Madeira Island Private Wine Full Day Tour In All Terrain Vehicle

The tour was very flexible and tailored to exactly what I enjoyed seeing.

Our wine tour with Val in Madeira during our honeymoon was a highlight of our trip. He took us to two wineries, one for table wines and one for fortified wines, and made the whole day feel relaxed and easy. He’s from Madeira and knows the island really well, from its history and agriculture to the smaller villages around it. He answered all our questions and shared a lot of interesting context along the way. We also drove through a few villages on the north side of the island, which we really enjoyed seeing. He even offered to take us hiking the next day on his day off, which was incredibly kind. Pickup and drop off at our hotel made everything seamless, and we’d definitely recommend him. Will absolutely be reaching out again when we’re back. Thanks, Val!

What a great experience. Madeira is an attractive and rugged place. Definitely a place to visit. And if you do visit, Val is definitely the guide you want to book to explore the place and book this tour if you are into wine, especially Madeira. We got to try table wines and, what the island is famous for, Madeira. Val knows his wines and as well as the history of Madeira, he is a native after all. What was also great was lunch, Val took us to a place that does not get any of the bus loads of tourists from a cruise.. Can't recommend this tour enough! Good value as well.

Vald was great. Just my wife and me. Opened our eyes to all that Madeira has to offer explorers, and has made us consider coming back for another visit. Learned so much about Madeira, tasted some wonderful wines, had a very nice lunch, and saw much beauty. No question went unanswered. Helped us plan the rest of our Madeira week. Highly recommended, worth every Euro.

Our private winery and island tour in Madeira with Val was hands down the BEST private tour we have ever done! it’s going to be very hard for anything to top it. From the moment he picked us up in his vintage Rover, we knew the day was going to be special. Val took us all across the island, weaving through stunning landscapes and bringing us to so many off-the-beaten-path places we never would have discovered on our own. What made it even more meaningful was that he is a *true local—born and raised in Madeira*—and his passion for the island shines through in every story he shares. The depth of history and personal insight he provided made us feel like we were experiencing Madeira through the eyes of a friend, not just a guide. His knowledge of Madeira wine was absolutely incredible. Visiting multiple wineries with him elevated the entire experience—he explained the wines, terroir, and production in such an approachable and fascinating way that we walked away with a completely new appreciation for Madeira wines. It felt intimate and personalized, not like a typical tasting. One of our favorite parts of the day was sharing a meal with him at a local restaurant—it added such an authentic and relaxed feel to the experience. He truly customized the entire day around what we wanted most, including taking us to see a beautiful levada and giving us thoughtful recommendations on the best ones to hike (which was one of our main reasons for visiting Madeira). By the end of the day, it genuinely felt like we had made a new friend. Val went above and beyond in every way, and his passion, knowledge, and kindness made this an unforgettable experience. If you’re visiting Madeira, this is an absolute must. We will 100% be booking with him again the next time we return!

We had an incredible two days exploring Madeira with Val. He’s not only extremely knowledgeable about the island but also passionate about sharing its history. He tailors each trip to your interests and needs. Since it was our first time in Madeira, Val made sure we experienced as much as possible taking us off the beaten path to places most tourists never get to see. One of the highlights was standing 6,000ft up, looking down at the clouds. We had a great experience trying local wines and food while taking in breathtaking views. I wanted to bring some local produce home, and Val went out of his way to make sure I found what I was looking for. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide thank you!

Val has more knowledge of the history, culture, and character of Madeira than he could fit into 8 hours. We fully enjoyed every minute and feel like we’ve made a new friend.

We had such a great time with Val on our wine tour that we decided to book him for another full day. The local knowledge he has about the island made our tours very special. Val is now a friend and we can’t wait to visit again!

All the positive comments below are 100% true and more. Val is the best! Knowledgeable, friendly, funny, he made our day very special. Highly recommend!

A fantastic day exploring Madeira and learning about its wine. Val was an engaging, enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide taking us to places we would never have found ourselves. A thoroughly enjoyable day.

Very good tour of various parts of the island. Extended visits to a vineyard/winery and a Madeira winery. Val gave as an informative overview of the history, geography and economy of the island. Val is a very knowledgable resident, experienced guide and a fine driver. Our tour was in English but he also described tours with other languages and his willingness to customize based on interests and preferences of his guests. I would thoroughly recommend Val and his tours.

We enjoyed a great tour of Madeira with a genial and knowledgeable driver. The day included two wine tasting visits, and culminated with a spectacular New Year's Eve firework display. Brilliant!

