spending money do you need for a week in Lanzarote?
A realistic daily budget, excluding accommodation and flights, is €40–60 per person, covering a menu del día lunch (€10–15), a sit-down dinner, and an entrance fee or two. Over a 7-night stay, allow €280–420 on top of flights and accommodation.
Which resort in Lanzarote is cheapest?
Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise both offer budget accommodation from around €40–45 per room per night. Caleta de Famara tends to be cheaper still, though it has fewer restaurants than the main resorts.
Is Lanzarote cheaper than Tenerife?
On accommodation and food, the two islands are broadly comparable, with independent travellers typically spending similar amounts. Flights to Lanzarote can sometimes be cheaper from UK regional airports.
Do UK visitors need a visa for Lanzarote?
UK nationals do not need a visa for Lanzarote and can visit for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Your passport only needs to be valid for the duration of your stay.
