Funchal: East Madeira Island Guided Tour & Laurissilva Walk

Small group of 5 . Very friendly. We had a lovely day out. Very well looked after and organised by joanna. also a good driver. Slight mix up with pick up but a phone call soon sorted it out.( Locally you are sent a pick up but then I got a bit confused as general confirmation have central point but go to The local one sent initially ) The restaurant chosen by our guide was fabulous and we took joanna up on all her food recommendations and were not disappointed. It was exceptional and very good value for money. The walk was easy and the view so worth it. Get trying the rum it was delicious. highly recommended Thank you

A fabulous day with experienced lady driver. Very good english. Attentive and informative. Small group. Amazing food for lunch. Loved every minute. Thankyou joanna for a great trip

A spectacular and memorable tour. The viewpoint locations were absolutely stunning - all that we had hoped for and more. The lunch stop offered and organised by the driver was excellent. One star off for the organisation of the Balcoes Levada Walk - superb in itself but the small fee was ambiguous in the original publicity and vague from the driver. We were told it was free and were subsequently rightly stopped by a particularly zealous revenue protection team. We returned to the start to find a small sign with a QR code which we were not advised about but, equally, had not seen. We completely support such a modest payment and are perfectly happy to pay - but expect better guidance.

Terrific day with Guillermo driving and guiding. Very nice to be in a small van, only 8 of us. Sites were great and Guillermo was very informative and humorous. Recommend it highly.

Diego was a wonderful guide switching between English and French seamlessly for our mixed group of 7. He was exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful including with booking one of the levada walks online. He is a friendly and amusing guy and really made the trip great!

Our guide Diego was great! Picked up on time, lots of interesting information shared throughout the day. Every stop was perfectly timed, not too short, not too long. Thoroughly enjoyed the tour.

This was a very enjoyable trip. The group, 5 people, were shown interesting aspects of Eastern Madeira. The driver/guide was very knowledgeable , delivering an interesting talk on the island. I recommend the tour.

There are some great sites on this tour which we very much enjoyed. Highly recommend the Balcoes levada walk- view at the end is incredible. There were a couple of niggles with the trip: - Our guide (Guillermo) was very friendly and we very much liked him, however in trying to be everybody’s friend he was a little ambiguous on timings and this meant at a couple of stops people didn’t know when to return to the van and therefore people were sat waiting. - We were told we had an extra stop at Jesus Christ statue however we then never went to one of the viewpoints listed on the itinerary so it wasn’t extra at all. - The tour is geared up to get you to go to one specific restaraunt for lunch. The table is already booked ahead for you. The guide seems very friendly with the staff at the restaurant……feel free to decline and head somewhere else to eat. Overall a great tour but some improvements could be made.

The tour was a good way to get a sense of eastern Madeira. Pick up/drop off was on time and our guide for the day Jo (apologies of that’s the wrong name - originally from the UK), was excellent. There was enough time at each stop with the highlight being the easy Balcoes levada walk, giving an opportunity to see what levadas are all about. Also a great way to get to the top of Pico do Arieiro which is spectacular. On the whole great value for the day.

A lovely and relaxing day exploring the east of Madeira. Our guide was very friendly, and there were plenty of scenic stops along the way with enough time to explore and enjoy the views. The PR11 Balcões hike was a real highlight and a perfect addition to the day.

Wonderful day. Our guide was very informative, switched the itinerary to reverse so when we arrived places were very quiet. An absolute must

Renting a car is always best on Madeira, but if you can’t, this tour is perfect. Our guide Joanna was friendly, funny and knowledgeable, and really helped the small group of 5 bond. The stops were brilliant, and we didn’t feel too rushed. It was the perfect way to get a taster of some of the highlights of the East. Definitely don’t miss the Levada walk! Joanna helped us book our slot on the day for €4.50 per person and we were lucky to have clear views from both Balcoes and Pico Do Ariero. Thank you Joanna!

Great experience, the druver was super nice and funny, would recommend

A trip to the eastern side of Madeira. Our guide Joanna was very friendly and knowledgeable. Great views and scenery, and plenty of photos taken. Visited the Jesus statue the Cristo Rei of Garajau. The walk through the Levada was very special, which set you up very nicely for your lunch. Then finally a drive high up above the clouds to see more stunning views. A trip well worth your time and money.

Our guide Diego was very knowledgeable and friendly, he speaks fluent French and English! Very good driver as well even in the narrow winding mountain roads. I liked the fact that this was a small group tour (8 people). The restaurant where we stopped by for lunch is really nice, off the beaten path / not touristy, and right below the start of the PR11 trail. I would highly recommend!