Our guide, Valdemar, was outstanding. Enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The wine tasting was informative and enjoyable. We saw bits of the island which were off the beaten track that we would never have found on our own. We lunched in a simple restaurant where local workers go to lunch and had delicious simply grilled trigger fish. The tasting of Madeira wines was great, with generous servings of high quality wine, and was a bargain. After our trip he kindly gave us other recommendations of restaurants and activities. A great day , well worth it!

Val was a great guide, lots of knowledge of wine and love of his country. He went beyond expectations

This tour is phenomenal. If you want to learn about local life on Madeira and get educated on how wine is grown and produced on the island, you must do this tour. Our tour guide Val was the absolute best. He took us to hidden places other tour companies don’t go and he made the last day of our stay a unforgettable highlight.

What makes this tour especially compelling is that it is owner-operated by a life-long Madeiran. One employee, two vintage vehicles, and a day full of fun, surprises and good food and beverage. Val will custom-tailor your day-long experience to exactly what you'd like to enjoy and experience. The four of us were off a Viking cruise ship and had eight hours available. In that short time frame, we did it all. Culture, history, vistas, food and beverage. We loved exploring in the vintage 1996 Land Rover. Our tour included two stops at Madeiran wineries (one 'regular' & one 'fortified'). We also enjoyed a traditional Madeiran lunch, and even a specialty cocktail when Val learned we were about to sail west with no land sightings for the ensuing week. We even squeezed in two short walks, to soak up the vistas, and to walk off a few calories. (Note: on these private tours, food and beverage are at additional cost.) We can't recommend highly enough Val and the classy, curated Madeiran tours and experiences that he provides his guests. Thank you, Val!

What a brilliant day out. We chose the wine tour but in reality it was more of an island tour with a couple of wine stops - and I mean that as a wholly positive thing because we got so much more than we bargained for. It was a real adventure, lots of off road driving (not extreme) in tropical areas, climbing really high into the mountains, stunning views, interesting short walks (no more than 10 mins), a great little lunch stop, a paddle near waterfalls on a black sand beach, and then a trip to a vineyard in the hills and a madeira hub in Churchill's favourite fishing town. Such a varied day and Valdemar was the perfect tour guide, though as he is Madeira born and bred it was more like he was our host. We learned a lot, but in a really engaging and entertaining way, his knowledge of history, wine, nature, and much more was brilliant. You will have the most fabulous day to remember, and we felt really reasonably priced too

Val was an amazing guide. He was welcoming, knowledgeable, and made our tour one of the best I’ve ever had. By the end, it seemed like we were with a friend who was showing us Madeira.

DO this at the beginning of your trip! It was truly an unforgettable experience that was worth every penny and more. Valdemar is a wonderful guide and showed us parts of the island we would have never made it to otherwise. We got to learn a lot of history and interesting information about Madeira besides the wine. The highlight of our trip- and he even gave us some recommendations for things to see outside of the tour. We have great memories to take home!

If I could give Val a 10 I definitely would. I wanted a “personal” experience wine trip. Not similar to that which I could get on a “bus” excursion but one that incorporated wine and sightseeing that wasn’t the herd mentality. If you’re looking for a tour guide who really knows his stuff, increases your knowledge of the people and culture of Madeira besides showing you a fabulous itinerary book with Val. I highly recommend and would definitely hire again.

Couldn't recommend this trip more. Had the best time with Val! He not only brought us to the wineries but also a bunch of great sight seeing spots. He was kind and informative even after our day trip. A must do in Madeira! Thank you Val :)

We really enjoyed the tour with Val. He's kind of a wikipedia of Madeira! We learned so much and we we're wondering if there is anything Val do not know. It was a great time and the whole day was so much fun! He showed us so many places, we never would visited ourself and furthermore gives us tips for the next days. We highly recommend this tour!

This was the highlight of our visit to Madeira. Aside from the beautiful scenery, Val made the experience truly unique - he’s very knowledgeable about the history of the island, as well as nature and the diverse landscapes. We were able to take backroads away from the main tourist areas and see places that we likely would not have found on our own.

We really enjoyed this tour with Val! He is a great guy to spend a day exploring Madeira with. Nothing was rushed and we were taken to places that only a local would know how to find. Thanks for an awesome day Val, we are looking forward to what you have in store for the next adventure!

We had an exciting and colorful ride with Val. He took us in his open air jeep which allowed us to feel immersed in the beautiful environment. He was extremely accommodating to a last minute change in our circumstances. He was very knowledgeable about Madeira wine production and loves his island home. He found out of the way places to show us. I couldn’t give him a stronger recommendation.

Amazing tour guide! Despite poor weather we had such a lovely time and he even went so far as to provide suggestions for the days ahead. Made the most of not ideal conditions and really went above and beyond!

