East: Pico Do Arieiro & Laurissilva Forest - Full Day Tour

Albino was a good driver and guide, provided us with a lot of information and kept the foreseen schedule

Sorry but we did not have a good experience. We were among the first to be picked up in a full 15 passenger van. The fast driving around the right corners made my wife sick. Add to that a rear brake that sounded as if there was no brake pad and we left at the first stop. When we told driver he appeared disgusted.

We had a great day on this Madeira East Tour, thanks to our guide Erica, who is the most chill guide I've ever met. There were only the 3 of us participating in this tour so she let us explore the places at our own pace instead of rushing from one location to the next. It was more like traveling with a friend than with a guide. I hope she gets a payrise. The highlights for me were the Christ the Redeemer statue and the A-shaped houses in Santana.

Lucca was an exceptional guide, so knowledgeable we learnt so much about Madeira history and culture. He made the day special

We did this excursion on our 1st full day on Madeira and it was a great introduction to the island and the huge variety in scenery and experiences you may encounter during your stay. The order in which the locations were visited varied slightly from as advertised but we still went everywhere listed and felt the routing worked very well, particularly with leaving Pico do Arieiro until the end, where we were also very lucky with the weather, going through thick mist on the way up, but it had cleared by the time we arrived. Every viewpoint gave you a different overview of the island, from rugged coastline to seaside towns, mountains, valleys, forests and traditional villages. Although the tour was long, we did feel that another 10 minutes in most locations would have been better, as we enjoy photography there was not always a large amount of time to take pictures, but appreciate some people are not so interested in this, so maybe this was a fair balance. We paid the optional charge, as did everyone else on the trip, to take the forest Levada walk, and this was definitely worth the extra. Although it was quite steep at the start, once up to the height of the walk it was easy and some very nice forest and valley views could be seen along the way. We would also like to compliment our driver, Ricardo, who both drove very well and also gave us great information about what we could see from the van and the history of the area. We also had Ricardo take us on the West Coast tour later in the week with the same positive experience, we were pleased when he arrived to take us!

Albino was our driver and island exceptional guide. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of Madeira, and he is so proud of his heritage. What an awesome day.

Great tour with Albino. We got to see so many places we wouldn’t have visited otherwise. I shared that I was a little nervous about travelling on the mountain roads and he was very kind, checking I was ok throughout the day. I needn’t have worried, the journey was fine and he spoke to us throughout sharing information about places, industry and vegetation, sharing his love of the Island. Great day out , very well organised and excellent value for money. Would 100% recommend!

Fab trip, packed lots in and our guide was really knowledgable. Great way to see the island and nothing felt rushed.

Great relaxed tour with beautiful viewpoints with a Balcoes walk and stunning views at Pico Areeiro. Sebastian, our guide was excellent. He was very knowledgeable and informative, drove safely, catered for our group needs (8 of us) and did the tour at a relaxed rather than rushed pace. Only improvement would be longer time at Pico Areeiro as that was the highlight. Highly recommend this tour.

I took the Madeira Duo excursions (West and East) and was very satisfied. The program was rich and well-packed — I got to see many beautiful and diverse places, and really feel the island’s atmosphere. Special thanks to the guide Loy — punctual, attentive, and very engaging. He shared a lot of interesting information with a great sense of humor, which made the whole experience easy and enjoyable. Highly recommend 👍

Firstly our driver and guide Christian totally made our day. He was so friendly and knowledgable and made the whole day flow so smoothly. We booked via ‘ get your guide’ and the day before we got our pick up time from ‘Madeira island tours’ and a bit more info. We were picked up on time and after another couple of pick ups in Funchal we were on our way. The tour was very well organised with plenty coffee and viewpoint stops. The highlight for me was the Levada de Balcoes’ walk (PR11) which was not too strenuous and had lovely views all the way. Dropped off back at our hotel door after a fab day!!

Hotel pickup at a civilised time just after breakfast. The guide was Albino who is very experienced and clearly loves Madeira and showing it to visitors. We visited some truly special sights and it will live long in my memory. Excellent value for money

What a wonderful day. I particularly wanted the Levada walk experience which I loved. The little birds feeding from our hands was special. Susana was a great guide who met our every need and showed us such pretty parts of the island

Amazing views, very well organized tour, we had an exceptionally nice gentleman Albino as a tour guide, we learned a lot about the island, the schedule was followed precisely on time, great experience, thank you!

