Sunrise Tour @ Pico Do Areiro | Half Day 4x4 Tour

We had an amazing experience on the Sunrise Tour with Hit the Road in Madeira! Jeff was incredibly knowledgeable, passionate about Madeira, and went out of his way to make the experience unique and memorable. The sunrise and diverse, breathtaking landscapes were absolutely spectacular, offering a fantastic way to see the island from a different perspective. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Madeira!

This was really amazing tour. We started heading up to see the sunrise and then our tour guide Jeff realized that it is too cloudy up there to have the great experience so he offered alternative route and we met the sun at the beach just us and no other people. It was just amazing and we appreciated the alternative that we got. In addition we got more of local experience and were taken to severam amazing view points. Loved the vibe of our tour guide and this was worth more then the money we paid. Big thank you to Jeff for this experience. Maybe next time mother nature treats us well and we will get to the mountain top to see the sunrise from there. ❤️

The sunrise at Pico do Arieiro was an absolutely stunning experience! The walk along the levada—and the stop at a café for coffee and cake—were very pleasant and relaxing!

Found out about this tour company from Youtube. The owner, Jeff, posts very helpful and entertaining videos about Madeira, and in one, he revealed that Pico do Pico had finally been re-opened ! I communicated with him via email and he was extremely busy, but also extremely accommodating in allowing me to join a tour on my last day in Madeira to complete the hike. Drove down (in the dark) from our hotel in Porto Moniz, got picked up along with several others, from the "free parking lot" and headed up to see the sunrise, and then onto the hike. The new ticketing system has a lot of bugs to work out, to say the least (was sad to see people lined up at the gate just past the Stairway to Heaven, waiting for the Rangers to show up - they were 25 minutes late opening the Gate - waiting their turn to enter, only to be told they didn't have the right ticket and had to head home without getting to hike. Jeff got us through the Gate, and we started off with our Guide, Victor. The hike is magnificent !! It was great having Victor along to offer commentary only a local could know, and to make sure we knew what was coming next. I would definitely recommend Hit the Road Madeira with Jeff and his people if you want to see Madeira !!! And be sure to check out his videos on Youtube !

An amazing experience, with an amazing guide! We were lucky to have Jeff De Gouveia, owner of Hit the Road Tours, as our guide! From pick-up to drop-off the tour was amazing! Not only did we see the sunrise, but we also did a Levanta walk with Jeff and stopped at a local coffee shop for a beverage and a pasteis de nata. Don't do the Pico de Arieiro sunrise on your own. Let a guide drive the mountainous route in the early morning darkness with ease, navigate the traffic like a pro, and park much closer to the start of the hike than we would have had we driven on our own. If you take a tour, I would highly recommend going with Hit the Road!!

Me and my boyfriend went on the Sunrise tour with Jeff as our tourgide. We have seen his video's on Youtube before we went to Madeira and he was such a big help in our preparation for our trip that we followed his advise to book a trip with a guide at the beginning of our 10 day stay at Madeira. And because we really felt he was so genuine through his videos we thought we would be crazy if we wouldnt do a trip with Hit the Road! The website described every tourguide like no matter who you would be with. You would have an amazing time. So when we were at our Hotel we were honoured that the person we looked up to at home, was the one who picked us up at the hotel the morning of the Sunrise tour. We picked up 3 other passengers (who were also very delighted people!) and went on the tour. While we were driving Jeff gave us so much information and told so much interesting stories. Jeff from the bottom of my (Elisa 🤪) and Alex our hearts. You gave us the feeling that we have a friend in Madeira! And especially that you remained to answer questions we had the days after our tour! Thank you so much for this experience. We will be back even if it would be to just have a coffee with you! ❤️

Professional and safe tour with skilled guide.

The Tour was well organized, the driver was highly professional and spoke English very well. The place we visited were gorgeous. The bus was comfortable and the group was small (16 people max).

It was a fabulous experience with Jeff. The views were out ot this world. Everything was organised perfectly. Hit the Road are the best - always adding extra value. and making sure you are having a great time. Highly recommended. Monika and Gary

Fernando was exceptionally amazing !! He was super friendly and made us feel totally relaxed and comfortable and welcoming to Madeira 😃 Even though the weather did not allow for the sunrise & lavada hike, Fernando made sure we saw a Beautiful Sunrise that we will never forget 😃😃 This is our second tour with Hit The Road Madeira and Both have been Amazing With Memories we will share with everyone who reads this and of anyone whom will listen to us !! We are looking forward to our next tour in the next few days for the Sunset Tour !!! Thank You Fernando & Hit The Road Madeira 🎄🇵🇹💜 Feliz Natal 🎄 e Boa Ano Novo 🎊🇵🇹💜 Abrigado Fernando 🙏🏼🇵🇹🙏🏼🇵🇹

Jeff, Rodrigo, and Emilio were absolutely fantastic! Their knowledge of the area was incredible, and they knew exactly where to take me for the best viewpoints at the perfect times to capture stunning photos. On top of that, they were all extremely friendly, fun to spend the day with, and clearly passionate about what they do. I’ll 100% be booking with them again. Highly recommend!

