May 17, 2027 - Day 1 | Welcome to Madeira
Arrive in Funchal and transfer on your own to the VidaMar Resort Hotel Madeira, our accommodation for the duration of the tour. Settle into island life. With the Atlantic at your doorstep and Madeira’s famously lush landscape all around, the week begins at an easy pace. We’ll meet tonight for a welcome dinner.
May 18, 2027 - Day 2 | Funchal in Bloom
We’ll begin our week in the heart of Madeira’s colorful capital, exploring the gardens and green spaces woven throughout the city. Stroll through Santa Catarina Park and São Francisco Garden before making our way into Funchal’s atmospheric Old Town and lively Farmers’ Market.
After a taste of local Madeiran flavors over lunch, we’ll continue to the Botanical Garden, where cobbled pathways wind through an extraordinary collection of tropical and subtropical plants and offer sweeping views over Funchal and the sea beyond.
May 19, 2027 - Day 3 | Mountains, Forests & Santana
Today reveals Madeira at its wildest. We’ll ascend by private vehicle into the island’s dramatic interior to Pico do Arieiro, one of Madeira’s highest peaks, for extraordinary mountain views.
Continue through the ancient Laurissilva Forest. Filled with endemic, lush vegetation, mountain streams and deep shades of green, this subtropical, 20-million-year-old rainforest dates back to the Miocene and Pliocene periods and has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Around Ribeiro Frio, we’ll enjoy a visit to one of Madeira’s famed levadas—the historic irrigation channels that trace their way across the island.
Then it’s on to Santana, known for its distinctive triangular thatched-roof houses. Lunch is in town before we loop back along Madeira’s rugged eastern coast.
May 20, 2027 - Day 4 | Funchal in Depth
Today there'll be time to explore Funchal at your own pace, linger over lunch, or venture out for a special island experience. The day may include discovering Madeira through its food or a floral or botanical experience inspired by the island’s celebrated Flower Festival.
May 21, 2027 - Day 5 | Hidden Gardens & Levada Paths
Step inside some of Madeira’s quieter garden treasures, beginning at Blandy Gardens, where sweeping lawns, mature trees, and some of the rarest and most valuable exotic plants surround a historic Madeiran estate.
After lunch, we’ll move higher into the hills to a private garden in the Quinta do Vale Paraíso, once a summer residence, followed by an easy walk along a nearby levada.
End the afternoon among the 650 species of plants and trees at Quinta Splendida Botanical Garden, a fittingly lush finale to a day devoted entirely to Madeira’s remarkable plant life.
May 22, 2027 - Day 6 | The Wild West
Head west today for some of Madeira’s most dramatic landscapes.
Pass the colorful fishing village of Câmara de Lobos before reaching Cabo Girão, where sheer cliffs plunge toward the Atlantic. Continue along the coast to Madalena do Mar, where bananas, crotons, and anthuriums thrive in Madeira’s subtropical climate.
From here, climb across the high plateau of Paúl da Serra before dropping dramatically to the north coast and Porto Moniz, famous for its natural volcanic swimming pools. Enjoy lunch beside the sea before returning to Funchal.
May 23, 2027 - Day 7 | The Great Gardens of Madeira
Our final day brings together the gardens, traditions, and landscapes that make Madeira so distinctive.
Begin with panoramic views over Funchal from Pico dos Barcelos and then step inside one of the city’s traditional private quintas. Wander among informal flowers, fruit trees, and banana plants while learning how Madeira’s ingenious levada system has carried water through the landscape for centuries.
Continue to the elegant Quinta Jardins do Lago, where historic architecture sits amid one of the island’s loveliest botanical settings.
After lunch by the marina, rise above Funchal by cable car to the village of Monte and the magnificent Monte Palace Tropical Garden. Spread across nearly 17 acres, its paths reveal exotic plants from around the world—a wonderfully exuberant final garden on an island devoted to them.
May 24, 2027 - Day 8 | Até à Próxima
Enjoy a final glimpse of Madeira before departing for the airport and your journey home.
Your tour director and the hotel can assist you with arranging taxis or public transport to the airport in time for your departure.
Until next time—boa viagem!
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