Early bird prices for 2027 K2 Base Camp trips are ending soon!
Early bird prices for 2027 K2 Base Camp trips are ending soon!
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
MAX ALTITUDE: 1600 meters
TOUR DURATION: 7 and 10-day Options
LODGING: Local 4-star Hotel
(bed and breakfast)
GROUP SIZE: 12 people
Welcome to Madeira Island. This is not the Europe you thought you knew.
Sitting 520 kilometers off the coast of Morocco and 800 from mainland Portugal, Madeira is a Portuguese island loaded with everything we look for when designing an Epic expedition.
UNESCO Laurissilva forests. Towering mountain peaks. Lush subtropical jungle. Zigzagging levada trails. Vibrant local culture. Forgotten paths commissioned by old kings. This is where the landscapes of Hawaii meet the history and traditions of old Europe.
We have spent years handcrafting a 100% unique tour of Madeira that has it at all: trekking, food, culture, and comfort. This is how you get off the beaten path in one of Europe’s most far-flung destinations.
Experience a side of the island you won’t discover anywhere else. Join us on an adventurous holiday on Madeira and discover it for yourself.
2026 Dates | Places | Deposit | Full |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 14th - 20th | $600 | $2375 |
2027 Dates | Places | Deposit | Full |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 6th - 12th | $600 | $2510 | |
| March 22nd - 28th | $600 | $2510 | |
| April 4th - 13th | $600 | $2935 | |
| April 20th - 26th | $600 | $2510 | |
| May 29th - June 7th | $600 | $2935 | |
| June 12th - 18th | $600 | $2510 | |
| November 4th - 10th | $600 | $2510 | |
| November 16th - 25th | $600 | $2935 |
*Note: For our October 28th – November 6th (2026), April 4th – 13th, May 29th – June 7th, and November 16th – 25th (2027) trips, we are doing a special 10-day trekking tour in Madeira, which includes an overnight stay at a Mountain Lodge. Please download this PDF if you would like to see the full itinerary.
Whether you’re just curious about this trip or are ready to make a deposit, we’re here for you.
To submit an inquiry or make a trip deposit, please fill out and submit the form below.
João was born in the mountains of Madeira Island and can trace his family heritage back to the first settlers of Madeira in the 15th century. As a man of many talents and a keen sense of humor, he is also a nature lover, writer, musician, history, and all things Madeiran culture.
With a degree in Cultural Studies in Portugal and a Master of Arts in Global Cultures and Creativity in the U.K. João found out what really matters in life can be found on the trails, and in the contact with people from different backgrounds and cultures.
João is a leading expert when it comes to exploring Madeira Islands trails – discovering some of the hidden treasures on his native Portuguese Island.
For the last ten years, Chris has been seeking out every shade of adventure in various parts of the globe. Since 2012, Chris has logged more than 6000 trail miles across five continents.
As the founder of Epic Expeditions, Chris is an experienced guide with a passion for facilitating the discovery of new cultures, mind-bending landscapes, and outdoor experiences.
Chris became a permanent resident in Madeira in 2022 and is now proud to call this island home for most of the year.
Today is the day all the fun begins! Arrival in Madeira and check into the hotel in the afternoon. We then have our first team meeting and briefing and go over the finer details of our week ahead.
We will then take you around Santa Cruz village so you can get your bearings of the place where we will be staying for the next week.
For dinner, we are taking you guys somewhere really special in the mountains – here we will taste some delicious local food and wine while getting to know the other members of your group.
We will aim have an early night tonight; tomorrow is a busy day!
Following breakfast, we set off to explore one of the most beautiful parts of Madeira; the North Coast and mountains.
The exact hike we will do depends on the weather and conditions but generally speaking the hike today takes 5-6 hours and has plenty of up and down, hilly terrain. The north coast makes its own weather, so when the cloud is sitting low we will often drop to a lower route out of the wind.
Our preferred hike of this day starts at Falca de Baixo and follows the Porco River, then Serra de Água, the Pedra dos Bonitos path, the Levada dos Tornos and Lombo do Urzal, before returning to Falca de Baixo on Caminho Real 27, one of the royal roads that carried everything on this island before it had proper ones.
Regardless of which trail we choose, the hikes we offer on this day are routes that very few people on the island know about and involve waterfalls, long views down the north coast, and a few Epic surprises we would rather not spoil.
