Madeira Valley of the Nuns Tour
Recommended by 91% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Madeira, Portugal
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
The Valley of the Nuns (Curral da Freiras) might be one of the coolest places you can visit in all of Portugal—and this tour makes it easy to explore the area. Not only is it a village built on the crater of an extinct volcano, but it was once a place where nuns would hide when pirates attacked the city of Funchal. Plus, during this tour, you’ll stop by the fishing village, Câmara de Lobos, and try a traditional Madeira drink.
- Tour of the Valley of the Nuns in Madeira
- Visit the village built on the crater of an extinct volcano
- Stop by the fishing village, Câmara de Lobos
- Choice of morning or afternoon departure
- Funchal hotel pickup and drop-off included
What's Included
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Professional guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (Free for hotels in Funchal only)
- Lunch
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to your preferred meeting point, or request pickup.
Itinerary
1
Eira do Serrado (CF23)
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Valley of the Nuns
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Camara De Lobos
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Infant seats available
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 55 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.6
based on 417 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Fiona_M, Jul 2026
Great half day tour, out guide and driver Alfredo was very knowledgeable and gave us lots of local information and pointed out lots of interesting places and plants along the way. There was enough time in each place and I felt the tour was well paced.
Ian_P, Jun 2026
Was picked up at the hotel, and was a great tour in the time allowed. Very informative driver and interesting places we went to.
Sorin_N, Jun 2026
Poor experience. Perhaps the worse of all Viatours we booked. Diver bearly spoke info about the places to visit. Lido Tours provided a microbuz that was warned off compared to the other tours i've seen picking up people at our hotel. Nothing that I can recommend.
Claire_H, Jun 2026
Excellent half day trip, enjoyed the three stops equally. Informative driver and nice to be with a small group.
Terrence_O, Jun 2026
The scenery is breathtaking. The Fisherman’s Village was very historic. We had a late start as the tour guide was given additional people to pick ip. The air conditioning in the van was barely working, and we had 16 people in close proximity. However, the tour itself was good.
Rea_P, May 2026
Friendly driver. The stops are good but more time would have been nicer at the fishing village to sit and have a drink without feeling rushed.
Sue_H, May 2026
An easy trip with the opportunity to see places we wouldn't drive to ourselves. 3 stops. Tour guide was very good
Glen_W, May 2026
It’s a lovely trip with a friendly and knowledgeable driver. Definitely try the chestnut cake’s etc that he recommends
APRIL_P, May 2026
Nuns Valley is a Must see. The smaller group of about 15 was a good size. Would not want larger groups with the big buses. Guide was great!
Diane_P, May 2026
This tour was a disappointment for us, there was no narration for some reason. The guide used a microphone at the beginning but stopped, I am not sure if it quit working but he also had trouble with his English. We did see the Valley of the Nuns, just no background info, which was disappointing.
Angela_D, May 2026
Taster of Madeira- a three stop tour- lovely fishing village, viewpoint & small village.
Sadly on our trip we had problems with picking up people- we were still in Funchal nearly 45 mins before the tour started then had to return promptly to return customers back to cruise ship- so all felt a little rushed & made the driver very grumpy!!
Arifa_C, May 2026
Breathtaking! Such an awesome experience.
Marco our guide was so helpful and knowledgeable - genuinely nice person who is passionate about his native place.
Don’t think twice about doing this trip guys - you’ll miss out!!
Rhonda_T, Apr 2026
Our guide Bruno was great. He shared relevant facts about the Nun's Valley while giving us plenty of time to explore and take pictures of the dramatic mountains and scenery. Our bus had a mix of German and English speaking passengers, and his ability to seamlessly translate both languages was amazing. We're glad we spent an afternoon seeing the beautiful island of Madeira.
Geoff_A, Apr 2026
A real good tour. 3.5 hours is ideal to see everything. Excellent driver/guide, knowledgeable and friendly. I can’t remember his name but he made it enjoyable for us.
