Funchal City Guide
Day Trips From Funchal
Madeira's capital has no rail network, so every day trip starts with a bus, a ferry, a car or a tour van. This page says plainly which is which, and what each route costs before you book anything.
Day trips from Funchal, from the bus you can ride alone to the routes no single public service covers, each with the official fare or the tour price beside it. The city itself is covered in our Funchal city guide.
Quick answer Which day trips from Funchal can you do without a tour?
Bus 81 gets you to Curral das Freiras in about 54 minutes for a fare that was not confirmed in this research pass. The Porto Santo ferry is $82.53 (€72.02) return in high season. The Cabo Girão skywalk entry is $5.73 (€5). Everything else on a full-day circuit needs a car or a tour.
Key takeaways
- Curral das Freiras is the classic DIY day trip. Bus 81 runs from Funchal in about 54 minutes, roughly 83 stops, per the operator's own route data.
- The Porto Santo ferry costs $82.53 (€72.02) return April to September, and crossings currently take 3 hours 15 minutes each way.
- Cabo Girão's skywalk charges $5.73 (€5) through SIMplifica, children up to 12 free, open daily 08:00-20:00.
- No single public route covers the west or east full-day circuits, and no public ferry reaches the Desertas Islands.
- See Curral das Freiras from Funchal for more.
- See Porto Santo ferry for more.
- See Pico do Arieiro from Funchal for more.
- See Desertas Islands trip for more.
Eight Day Trips From Funchal on One Table
Each row separates the trip you can take yourself from the trip that only works as a tour. Where a public option exists, the fare is stated. Where none does, we say so instead of inventing a bus that is not in the sources.
| Destination | Public or DIY Option | Tour From Funchal | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabo Girão and Câmara de Lobos | No confirmed public bus route to the skywalk in our sources. The skywalk itself is $5.73 (€5) on SIMplifica, children up to 12 free | The Cabo Girão jeep tour $57.43 | A half day, cliff and fishing town together |
| Curral das Freiras (Nuns Valley) | Bus 81 from Funchal, about 54 minutes, exact fare not confirmed in this pass | Nuns Valley, Monte and sleigh ride $50.54 or the half-day van tour $32.16 | A half day into the island's interior |
| Pico do Arieiro | No public bus reaches the summit before dawn. The PR1 trail beyond it needs a SIMplifica booking, €4.50, since 1 January 2026 | The sunrise hiking transfer $56.28 or the sunrise tour $40.20 | A pre-dawn summit above the clouds |
| Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal (west coast) | No single public route covers this circuit in one day | The Skywalk, Porto Moniz and Fanal 4WD tour $79.25 or the West Madeira waterfalls tour $39.57 | A full day of volcanic pools and the fog forest |
| Pico do Arieiro, Santana and the east coast | No single public route covers this circuit in one day | The Madeira East Tour $41.90 or the Eastern Madeira tour with rum tasting $40.20 | A full day linking the peaks with Santana's thatched houses |
| Rabaçal levadas (25 Fontes and Risco) | Self-drive is the only independent option. IFCN trail bookings run through SIMplifica since 1 January 2026 | The self-guided levada transfer $50.54 or the guided levada walk $55.13 | A full day of waterfall walks in the laurel forest |
| Porto Santo (the sand-beach island) | Porto Santo Line ferry, $82.53 (€72.02) return April-September, $67.50 (€58.90) other months, most days out 08:00 back 19:00 | The Porto Santo 4x4 highlights tour $57.43, once on the island | Turning one day into a sand-beach day |
| Desertas Islands | No public ferry runs to the Desertas Islands | The full-day catamaran trip $103.37 | A day on the water to an uninhabited nature reserve |
Tours are listed in US dollars as published. Fares from official sources are dollar first with euro in brackets. Figures current in Q3 2026.
