MADEIRA · TOURS
Everything with a guide, a jeep or a boat attached, in one list. The 15 below are the ones worth a whole day, priced and timed, with the rest of the catalogue underneath.
Spend eight hours crossing Madeira’s west in an open-roof Land Rover, from Cabo Girão and Seixal to Porto Moniz, Fanal Forest, and Paúl da Serra. You’ll have time to swim in volcanic pools and ride an off-road trail. Guides may include Victor, Gil, Tony, or Miguel.
“amazing trip, our tour guide gil was brilliant and made our trip so good, highly recommend”
Spend eight hours crossing Madeira by open-top 4x4 from Funchal. Your guide takes you over old roads to Paul da Serra, Fanal Forest, Porto Moniz, Seixal, São Vicente, and waterfalls, with time for swimming, photos, and an optional local lunch.
“Great tour with good driver Diego. Saw a lot of beautiful places. Had a small off-road ride. Weather was windy but car was warm. We had a small group so no problem with time schedule.”
Travel from Funchal by air-conditioned minibus with a live guide such as Marco, Bruno, or Luciane. See Cabo Girão’s 589-metre skywalk, cross Paul da Serra, stop in Porto Moniz for lunch and lava pools, then view the Bridal Veil waterfall at Seixal.
“The guide I think his name was Marco was so informative and friendly I was very impressed with his knowledge of the region and we both enjoyed the tour immensely. Thank you”
Spend eight hours exploring eastern Madeira with a multilingual guide such as Marco, Bruno, or Patrícia. Ride from Funchal to Pico do Arieiro, Ribeiro Frio, Santana, Ponta de São Lourenço, and Machico in a comfortable minibus, with hotel pickup in selected areas.
“Went on this trip with my wife. Weather wasn’t brilliant, but the operator can’t be blamed for that. The guide, Bruno, was excellent, switching seamlessly between German and English he imparted a great deal of information. Although a new minibus, the back seat was not very comfortable with three people, it would have been worse had all four seats been in use.”
Start at Funchal’s Jesuits’ College and walk through the City Hall, sweet factory, Farmers’ Market, Santa Maria Street, Cathedral, wine lodge, and old fortifications. Guides such as Annabelle, Elias, and Elea add local stories, while your $19 supports University of Madeira student programmes.
“Great tour full of history! Jaoa had a lot of knowledge about the city and historical details. I was the only one on the tour and I appreciate they didn’t cancel. At the end there’s a mini wine tasting. Loved ever part of the tour!”
See west Madeira in one full day, from Câmara de Lobos and Cabo Girão to misty Fanal Forest, Porto Moniz pools, waterfalls, and Serra de Água. Pickup is included in Funchal, Caniço, Câmara de Lobos, and Cabo Girão. Guides such as Luca, Alex, Roy, and Albino are praised for safe driving and island insight.
“Fantastic day with a super tour guide Albino. Obrigadas.”
Sail from Funchal on a spacious luxury catamaran with guides such as Liv, David, Bruno, Maggie, and Nico. Look for whales, dolphins, and turtles, then swim beneath Cabo Girão. The small group, onboard toilets, snacks, towels, snorkels, and open bar make this a polished three-hour outing.
“It was such a lovely tour! The staf was amazing😊, funny, kind, and told a lot of interesting facts. The catamaran is a really comfortable boat, big, fast and there's enough space, you can easily change seats/places for the view. I really liked it that they don't let go a lot of people on the boat. The captain was so respectfull too the animals and did his ultimate best to fix the best spo Service was excellent! Drinks and delicatesses were served as much as you want and where brought to you. We did see a lot of short vinned pilot whales and a small group of bottled nose dolphins.…”
Spend eight hours in a small jeep group of up to six, crossing Madeira’s west and north coast with guides such as Paulo, Pedro, and Renato. Expect Cabo Girão’s glass skywalk, a bumpy Trompica trail, Seixal, Porto Moniz pools, Fanal Forest, and Ponta do Sol.
“fun, so much variety, great knowledge and places to visit and advise maybe check if pools are open for swimming before going?”
Spend seven hours touring eastern Madeira in a small group, from 1,818-meter Pico do Arieiro to Santana, Ribeiro Frio, Faial, Porto da Cruz, Machico, and Ponta São Lourenço. Guides such as Bruna, Pedro, Nelson, and Daniela combine local stories, careful driving, flexible stops, and an easy Levada walk.
“Excellent day trip helped by fantastic weather. Spectacular views, lots of variety, knowledgeable guide. Nice optional lunch with the whole group.”
This 3.5-hour minibus tour takes you from Funchal to Eira do Serrado, Curral da Freiras, and Câmara de Lobos. Expect dramatic mountain views, local stories, chestnut treats, and guides such as Patricia, Marco, Bruno, or Luciano speaking English and other languages.
“A well-organised trip to a beautiful part of the island, and there was flexibility for one of our party who was unwell on the date booked to go on another day as there was space.”
This four-hour tour from Funchal combines Monte’s historic church, a 2-kilometer wicker toboggan ride, Eira do Serrado, Nuns Valley, local liqueur tasting, and Pico dos Barcelos. Guides such as Tony, Daniel, and Lucy add history and humor, while the early start helps you beat the queues.
“Excellent activity, our guide was great , very informative with lots of local knowledge. Very good on his timekeeping so we were first in the queue for the baskets which was great , really good value for money”
Board the Santa Maria de Colombo in Funchal for a three-hour coastal cruise aboard a convincing replica of Columbus’s flagship. You’ll sail toward Cabo Girão, watch for dolphins and whales, swim from the ship if conditions allow, and sample Madeira wine with honey cake. Portuguese and English crew members add local context.
“Great trip with the Skipper and his crew. We were lucky enough to see many Pilot whales. The Skipper was kind enough to explain their habits and even pointed out the male and how to spot the difference to the females. Well worth it for the experience. When you do go, try to find seats up near the skipper where you’ll get great views and he also had plenty of time to talk and go into detail about what you can see.”
Sail from Funchal with a small group of up to 20 people, searching for dolphins, whales, and sea turtles before stopping at Cabo Girão for swimming and snorkeling. Guides such as Bruno, Roberto, José, and Marco may lead the trip. Expect an open bar, sea spray, and a sunset over the Atlantic.
“I did a sunset cruise with Bruno and Roberto, and it was such an amazing experience. Although we didn’t see any wildlife, the atmosphere, scenery, and overall energy more than made up for it. Watching the sunset from the water was absolutely beautiful and something I won’t forget. Bruno was especially great — very attentive, friendly, and made sure everyone felt comfortable and had a good time throughout the cruise. You could really tell they cared about creating a great experience for everyone on board. Would definitely recommend this to anyone visiting Madeira!Read more”
See Madeira’s west coast with guides such as Pedro, Patricia, Victor, and Daniela. This seven-hour trip links Câmara de Lobos, Cabo Girão, Seixal, Ribeira da Janela, Porto Moniz, and Fanal Forest, with hotel pickup, photo stops, lunch time, and optional swimming.
“Our guide was amazing, I learned interesting stories, I really enjoyed the trip. I highly recommend it. Thank you very much I will back next time defenitely”
Spend eight hours exploring eastern Madeira with a guide-driver such as Tony, Carlos, Daniel, or Benjamin. Expect mountain viewpoints, Santana’s thatched houses, a short Balcões levada walk, Porto da Cruz rum tasting, and Ponta do Rosto, with hotel pickup included.
“Perfectly structured route, I especially enjoyed Miradouro da Ponta do Rosto”
Pick a coast, a ridge or a cellar.