EUR 61 per person (even for an 11-year old) for a car ride in a fully stuffed Jeep to the top of the mountain, plus a drop-off at and pick-up from a Levada is pretty steep. The driver was very kind and talkative and informative though.

Great pick-up, small group, brought us to the top in a perfect spot. We were lucky to enjoy perfect views and weather. Simply stunning and beautiful! Thanks to our fun driver.

Fantastic experience. Our guide Fernando was very knowledgeable and experienced. He was helpful, friendly and ensured our experience was great. The sunrise at Pico Do Arieiro was spectacular. The Levada Balcoes walk was also very nice. I would recommend this tour

We had an amazing time, Fernando our guide was very knowledgeable of the area and very very funny, we will definitely be back for the sunset tour next time

Fernando was the absolute best. He gave my group an alternate tour route because the weather was too foggy. It felt like we were long lost friends!

An incredible experience! The most beautiful sunrise above the clouds! Fernando was awesome!! 10/10!

Absolutely amazing views - really breathtaking. Special shoutout to our guide Fernando who is Madeiran born and was clearly very passionate about the island. He was super fun and informative. Will come back and book him again!

Excellent service and a great experience. Communication with the company was great, timely pick up. Lots of information about Madeira/Funchal shared during the trip, which made it even more interesting. Overall, super positive vibe.

A lovely morning! We learned a lot about Madeira on a beautiful morning! The tip from our guide were spot on. The sunrise was beautiful, nice 40 minute walk with a beautiful view and a great espresso at the end.

We are a group of three retired couples and three of us wanted to do the sunrise tour (the other three had genuine reasons for not going). This holiday was more of an adventure holiday than a lazing in the sun holiday (although we did this as well). So to the tour. We booked the trip directly with the company on their website and this could not of been easier. The price was a little higher than some, but I had watched several YouTube videos put out by one of the drivers and this gave me the confidence that it was a company that I could trust and I was wright it was a brilliant trip. Our driver Fernando, picked us up at our hotel ahead of time (always reassuring) and explained that we had one more stop to collect a further passenger making four of us in total. The trip to Pico do Areiro took about forty minutes (all up hill on some interesting roads). Fernando gave us a running commentary on various aspects about the Island of Madeira, a very knowledgable and passionate person ( this was a running theme, the islanders are very proud and passionate about their island). When we arrived at Pico do Areiro, it was pandemonium with cars all over the place (this was at 06:15 for a sunrise at 07:00) but Fernando is an old hand at this and found a spot without difficulty. Take note, It’s cold up here, about 5°C, some young ladies were dressed for their instagram not the top of a mountain!! One thing I had forgotten was a torch the ground is uneven and it’s easy to trip, but Fernando had that covered and led us to a good spot. Bang on 07:00 the sun made its appearance, what a magical thing to see, well worth the early start. We spent about thirty minutes after sunrise on the mountain taking pictures. We started our return Journey, but Fernando had a few surprises for us. We stopped at a small spot where there was a waterfall and small stream. Here Fernando explained about the system of Levada’s used to move water around the island and how farmers purchased water for irrigation by the hour. A little further on we stopped again so that we could do a walk along a Levada to a lookout point in the Laurel Forrest. We had one more stop a little further down the mountain, a picnic spot with amazing views over Funchal. The three of us who did this trip had a very enjoyable time made even better by our driver and guide, I can thoroughly recommend Hit the Road Madeira for your Sunrise tour.

Fernando was a lovely tour guide, friendly and warm and full off knowledgeable. Took us to destination made sure we were safe, explained everything. So passionate about his island.