Day Trip Tours That Start in Funchal
These tours all begin with hotel pickup in or near Funchal. They cover the routes no public bus serves in one day, plus the pre-dawn summit runs and the boat trips.
from $57.43
Cabo Girao, Camara de Lobos & Mountains Jeep Tour
A half-day 4x4 tour to Cabo Girão, Câmara de Lobos and the mountain viewpoints of Jardim da Serra, Skywalk entry paid separately.
Check Availability
from $50.54
Nuns Valley, Monte and Sleigh Ride Tour
A 4 hour minivan tour to Nuns Valley and Monte with a sledge ride and a free liquor tasting, hotel and cruise-terminal pickup included.
Check Availability
from $56.28
Funchal Pico do Arieiro Sunrise Hiking Transfer
A transfer-only package to Pico do Arieiro for sunrise, with a later pickup from Achada do Teixeira for hikers doing the PR1 trail on their own.
Check Availability
from $79.25
Madeira Skywalk, Porto Moniz, Seixal & Fanal 4WD Tour
A full-day open-roof Land Rover tour reaching Porto Moniz, Seixal, Fanal forest and Ponta do Sol, with a lunch break and free pickup.
Check Availability
from $41.90
Madeira East Tour: Pico Arieiro, Santana & Laurissilva
A full east-coast day linking Pico do Arieiro's viewpoint, the flat Balcões levada walk, Ribeiro Frio's laurel forest and Santana's thatched houses.
Check Availability
from $50.54
Rabaçal: 25 Fontes & Risco Levada Hiking Transfer
A transfer to Rabaçal covering both the 25 Fontes and Risco waterfall levadas, with a route map instead of a guided walk.
Check Availability
from $57.43
Porto Santo Island Highlights 4x4 Tour with Hotel Transfers
A 4x4 tour of Porto Santo's highlights, including its 9km golden-sand beach, with hotel pickup once on the island.
Check Availability
from $103.37
Desertas Islands Full-Day Catamaran Trip from Funchal
A full-day catamaran trip from Funchal out to the uninhabited Desertas Islands, with lunch served on board.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. dollar figures are the listed prices — the platform bills in your account's currency.
Cabo Girão and Câmara de Lobos
The skywalk and what it costs
Cabo Girão is a 580 m cliff in Câmara de Lobos municipality, described as the highest cape in Europe, with a suspended glass platform at the top. Entry is $5.73 (€5) through the SIMplifica system, children up to 12 free, open daily 08:00-20:00. Ignore blogs quoting €2 or 'sometimes free'.
Our sources show no confirmed public bus route to the skywalk, so most visitors either rent a car or take the Cabo Girão jeep tour at $57.43, a 4-hour open 4x4 run with Skywalk entry paid separately. The full detail is on our Cabo Girão from Funchal page.
The fishing town below
Câmara de Lobos sits just west of Funchal, the town where poncha was first stirred for fishermen. It pairs naturally with the cliff above on a half-day trip. See Câmara de Lobos from Funchal.
Curral das Freiras (Nuns Valley)
The one honest bus day trip
Bus 81 (Horários do Funchal) runs from Funchal to Curral das Freiras via Eira do Serrado, about 54 minutes over roughly 83 stops per the operator's own route data. Here is the caveat: the exact timetable and fare were not confirmed in a direct fetch this research pass, so check the operator's own planeador tool before you go rather than trusting a printed time here. It is the cheapest way into the island's interior, and the only village day trip a reader can do alone on a city bus.
Or take a half-day van
If timing flexibility matters more than the fare, Nuns Valley, Monte and sleigh ride at $50.54 is a 4-hour loop adding the toboggan and a liquor tasting, or the half-day van tour at $32.16 stops in Câmara de Lobos on the way. More on our Curral das Freiras from Funchal page.
Pico do Arieiro
Getting there before dawn
No public bus reaches the summit before sunrise, so the choice is a rental car or a transfer. The sunrise hiking transfer at $56.28 is transport only, dropping hikers at Pico do Arieiro and collecting them later from Achada do Teixeira, while the sunrise tour at $40.20 is a 3-hour viewpoint visit for people who do not want to hike.
