Tours in Madeira with the locals.
The tours worth doing on the island, with the rules for each trail, the official costs and how to get there.
Choose yours and tell us the day. We’ll arrange the rest, with our own team or with licensed partners.
Tours you can do in Madeira
From the easiest to the most challenging, with the rules for each trail, the official costs and how to get there. If you like, we’ll organise yours.
11 tours
Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo
The mountain crossing to the island’s highest point
Fee €10.50
Levada das 25 Fontes and Risco
Rabaçal: two waterfalls in one day
Fee €4.50 each
Levada do Caldeirão Verde
Queimadas: Laurisilva forest, tunnels and a 100 m waterfall
Fee €4.50
Ponta de São Lourenço
The island’s eastern tip, between cliffs and the sea
Fee €4.50
Levada dos Balcões
The easy levada at Ribeiro Frio, good for families
Fee €4.50
Fanal, Porto Moniz and Seixal
The northwest in a day, by car or jeep
Pools €3
Machico, Santana and Pico do Arieiro
The east in a day, with Santana’s thatched houses
Parking €4/hr
Funchal walking tour
Mercado dos Lavradores, Zona Velha and Madeira wine
Market entry free
Monte and the toboggan ride
Cable car, the Monte Palace garden and the toboggan ride down
Cable car €16
Whale and dolphin watching
Boat trips with licensed operators
With a licensed operator
Canyoning for beginners
Ribeira das Cales, a first canyon descent
With a licensed operator
A tailor-made tour
Tell us what you’d like to see, when, and how many of you there are
No-obligation proposal
The places people search for most
How to get there, what it costs, when to go and what to pair it with, place by place.
Fanal Forest
Centuries-old laurels, new rules and the truth about the fog
Free entry, no booking
Pico do Arieiro
Sunrise by bus, parking, the cold and the webcam
Viewpoint free, bus €3
Porto Moniz natural pools
Paid or free, what happens in rough seas and the exact bus times
Entry €3, free up to age 3
Seixal beach
Black sand, free pools and the Véu da Noiva waterfall 3 km away
Beach and pools with no entry fee
Achadas da Cruz cable car
Five minutes in a cabin to a fajã with no road
€3 one way, €5 return
Ribeira da Janela
The islet that named the largest watercourse on the island
Beach and viewpoints with no entry fee
Cabo Girão
The €5 ticket, the turnstiles and how to get back without a car
Ticket €5, free up to age 12
Curral das Freiras
Bus 181, the request stop at Eira do Serrado and the nuns’ escape
Bus €2.65 on board
Planning your trip
The three questions that come up most before you leave the hotel.
Madeira without a car
Buses, Uber, Bolt and taxis, with the new route numbers
Bus ticket on board from €2.05
SIMplifica step by step
Every screen of the portal, what the fees cover and the ticket traps
Trail fee from €4.50
Funchal on a cruise
Plans by time ashore, with walking distances, buses and Bolt
Monte cable car from €16
7-day group tour
Madeira Experience brings 12 people together for a week with a jeep day in the west, a guide and a hotel, at three paces to choose from. From €990 per person.
How we organise your tour
We run some tours with our own team and others with licensed partners on the island. Before you pay, you always know who’s going with you and what’s included.
- Tell us the tour and the day
- On WhatsApp, in Portuguese, English, German, French or Spanish.
- Get a proposal
- With a fixed price, what’s included and who’s going with you.
- We handle the bookings
- The time slot and fee for classified trails, transport and entry tickets.
- A plan B for the weather
- If the weather turns, we suggest another route or another day.
- You only pay if you accept
- The proposal comes with no obligation.
Before you go: what changed in 2026
The rules for walking trails changed this year. These are the ones that matter before you leave your hotel.
A booked time slot on every classified trail
Since 1 January 2026, the classified walking trails (PR) managed by the IFCN, Madeira’s Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation, require a booked entry time slot on the SIMplifica portal for everyone, even those who don’t pay a fee. Slots last 30 minutes, with about 15 minutes’ leeway.