Excellent trip. Christian was a great tour guide, very informative, fabulous full day tour with lots of scenic view point stops, and a wealth of local knowledge on Madeira, its history and traditions. Would highly recommend as a small group tour.

We loved this tour especially the stop at Pico do Arieiro, stunning views over Madeira. The guide was informative even though English was his third language and not his best he was still informative and understandable. The only concern we had was his driving which was fast and erratic. This was mentioned to him by a few passengers and his driving did not really improved and he just laughed are concerns off. He was driving way over the speed limits and very close to vehicles in front.

A great day out! Our guide was attentive, full of information, switching seamlessly from Portuguese, English and French for all visitors. The van picked us up/returned us to our hotel. It was comfortable, well maintained and surprisingly roomy. The Itinerary was well thought out: a mixture of several scenic places/miradors, a short levada walk, a rum factory visit, heritage buildings, a Sunday produce market. We had several well-timed stops, short times in the van between, and a varied selection of places to visit. Wear sturdy shoes and take a waterproof as the high peaks are cooler and misty/rainy. A really enjoyable day out in the East of this Island for the reasonably mobile, at a very good price.

Beautiful . Our tour guide Rui was great , knowledgeable and made sure we had enough time for everything . Laurissilva forest was a lovely walk . We visited Santana and had time for lunch there . There were many viewpoints along the way . We enjoyed the east tour , it was our favourite during our stay . I would recommend this tour and Madeira Island Tours as a tour provider.

It was my first visit, and this tour was great to get a sense of the different parts of the island as well as a feel for the longer levada walks. If you want long explorations then id recommend one of the individual tours, but this one was perfect for variety, great sights, history of the island and still relaxing not having to drive myself. Our driver/tour guide Alberto was fantastic, funny, thorough with his history of the island and most impressive for us was seeing him switching between English and French to accommodate multiple people on the tour. My partner being a native Spanish speaker, he also switched to Spanish which felt welcoming too. If you can ask for Alberto's tour, absolutely do so. If you can stomach seeing steep drops in the mountains, absolutely recommend this.

This was a very scenic , atmospheric and informative trip. Seeing the clouds below us from the mountain peak was breathtaking. A lovely Laveda walk with chaffinches eating out of people’s hands. The A framed houses of Santana. A great trip led by our kind, courteous and knowledgeable guide Alcindo.

You will See at lot of Unterredung places but we Hard a lot of problems with our Guide. So please Talk to the agency before you book.

We actually booked the package this company have for EUR 70 each with 2 full day tours East & West and a half day tour of Nuns Valley. We should've realised that you get what you pay for as these were by far some of the worst tours we have done in all our time travelling. They definitely saved the worst till last though as today we've been on a tour that should not have run due to the extreme weather conditions here on the island which not only impacted our enjoyment but also compromised safety in some places. The guides on all trips were not a great standard and whilst the first guide we had was more enthusiastic he was hard to understand and sadly had a stutter. Today's guide for the West tour though was robotic at best and did the bare minimum. Also on all tours it was hard to hear properly as the microphone headset they use is not up to standard and this doesn't help with the tour experience. We had issues on both trips not being able to complete the planned itineraries but the first guide for the East tour tried to include ' extra' stops and places to see to compensate. The guide today did nothing to give us an enhanced experience and we actually seemed to come home at least 30mins earlier than noted on our confirmation and he picked us up over 20 mins earlier so we definitely feel short changed. Also the transport is very cramped. The bus seats are very small and some of the seatbelts don't work (get stuck so wont reach). The transportation for the West tour today was particularly poor and with such horrendous weather conditions for the majority of the tour the windows were all steamed up and we could see nothing, that is when there was a slim chance of seeing anything anyway! When we arrived home today we called the company to discuss our experience and particularly the trip today, but they were not interested and told us to email in, it wasnt an emergency and noone was available to speak to us and listen to our comments. What a shame. The company seemed to get good reviews which is why we booked our special holiday tours with them but we are now really regretting not having gone elsewhere. These are days and experiences we will likely not get to enjoy again and Madeira Island Tours have certainly not helped to enhance our experience of the island. Yes they've driven us round for hours in a cramped minibus but that's about all we can say we got for our Euros! Such a shame indeed and we would urge you to look elsewhere before entrusting any trips/experience when you are booking for your Madeira explorations. Learn from us, sadly its too late for us

Beautiful scenery all along the route and stunning coastline. We couldn't see the peak due to foggy weather but everything else was still well worth it!

