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25,000+ trip reviews, with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5.
Starts
Ends
Madeira, Portugal
Funchal, Portugal
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One-week traversing this verdant isle on foot
Follow the levadas as they meander along the southern slopes
Enjoy the 'balcony walk' to Madeira's highest peak
Discover the wild allure of Madeira on the "Walking in Madeira" tour, an 8-day guided walking journey starting in Madeira and ending in Funchal. Perfect for seasoned travelers, this moderate trek unveils volcanic peaks, cascading waterfalls, and dramatic coastlines—highlighted by the famous Levada paths and the Balcony Walk between Arieiro and Ruivo. Along the way, immerse yourself in local culture with Madeiran wine and festive markets, especially on Christmas and New Year departures. The trip’s USP? A blend of geological wonders and authentic island life, allowing you to experience Madeira’s natural and cultural treasures in equal measure.
Fantastic walking trip to Madeira. The guide, Joao, was outstanding. Huge thanks to him for everything. The itinerary and walks were a good balance of traditional tourist activities and something a bit different. Hotels were great. Overall, a fantastic holiday.
Organised and efficient, good value
A wonderful holiday in a beautiful location with a fantastic group, the perfect itinerary, an excellent leader, gorgeous food and lovely weather. Can't recommend this holiday highly enough.
Great tour with Joao as a guide, he is definitely one to recommend. The itinerary was moderate but as described, accommodation was good (renovation in the last hotel). I would recommend this trip strongly.
Correctly Graded for me. Not a regular exerciser but have done other Walking holidays. Not easy but doable with a bit of effort. Took a first timer and he had a great time even with stiff legs by the flight home. Really good introduction to a lovely island and not a long flight from the UK. At times it really felt like you were on the edge of a little bit of wilderness but soon back to the comforts we’re used to. Guide (Joao C.) lived his Job not only did it. Excellent. Explore know what they are doing.
The group was large but all had fun and our leader, Joao, was excellent. The hikes were good
Fantastic 7-day walking tour in Madeira! The itinerary was superb — beautiful routes that kept us off the beaten path and away from the crowds in the main. Our guide Benny was exceptional, going the extra mile to support and connect with our group of 15. Accommodation was fine — nothing fancy, but comfortable enough. Highly recommend for anyone wanting a peaceful, scenic, and well-organized walking holiday.
Benny was an excellent walk leader. Very organised, helpful, inspired trust and confidence and gave us all the opportunity to achieve our potential on the walking activities. He also organised our evening meals in a variety of restaurants and all the group ate together every evening. I have been on a few group holidays and this was one of the best. Thankyou Benny and thankyou Explore😊
This was our first trip with Explore! My wife and I found it to be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. The itinerary gave us a chance to see a lot of Madeira and the hikes we went on were interesting and allowed us to experience different terrains and conditions! (Rain in the north and lush forest, sunshine in the south and dry paths). We also got to sample many of the regional dishes and beverages (poncha!) as well as visit some iconic sites on Madeira e.g. the western lighthouse, rumours factory. Our guide, Felipe, was excellent and very knowledgeable and helpful. Easy to talk to and we appreciated how well he took care of the group. Felipe also had some great suggestions for restaurants and things to do on our free time. One of which led to us going whale watching and having a whale go right under our boat! Such a great experience! Overall this walking tour was a terrific experience. It did challenge me to get out of my comfort zone (the 'Stairway to Heaven' walk !) but I'm glad I did it! I'd recommend this tour to anyone who likes hiking and has a good level of fitness (the terrain can be a challenge). You even get to meet many lovely people with similar interests. Walking Madeira with Explore! will live long in the memory.
Fantastic guide, really well organised tour - highly recommend.
A lovely way to explore Madeira - 'Europe's answer to Hawaii'. Phillipe was a great tour guide. Not to be taken as criticism, and all apparent on close inspection of the itinerary, however it's worth noting that that this is a 'drive to a place and go for a gentle walk (and repeat)' trip and not an extended hike from point A to B over several days. The walks are very gentle (the levadas are flat, by definition) and for the 'main event' on the last day, you are driven to the summit of Pico do Ariero. Three of our group were over 70 and were not especially challenged. If you are looking for something a little more hardcore, this may not be the trip for you.
An awesome trip and Explore never fail to deliver the best experiences. From the tour guide to the accommodation to the wonderful itinerary - excellent!!
Excellent and knowledgeable tour leader. A fascinating island and a good range of walks. Although a little more strenuous in places than expected. However, we thoroughly enjoyed the holiday.