A week in Madeira is enough time to feel like you have truly explored the island. Not just the viewpoints and the market, but the real thing: the mountains, the canyons, the ocean, the hidden valleys, and a few moments that are very hard to explain to people who have not been here.
This itinerary puts together seven days of experiences that mix adventure, nature, sea, food, and local culture so every single day feels full and memorable.
Before you get into the plan, one practical note worth mentioning: having a car in Madeira makes a huge difference. The island has a lot of ground to cover and some of the best spots are not easy to reach by bus or taxi. You can sort your car rental in Madeira directly through Eversoul Madeira before you arrive, which means you land with everything already organised.
How this itinerary works
Every day in this plan is built to feel complete. Full-day experiences take the whole day, and shorter tours of two to four hours are paired together so your mornings and afternoons both have something in them. The itinerary also takes into account the real schedules of each experience, so nothing clashes and you never find yourself trying to be in two places at the same time.
Day 1- Explore Funchal by Scooter, then hop on the Bus
Your first day is about landing well and getting a proper feel for Funchal before the bigger adventures begin. No early starts, no rushing, just two relaxed ways to see the city from different angles.
Start the morning with the Vespa Scooter Guided City Tour, a three-hour guided ride through Funchal and Câmara de Lobos. You follow a guide on a Vespa, cover more ground than you would on foot, and get a real sense of the old town, the harbour, and the fishing village that Winston Churchill famously painted. It is one of the best ways to arrive in Madeira and immediately feel oriented.
In the afternoon, keep the momentum going with the Hop-on Hop-off Bus in Funchal and Câmara de Lobos. It runs a circuit through the main areas of the city and lets you jump off wherever something catches your eye. After a morning on a Vespa, it is a nice change of pace, and it gives you a chance to revisit spots you want to explore more slowly on foot.
Day 2 – Wine and Food in the morning, Exotic birds in the afternoon
Day two stays in the city and its surroundings, and it is deliberately kept lighter. You have six more active days ahead, so starting with something cultural and enjoyable rather than physically demanding makes sense.
The morning belongs to the Wine and Food Walking Tour in Funchal, which runs Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10am to 1pm. The tour takes you through local markets, traditional shops, and carefully selected tasting stops, covering nine stops, eleven food tastings, and six drinks along the way. It is one of the best introductions to Madeira’s food culture you can get in a morning.
In the afternoon, head to the Ilha das Aves Exotic Bird Park in Campanário, which is open every day in summer from 10am to 7pm. With more than fifty species of exotic birds including toucans, cranes, parrots, cockatoos, and macaws, it is a genuinely enjoyable visit, especially if you are traveling with family. It is also one of those places that surprises people who go in without expectations.
Day 3 – A full day on the ocean
Day three shifts everything to the water, and it is the kind of day that tends to become a trip favourite.
The Kayak, Snorkeling, Whale and Dolphin Watch Full Day Pack runs every day from 10am to 5pm and combines kayaking along the coast, snorkeling in clear Atlantic water, and a boat trip out to find whales and dolphins in their natural habitat. A light lunch is included, which makes the logistics easy and keeps the whole day flowing without interruption.
This is a full-day activity so nothing else goes in here.
Day 4 – Madeira’s east side, from Mountain peaks to Golf greens
Day four gets you up early for one of the most visually rewarding experiences on the island, then pairs it with something completely different in the afternoon that keeps you on the east side of Madeira without needing to travel far.
The East Madeira Sunrise Jeep Tour starts at 6:30am and finishes at 9:30am. It takes you through mountain roads to catch the sunrise from one of the highest viewpoints on the east side of the island. The light at that hour is genuinely something that is very hard to describe until you see it yourself. It is the kind of thing you get up early for without regretting it.
In the afternoon, stay on the east side and head to Santo da Serra Golf for a tee time. The course overlooks the bay of Machico and offers three different circuits with four tee options per hole, making it suitable for all levels. After the physicality of the sunrise jeep tour, an afternoon on a world-class golf course with mountain views is a genuinely satisfying contrast. Tee times are available until 6:pm so you can book a slot that fits comfortably after the jeep tour ends.
