Madeira Peaks - Mountain Walk
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Madeira, Portugal
- 8 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Ascend to Madeira’s highest peak on an 8-hour walk to Pico Ruivo, from the top of which travelers are rewarded with spectacular panoramas of Madeira. Ideal for visitors with a moderate fitness level, this tour takes you through an ancient heather forest and reveals a plethora of flora and fauna native to the island. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.
- Ascend to the highest peak on Madeira—Pico Ruivo
- Hotel pickup and drop-off included in Funchal
- Enjoy unparalleled panoramic views of Madeira from the peak
- Ideal for nature enthusiasts and hikers
What's Included
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Professional guide
- Hotel (or pre-arranged meeting point) pickup and drop-off in Funchal
- 10 Km Mountain walking tour
- Food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to your preferred meeting point, or request pickup.
Operating hours.8:30 am
Itinerary
1
Pico do Arieiro
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
2
Pico Ruivo
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
3
Vereda do Pico Ruivo
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair.
- Not wheelchair accessible
- A moderate amount of walking is involved.
- Not recommended for people people with fear of heights/vertigo.
- Sports shoes with a good grip or hiking boots.
- Service animals allowed
- Clients must be prepared for all situations due to changing weather conditions.
- If canceled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund.
- Infant seats available
- It's mandatory to arrange a small picnic to carry with you along the day (you won't find anywhere else to buy food during the walk).
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a strong physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
NORAI_M
Sara was great, provided us with information about the Madeira Vegetation. She was very friendly, patience and knowledgeable about her job as tour guide. I will recommend her without a doubt. Our original hike was to hike Pico Arieiro but because the landslides and closure of the trail for repairs Pico Ariero was canceled. .
They offered us to hike Pico Ruivo, our hike was shortened by the circumstances but still it was a nice hike with amazing views.
Reviews
4.8
based on 293 reviews
lawrence_A, Feb 2025
The tour got cancelled a week before due to fires? . Viator should know about this . There is still the same tour being advertised on the website. This is wrong.
Natasha_H, Sep 2024
Due to the previous fires in the area this hike was cancelled and we were giving the 3/4 different options. We close Larano cliff walk and it was fantastic a great walk, some parts can be slippy so trail runners or boots are essential.
Collection and drop off are easy and Guide Ruby was super friendly.the 15/20 minute start for coffee etc could be reduced as wasn't necessary for us.
Aoife_D, Aug 2024
Sara was a was a wonderful guide. Managed our expectations throughout. White tough in parts but worth it. You have to have a reasonable level of fitness for it.
Darryl_W, Jul 2024
The entire experience was amazing. A fantastic guide (Sanna) was very informative and ensured we were safe throughout the tour. Not for the faint hearted.
Timothy_C, Jun 2024
Quite a hard walk but a wonderful experience. Our guide (whose name I forget) was enthusiastic and knowledgeable.
Ewan_A, Jun 2024
Fantastic guided walk. Our guide, Elder, took us on this walk yesterday and was fantastic! He was very informative and ensured we were safe at all times. Would highly recommend for anyone wanting to do the peak to peak walk with some guidance and support. Some of the shear drops off the sides are scary and it really reassured both of us that we had an expert to guide us round the walk and tell us what was up ahead. If you are not an experienced hiker, I highly recommend doing it with an experienced guide, rather than solo.
Thank you very much!
Stephen_P, May 2024
An easy hike with great views 😎the drop off and pickup takes away the stress .The guide has a lot of local knowledge and explains things in a relaxed manner
Savannah_B, May 2024
We had the most amazing time. Our guide Sara was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and made sure the entire day went smoothly. We also had Sara for the levada walk and enjoyed seeing a familiar face for another great experience. Will definitely be coming back for more adventures like this.
