Madeira Itinerary

A guide to your trip

Quality Christian Holidays

We have been spending the summer dreaming of Madeira and bringing together a brilliant package of excursions for you to choose from. You can enjoy all that Funchal has to offer walking from the door of the brilliantly located Castanheiro Boutique Hotel, but for those wanting to experience more of the island, here are some bookable excursions we think will show you the best of Madeira.

To ensure your place on these excursions we’d love to invite you to book ahead of your holiday. This is a little different to normal, but our hope is this will give you the ability to plan out your week and take away any need for admin once you’re on holiday!

Day 1 - Monday

Travel to Madeira. If you have pre-booked a Richmond transfer, you’ll be met at the airport and taken to the hotel where you’ll be greeted by our team. There’s no time difference to contend with so you’ll be able to explore the hotel, enjoy the pool, and join for dinner at 19:30, where we’ll look ahead to the week of brilliant Madeiran explorations! In your rooms you’ll have a welcome pack to dig into and get excited about what’s coming up.

Day 2 - Tuesday

We’ll start with prayer on the roof terrace to breathe in the first sunrise on the island. After breakfast, we’ll run a more formal welcome meeting, so you can get to know the team, your holiday companions, and some of the details of the week. For the rest of your first day, find your footing by joining us to explore Funchal and take the Cable Car* up to Monte and the Tropical Gardens*. This will be led by Jerry, your Richmond Tour Manager and there will be opportunities to go back down in the Monte baskets*! After ministry and dinner we’ll go for an evening stroll to the Marina for those who would like to see Funchal in the evening

*Extra costs, payable directly to the suppliers at the time.

Day 3 - Wednesday

Today our highlight is a full day walk, which is a must-do and is specially curated for our group – book in advance for the island firm favourite. This walk will give you a complete picture of the real beauty of this island, throughout the entire tour the views are simply breath-taking. After a big day out, we’ll join once more for ministry with Ian and Jan and look forward to dinner. This evening we’ll join for some relaxing card games and a drink in the hotel to recover from today’s walk.

Excursion - Madeira Peaks Walk

This is as good as it gets! Heading up to the highest peaks above the clouds with astounding views and rock formations that seem to want to reach heaven like giant sculptures.

A moderate to difficult all day walk, 10km/6.2miles
Private Richmond excursion
Includes a walking guide, transport to and from the hotel
Departing at 08:00, returning by 16:00
£35pp, minimum 8 guests with some availability to join once you’re on holiday
What to pack: hiking shoes or boots, extra layer, rain jacket, plenty of water, a few snacks for walking

Day 4 - THURSDAY

Take a slower pace today, enjoy the breakfast spread and rooftop pool, join the team to find some of the city’s gardens. We’ll advise a few spots for lunch, and then look forward to an afternoon boat trip. This is a brilliant opportunity to see the volcanic island from the sea and take in the impressive cliff faces coming straight up from the ocean. There might also be an opportunity to see whales, dolphins, sea turtles and an array of birds. After ministry this evening you’ll be treated to some live music in the hotel bar.

Excursion - Catamaran Boat Trip

Join us on a Catamaran boat trip and enjoy the gorgeous scenery of the island from the sea. A gentle cruise around the waters, giving plenty of chances to see marine wildlife, you’ll want to have your camera for this one!

Half-day catamaran boat trip
Joining a wider company with other groups on a boat
Includes boat trip – travel on foot (approx 15 minutes) to the Marina
Departing after lunch, the tour will last approximately 3 hours
£30pp, secure your spot early as availability may be limited once you’re on holiday
What to pack: an extra layer, towel and swimmers just in case, shoes for walking on the boat deck, a rain jacket

Day 5 - Friday

Today you might choose to enjoy the hotel or explore Funchal’s side streets solo, with this evening’s Richmond celebration cocktails in mind! For those wanting to see more of the island today, we have a specially curated Island Tour – an all-day outing visiting the West of the island, with a chance to swim in the sea. As part of this tour we will be stopping at the family-owned vineyard, Quinta do Barbusano, for a tour of their vineyards with stunning views overlooking Sao Vicente, followed by a traditional lunch cooked by the owner with a glass of their own wine.

Excursion - Island Tour With Vineyard Tour and Lunch

Exploring the beautiful West coast, with incredible views and a Vineyard Tour, this promises to be one of the highlights of the holiday!

Full day Island Tour to locations all over western Madeira. Full itinerary to be released nearer the time
Private Richmond excursion
Includes transport from the hotel, a vineyard tour and traditional homecooked lunch with wine
Departing at 09:00, returning at 17:00
£65pp, minimum 8 guests with some availability to join once you’re on holiday
What to pack: good shoes for walking through the vineyards and cobbled harbours, swimwear and towels

Day 6 - SATURday

Today we’ll be taking you on a traditional Levada walk – these will differ over the two weeks for those keen walkers who are with us for both weeks! Our guide will take through impressive valleys and lead us along the waterways from the mountains downhill (hurrah!) towards the valley floor.

Excursion - Levada Walk

A luscious half-day walk ending at a local taverna with a viewpoint pit stop on the way home. Don’t miss this best of the island Levada experience with the skywalk on the home for some amazing views!

An easy to moderate Levada walk, 5km/3.1 miles, followed by a lunch stop in a local taverna
Private Richmond excursion
Includes a walking guide, transport to and from the hotel
Departing at 09:00, returning by 16:00
£35pp, minimum 8 guests with some availability to join once you’re on holiday
What to pack: hiking shoes or boots, extra layer, rain jacket, plenty of water, a few snacks for walking

Day 7 - Sunday

Take your time over breakfast, return to your favourite spot in Funchal and use this Sunday to really relax and reflect on your week. Maybe even head into the spa! We’ll look forward to rounding off the week with our final talk from our ministry leaders and a celebratory meeting after dinner.