Madeira · PICO DO ARIEIRO HIKES
At 1,818 metres the third-highest peak on the island is also the easiest to drive to, which is why the sunrise runs sell out first. These 15 split into the ones that stop at the viewing platform and the ones that walk the ridge on towards Pico Ruivo, with times, prices and an honest fitness note for each.
Sunrise hike from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo and Achada do Teixeira, with Funchal and Caniço pickup, van transfer, and self-guided route setup.
“It was a phenomenal experience but it was freezing in the morning!! Transportation was great and the hike itself was very good! It is definitely worth the money.”
From Funchal, see Pico do Arieiro, Santana, UNESCO Laurisilva on an easy levada, plus Faial glass walkways and Machico views.
“A little concerned about not getting confirmation of the pick up time so phoned at 20.45 to be told the time which was followed by an email 30 mins later. The day itself was really enjoyable and our driver/guide/translator/ Christina was extremely knowledgeable, charming, professional and friendly also a very good driver. We can thoroughly recommend this tour which took us to some places we probably wouldn't have seen. All I all a very fulfilling day.”
Self-guided hike from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, then down to Achada do Teixeira, with door-to-door transfers from Funchal.
“Beautiful hike! Our driver, Fernando, was very kind and helpful.”
4x4 jeep safari in Madeira’s east: Pico do Arieiro views, levada walk, Santana thatched houses, rum tasting, hotel pickup.
“We had a short stay in Madeira, and choosing this tour was one of the best decisions we made to explore the eastern part of the island. Pedro, our tour guide, was not only an excellent driver but also a fantastic guide. Driving on Madeira's roads can be challenging, so having a knowledgeable local guide made the experience both enjoyable and stress-free. Pedro shared so much about the island and its culture, giving us a deeper understanding of life in Madeira. The tour schedule was well-planned, offering a perfect balance of sightseeing, off-road adventures, hiking, and even rum tasting. We thoroughly enjoyed every part of the tour and highly recommend…”
Small-group sunrise hike from Funchal to Pico do Arieiro, self-guided PR1 with PR3 backup, hotel pickup included, 8 spots.
“We were very lucky as we have seen the sunrise ! :) The guide - Filipe was very knowledgeable, great food and drink recommendations:) He explained all in a very clear manner.”
Open-roof 4x4 tour of Madeira’s east, with Wi-Fi, guided stops at Arieiro, Santana, Ponta de São Lourenço, plus a short levada walk.
“Wonderful day. Met 2 minutes from the apartment I was staying out with easy instruction on where to meet my guide who arrived on time. I think our guides name was Luis and he was really good and looked after everyone on the trip, he gave us clear instruction on where we were and what to see and with a little levada walk thrown in it really did make the day enjoyable, it was also fantastic to meet the other people on the tour from Germany and France and a couple of fellow Brits. Luis is a fab driver and we got to see so much unfortunately the weather had…”
Sunrise at Pico do Arieiro, PR1 Stairway to Heaven, PR3 Donkey Trail, lunch at Forest, optional Monte toboggan.
“A must-do! This was one of the highlights of my trip and the views are phenomenal at sunrise. Our guide was knowledgeable and made sure we were well informed.”
Sunrise guided hike from Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo, small group, Funchal pickup, and a Santana traditional houses stop.
“David was amazing and the tour itself was exactly what we wanted. We didn't get to see the sunrise due to weather conditions however David drove us to another spot below the clouds to watch it and then drove us back to the trail. Overall would recommend the experience to anyone thinking of booking”
Open-roof 4x4 from Funchal to Pico do Arieiro and Cristo Rei do Garajau, with small-group pickup and panoramic views.
“Sehr schöner, individueller Ausflug mit dem offenem Jeep, auch für unsere Tochter (4 Jahre) eine Freude. Die Tour wurde wegen schlechtem Wetter am Berg kurzfristig umgestellt, dennoch ein Traum.”
Madeira Pico do Arieiro sunrise tour with Funchal pickup. Optional breakfast, then a flat Camacha levada walk in Paradise Valley.
“A fantastic way to see the sunrise and be able to get right to the top without worrying about parking (tours and taxis are able to access a higher spot than the other cars!). A 5 minute walk and we were at a perfect spot with the added extra of very welcomed blankets. After the tour we had a very basic style breakfast (cheese/ham toasties, cake and coffee). They did cater for my vegan diet with a vegan cheese toastie, small breakfast cereal bar, and soya milk. The Levada walk stop off at the end was a nice edition, very flat and gentle.”
Open 4x4 Madeira Peaks tour with hotel pickup, rugged off-road tracks, Santana triangle houses, rum stop, and Ribeiro Frio views in 8 hours.
“I can't rate this highly enough, it is a great way to see a lot of things in one day with the bonus of hotel pick up and drop off and it being an off road experience! But the biggest plus I think are the drivers, my driver Spencer was so informative, helpful and always up for laugh it really made the day even more entertaining! He pulled over a few times to show us different plants etc as really knew all the best spots to take photographs but also was always happy to stop when asked. Definitely by favourite day I spent on the island :”
A small-group hike to Pico Ruivo from Achadas do Teixeira, using safe guiding, big views, and a bus to avoid the worst descent.
“Well organized.. enjoyable day. I was sad to hear that the tour had to be changed because of closed trails.. but turned out to be a great day after all. Definately recommend this tour”
4x4 FlowerEAST safari from Funchal to Pico do Arieiro, Santana and Levada do Castelejo, small group, free admissions, pickup.
“Ricardo our driver/guide picked us up, right on time, just 10 minutes away from our cruiseship. With 6 other people from Britain, France and Latvia we started the tour. So we had a real European get together. Although we made several tours on Madeira, this tour is one of a totally different kind. Though we were a bit unlucky with the weather in the morning we had a lot of fun. We tried to make it to the top of Madeira's highest mountain, we did not make it because of the heavy clouds and the rain. But Ricardo offered us a very nice alternative. It really is fun to get…”
Chase a Madeira sunset from Pico do Arieiro with a guided ride, photo stops, and optional Stairway to Heaven, plus a smart weather backup.
“Totaly worth it. A van came and pick me at the spot i said exactly on time. Mr. Driver was very friendly and nice person he took us to mountain and bring us back home. Thanks for the experiance”
Sunrise on Pico do Arieiro, optional Stairs of Heaven, a glass-platform viewpoint stop, then the self-guided Vereda do Larano hike.
“This trip was out of our expectations, despite limited hike posibility due to goverment decision to close the road, we were given even more thrilling alternative, that we have not heard about but was beyond beautiful and we would not have seen it alone. Ros was a perfect, dedicated and engaged guide and shared really nice things about the Island or Daily life. Highly recommended.”
Pick the kind of day first. The tour follows.