The PR1 booking rule
Since 1 January 2026, classified PR trails need a SIMplifica booking at €4.50 a trail. The PR1 crossing above Pico do Arieiro costs €10.50 full, and it is one-way past Pedra Rija with no return transport published, so plan your pickup before you set off. Details on our Pico do Arieiro from Funchal page.
Porto Santo and the Desertas Islands
Porto Santo: the ferry you can ride alone
The Porto Santo Line ferry Lobo Marinho crosses about 71 km, most days departing Funchal 08:00 and returning 19:00. Adult round trip is $82.53 (€72.02) April to September, $67.50 (€58.90) other months, one way $50.23 (€43.83) or $42.54 (€37.12). The operator currently states crossings take 3 hours 15 minutes due to technical reasons, so check the return time before promising yourself a long beach afternoon.
Once on the island, the Porto Santo 4x4 highlights tour at $57.43 picks up from hotels there, or rent a car yourself. More on our Porto Santo ferry page.
The Desertas: tour or nothing
No public ferry service exists to the Desertas Islands. The only independent route is a private boat charter, which our sources do not price. Otherwise it is the full-day catamaran trip at $103.37, a 9-hour cruise with lunch on board, noting that landing on the islands themselves requires a separate permit and is not part of the cruise.
See our Desertas Islands trip page.
What Goes Wrong on a Day Trip From Funchal
Independent guide. Back to Funchal for the city itself.
Five mistakes worth avoiding
These come up again and again on the routes above.
- Assuming a public bus covers the west or east full-day circuits. No single route does, and stitching ordinary buses together in one day does not work.
- Skipping the SIMplifica trail booking. Classified PR trails have required it since 1 January 2026, at €4.50 a trail or €10.50 for the PR1 crossing.
- Expecting a shuttle back from a one-way trail. PR1 past Pedra Rija has no return transport published, and the Monte toboggan drops you in Livramento, a different spot from where it starts.
- Forgetting the Porto Santo ferry can run 3 hours 15 minutes each way right now, which shrinks your time on the sand considerably.
- Turning up at the Cabo Girão skywalk expecting it to be free. It is $5.73 (€5) for anyone over 12, booked through SIMplifica.
Place descriptions from Visit Madeira. Fares from each operator's own timetable.
Where to Go Next
The city these trips leave from is covered on the Funchal guide homepage.
Things To Do
What to see in the city between day trips
Funchal Tours
Every Funchal tour in one list
Plan
Plan your Funchal stay
Funchal Map
Funchal map
Day Trips From Funchal: Questions
Can you visit Curral das Freiras from Funchal without a car?
Yes. Bus 81 runs from Funchal to Curral das Freiras via Eira do Serrado in about 54 minutes per the operator's route data. The exact fare was not confirmed in this research pass, so check the operator before travelling. Full detail on Curral das Freiras.
Is there a public bus to the west coast villages in one day?
No single public route covers the west circuit of Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal in one day. You either self-drive or take a tour such as the 4WD tour at $79.25.
How much does the Porto Santo ferry cost?
$82.53 (€72.02) return for adults April to September, $67.50 (€58.90) in other months. One way is $50.23 (€43.83) or $42.54 (€37.12). Crossings currently take 3 hours 15 minutes. Full detail on the Porto Santo ferry.
Can you reach the Desertas Islands by ferry?
No. No public ferry service exists. The options are a private boat charter or a tour such as the full-day catamaran at $103.37, which does not include landing on the islands.
Do Madeira trails need a permit?
Classified PR trails need a SIMplifica booking since 1 January 2026. It costs €4.50 a trail, or €10.50 for the full PR1 crossing above Pico do Arieiro.
How much is the Cabo Girão skywalk?
$5.73 (€5) through SIMplifica, with children up to 12 free. It is open daily 08:00-20:00 and sits in Câmara de Lobos municipality at 580 m.
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