After the hike, it is time to try some more delicious Madeiran cuisine at one of our all-time favorite spots for lunch.
After lunch, it is time to learn about one of the most important aspects of Madeiran culture: Poncha. (There is a reason that Madeira used to be called the rum island.)
To get the real experience of what Poncha is about, we will head to a small, local establishment on the North Coast to get a first hand lesson on the history and process of making Poncha.
Folks are free for dinner on their own tonight. We can provide a plethora of good recommendations depending on what you want to eat.
Today, you will experience a totally different side of Madeira. The south coast is the land of banana farms, passion fruit groves, subtropical forests, and plenty of sun all year round.
The day usually opens with a walk around Jardim do Mar, the village where surfing in Madeira began, and a few shots of espresso first of course.
From there the hike is typically a loop out of Paul do Mar next door: up the Atalaia path towards Raposeira, on through Serrado to Fajã da Ovelha, then back to Paul do Mar on Caminho Real 23.
This is incredibly scenic – cliffs on one side, banana terraces on the other. How far along that coast we get depends on the group and on what the afternoon is doing, and we aim to finish in the last of the light either way.
We will grab dinner together as a group in a nearby village at one of the island’s premier seafood restaurants.
Shifting our focus to the Central Mountains of Madeira today, the landscapes and views will be dramatic and noticeably different from what we have experienced so far.
Welcome to the “Himalayas of Madeira”.
The route we take most often starts at Jardim da Serra and climbs to the Boca da Corrida viewpoint, then follows Caminho Real 26 towards Pico Grande. At 1,654 meters, this is one of Madeira’s most iconic peaks. There might be an option to climb it, weather dependent of course.
From the pass at Relvinha it usually drops down the Fajã Escura path into Curral das Freiras, the Nuns Valley, a village that had no road to it at all until the middle of the last century.
Most hikers up here turn west at the pass and head for Encumeada. We would rather ditch the tourist trail and drop into the valley of the Central Mountain range instead.
The afternoon is dedicated to feasting on traditional Madeiran meat cooked on fire called Espetada at a local taberna. This is where traditional home cooking, locally sourced products, and hungry hikers come together for an unforgettable meal.
The evening is free time with dinner on your own.
Time to get wet! Into the canyons we go.
Canyoneering in Madeira is a special experience for many reasons. We will get to explore deep canyons and river systems while descending massive waterfalls few others get to see due to their inaccessibility without ropes and the proper equipment, etc.
You do not need to have experience canyoneering to take part in the activities. Our expert staff will give every member safety and best practices training before we start.
Because the water in the river and waterfalls is cold, we will don thick wetsuits, helmets, and other safety gear before heading off into this wild side of Madeira. All gear is provided including a helmet, harness, river shoes, and the wetsuit.
After our team has finished the roughly 3-4 hour excursion, we will head to an iconic sea-side village on the island to load up on more local cuisine and seafood.
Our last day in Madeira together is going to be a special one.
Our hike today again takes us to a coastal area we have not yet explored for one last round of beautiful views, away from the crowds.
After the morning hike, we will return to the hotel to grab a quick shower, rest, and change before our final dinner.
In the evening, we have something truly special in store for our final feast.
Think fine dining meets home cooking, mountain vistas, and wine tasting. Very few locals even know about this place; we are STOKED to bring you here to experience it.
Following our final group dinner, the group heads back to our accommodation to get a good night’s sleep before the time comes to catch flights home the following day.
Alas – our Epic week together has come to an end!
We say a final round of goodbyes as the group goes their separate ways for their international flights home.
A final breakfast is included at our accommodation.
Room check-out is around 11 am on this day. You can choose to stay at the same hotel if you are not flying home right away or move to the city of Funchal, though any additional nights at the hotel are not covered by Epic.
Looking for the 10-day version of our Madeira hiking tour? Download this PDF file containing a full day-by-day breakdown, including all of the additional fun we’ll be getting up to!
Madeira is a Portuguese island in the Atlantic, 520 kilometers off the coast of Morocco and 800 from mainland Portugal.
Trips to Madeira are relatively straight-forward: there are daily direct flights from Lisbon and other major capitals in Europe.
You need to fly into Funchal (FNC) airport and be at the guesthouse by mid-morning on day 1.