It’s been a while since we returned from our favorite trip to Madeira, but one experience still stands out and truly deserves a special mention: The 4x4 Sunrise Tour with Hit the Road Madeira. My husband and I booked this tour on their website, and it was nothing short of incredible! We had an early start, but the excitement and Fernando’s warm personality made it feel like a fun road trip with a knowledgeable friend. He picked us up right from our hotel and shared so many interesting facts along the drive. We were also super lucky with the weather that morning — it couldn’t have been more perfect. We had watched a few YouTube videos by Jeff beforehand, so I thought I was prepared for the cold.. I wasn’t! Fernando, being the absolute gem he is, offered me his jacket, and thanks to him, I was able to stay warm and enjoy the moment. When we arrived at Pico do Arieiro, Fernando led us to a quiet spot with the most breathtaking view. Picture this: a thick blanket of clouds stretched out beneath us, and the sun began to rise right out of it, painting the sky in hues of gold and pink. It truly looked like something out of a dream. No photo or video can capture the sheer magic of that moment — it has to be seen in person to be believed. As if that wasn’t enough, Fernando surprised us with a levada walk that ended with yet another incredible view —something we’ll remember for a lifetime. After the walk, he took us to a cozy local restaurant for breakfast. We went with his food recommendations, and wow, the flavors were spot-on. The coffee was just what we needed to wrap up the morning perfectly. We also can’t forget the off-road driving adventure, which took us completely by surprise! It was wild, bumpy, and thrilling — I found myself holding on tight while the little kid in me screamed with joy. And to top it all off, we got to experience the famous toboggan ride in a car, which added an extra dash of fun to an already unforgettable day. If you’re visiting Madeira, this tour is a must. The views, the experience, and especially the guide made it unforgettable. Huge thanks to Fernando and the Hit the Road Madeira team for giving us one of our most cherished travel memories!

We really enjoyed our sunrise tour with Fernando to the top of Pico do Areiro. After the sunrise we did a great short levada walk and had breakfast at a very nice local restaurant. Fernando was really informative throughout the trip and made it very enjoyable 😊

Great trip to see the sunrise at Pico do Arieiro with Fernando. Rendez-vous at Funchal at 5h30 giving us plenty of time to set up the camera when we arrived. Beautiful views, great explanations and a cute coffee stop on the way back.

Fantastic experience to see the sunrise, Fernando the driver and guide made the trip so special with his knowledge and stories of Madeira. Being a local and living on the island he was full of information and had some great stories.

Vitor was our driver and guide, great guy. We watched the sunrise then did the stairway to heaven hike, just over an hour, with lots of steps but wonderful views of the mountain peaks and valleys

Brilliant!! Even though we had snow on our sunrise would highly recommend. Fernandos amazing. Do it!

I did this sunrise tour with Hugo as our guide for the second time, and it was great ! The view is amazing but Hugo's sense of humour is even better !

My wife and I booked this sunrise tour and had the best day out. We were picked up by our driver Nuno then collected to lovely girls from Latvia on route to our start point. Nuno is a great guy, so much fun and has good knowledge, we stopped for coffee on our way then arrived at Pico Arieiro in plenty of time for sunrise Nuno picked the perfect spot to watch. Then we went for a nice walk through a levada and were met at the otherside, on this walk we met in with two women from USA who we shared a poncha with at 9am🤣 they offered us to go with their driver Hugo as they had booked a full day tour which we accepted, we said farewell to Nuno and our friends from Latvia and spent the rest of the day with Hugo and our american chums and had a hoot of a day🍹☀️ Highly recommend this company for day tours💯

We loved our sunrise drive with a small group. Unfortunately the weather didn’t permit us to see the sunrise at pico de arreiro, but our guide Fernando improvised & took us for a view near the ocean& to see some other amazing views.

Favorite thing to do is hike and this was definitely one of the best experiences I’ve had Our tour was great and helpful He even gave me his jacket IT GETS SERIOUSLY COLD UP THERE SO DRESS WARM ( not joking)

My friends and I had a great time on this tour, our guide Fernando was a real local from Madeira and he was very knowledgeable and trustworthy! I highly recommend this tour! The views of the sunrise was so magical. Then we went to a local coffee spot and then a walk to another viewpoint which was also amazing! Thank you Fernando!

We had Fernando for our guide for the sunrise tour. He was simply outstanding. He loves showing people around his country which he is passionate about. The tour itself was different to most tours. It was personal and genuine. The scenery was amazing.

Really enjoyable, our tour guide was superb, a local of the island gave us so much local information.

Awesome experience with Fernando. We met up with him in Funchal and he took us up to the peak. Got us to the perfect spot at the right time. It can be a bit chaotic if it's your first time, so having Fernando guide us really helped. We did a quick levada walk and got some local breakfast. But in addition to that, Fernando taught us a lot about Madeira, bananas, and is really fun.