Jeffrey_G, May 2024
A very challenging hike with spectacular scenery! Our guide was knowledgable and lovely. I expected the van to stop at 3 different locations, but it was a drop off and then you hiked to the other peaks. This day was the highlight of our stay in Madeira
Nicholas_W, May 2024
This was an awesome hike even though there was no visibility that day. It’s Madeira, with its various micro climates so you never know what you are going to get. It was sunny and 65 degrees Fahrenheit in Funchal but 45 degrees and a slight mist and windy on Pico Do Ariero. Just make sure you are prepared with the proper clothing and hiking boots/shoes. The guide (Sarah) was great in working with the various skill levels of the group but overall it was not very strenuous. There is a bathroom at the start of the hike and about 3 hours into the hike (€0.50 at the start and €1.00 at the stopping point). So make sure to have some coins on you. There was not a restroom at the end from what I could see and it was an hour ride back to Funchal. Would love to do this hike again with good visibility. Next time!
Harminder_C, May 2024
Awesome views , nice guide, well organised. Very good communication of guide with group . Recommended
offtoeurope, May 2024
This is an amazing experience. The walk is indeed more challenging than I expected, but worth every minute. Our guide was delightful.
I recommend bringing at least one hiking stick (can be purchased at starting point) and double the water you anticipate needing.
LoraHadassa_G, Apr 2024
The organisation was great. Bus driver Eduardo great. The trip itself great. Our tour guide didn’t give us enough time to take pictures. I felt like I’m at work schedule and not on vacation because she didn’t give us enough time and was super strict saying I will leave exactly at xy. Not enough time to take pictures, to enjoy, relax and have some free time on the peaks. Even not enough time to use the bathroom (she would look at us mean while we were standing in the line for the bathrooms and would come and start fighting with us). Felt like we’re paid by her and not the way around.
Otherwise everything was great.
Paula_M, Apr 2024
The views are astonishing. A challenging hike not to be underestimated. The route was busy and it's a shame some people use the mountain as a toilet and leave their evidence behind!
Erika_S, Apr 2024
This was such a breathtaking experience both in the scenery (and in physical exertion- definitely need good fitness level for this!) My husband and I were so glad to have a guided hike to do this. Sara was excellent. She pointed out different fauna and flora along the hike and gave us pointers for when the tunnels were coming or steps got more challenging. The weather was almost ideal with strong winds at the beginning (literally blowing my hat into the mountains!) I would dress warm for the wind and shaded conditions. Bring lots of water, lunch, and snacks. There is a 1 hour break for a picnic lunch near the top of Pico Ruivo. The pace of the hike was moderately challenging and the views are spectacular but quite high up, so this is not for the faint hearted! This is, however and fortunately, a one way hike from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. We were concerned that this was a round trip hike at first when we signed up, but the bus drops you off at Pico do Arieiro and will come around many hours later when you finish after Pico Ruivo. It was a wonderful experience!
Maaria_F, Mar 2024
Due to weather the Pico to Pico Hike was not possible but we were offered an amazing Alternative Hike by our Guide Sarah. Everyone loved it and we had a great time Exploring the eastern coast.
Lido Tours did the right thing by changing plans in cooperation with our group - with this Company you know your wellbeing and safety come first, even though they are aware some people might be unhappy about changes (though in our group everyone was super happy with the hike!!)
Sarah was a super friendly and knowledgeable Guide who will make your Trip worthwhile. 100% recommend!
Siegwalt_L, Mar 2024
Great trip! The hike itself was a bit crowded due to ideal weather conditions, but it is really worth it. Very friendly and motivated guide (Charlotte), kind driver, wonderful views. Some basic fitness is definitely needed. The path itself is preparated (a lot of stairs and rails), however one should not be afraid of heights.
NORAI_M, Feb 2024
Sara was great, provided us with information about the Madeira Vegetation. She was very friendly, patience and knowledgeable about her job as tour guide. I will recommend her without a doubt. Our original hike was to hike Pico Arieiro but because the landslides and closure of the trail for repairs Pico Ariero was canceled. .
They offered us to hike Pico Ruivo, our hike was shortened by the circumstances but still it was a nice hike with amazing views.