Our driver/tour guide was Guilherme/William, he was wonderful. A great driver, and he managed to keep us away from all the main groups, so it felt like we had a really quiet day. Levada walk is lovely, as are the Santana Houses, but the views on the last stop were incredible. Above the clouds. I thought I’d struggle with the walk as I’m having a big arthritis flare us, but it was fine. We had a really lovely day.

The whole day started with a great punctual start being collected from our hotel and welcomed on board by our guide his name in English was William. We collected a further five people from other hotels who joined us on the trip we travelled in a comfortable minibus, which was well ventilated, and very well driven by our guide. Nothing was too much trouble to help us with and he was really considerate with a very pleasant disposition. One of the best guides I’ve experienced. We travelled to several different locations all of which were interesting and we had sufficient time to explore. What was there? The tour continued punctually throughout and we enjoyed a walk that was very manageable which ended in a village in the mountain on the eastern side where we had a fabulous meal in a Madeira restaurant quite possibly the best meal of the holiday so far. After lunch with travelled to the top of front of highest mountain peaks of the island where we experienced being above the clouds looking down and the sun shining on us. This picture will stay with me for a long time to come the end ended with a Ben dropped back efficiently to our hotels where on arrival at the first hotel we all had family for a day photograph as a memoir I include this photo in the review. I can’t recommend this tour enough.

Another wonderful trip in Madeira. The scenery was so different to anywhere else on the island that we had seen. The recommended lunch smoke house stop was really nice and the group all enjoyed the food. We would recommend.

All the viewpoints we stopped at were beautiful. The clouds below us at Peak Arieira was amazing. We loved the green forest and Balcoes viewpoint. The historical information provided was great. An amazing day overall.

The guide was excellent,saw everything we wanted to see on the east of madeira

A very good tour of eastern Madeira, fairly comprehension. Our guide Fabio was very knowledgeable about local sites inc industry and climate in Madeira. He was a very good driver also. The optional lunch at Ribiero Frio was tasty and very filling.

Fabienne our guide made an amazing day even better. Superb tour with lots of stops and plenty of time to explore. Unforgettable day all thanks to Fabienne who was simply the best guide we've ever had. Amazing.

We were a little worried when we saw that it was a minibus, but this turned out to be the best way to see this beautiful island. Marco was an excellent guide with lots of information about all sorts of different things. The trip was about 6 hours, very well spent time Would recommend Marco completely.

Beautiful views from some of the highest points on island. Experience the making of rum from sugar cane.

Our guide Joana was terrific, and an amazing driver. We had a combination of English and Spanish speaking passengers, and Joana did a great job communicating with everyone. Make sure to pack /wear layers (we've went in late April, but everyone told us you can experience the same weather in August). As you head up the mountain the weather can change dramatically...it was 75F/22C and sunny in Funchal, but only 45F/7C with rain and fog by the time we started the Lavada walk). The Lavada walk was pretty but rainy, foggy and cold. The lunch place Joana stopped at was great (food and service were very good, we would recommend the beef skewers). Unfortunately, the fog was so bad we couldn't see Pico Do Aeerio (we stopped, but literally couldn't see the mountain) I would definitely recommend this tour, and our guide Joana.

Nice views but tourist heavy route, bit boring and least favorite of all trip advisor tours. Felt like guide was over it and group was too.

The tour was fabulous. The scenary was breathtaking. Fully recommended to all visitors. The tour guide was fantastic, very knowledgeable about places we visited.

Great value, giving travellers a good idea of whats available on the east of the island without the hassle of driving! Our guide Guiermo was extremely friendly and helpful

Using his local knowledge and insight Diego was able to tailor the tour to maximise the best of the weather whilst minimising the potential for crowds and positively changed the schedule to get the most out of the excursion. Great guide and we learned so much about Madeira during the in between bits as we travelled from one sight to another. Great driver and skill fully navigated the tricky mountain roads. Great banter with the group and we shared a lot of laughs along the way. Most definitely recommend and will not hesitate to use again when we return to this beautiful island.

We were actually told by a taxi driver to cancel this trip and book the west instead as east isn't as good. I have no idea what the west is like but we stuck with this and thought it was fantastic! Marco our driver was very friendly and gave commentary throughout the whole trip on the history of Madeira, his views as a local growing up and he knew everything about the flora, fauna and historic points. Lots of stops and loads of great views. Would highly recommend. Great value for money.