We had an amazing time on this trip. It was one of the highlights of our week in Madeira. Our guide Nuno, was fun and chatty cheering everyone up after the early start and introducing everyone. We are a family of 3 and we were joined by a couple from London. He got us to a great spot to watch the sunrise. Truly beautiful. We also really enjoyed the walk to Balcoes, another stunning spot. Our morning was relaxed and we weren't rushed at any point, free to wander and enjoy at our own pace. We loved the Pastel de Natas at the coffee stop near Balcoes. Nuno was friendly and informative throughout telling us the history of the island, and his personal stories of life in Funchal made the morning more fun for my 11 yr old daughter, keeping her laughing. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Nuno & Hit the Road. Thanks for a great trip.

Amazing sunrise, followed by a short levada walk with stunning views. The guide was awesome, funny and punctual.

This was an absolutely brilliant trip. Our guide Fernando was great, really knowledgeable and friendly. I would really recommend this trip to anyone coming to Madeira. Fabulous!

Incredible experience!!! Our guide Fernando was punctual and very friendly. The vehicle was very comfortable. We learned a lot from our guide about this beautiful island throughout the tour! The sunrise above the clouds was absolutely amazing; Fernando personally walked us to a perfect spot on the mountain to watch! Afterwards we enjoyed a beautiful and peaceful levada walk ending in a fantastic view. Finishing the tour was delicious coffee, breakfast sandwiches and of course a poncha! HIGHLY recommend!! This is a must do on the island !

Fernando was there ready and waiting for us at 5am. He is so knowledgeable and very interesting with all his facts on Madeira. We got up to the mountains in plenty of time but unfortunately it was a very cold wait in the clouds for a non spectacular sunrise however it did come above the clouds eventually. The views up there are well worth getting cold for and Fernando made it a very fun trip and even recommended the best thing to eat in the restaurant after the levada walk. Thank You xx

Our guide Fernando was the best. The weather is persnickety up there with fog and cloud cover for the sunrise tours. But Fernando checked it out, pivoted, and found us an even BETTER, secluded spot to watch the sunrise. Then took us on a lovely adventure and was so wonderfully knowledgeable about the foliage and levadas in Madeira. He was genuine and proud of this wonderful place and it emanated from him. The whole trip was a joy and a perfect way to close out our Portugal tour.

Enjoyed every minute, didn't want the trip to end! Our driver Fernando was a real gem! Easy going, informative and fun. Led us to a perfect spot to see the sunrise in plenty of time of time to see the amazing array of colours before sunrise. Spent some time at the top enjoying the spectacular views! Lovely drive to the start of our short levada walk Walk was easy without any scary drops, leading to the most amazing viewpoint! Spent some time taking in the beauty before heading down to a local mountain cafe for coffee where I could have stayed all day! Highly rrcommend!

Absolutely amazing! Booked the sunrise tour and so happy I did. It was one of the most stunning things I’ve seen in my life. Our guide Fernando was also fantastic. Super kind, accommodating, informative and funny. Would most definitely book again!

Easy booking. Great support before the trip. Email the day before on when and who was picking us up. The driver was early, very friendly. The tour was hassle and stress free trip to see the sunrise. Get passed the regular parking and skip the walk. From pick up to drop off very efficient and friendly. Also they have a great YouTube channel that will explain Madeira and give you plenty of resources on how to plan and execute your trip to Madeira. Will use Hit the Road Madeira on any future trips to Madeira.

The weather did not cooperate with us, but it was still a great experience due to the stunning beauty of Madeira and the creative and flexible nature of Nuno, our guide, who did everything he could to give us a great tour, which other than the clouds obscuring the sun, was a lot! Life is easy when your Plan A works out. It’s when you have to redirect to Plan B or even Plan C, you see the real value that a guide like Nuno brings to the table (or Land Rover, in this case). Bravo, Nuno! Obrigado to the Hit the Road Madeira team.

Great trip up to the sunrise viewpoint, with our driver Fernando. Sadly the prevailing conditions obscured the sunrise. Fernando took us to a second location to try to see the sunrise, but sadly it wasn't to be. Thereafter he took us to other interesting locations which were beautiful to see and photograph.

I actually went in September 2022 - sorry I'm so late sending this but what an incredible experience. Our guide was brilliant! A raconteur of the finest calibre. We feel even more in love with the island with this tour. The weather wasn't playing ball so our guide quickly switched to a fantastic plan B and we got to watch the sunrise over the city of Funchal after which our group got to do a levada walk and then a pit stop for some delicious breakfast. We were a small group and it was an absolute pleasure sharing the tour with other wanderlusters and the most wonderful guide. Highly recommended :)

Amazing views and excellent tour guide with so much knowledge and genuine love and pride for the island!