Val was an excellent tour guide and host. Our day was filled with conversation on the history and heritage of the region. We also were treated to out-of-the way wineries in north and central Madeira. He also made sure that we experienced Madeira wine and Poncha. He was very accommodating in our day, allowing us to explore small trails, beaches and shore lines. It was the best way to experience most of the island in a day. Thanks Val!

We enjoyed a fantastic, memorable day with Val who adapted the trip to include not just excellent wine tasting but other experiences we wanted to incorporate as well. We walked along a levada, went to a lovely non touristy beach and saw some stunning scenery. Val was great with communication, punctual and gave us some recommendations post tour which we followed up on during our remaining time on the island. We loved Madeira and our trip with Val was the highlight especially driving off road and a delicious Poncha at a lovely authentic bar at he end. Thanks Val - we recommend you 100% and will be in touch when we return !

It was a full day with Val, our host, sharing useful information on the Island’s history in a very engaging way. We were never rushed and enjoyed the wine tasting, swimming and drive around the island.

What a fantastic day! Valdemar’s passion for his homeland is evident in every part of the tour. His knowledge of the history, geology, gastronomy and culture of the island is stunning - and his language skills (French, German, Spanish and English) are more than impressive! So thankful for the opportunity to spend the day learning - and enjoying - so much!

Meeting people like Val is why we travel! He crafted such an amazing experience for us and was EXTREMELY intelligent with amazing stories, facts, and history of the island. We left the day feeling so thankful for his kindness and time. A MUST DO IN MADERIA!!

My husband and I were in Madeira for our honeymoon and booked this tour very last minute because the wine tour we had initially booked cancelled on us 2 days before -- and I'm SO glad it worked out! This tour was truly the highlight of our trip. Val is awesome! He's so nice and knowledgeable. I loved hearing about the history and culture of the island and we had such a fun day exploring. In this tour, we went to two wineries (one where we tried table wine and the other where we tried Madeira wine, which was a nice balance), had a delicious lunch, saw incredible views and even had time to visit Seixal beach and take a swim in the volcanic pools there. Val is flexible, so we were able to start our tour at 10 AM and still felt like we had time to do a lot. We did a group 4x4 tour the day before through a different company, and while that was great, it was a totally different experience since it was with a big group (8 of us plus the tour guide). I definitely recommend doing a private tour with Go Local if you can! It's 100% worth it!!!!

Fantastic tour. Very knowledgeable. Was flexible and helped us see a lot of the island in a short period of time (without being rushed)

We are a family of five from New York, and recently booked this tour seeking a fun adventure. This was an action-packed day full of history, beautiful landscapes, wine, beach, lunch, and more wine! Val was our driver and tour guide. We couldn't have asked for a better person! He started the tour with an overview of what we would be doing and seeing. As we headed towards the vineyard, we made a few stops for sightseeing and pictures: small villages beautifully decorated around the churches for upcoming festivals, a shady, cool-temperature park with laurel trees, and spectacular viewpoints up in the mountains. Along the way, Val narrated what we were seeing and demonstrated his in-depth knowledge of the history of the island. The location of the vineyard (Quinta do Barbusano) was remote up on the mountains of the north shore. As a result, there were only a handful of tourists there, and we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. The sommelier was a friendly young woman who provided tastings of white, rose and red wine paired with cheeses, honey, meats and crackers which we enjoyed while sitting outside overlooking the valley full of rows of grapes. After the vineyard, we headed west with quick stops and photos in Seixal at the Natural Pools (formed by volcanic rock) and the the Black Sand Beach. (As we had also rented a car, we drove back the next day to spend half a day swimming in the pools!). Next, we stopped for a delicious lunch at Restaurante Caravela in Sao Vicente, a picturesque village which overlooked the ocean. From there, we went next door to Porto de Abrigo which is a very cool-looking 100-year old wine lodge. There, we sampled a few fortified Madeira wines which were beautiful. On our way home, we stopped off at Taberna da Poncha to try Madeira's famous poncha drink. This pub was a lot of fun, as you got to watch the bartender make the poncha fresh for you. The walls were covered with business cards and photos of prior customers and the floors littered with peanut shells which were served to enjoy with your poncha. Between the drinks, lots of laughs and all the activity that day, everyone slept well that night! We did a couple of other tours that week (all of which we enjoyed), but this tour with Val was definitely the best and we came away with our most memorable photos! I would highly recommend you book a tour with Val. You will not be disappointed!

My girlfriend and I had Val do a wine tour and the tour exceeded my expectations. I am not really a wine drinker but my girlfriend is, however I left feeling like I can enjoy a good wine a bit more now. Val was very friendly, knowledgeable and engaging. It was our first time on a tour like this and we couldn’t recommend him enough!

Val was fantastic! Great historical knowledge of the island and took us off the beaten path to some amazing sights. He clearly loves what he’s doing and it shows. Can’t wait to come back and take another tour with him.