Patrick was brilliant. Despite poor weather for a large part of the tour, we had a fulfilling experience. Patrick was kind & friendly - very informative and great at explaining and painting a picture of the viewpoints and the natural areas we were passing through but couldn't experience due to high winds and heavy rain. The stops which were sunny and dry were exactly as they said, and we want to return to experience the nature stops we missed out on because of the weather. Highly recommend this tour - Great as a taster for more of Madeira's island nature! Would do again on a fair weather day!

We were lucky to have Oscar as our tour guide. He was fantastic and made the day really exciting! He told us so many facts about the areas around us and kept the whole day fast paced and fun! Thanks so much for such a fab day. It was a definite highlight of our holiday!

Our guide, Oscar was very knowledgeable and able to answer all of our questions. The trip was really well organised and we got to see a wide range of areas dotted around the east side of the island. It would have been great to spent more time at the mountain viewpoint but given how many places are on the itinerary it wasn't possible to stay longer. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for an introduction to the east of Madeira

This is a very good value for money tour. There is a lot to it. The highlight was probably Pico Arieiro, we had perfect weather and being above the clouds was spectacular. The optional lunch in Santana was good value for money for two courses including wine and coffee. The path along a levada is wide and easy leading to a lovely viewpoint. There are a few things that could be improved; we were picked up 20 minutes late which happens but we had no apology, the minibus was modern and roomy but the guide's bluetooth headset did not work effectively with the radio on board with lots of interference throughout the tour. Our guide was unfortunately not the most charismatic, he may have been having an off day, or perhaps we were a tough crowd, but he was a massive contrast to other tours we went on. That said he was knowledgeable and an excellent, safe driver.

We didn't have a car and this East Island tour was a good opportunity to visit various sites in the centre and east of Madeira. Pick up at our hotel was on time. The driver and guide (Luis?) gave plenty of information en route without bombarding us with too much information. We visited all the places advertised and had just the right amount of time in each. We hadn't appreciated we would get the lovely Levada dos Balcoes walk included. Although short it is easy walking with a great view at the end. This full day tour is a great way to experience the rugged interior of the island and the stunning coastal scenery with a levada walk and the Santana A frame houses included.

I really recommend this excursion, especially if you love spectacular scener and nature. I'm really glad I booked it. Rui our driver and guide was pleasant, informative, helpful and patient. In Madeira see both west and east.

Our guide from Madeira Island tours was exceptional. He was knowledgeable and attentive to us and was willing to customize parts of the tour. Top notch tour guide.

Scenery and walks, views from the mountain top. Could have been warned by the rep not to buy rum as we only had hand luggage and had to give it away!

Thoroughly enjoyed this trip. Scenery was amazing, above the clouds. Had great lunch. Driver was excellent on the narrow roads. A loud speaker would have been good, as I could not hear what he was saying. Overall excellent. Thank you

Oscar was a brilliant tour guide. He had his work cut out as the weather was awful so the first 2 stops were totally written off. We couldn’t get off the mini bus as the rain was that heavy, however that didn’t deter Oscar from carrying on. He was very knowledgeable about the island and the fruit and veg that was grown in the areas. We spent an hour in Sentana, thankfully the rain held off and as the day went on the weather brightened up and we were able to enjoy some of the amazing view points across the west of the island.

Lovely day out, driver very friendly and had loads of knowledge about the island. We had previously been on the West tour and that was excellent, the only problem this time was the size of minibus. Which was larger with very little space for longer legs or people with walking difficulties, we had problems getting to back of bus every time we got off as we were last pick up. Also larger folk over 15 stone as I could not fasten my seat belt.