Day 5 – Canyoning in the morning, Go-Kart Racing in the afternoon
Day five is the adventure peak of the week, and it also happens to be the most unexpectedly fun day because of how different the morning and afternoon feel from each other. Start the morning with 4 hours of canyoning.
For first-timers, the Canyoning Beginner Level 1 at Porto Novo, Camacha is the right entry point, with a relaxed pace, optional jumps, and a guide next to you the whole time.
If you are already comfortable with water and heights and want more of a challenge, the Canyoning Intermediate Level 2 at Ribeira do Cidrão, Nun’s Valley is where the fun really escalates, in one of the most dramatic valleys on the island.
For experienced adventurers and thrill seekers, Level 3 at Ribeira Funda Inferior is the perfect choice, featuring big vertical drops and technical challenges designed for those ready to push their limits.
In the afternoon, shift from waterfalls to tarmac. The Go Kart Racing in Madeira takes place at the Água de Pena Sports Park in Machico, right beneath the runway of Cristiano Ronaldo Airport, on a 400-metre circuit with fast straights and tight corners.
It is open from 11am and runs until 9pm, so you have plenty of time to get there after canyoning, catch your breath, and then get back behind the wheel for a completely different kind of adrenaline. It is also a great option for groups because you can race each other directly on the track.
Going from abseiling down a waterfall in the morning to racing karts in the afternoon is the kind of combination that makes a Madeira week feel genuinely different from a normal holiday.
Day 6 – From Scuba Diving into Madeira to Poncha Tasting & Bar Hopping
Day six must fall on a Wednesday. The Bar Hopping and Poncha Workshop only runs once a week on Wednesdays from 4pm to 7pm, and it is too good to miss on a trip like this.
Start the morning with scuba diving. The Try Scuba Diving in Madeira experience runs every day with a morning slot from 9:30am to 12pm and an afternoon slot from 2pm to 5pm. For a first-timer, the morning session is the better choice, as you will feel fresh and the water conditions tend to be at their calmest. You dive at a volcanic reef just fifty metres from the dive centre, with a certified instructor next to you the whole time. For certified divers, the Double Dive by Boat at Ponta de São Lourenço is also available and gives you two proper dives along the most dramatic headland on the island.
Both diving options end well before noon, giving you a few hours to rest, eat properly, and get yourself ready for the evening.
At 4pm, the Bar Hopping and Poncha Workshop begins in Funchal. Poncha is Madeira’s most iconic local spirit, made from aguardente, honey, and lemon, and this workshop teaches you how to make it properly before taking you to a few different bars around the city to try various versions.
It runs until 7pm, which makes it the perfect way to close a day that started underwater and ends with a glass in hand.
Day 7 – Full day in the North and West, then sunset on the water.
Your last full day deserves something that feels like a proper send-off, and the north coast of Madeira is one of the most dramatic parts of the island, with waterfalls falling directly onto coastal roads, tiny fishing villages, and views that feel completely different from the south side where most visitors spend most of their time.
The Madeira North and West Mountain Jeep Expedition Tour runs every day from 9am to 5pm, covering eight hours of the island’s most remote and wild landscape. By the end of it you will feel like you have really seen Madeira properly, not just the popular version of it.
In the evening, close the week with the Sunset and Sunrise Boat Tour, which runs every day and is booked upon consultation so you can pick a departure time that works after the jeep tour ends at 5pm.
Watching the sun drop behind the Atlantic from a boat with the island behind you is one of those Madeira moments that stays with you long after the trip is over.
It is the right way to finish a week that has taken you from the mountains to the canyons to the bottom of the ocean and back up again.
FAQ
Yes, it is designed to give first-time visitors a full and varied experience of the island, covering land, sea, mountains, canyons, food, and local culture across seven days.
Most experiences have beginner-friendly options so the level of adventure is always adjustable.
Having a car makes the week much smoother, especially on days where you combine a morning and afternoon activity in different parts of the island.
You can rent one easily through our Madeira car rental page, with pickup in Funchal.
Absolutely. All the experiences in this plan work well for couples, small groups, and families.
The jeep tours, scooter tour, and boat experiences are especially good for groups because everyone moves and explores together.
