Part of our complete guide: Activities and tours on Madeira
Madeira is 57 km long and 22 km wide. That sounds like one day. It is not: the roads are twisty, the mountains sit in the middle, and the north coast is reached only through tunnels or over 1,400 metres. So there is no “island tour” — there is west and east, and wanting both means two days.
The west route (from about €36)
Cabo Girão · Ribeira Brava · Ponta do Sol or Calheta · Paúl da Serra · Fanal · Porto Moniz and the lava pools · Seixal · São Vicente. The more spectacular of the two: sea cliff, cloud forest, high plateau, swimming in volcanic rock.
The east route (from about €36)
Terreiro da Luta · Pico do Arieiro · Ribeiro Frio with the Balcões path · Santana and its thatched houses · Faial and the Guindaste glass walkway · Porto da Cruz · Ponta de São Lourenço. Culturally the denser route, with high mountains at the start and the bare peninsula at the end.
Two days (from about €70)
There are 32 multi-day trips, mostly west and east with a night in the north. Worth it if you have no car and still want the whole island — otherwise not really.
Formats
| Format | from | Group size |
|---|---|---|
| Coach | €33 | 20–40 |
| Minibus / van | €36–48 | 8–16 |
| Jeep | €67 | 6–8 |
| Private Mercedes tour | from €110 per group | yours |
What to watch for
- Stops are short. Reckon on 15 to 30 minutes each. If you want to linger anywhere, a hire car serves you better.
- Pickup is included from Funchal and Caniço on nearly all tours, from Calheta or Machico often not.
- Lunch usually is not in the price, though a stop is scheduled (€10–20 there).
- Weather: rain in Funchal does not cancel the tour — the north or west may be clear.
Book it or drive it yourself?
This is the category where a hire car wins most clearly. Every stop is public, free or nearly so, and with a car you decide whether Fanal is worth 20 minutes or two hours.
Book a round tour if you would rather not drive mountain roads, if you are only here two or three days, or as a first day — to see where everything is, then drive the rest of the week deliberately. That is the most sensible use of this category.
👉 See all island tours on GetYourGuide (Affiliate link)
Next: Jeep and 4WD tours · Cabo Girão and viewpoints · Car hire and getting there
