7 Days in Madeira Without a Car: An Easy Itinerary for First-Time Visitors

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Madeira is an absolutely jaw-dropping island, full of dramatic landscapes, lush greenery, tropical flowers and stunning coastal views. It may be small, but even without hiring a car you can fit so much variety into one trip. This is our full seven-day itinerary, plus tips that I hope will make planning your own trip that bit easier.

Seven Days in Madeira: Itinerary Overview

Day One: Arrive in Funchal and explore without a plan
Day Two: Ride the cable cars and visit two beautiful gardens
Day Three: Levada das 25 Fontes and Levada do Risco trails
Day Four: Dolphin and whale watching
Day Five: West Coast jeep adventure (my favourite day!)
Day Six: Sunrise hike at Pico do Arieiro
Day Seven: Visit Câmara de Lobos

Where To Stay In Madeira Without A Car

If you’re visiting Madeira without a car, Funchal is a great place to stay. It’s the island’s capital, close to the airport and with plenty of amenities. Many tours and buses leave from there, so we found it was a good base for exploring the island without needing to drive.

Accommodation in Funchal

Bayleaf Apartments (where we stayed) // Our accommodation was nice and clean with a private terrace, a well equipped kitchen and (I can’t believe I was excited about this, but…) a washing machine! The location was also convenient for exploring the city centre on foot. Rated Superb on booking.com.

Madeira Seven Day Itinerary Map

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Madeira Itinerary: Day 1

Arriving in Funchal

After checking into your accommodation, set out to explore Funchal, Madeira’s laid-back capital city.

With the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other, it’s a beautiful place for a relaxed wander. The terracotta rooftops, black-and-white pavements, colourful street art and abundance of flowers make a great first impression.

In the evening, have dinner at one of the many local restaurants. You could try espada com banana, one of Madeira’s most famous dishes. It’s fried black scabbardfish served with sweet fried or caramelised banana, often paired with passionfruit sauce — a surprisingly good mix of savoury and sweet.

If you fancy a drink afterwards, order a local favourite, poncha. Poncha is a face-meltingly strong mix of rum, honey, sugar and freshly squeezed fruit juice. There are lots of flavours available, but my favourite was orange and lemon, and my husband’s was lemon and ginger.

A bar I would recommend trying is Rei Da Poncha. This is a fun, laid back bar with a large selection of poncha flavours. They even have a take away window if you can’t find a seat.

Madeira Itinerary: Day 2

Ride the Cable Car

Start the day with a cable car ride up to Monte Palace Tropical Gardens. In our experience, if you arrive when it opens at 9am, there’s little to no queue.

You could take a bus or taxi instead, but the cable car is worth it for the relaxing ride and great views of the ocean, streets, and mountainside. 

Monte Palace Tropical Garden

At the exit of the cable car you’ll find Monte Palace’s Tropical Gardens.

The lush gardens are a bizarre but wonderful mishmash of things, including:

• Grottos and waterfalls
• Buddha statues
• Flamingos
• Peacocks
• Portuguese tiles
• Hundreds of minerals
• Stone lanterns
• A Santana house
• Japanese-style bridges and pagodas
• Koi ponds
• Piña coladas (because why not?)
• Plants I can’t name
• Some pretty great views!

We took a packed lunch, but there’s also a lovely looking café if you’d prefer.

Madeira Botanical Garden (and another Cable car!)

You can walk just a few minutes to another cable car that will take you to the Botanical Gardens. This cable car is separate from the one from Funchal, so you need another ticket.

The Botanical Gardens are beautifully landscaped and home to over 2,000 exotic plants, with even better views over Funchal than Monte Palace. Personally, Monte Palace was my favourite, but both gardens are worth a visit.

Carreiros do Monte (Monte Sledges)

Two gardens in one day is quite a lot, so if you’ve had your fill after Monte Palace, a fun way to get back to Funchal is by riding a wicker basket partway down the hill.

Back in the early 19th century, these baskets were actually used to transport locals quickly from Monte to Funchal, but these days it’s purely for fun. You sit in a handcrafted wicker basket and are pushed downhill for about ten minutes, before walking the rest of the way back to Funchal (or bus/taxi if you want to save your feet!).

We did this on another day, but it’s a good option to combine with your visit to Monte Palace.