Val gave us a fantastic and entertaining tour of the history and spectacular scenery of the island. His English is exceptional (having spent time living in Thirsk!) so his tours cover everything from socioeconomics, wine, Portuguese and British history, soil composition and where to find the ripest plums and avocados.You will learn loads whilst marvelling at Madeiran culture and just how skilled his driving is - even my wife, who doesn’t agree with such things, was happy to stand and take in the view as we travelled on the tracks away from then main roads. Book now! Highly recommended.

Val was fantastic! We covered ground we wouldn’t have dared driving on our own and never would have seen with a bigger tour. If we had booked him earlier we would have done more tours with him. Great local and historical knowledge!

We had a lovely trip. My parents are a little slow ascending and descending due to knee issues but were treated with kindness and patience. The trip was educational, fun and relaxing. The wine tasting was a real experience and we really felt like we were travelling with a friend, not just a guide. Lunch was absolutely delicious. Overall an excellent trip.

A must do if you are in Madeira! Val was an incredible host. It was beautiful, the wine tastings were delicious, and we learned so much shout the island.

We were on Madeira for three weeks and did many activities and tours. This was BY FAR the best experience we did on the island. You need to book this experience immediately. Spending the day with Valdemar felt like we had a local friend showing us around, but that friend had the expertise of a formal tour operator. Instead of sticking to a predetermined itinerary, Valdemar asked us what we were interested in, paired that with his deep knowledge of the island and the current weather conditions (there was a huge storm two days before so we were in waterfall heaven!) to create a custom itinerary for us. We went off-roading on backroads we would have never found on our own (or would have been able to drive without a 4x4), did a wine tasting at a vineyard with the most exquisite view of the Sao Vicente valley (and found our new favorite rosé wine!), popped down to the black sand beach in Seixal, hit up a local poncha place for fisherman's poncha, had a delicious lunch of espetada and wrapped the day up with another wine tasting near Funchal. Throughout the day, Valdemar taught us about the island's unique history and its flora and fauna. We learned about wine (and Madeiran wine specifically). He shared countless insider tips. We discussed Portuguese politics and culture and literally anything else that piqued our curiosity. It really felt like catching up with a good friend. If you do one tour on this island, make it this one. It doesn't get better than this.

The tour was better than expected. Val as a guide was really great and explained a lot of things that would have gone probably unnoticed from us if we were to take the same drive along ourselves. He also customized (w/o us directly asking) the tour on the fly which was really great! Everything was just excellent and we enjoyed ourselves to the fullest. If you are on the fence, just book the man. It is well worth it!

The tour was fantastic! The vineyard and wine cellar were great, but the real treat is how knowledgable and amazing Val is! We really learned a lot of Madeira and the history of the island. He went above and beyond to make sure we were happy and comfortable, and even made sure to provide us with excellent recommendations for the rest of our stay on Madeira. He is a true gem! I would highly recommend.

Val is a great guy and put together a great tour for us. Nothing was too much trouble, he listened to our requests and provided exactly what we asked for. He’s also very knowledgable about the history of the island. Highly recommended.

Val was a superior guide- he was prompt, friendly, and flexible. Further, because he was born in Maderia, he had in depth knowledge of the island. Oh, and did I mention he took us to two amazing wine tastings?!? We would highly recommend Val and this tour!

The guide (Val) is very knowledgeable and open with sharing it. The tour was fantastic, I'm not much of a wine fan, but Val had so much knowledge on history and local information that conversation flower effortlessly. His knowledge of local bars, restaurants, and experiences has really helped shape our Madeira vacation - I'm happy he was the first experience .

Fantastic! We HD such a fun day with Val. He was on time for the pickup and took us to some amazing places… including the best stop for pastel de nata that we have had in the island. He was extremely knowledgeable and we learned so much about the island, the people and the history. He also gave us some great tips for other places to visit. It was more than just a wine tour and we can highly recommend this trip! 5/5

We did on the very last day of the year 2021 this tour with tour guide Valdemar. He has combined the exploration of a beautiful wine region of the north / northwest of Madeira - including wine tasting - with discovering other places of interest, such as the lava-pools on the north costs, the magical forest in the highland of the island and Cabo Girao. Once you explain him your ideas and what you would like to discover, he will adapt the program to your needs. His 4x4 Jeep with cabriolet-type roof allows you new perspectives to see the beautiful sights and views of the island. Valdemar is a great story teller, with big knowledge in history of Portugal and Madeira. You will better understand the history of the island. I would defined recommend to book a tour with Valdemar.

It was an absolutely fantastic day. Valdemar is a great guide, his love of his homeland and above all his profound knowledge of wine growing makes this tour really a special experience, thank you