7-day Madeira itinerary: a week with or without a car

Use one base and group the days by area

This seven-day Madeira itinerary is for seven calendar days including arrival and departure, with six nights in Funchal. It combines two city-focused days, an eastern outing, a Santana or Ribeiro Frio day and a northwest day. It is not seven full sightseeing days plus flights.

Choose the self-drive version for independent stops, or the no-car version for a town bus outing and selected organised excursions. Both keep the same base. If your flights are late-in and early-out, cut an excursion rather than pretending those travel days are usable full days.

How to swap the days when conditions change

Keep days 2 and 6 as your main alternatives to an exposed outing. If conditions rule out the eastern or Ribeiro Frio day, use one of those city days instead, moving the excursion only where reservations and availability allow. A tour booking may have cancellation conditions, so flexibility needs to be checked before purchase rather than assumed.

PR11’s official description is a short return walk, not a substitute for checking current access. Full PR1 is a different commitment, with a one-way section beyond Pedra Rija under the published rules. Do not substitute it casually when another trail is unavailable. IFCN’s PR1.3 notice describes a partial reopening, not an exit all the way to Encumeada.

What to budget for, and what is not included

Price six nights of accommodation, meals across seven calendar days, airport journeys and your chosen transport. For self-drive, include the rental period, fuel, parking and any charges in the actual rental terms. For the no-car plan, include bus tickets, both chosen day excursions and any taxis to meeting points. Compare the total rather than a car’s headline daily rate against a single bus ticket.

Garden admission, managed bathing-complex entry and classified-trail charges are separate unless the booking explicitly includes them. IFCN’s published independent-visitor tariff for covered routes other than full PR1 is €4.50, with applicable exemptions and mandatory reservations. A guided excursion or transfer price is not automatically the trail charge. This itinerary does not quote a live package price.

Price the actual week before booking

Use the six-night worksheet and worked two-adult admissions baskets, then add the actual room, meals and complete transport quotes. The no-car and car versions need equivalent visits and separate one-way-walk transfers.

Do not add Porto Santo as a casual spare afternoon

This week is for Madeira island. A Porto Santo visit adds its own crossing, check-in requirements, local transport and disruption exposure; it needs a separately researched plan. If Porto Santo is a main reason for coming, remove a Madeira excursion and give the island its own time rather than tacking it onto departure day.

Check the route before fixing the week

Destination and transport sources were reviewed on 24 October 2026. Day groupings are editorial recommendations; no driving time, tour departure, swimming condition or trail opening is guaranteed. Resolve the transport strategy before booking excursions whose starts and finishes differ.

Would a shorter or longer trip suit you better?

Keep the detailed week if you want Funchal and separate eastern and northwestern outings from one base. Use the duration guide if flight times leave fewer usable days or if you want extra walking time or a Porto Santo stay.