Madeira Itinerary: Day 3

Levada das 25 Fontes & Levado Do Risco Hiking Trails

Book a shared shuttle that picks you up from your accommodation and drops you off at the start of the Levada das 25 Fontes and Levada do Risco trails. You can select your pick up time, so we opted for hideously early 5:30am. We thought the early start was totally worth it as the place was packed by mid morning.

The is one of Madeira’s most well-known levada trails. Levadas are old irrigation channels, and many of Madeira’s hikes follow them through the forest and mountains.

Before setting off, the driver gives you a quick overview of the route, then you’re free to walk at your own pace. The forest is cool and quiet, with the sound of water trickling alongside you. In those early hours, it can feel like you’ve got the whole place to yourself.

The Levada das 25 Fontes trail leads you to a wall of 25 streams pouring down into a pool below.  

The hike also leads you to the 100m Risco Waterfall. The white tumbling water looks really impressive against the dark rocks.

Since it’s a circular route, the shuttle picks you up from the same place you were dropped off. You’ll have around five hours to complete the hike, which is plenty of time for photos and snack breaks. If you finish early, there are a few extra trails nearby you can explore before your pick-up.

Need To Know: To help keep Madeira’s trails sustainable, a 3 euro fee for non-residents now applies to some of the most popular hikes. You can check which trails this covers and pay the fee on the official website. Keep your proof of payment with you, just in case someone asks to see it.

Madeira Itinerary: Day 4

Dolphin & Whale Watching boat Trip

Madeira is a popular place for dolphin and whale watching, as well as spotting other types of marine life. You can see dolphins year-round, although your chances of seeing whales are highest from April to October.

There are different types of boat trips departing from Funchal, so we went for the speedboat with a marine biologist. Partly because we thought it would increase our chances of seeing sea life since they can cover a larger area and change course more quickly, and partly because riding on a speedboat sounded pretty awesome. 

We were lucky on our trip to see spotted dolphins, striped dolphins, hammerhead sharks, flying fish and pilot whales. Fun fact: despite their name, pilot whales are actually large oceanic dolphins—second in size only to the killer whale (which is also a dolphin).

Seeing dolphins (and dolphins pretending to be whales) up close in their natural habitat was an amazing experience.

Spend the rest of your day exploring Funchal. The next couple of days are fairly full-on, so it’s nice to break things up with a slower day and not plan too much.

What else to do in Funchal?
Funchal might not be famous for big landmarks, but there’s still loads to get stuck into. If you’re looking for more ideas, have a look at our guide to fun things to do in Funchal.

Madeira Itinerary: Day 5

West Madeira Open-roof 4×4 Day Tour

If you want to see some of Madeira’s amazing west coast without hiring a car, a jeep tour is a great way to do it.

We did this one ourselves and it ended up being my favourite day.

You’ll be picked up from your accommodation at around 8:30 to 9:00am before setting off to explore the island.

You stop at several highlights, including the viewpoints of Cabo Girão and the Bridal Veil waterfall, Seixal Beach, the natural pools in Porto Moniz, the pretty coastal village of Ponta do Sol and, if conditions allow, the foggy and atmospheric Fanal Forest. (You visit Fanal either way, although it’s at its most magical in the fog!)

The tour uses an open-top Jeep, so you can stand up during the off-roading sections. Bumpy trails, forest tracks and coastal viewpoints make it feel like a proper little adventure.

As this is a full day tour you have plenty of time for lunch in Porto Moniz. Plus our driver also stopped to whip up some fresh poncha in a forest clearing!

It is a varied day out and a great option if you want to explore this side of the island without doing any of the driving (or parking!) yourself.

Madeira Itinerary: Day 6

Pico do Arieiro Sunrise hike

A sunrise hike at Pico do Arieiro is one of Madeira’s most popular experiences. On a clear day, the sun rises above a blanket of clouds with dramatic colours, and the viewpoint fills with amazed onlookers.

If you aren’t driving, then you can book a shared sunrise shuttle, which picks you up from your accommodation and drops you right at the Pico do Arieiro viewpoint. It’s an easy, fuss-free way to reach the peak before dawn (and means you don’t have to deal with the rammed parking!).

That said, good visibility at Pico do Arieiro isn’t guaranteed, so it’s always worth managing expectations. On our visit, we arrived full of excitement… only to discover that we couldn’t see much at all! Even so, the swirling mist gave everything a moody, atmospheric feel, and the rest of the hike was absolutely stunning so it was still a memorable experience.

