Madeira itinerary, day by day

Levada paths along the mountainsides, volcanic peaks and lava pools filled by the Atlantic, on a garden island driven from south to north: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

🗓️ 4 or 7 days📍 3 stops☀️ Best time: All year round (April to October preferably)

Funchal · Photo Karolina / Pexels

Route map (numbers = order of the stops).

Madeira in 4 days

2 stops · 5 things to do · ≈ 48 km

1Funchal

Days 1-2

The capital on the sunny south coast, with its cable car up to Monte, its gardens, and the sheer cliff of Cabo Girão a short drive to the west.

🎟️ Worth booking

Cable car and wicker toboggan ride2h · from €30
Up to Monte by cable car, then down the steep streets in a wicker sledge steered by two men in straw hats, a Madeiran tradition since the nineteenth century.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The old town and the Mercado dos Lavradores · The Cabo Girão glass platform

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Santa Maria Hostel (€35 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Madeira (€100 a night) · Luxury: Savoy Palace (€250 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Dona Nina Restaurante ★ 4.9 · 3048 reviews · €€
A Tendinha ★ 4.9 · 1301 reviews · €
Restaurante Imperfeito ★ 4.9 · 515 reviews · €€
Restaurante Alta Vista ★ 4.8 · 5534 reviews · €
La Vaca Negra ★ 4.8 · 2097 reviews · €€

Photo Balázs Gábor / Pexels

🚗 Car · 50 min · 30 km

2The peaks and the levadas

Days 3-4

The roof of the island, where a ridge path joins Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo, the highest point at 1,862 metres, and the levadas wind through a UNESCO-listed laurel forest.

🎟️ Worth booking

Guided hike from Pico do Areeiro to Pico RuivoFull day · from €40
The ridge walk between the island's highest peaks, reopened in April 2026 after the 2024 wildfire. It now runs one way only and must be booked online.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Fanal laurel forest

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Hotel O Colmo (€55 a night) · Mid-range: Valley View Hotel Encumeada (€90 a night) · Luxury: Quinta do Furão (€165 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Dona Nina Restaurante ★ 4.9 · 3048 reviews · €€
Restaurante Imperfeito ★ 4.9 · 515 reviews · €€
PR 1.2 Vereda do Pico Ruivo ★ 4.8 · 5696 reviews
Restaurante Alta Vista ★ 4.8 · 5534 reviews · €
Las Caraibas ★ 4.8 · 2489 reviews · €€

Photo Pexels

Madeira in 7 days

3 stops · 8 things to do · ≈ 120 km

1Funchal

Days 1-2

The capital on the sunny south coast, with its cable car up to Monte, its gardens, and the sheer cliff of Cabo Girão a short drive to the west.

🎟️ Worth booking

Cable car and wicker toboggan ride2h · from €30
Up to Monte by cable car, then down the steep streets in a wicker sledge steered by two men in straw hats, a Madeiran tradition since the nineteenth century.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The old town and the Mercado dos Lavradores · The Cabo Girão glass platform

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Santa Maria Hostel (€35 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Madeira (€100 a night) · Luxury: Savoy Palace (€250 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Balázs Gábor / Pexels

🚗 Car · 50 min · 30 km

2The peaks and the levadas

Day 3

The roof of the island, where a ridge path joins Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo, the highest point at 1,862 metres, and the levadas wind through a UNESCO-listed laurel forest.

🎟️ Worth booking

Guided hike from Pico do Areeiro to Pico RuivoFull day · from €40
The ridge walk between the island's highest peaks, reopened in April 2026 after the 2024 wildfire. It now runs one way only and must be booked online.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Fanal laurel forest

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Hotel O Colmo (€55 a night) · Mid-range: Valley View Hotel Encumeada (€90 a night) · Luxury: Quinta do Furão (€165 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Pexels

🚗 Car · 1h · 45 km

3Porto Moniz and the north

Day 4

The wild north coast, wetter and greener than the south, with natural pools set into the black volcanic rock.

🎟️ Worth booking

Jeep tour of the wild northFull day · from €60
Cliff roads, waterfalls and ocean viewpoints on the rough side of the island.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Porto Moniz natural pools · São Vicente and Seixal

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Hotel Euro Moniz (€60 a night) · Mid-range: Solar de Boaventura (€90 a night) · Luxury: Aqua Natura Madeira (€145 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Las Caraibas ★ 4.8 · 2489 reviews · €€
Hotel Quinta do Furão ★ 4.8 · 2053 reviews
Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools ★ 4.7 · 15062 reviews
Piscines Naturelles de Porto Monìz ★ 4.7 · 13002 reviews
Hotel Aqua Natura Madeira ★ 4.7 · 900 reviews

Photo Pexels

Hotel prices are per room per night, activity prices per person, checked when written. Some links are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide): we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

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The free printable Madeira guide: map, stops day by day, hotels by budget. Works offline.

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Good to know before you go

🍽️ What to eat

Espetada: beef rubbed with garlic and bay, grilled on a skewer and hung from a hook above the table.
Bolo do caco: a round flatbread cooked on a stone, split and spread with garlic butter.
Espada: black scabbardfish from the deep water off the island, often served with fried banana.
Lapas: limpets grilled in the shell with garlic, butter and lemon.
Poncha and Madeira wine: a short drink of cane spirit, honey and lemon, and the fortified wine the island is named for.

⚠️ What to avoid

Most official trails, the PR1 and the 25 Fontes levada among them, now charge non-residents a fee paid online in advance. Book before you drive up.
Do not judge the mountain weather from Funchal: the peaks can be in cloud while the coast is in sun. Check the trail status and forecast the same morning.
Wear proper shoes on the levadas. Many paths run beside long drops with no railing.
The toboggan ride from Monte ends partway down the hill, so plan a taxi or the bus for the rest of the way.

Plan this trip

📒 The free printable Madeira guide→ 🗓️ Best time to visit Madeira, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book before you go→

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