Fees
Non-residents over 12 pay €4.50 per trail, €10.50 for the full PR1 or €9 for a day fee (which doesn’t cover the PR1). You only get a refund if the IFCN closes the trail: rain, a cancelled flight or illness don’t entitle you to anything.
Paid parking
The IFCN charges €4 an hour at Pico do Areeiro (maximum €20 a day), €2 an hour at Queimadas (maximum €10) and €2 an hour at the other car parks it runs (maximum €5), always with the first 30 minutes free.
The north and south have different weather
It rains far more on the north coast and in the mountains than in Funchal: about 80 days of rain a year in Funchal, more than 120 on the north coast and more than 180 on high ground. When the north is clouded over, look for an alternative in the south.
Roads closed this autumn
The ER105 between Encumeada and Paul da Serra is closed, and the Velho Gingão forest road (Estrada Florestal do Velho Gingão) closed on 25 September 2026 for about 60 days. The Regional Roads Directorate’s up-to-date list is on Visit Madeira.
Closed trails are off limits
Entering a closed trail is punishable by a fine of €250 to €2,500. The status of each trail is on the IFCN website, and closed trails don’t appear for booking on SIMplifica.
Fanal now has marked paths
Since late 2025 the centuries-old til trees have been fenced off and you visit along marked paths and boardwalks, with a limit of 3,000 people a day. Entry is still free, with no booking.
Types of tour
Five ways to get to know the island, from a water channel in the forest to the descent of a mountain stream.
Levadas
Water channels with a path alongside, through the forest. Three to choose from, from a family stroll to a full day out.
3 tours
Peaks and trails
The mountains at the heart of the island and the eastern peninsula: two very different trails, the same 2026 rules.
2 tours
Island tours
For those who want to see a lot without walking much: two days on the road, one for each side of the island.
2 tours
In Funchal
The city and Monte in a day or two: the market, the painted doors, Madeira wine, the cable car and the toboggans.
2 tours
Sea and adventure
At sea, dolphins and whales all year round; in the mountain streams, canyoning for beginners. Always with licensed operators.
2 tours
Frequently asked questions
What should I see in Madeira in a few days?
With three days, start with Funchal (the Mercado dos Lavradores, the Old Town and the cable car to Monte), keep one day for Pico do Areeiro and the east coast, and another for the northwest: Fanal, Porto Moniz and Seixal. Cabo Girão is close to Funchal and only needs a short stop.
Do I need a guide for the levadas and trails?
It isn’t compulsory: the IFCN says you don’t need to hire a guide to walk a classified trail. You do need to book a time slot on SIMplifica and pay the fee. With a guide, you go with someone who knows the way and don’t have to worry about bookings or transport.
How do I book an entry time slot for a trail?
On the Regional Government’s SIMplifica portal, under the service for paying classified walking trail fees. Slots aren’t sold at IFCN sites. SIMplifica support answers on 800 29 90 90 and on WhatsApp at +351 926 155 465, on weekdays from 9:00 to 18:00.
When is the best time for tours in Madeira?
You can do them all year round. In Funchal, July and August see almost no rain, and October and December are the wettest months; in the mountains and on the north coast it rains a good deal more. For the mountains and the north, check the forecast on the day.
Do the tours have a standard price?
No. Each tour depends on the day, the number of people and who runs it with you: our team or a partner. Tell us what you’d like and we’ll send a proposal with a fixed price.
Do you pick up from hotels?
We arrange transport from your hotel or from Funchal port for whichever tour you choose. The pick-up time is in the proposal.
What if the weather is bad on the day?
We suggest another route, on another side of the island, or another day. If the IFCN closes a trail, the fee is moved to a new date or refunded.
No flight or hotel yet?
We have trips to Madeira with flight, hotel and car, plus New Year’s Eve in Funchal.
Can’t find your tour? We’ll tailor one for you.
Tell us what you’d like to see, when, and how many of you there are. We’ll reply with a proposal, with no obligation.