PR1: Pico do Arieiro (Partially Open)

The peak-to-peak PR1 trail normally takes 3–4 hours one way, but since the 2024 wildfires, a large section has been closed. You can still walk the open section, including the famous “stairway to heaven”. In poor visibility you might not see the dramatic drops or surrounding peaks, but the route itself is straightforward.

The accessible part of PR1 takes around an hour return, making it a short but rewarding walk (especially if you can see it!). Should the full trail reopen, shuttles might return to picking visitors up from the end of the peak-to-peak PR1 trail.

Switching to PR3: Donkey’s Path

Until the full PR1 reopens, the shuttle instead waits for you at the end of the PR3, which you pick up from the PR1 starting point. The driver will give you simple instructions on how to connect from the PR1 to the PR3 Donkey’s Path.

The trail gets its name from the donkeys that used to carry snow down from Pico do Arieiro to the Ecological Park, which you’ll spot near the end of the walk.

This easy-to-moderate route descends from Pico do Arieiro into the valley below, passing through open fields of yellow broom. It’s well marked, gentle in places, and a relaxing contrast to the rocky steps of PR1.

Both paths are easy to follow and the shuttles allow plenty of time, so you’re not rushed. And if you do take a wrong turn, the shuttle company can help guide you back, so don’t worry too much about getting lost!

Is it worth doing without the sunrise?

For us it was worth it, even with terrible visibility at sunrise. The mist creates its own atmosphere and the trails are enjoyable regardless. We also really liked the PR3, which cancelled out the disappointment from the fog (and we saw the funny side of that pretty quickly anyway!).

If seeing the classic sea-of-clouds sunrise is non-negotiable for you though, hiring a car gives you more flexibility to check the live webcams before committing.

Madeira Itinerary: Day 7

Câmara de Lobos

Câmara de Lobos is a charming fishing village just a short bus or taxi ride from Funchal. The cove is full of colourful boats, and it’s really relaxing to stroll along the harbour, check out the lighthouse, or wander through the narrow alleyways.

One of the most photographed spots is the huge seal made from recycled materials. When we visited, the streets were alive with decorations and art installations, which made exploring even more fun.

While you’re in Câmara de Lobos, if you eat meat, I’d definitely recommend trying espetada, a local speciality. It’s made of large chunks of meat, usually beef, skewered on a metal or wooden stick and grilled over an open flame. In Madeira, it’s often simply seasoned with garlic, salt, and herbs, giving it a rich, smoky flavour. It’s usually served with Bolo do Caco (the local flatbread), salad, and sometimes fries or potatoes.

We tried espetada at Restaurante O Polar, a casual spot that specialises in it. Getting there involves a very steep 20 minute walk up the hill from the harbour, or a short taxi ride if you’re more sensible than we are. We paid €32 for the espetada, three sides, and two beers.

How to Get From Madeira Airport to Funchal without a Car

If you’re staying in Funchal without a car, there’s an airport bus you can use. It leaves from the Arrivals area and heads towards Formosa Beach, stopping near several hotels along the way. The full journey to Formosa Beach takes around 50 minutes and costs €6.50, but you can check the latest timetable and prices on the airport website.

You can also take a regular taxi, which takes about 20 minutes and usually costs around €30. Both Bolt and Uber currently operate in Madeira too, although we found Bolt had better availability than Uber. When we landed, there were signs in the airport offering 70% off your first Bolt trip, so we used that for our ride into Funchal. With the discount — and the fact that Bolt is cheaper than regular taxis anyway — we ended up paying under €7. As there were two of us this made our journey cheaper than taking the airport bus!

Is 7 Days in Madeira Enough?

We found that seven days was a great amount of time to get a taste of what Madeira has to offer, but we could have happily spent much longer there, and we left already talking about when we’d come back. Our trip only really scratched the surface, covering some of the island’s most popular spots. Even without a car, there were plenty more places we could have reached by public transport, taxi, or tour. But if you do only have seven days, it’s still absolutely worth it.

How Much Did 7 Days In Madeira Cost?

In total, for seven days for two people, we paid approximately €1,820.

Breakdown:

This covered everything except flights, so all other transport, activities, accommodation, food and drink. When it came to food and drink, we ate out at least once a day, usually in places described as budget or mid-range. On hiking days and the day we visited Monte Palace Tropical Gardens, we took a packed lunch.