Klaudia_V, Feb 2024
It was really a good idea to choose this trip. Sarah was lovely and caring of the group. Highly recommend!
Yulia_L, Nov 2023
It was amazing , l very happy . Recommend this tour . guide Sara good . Nice atmosphere. an unforgettable experience
Raquel_G, Nov 2023
Wonderful experience. Private tour.
Started with Catarina (she was so helpful) and then with our wonderful guide Charlotte and our driver. Pick up time was on time. Charlotte took very good care of us, being that we are a group of 52-62 years olds. She made sure we were ok to very end of the challenging hike. We did Pico do Areeiro -Pico Ruivo - Achada do Teixeira. It was crazy beautiful. We could not have done it without Charlotte. Highly recommended.
Margret_P, Oct 2023
Our guide Sara was very knowledgeable and informative. Her advice and instructions were clear and she organised our trip in an extremely professional way. Her friendly manner undoubtedly made the trip a very pleasant experience.
Scott_B, Sep 2023
Great day traversing the Madeira Peaks. We had a great guide in Charlotte who took good care of our group and explaining things to us as we went. Unfortunately, the weather was not the greatest but otherwise it is a good activity when visiting Madeira.
david_g, Sep 2023
Charlotte the guide was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic and would definitely have her as a guide again....unfortunately the weather was against doing the high peaks so we did a coastal walk which was fantastic but we live 5mins away from the south west coastal path in England so we wouldn't pay to do one abroad...otherwise it was a great day with a good guide
Franek_F, Sep 2023
Great trip! The guide was well prepared and very friendly. We had a lot of fun during the walk up the mountains :)
jeanchristophe_D, Sep 2023
Great hiking, the bus was on time, the views are incredible (when not ruined by the clouds )
We had the chance to be accompanied by fellow belgian guide Charlotte who brought some sun in a pretty rainy day
Nicole_C, Jul 2023
What an amazing hike. I would put it on top three of the most beautiful hikes I’ve done. It wasn’t as hard as what everyone said (in my opinion), but I’ve done several “harder” hikes before. I’d say 6/10. The only negative was the sheer number of people on the trail. So many people! Our tour leader Charlotte was awesome and so was our driver Nuno. Perhaps getting there a bit earlier may have made it less busy. We were lucky with the weather though. A great experience overall
Sweta_W, Jul 2023
Walking above the white cloud was amazing. It was a challenging hike with very beautiful view. Our tour guide was amazing.
CALUM_S, Jun 2023
Fantastic day and Sara was a great guide, very friendly with plenty of relevant facts to share in various languages
Grace_M, Jun 2023
Guide Sarah was excellent! The Hike was beautiful. Pace is very inclusive, but might feel a bit slow depending on your fitness or usual pace.
The hike itself was also extremely busy. If I could go back, I would have preferred a tour that started hiking at 7:30 or 8am instead of starting at 10am.
Likely to Sell Out
From $50.26
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Likely to Sell Out
Madeira Peaks - Mountain Walk
293
8 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$50.26
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Attractions in Madeira, Portugal
- Madeira Botanical Gardens Tours & Tickets
- Eira do Serrado Tours & Tickets
- Paul da Serra Plateau Tours & Tickets
- Machico Tours & Tickets
- Valley of the Nuns (Curral das Freiras) Tours & Tickets
- Portela Viewpoint (Miradouro da Portela) Tours & Tickets
- Santa Catarina Park (Parque de Santa Catarina) Tours & Tickets
- Cabo Girão Tours & Tickets
- Monte Palace Tropical Gardens Tours & Tickets
- Santana Tours & Tickets
- Pico dos Barcelos Viewpoint (Miradouro Pico dos Barcelos) Tours & Tickets
- Laurisilva Rainforests of Madeira Tours & Tickets
- Ponta de São Lourenco Tours & Tickets
- Palheiro Gardens Tours & Tickets
- Sao Vicente Caves & Volcanism Centre Tours & Tickets