Excellent tour all round! Really enjoyed our day with Madeira Island Tours visiting various spots on the East tour. Santana and the a-framed houses were a highlight, as well as the lovely lunch arranged by our guide. We also found the rum factory interesting and loved the village stop for a tasty hot chocolate and custard tart! We didn't have the best weather in March - it was quite changeable and so the forest stop and Pico de Areilo were disappointing but that's not the fault of our guide or the company. Safe driving, friendly driver with lots of stories and knowledge of the island. Would recommned! Very good price too for a full day tour with a small group.

The tour covered lots of great spots and the guide was very knowledgeable. Disappointing weather which meant the high peaks were covered. Would be fabulous on a good day

Lovely to see another part of Madeira. Carlos was really nice, laid back and informative… shame weather terrible si lost the chance to see views from highest peak.Never mind , can’t control weather… next time maybe!!

We decided we must see as much of Madeira as we could, so we booked the West Tour - Peak & Waterfalls - Porto Moniz & the A Framed East Tour with Madeira Island Tours before we arrived. We had two great days - doing the West tour first. We were picked us up first in Canico, then others from hotels in Funchal joined us, then we were on our way. Ernesto our guide was terrific, cracking jokes, very knowledgeable with all sorts of snippets of info, and stopping anywhere he could to show us local fruits & vegs growing in situ. We called into lots of different places, and were not rushed as we took photos and chatted amongst ourselves. Fantastic views and a real insight into the Madeira way of life. But oh the hills, not to mention sheer drops on the side of the road. Lunch was an optional extra which we went for, and was most enjoyable and good value. We were unable to take a Levada walk as it was raining and foggy up in the mountains, you could hardly see. That was disappointing but you can organise everything except the weather. The following week we enjoyed the East tour, again with Ernesto. This was a mixed language group which was sometimes hard to follow as we were sitting at the back. No less enjoyable, and a different aspect all together from our first trip. We again enjoyed a good optional extra lunch before viewing the A frame houses. We would certainly recommend both these tours, although you are on the tourist trail with lots of other groups. You do get to see parts of Madeira you wouldn't find yourself via hire car or public transport.

This was such a fun tour! My guide, Ernesto, was fantastic and gave us an amazing day on the east side of Madeira. Ernesto is very passionate about what he does, and he did an excellent job explaining history and other interesting facts about Madeiran cities, towns, and culture. He also has a great personality and had us laughing and really enjoying our time with him. Everything was very organized with this company with great communication throughout the booking process, as well. I highly recommend this tour! Obrigada, Ernesto!

It was a very interesting tour to the East of Madeira! We went the full day with a competent gide and driver to such nice places!

We enjoyed the whole experience. Ernesto our driver was friendly, funny, informative and nothing was too much trouble for him. He made the day so memorable!

This tour was excellent value for money. Fantastic driver & guide! Stunning views & incredible little villages truly wonderful day we’ll certainly use Viator tours next visit too.

Beautiful Surroundings and beautiful litle houses, nice roads to get there. Great guide, from start to end of the tour hè tells us all about the tour

Very satisfied with the tour. Good way to see the East Coast of Madeira in a day. Nelson was a good guide providing useful info about the visited places.

We had an impressive Sunday tour with good explanations on the countryside, plants and history. If guest likew they could even do a short walk along the levada. Can recommend this tour

Pick Up in time. Food ans careful driving . Interest explanations of countryside history planst etc. Worthwhile to soend a wonderful day with our Guide.

Excellent to see the east side of the island. Knowledgeable driver and guide. The weather was misty with rain when we got to the viewpoint and so missed the wonderful views. We really enjoyed the rest of the excursion.

We used this company for a tour of the East coast and a tour of the West coast. Both were excellent - Carlos, our guide for both tours, provided a really interesting commentary whilst driving us safely between the various locations on both days. Scenery on both tours is spectacular and there is time built into the itinerary to look around, have coffee, lunch etc. It's difficult to choose a favourite of the two tours - so do both if you can!! Highly recommended and great value too!

This tour was better than we expected. Patricia our tour guide and driver was excellent. Just enough information to keep things interesting and not boring as we have had on many previous occasions with other companies. The day was structured really well and stops were not too long. Had a super lunch, which was not included in the cost, at a typically madeiran restaurant. Some great views throughout. Definitely value for money.