Part of our complete guide: Activities and tours on Madeira
The formats
Old town walking tour, from about €16, two hours. The most-booked city tour, with nearly 3,900 reviews at 4.7. Zona Velha, the cathedral, the market, the painted doors of Rua de Santa Maria. Two hours for €16 is about the best ratio Madeira offers.
Tuk-tuk tours, from about €33, 1–2 hours. Worth it for the gradient: Funchal sits on a slope and the interesting parts are uphill. Versions take in the Botanical Garden, Monte, the CR7 Museum or a cable-car finale.
Hop-on hop-off bus, from about €19–26, 1–2 days. Two operators. Useful as transport to the Botanical Garden and Monte, less so as sightseeing.
Food and wine walks, from about €93 — see food and wine.
Private tours, from about €95 per group. Including CR7-themed ones for football fans.
What you can see for free
Honestly, nearly everything:
- Mercado dos Lavradores — free entry, best in the morning.
- Rua de Santa Maria and its painted doors (Projeto Arte Portas Abertas).
- Sé Cathedral, 15th century, free.
- The promenade from the harbour to Praia Formosa, several kilometres by the water.
- Jardim Municipal and the marina.
What a guide adds is the story behind the sugar and wine eras, the waves of emigration, and why the city looks the way it does. At €16 that is not a long deliberation.
What to watch for
- Cruise ships set the rhythm: on docking days the old town is packed by mid-morning. The schedule is posted at the port.
- Gradient: it is a real climb from the seafront to the market.
- On Sundays the market is nearly empty — the walk is still worth it, the market is not.
- Tips are the price of a “free walking tour”. Reckon €10–15 a head, which often makes the €16 tour the cheaper one.
Book it or walk it yourself?
Book the two-hour walk on your first day — it puts the city in order, and after that you walk it yourself for a week. It is the most efficient €16 of your stay.
Common questions
How much does a walking tour in Funchal cost?
The old town walking tour starts at about €16 for two hours — the most-booked city tour, with nearly 3,900 reviews at 4.7. Tuk-tuk tours start at around €33 for one to two hours, the hop-on hop-off bus at €19–26 for one to two days, and private tours at about €95 per group.
What can you see in Funchal for free?
Nearly everything: the Mercado dos Lavradores, free to enter and best in the morning; Rua de Santa Maria with its painted doors from the Projeto Arte Portas Abertas; the 15th-century Sé Cathedral; the promenade running several kilometres from the harbour to Praia Formosa; the Jardim Municipal and the marina.
Is a guided tour of Funchal worth it at all?
For €16 and two hours on your first day: yes. A guide puts the city in order — the sugar and wine eras, the waves of emigration, and why the city looks the way it does. After that you walk it yourself for a week. It is the most efficient sum of your stay.
What should you watch out for on a Funchal tour?
Cruise ships set the rhythm: on docking days the old town is packed by mid-morning, and the schedule is posted at the port. It is a real climb from the seafront to the market. On Sundays the market is nearly empty. And a “free walking tour” costs €10–15 a head in tips, which often makes the €16 tour the cheaper one.
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