MADEIRA · MADEIRA & THE AZORES
The tours and day trips worth booking.
The 15 top-rated things to do in Madeira — the boat trips, beach days, volcano hikes and old-town wanders worth building a day around, with real prices and who to book each one with.
Join a quiet eco-catamaran from Funchal for dolphin and whale watching, with a Cabo Girão swim and south-coast cliff views.
Most Popular“Very nice, we saw bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales. Cool info about dolphins and whales as well. Amazing to see them and to know that they are protected.”
8-hour 4WD Madeira tour from Funchal to Cabo Girão, Seixal black sand, Porto Moniz lava pools, Fanal Forest, and Paúl da Serra.
“This by far was our favourite tour! Jas was an amazing tour guide! He is a wealth of knowledge about the island, we loved learning about the history of the island. He was extremely attentive to the group. He was kind, funny and made the tour extremely exciting. We saw so many incredible locations on…”
3-hour catamaran cruise from Funchal to Cabo Girão to look for dolphins, whales and turtles, with panoramic views and a swim option.
“The informative and friendly staff throughout the 3 hours”
Open-top 4x4 from Funchal to Porto Moniz pools, Seixal coves, Paul da Serra views, and the Fanal forest walk in northwest Madeira.
“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.”
West Madeira from Funchal: Cabo Girão skywalk, Paul da Serra plateau, Porto Moniz lava pools, Bridal Veil waterfall. 8-hour tour.
“Great trip, very knowledgeable guide and the sights we stopped at in Madeira were beautiful. I was hiking for most of my holiday and it was nice to have this day for a bit of a rest off my feet but still with some exploring! Would recommend the tour”
8-hour East Madeira tour from Funchal with Pico do Arieiro views, Santana straw houses, São Lourenço coast, and Machico bay.
“Speaker system worked well. Bruno was friendly, fun and knowledgeable in two language. the suggested meal was good value for money.”
A 2-hour walk through Funchal’s Old Town, with markets, a 19th-century sweet factory, sugar history, churches, and a wine stop.
“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!”
Luxury catamaran from Funchal Bay for dolphin and whale watching, plus a swim/snorkel stop at Cabo Girão’s cliffs.
“We had a great few hours out on the boat. We saw a pod of dolphins and some pilot whales too”
A well-paced 8-hour West Madeira loop with sea-cliff views, the misty Fanal Forest, Porto Moniz pools, and north-coast waterfalls.
“The tour was excellent let down by just one aspect. Madeira is just beautiful even in February and the views and the visits were magical. Fanal forest was very impressive and the view from the top is awesome if you have time to walk up as only 45 minutes was allocated to the stop time.…”
Sail from Funchal on a luxury catamaran for dolphin, whale and turtle sightings, then swim by Cabo Girão with unlimited drinks.
“Incredible experience! Saw so many whales up close and all the tour guides on the boat were amazing. Couldn’t recommend it more 😊”
A small-group Madeira jeep tour with Cabo Girão, wild off-road tracks, Fanal Forest, and a real swim at Porto Moniz natural pools.
“fun, so much variety, great knowledge and places to visit and advise maybe check if pools are open for swimming before going?”
Guided levada hike from Funchal to Levada das 25 Fontes, with a scenic descent, waterfalls, endemic plants, and an 800m tunnel.
“This guided tour was the highlight of our holiday. Felt very safe in Sarah’s hands as her expertise and experience was clearly apparent. Important to adhere to the advice given regarding clothing and footwear as Safety was of paramount importance to the guide (Sarah). The tour was truly stunning and awe inspiring. Did wonder whether…”
A packed West Madeira day from Funchal: Câmara de Lobos, Cabo Girão, Fanal laurel forest, Porto Moniz pools, and surf-town São Vicente.
“We enjoyed a fun and informative tour of the beautiful western side of the island thanks to our excellent guide, Daniel. He arrived for pick up on time and skillfully managed the sometimes difficult task of 'herding the cats' back onto the tour vehicle in order to keep close to the schedule as we made…”
See Nuns Valley from a top viewpoint, visit the isolated village, then end with Câmara de Lobos and Poncha for about 3.5 hours.
“Great trip - great guide: Marco Lots of local history facts. A warning that the weather is likely to be colder and wet would be appreciated. TV”
Toboggan down Monte plus Madeira viewpoints and Nuns Valley liquor tasting, all in a 4-hour small-group tour from Funchal.
“Absolutely brilliant experience with our fabulous guide local Lucy. she went out of her way to make our activity happen after our cruise ship arrived late in port. Her local knowledge and enthusiasm made our trip. nuns valley and monte were spectacular 👌 Those views of mums valley at top view point were fantastic. The…”
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