We had a great excursion with Bearded Madeira tours exploring the east side of the island. Communication was good and the group small. Our guide Guillame was very personable and funny. It was a brilliant short cut way to see all the sights and viewpoints with the insider knowledge of Guillame. We did the excursion in reverse to avoid big crowds. The Balcoes walk and Pico Arreiro view point did not disappoint. It was nice not to have to navigate the roads and parking and leave it to our guide, however at times the driving was a bit fast for our comfort. Overall we had a great day. Thank you

Comprehensive and varied tour, the culture of Porto cruz and Santana followed by the stunning natural beauty of Balcoes and Pico Arieiro. Wonderful day facilitated by an excellent guide ,Joanna.

A great tour of east Madeira. The weather was changeable so would recommend taking a jacket even if the weather looks good when you start the tour, and wear trainers.

We were picked up on time from our hotel by a very pleasant driver who did her best to make the day work. Unfortunately the weather was terrible - storm Therese - so some parts of the mountains could not be accessed and the Levada walk was closed. It felt like a lot of driving in the mist and rain for little purpose. The stops that we did make were crowded with other vans and people all trying to see the same things. Our driver was lovely, but did not provide much commentary and we couldn’t hear her well in the back - a microphone would have helped. I’m sure it would have been a different experience in good weather

Good tour, travelling to many Eastern Island landmarks. Weather can be inhibiting, and we had a bit of rain so dress for conditions with sturdy footwear. Interesting and scenic, though quite short stop offs and a lot of time spent in the transport van. High point was the lunch stop off where we indulged in the freshly fired Espetada beef on the skewer after our Levada walk, which worked up a bit of an appetite. Our driver was pleasant, good humoured, and provided plenty of information on the key landmarks, eco system and geography of the East Madeira region.

Well planned, beautiful vistas and interesting stops. Friendly and informative guide. Fantastic lunch spot. Highly recommend!

Small group tour, seven of us, touring the east of the island. The itinerary was changed to make the most of the day to give us the best experience. Feeding the birds after the levada walk was a highlight followed by a cracking lunch. Relaxed pace with a great guide.

Joanna was a great and experienced guide. Knowledgable and considerate and a very good driver. The tour was orientated in such a way that we didn’t feel as if we were in a convoy. A great trip with stunning scenery.

Well organised and fun tour of the most important objects to visit in East Madeira. This is a whole day experience in a small group. Includes a nice 0.5-1h long levada walk and time for some good lunch at the local restaurant with affordable prices.

We had an amazing day out on this tour. It was just the right amount of sightseeing and gave enough to get a good feel for the highlights of the eastern part of the island. The lunch at a local restaurant was delicious and a great way to finish the walk, which was beautiful. Getting up above the clouds at the end was truly breathtaking. Overall, highly recommend this tour.

Guilherme was an excellent guide. Entertaining and knowledgeable. Beautiful scenery plus a fantastic meal at a traditional restaurant.

Good communication though transport was further up the road from the meet up point sent to me. The itinerary was good and timings at each stop suitable. Lunch stop was not a success with slow service, average food and little choice. What the trip lacked was commentary; very little information was given.

The day trip was well paced and we saw a lot in the 7+ hours, with half of the time outside of the van. For us this was a great introduction to the beautiful landscape that Easy Madeira has to offer. Gama was a knowledgeable and interesting guide and a fantastic driver also on the narrow winding roads. We saw some amazing panoramic views and learned a lot about Madeiran life and people. Highly recommended!

This was a great experience. Our tour guide Gama was very knowledgeable and entertaining. The views from the stopping points were spectacular. The Lavada walk was lovely and not to be missed.

Great tour, Diego was a fabulous guide. Weather was changeable so he adjusted the programme to make the best of the day. Small group, different nationalities but he brought the whole group together beautifully. Would highly recommend

Took the easy island tour with our guide Guillermo. He was knowledgeable, engaging, and allowed sufficient time at each stop. Would highly recommend this trip group.

This tour exceeded our expectations and well worth the money. Our guide Joanna was very knowledgeable and her driving very skilled especially along the narrow mountain roads. The scenery at the Pico do Arieiro is breathtaking, we were very lucky with the weather considering it was mid January. The PR11 walk along the levadas was easy although a little muddy and we stopped at the best restaurant in Ribeiro Frio for lunch afterwards.

A very interesting trip but very cold at Pico do Areeirro. The Balcoes Levada Walk is a very easy walk with a stop at Balcoes de Riberiro was very good. A short visit to the rum distillery was also included. A very good trip but dependant on the weather which was not very good on the day we visited.

Extremely fortunate to have selected this tour, and to have had the amazing Diego as our guide for the day. He was very knowledgeable and shared many insights into island life , history, and all things horticultural. We were treated like family the entire time and were sorry for the tour to end!