City Views, Cable Car, & Toboggan
En route to your cable car, you'll visit a local embroidery shop and a marke. Then your cable car ride takes to up to the village of Monte, and the panoramic view of the harbor and surrounding areas is wonderful! You head back down via toboggan, which is guided (and slowed as needed) by two men dressed in traditional garb. Your last shop is at a local wine shop, where you can sample (and buy) their wares.
Price: Adults expect to pay from $75 to $80 for 3- 4 hour tours.
Booking Advice: While the cruise line prices for this tour appear reasonable, you can take do the cable car ride for around 9 Euros, and the Toboggan ride down costs about 10 Euros. Buses in Funchal are quite reasonable, as out taxis when you have 4 people. This particular tour as offered by the cruise lines is rated from easy to difficult in terms of physical exertion.
Cabo Girao and the Mercado Dos Lavradores
A coach takes you to Cabo Girao, which is the 2nd highest sea cliff in the world and as such is a photo opportunity in the making. You'll also visit an embroidery factory. (Embroidery is one of the island's major exports.) A visit to the market is also included.
Price: Adults expect to pay around $70 for this 4 hour tour.
Booking Advice: Because of the walking involved, this tour is rated as moderate in terms of physical exertion. We've included an online site for taxis in Madeira because this can be a reasonable means of transportation for 4 people... nothing like seeing more sites on a private tour!
Camara De Lobos and the Madeira Wine Company
A coach drive takes you past the Cabo Girao Sea Cliff en route to the village of Camara De Lobos, where you'll get a chance to stroll about and shop in this very picturesque town. Heading back to Funchal, you'll stop at the Madeira Wine Company to sample and purchase vintages.
Price: Adults expect to pay around $45 for this 3 hour tour.
Booking Advice: This tour is rated as easy physically. Cruise line prices for 4 people on longer tours with more agenda can be beat by reserving a taxi at one of the sites we've given.
Faial
This coach tour has elements of a scenic drive, but you do stop along the way as well. This tour takes you to Monte, where you'll see the church and the gardens. You then proceed to the village of Ribiera Frio, seeing great views of Funchal at Terreiro de Luta en route. Lunch is served nearby Faial, then you see Portela and Machico. The tour also includes a visit to the embroidery shop where you may also sample a glass of wine. Lunch is typically included in the cost.
Price: Adults expect to pay around $105 for a 6.5 hour tour.
Booking Advice: While taxi tours likely don't include admission prices (if applicable) or the price of lunch, 6.5 hour tours may still be quite competitive with cruise line rates. This tour as offered by the cruise lines is rated as physically easy.
Taste of Madeira
Not experiencing the wine and cheeses when visiting Madeira could be a regretful oversight! This tour provides a very scenic drive first, as the route includes Camara de Lobos, the Cabo Girao cliff, a look over the Estreito de Camara de Lobos wine country, and THEN Quinta do Estreito. Here you'll stop at a local restaurant and taste Portuguese cheeses and wine wines.
Price: Adults expect to pay around $50 for a 4 hour tour.
Booking Advice: Cruise line prices, with the sampling of cheeses & wines included, appear to be reasonable. We do suggest checking 3rd party vendor rates and local taxis for tour variety, however. This tour as offered by the cruise lines is rated as moderate in terms of physical exercise.