Norma_W, Apr 2026
A good way to visit a place which is otherwise quite inaccessible. Anyone who suffers from travel sickness should probably take suitable precautions. I took my usual travel tablet and was absolutely fine.
Our guide, Marco, had a good sense of humour and told us many interesting tales about the history of the area. We had plenty of time at each stop to take photos, have a drink and enjoy the views. Thoroughly enjoyable 😊
Pius_A, Apr 2026
Great first trip tour guide was very sweet…sadly i forgot her name but she knows her history of the island and speak very well
Emma_W, Apr 2026
Bruno shared an immense amount of knowledge of the locality and Madeira's culture throughout the trip in both English and German. We spent an appropriate amount of time at each of the stops. Although an initial steep walk, most definitely not a hike and there's enough time to go at a leisurely pace. I would recommend this as a relaxing trip to see some of the island.
Matthew_B, Apr 2026
This is a very relaxed tour. If you are looking for some great views, pictures, and a chill pace this is the tour for you. 3 stops, lots of time for coffee, pastry, wandering. At no point did I feel rushed. The valley is the highlight and spectacular!
Steve_R, Mar 2026
Really good little trip to do. Views were stunning and tour guide Marco very knowledgeable and friendly. Would highly recommend this tour.
Paul_B, Mar 2026
The climb to the viewpoint is challenging but the rainbow on our tour made it worthwhile. Luciano was a fantastic guide and a mine of information with great wit and enthusiasm. Would highly recommend.
Phil_L, Mar 2026
Best in the summer months. Was covered by cloud in March though clear when we descended to the valley itself. A great trip never the less.
Catherine_P, Mar 2026
The Tour of the Nun’s Valley is well worth the visit. A lovely short drive to a spectacular view point overlooking the valley. The stop in the Nun’s valley was brief, but enough time for a coffee and to take in the view. The stop in Câmara de Lobos was also interesting to have a Poncha.
Kate_L, Mar 2026
Lovely guide with excellent language skills. The trip was late to start because of road closure but we saw all the places listed. I would have liked more time at the viewpoint though . I can recommend going.
Candy_C, Jan 2026
An informative and entertaining afternoon with Luciano on the nuns valley tour - we experienced some amazing views, although there was some fog, we were still able to view. You also get to try some chestnut liqueurs as part of the tour.
Donna_C, Jan 2026
Lovely guide who answered all questions and gave great information! The tour was just the right length and would recommend to all.
Cathrine, Nov 2025
Rough trip up to the cows, a car broke down on our trip🙀 very offroad. But amazing views and scenery. Diego was a good driver and had a good vibe.
Christine_K, Nov 2025
Luciano (our tour guide) was very knowledgeable and entertaining. The views were spectacular! Not for someone that is afraid of heights! The drive along the cliffs were terrifying
Anne_S, Nov 2025
Excellent half day tour to Nuns Valley with an excellent driver and tour guide she was so knowledgeable. The scenery was spectacular and the sun was shining in the most magnificent Madeira.
Christopher_W, Oct 2025
We didn't go on tour because of drenching rain at our pickup time. We did email our decision and also called to check whether the departure was delayed by the weather, but the person I spoke to did not understand my question, telling me only "no refunds". We did not expect a refund, but thought they might reach out to us to reschedule perhaps with a small discount. They did not. When the rain stopped we took the bus to the main tour destinations at a fraction of the tour cost. We spent an enjoyable time there having a lesiurely visit and setting our own schedule. I think perhaps in future we will take more buses and fewer tours.
Elaine_J, Oct 2025
This tour was great! Communication with the company was fantastic and they picked us up right in front of our cruise ship. Nuno, our guide was knowledgeable, funny, and helpful. The sights were amazing. Would have liked a little more time in each of the towns, and the bus was a little stuffy, but the seats were comfortable and the vent roof being open helped. Nuno was also an excellent driver. Would definitely do this tour again if we had some more time to explore.
From $32.57
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Madeira Valley of the Nuns Tour
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