Ideally, you will arrive a day early to rest and gear up for the start of our adventure. You will be picked up from the airport by a member of our team providing you arrive on the first day of the trip. If you arrive during the period leading up to the start of the tour, you’ll need to pay for your own taxi (it is not expensive, on average 20 Euros).
For anyone who loves active holidays. Madeira is among the best destinations in Europe. What’s even better? Most trails are accessible here year-round – meaning in is the perfect place to escape if your home country is buried in the freezing depths of winter.
Being a remote island in the middle of the Atlantic, Madeira is home to a uniquely vibrant culture, beautifully preserved UNESCO forests, a stunning coastline, and truly wild mountains.
We want to show you the hidden sides of Madeira by exploring the island in much the same way as the pioneering inhabitants of the past; by leaving the signed trails and Instagram-famous viewpoints behind. Are you game?
You have probably seen Madeira’s famous trails already. Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo (PR1, mentioned everywhere as the Stairway to Heaven), Levada das 25 Fontes (PR6), Ponta de São Lourenço (PR8), Levada do Caldeirão Verde (PR9), Vereda dos Balcões (PR11). They are beautiful Madeira hiking trails but they are also very popular. The busiest of them now sell out days ahead on the government booking portal, and the parking at the trailheads is an event in itself.
So we usually go elsewhere. Our local team is from here, and the routes we picked for this trip are the ones locals walk: ridgelines above the cloud line, levadas cut into the north face, valleys with no bus stop and no queue. You still get the Laurissilva, still walk the levadas, still stand on top of the island.
If you want to add one of the famous trails before or after the trip, ask us and we will tell you which day and which hour to go.
Easy-Moderate: The hiking in Madeira is world-class and the difficulty of hiking routes ranges from flat/easy to extreme/very steep. Madeira Island is a very hilly place so expect to encounter up and down / elevation gain and loss on pretty much every hike we do.
Our Madeira trekking tours fall into the middle range in terms of difficulty, steepness, and duration. You need to be able to hike comfortably for 4-5 hours max with a light day pack. We won’t be gaining more than 1000 meters on any single hike – and some of our hikes are far less elevation gain.
Good preparation for this trip is simply just to go out hiking. The stair master in the gym is also a good asset.
There is no special equipment needed to join our Madeira hiking tours. We are not camping or staying out overnight at any point on the trip, so we do not need tents, sleeping bags, etc.
A good pair of hiking shoes, hiking clothing, a few warm layers, a small duffel bag, and a day bag is pretty much all you need to be happy on this trip. A full packing list will be provided.
Part of what makes our Madeira tours so awesome is the kind of people attracted to our adventures. On average, our trips are made up of 5-8 different nationalities. Over the years, we have had a nearly equal amount of men and women travel with us. The average age of a trip participant is 35. The oldest person to join us was 70 and the youngest was 19.
We have spent the last few years searching for the best local restaurants on the island and we want to share them with you! Where we will go to eat after an Epic hike depends on a few things. The main factor will be your preference. Do you want to try local barbecue? Seafood? Traditional taberna food? Vegetarian options?
The second factor is location. Where we end our hike will determine which restaurant options will be available close by.
We have favorite restaurant spots scattered all across the island though, so depending on your preference and budget, we will make suggestions accordingly.
On the classified PR trails, yes. The regional government runs a booking portal called SIMplifica where you choose the trail and the date you want to hike. There is a 30-minute entry window for your booking. The cost is per trail, currently €4.50 for most of them and €10.50 for PR1 from Pico do Areeiro.
Unfortunately, the booking is tied to that one trail on that one day, so a change in the weather can cost you your slot.
Though luckily, none of this applies to this trip. The hiking routes we take are mostly not classified PR trails. Where any permit or booking is ever required, we sort it in advance.
Madeira is notorious for having interchangeable weather. It might be raining buckets on what part of the island, misty in the mountains, and totally sunny on the other coast.
Generally temperatures are mild since Madeira is a subtropical island. They grow bananas here, but also the high mountains get the occasional dusting of snow in the winter.
People can definitely visit Madeira on their own.
You can travel to Madeira from pretty much any major European capital in just a few hours.
BUT… you simply will not be able to do the sort of adventures offered on this trip without us. By design, our hiking tours in Madeira are focused on providing unique experiences you can’t get anywhere else – that is what makes an Epic Expedition EPIC.
We have spent years discovering some of the places you will get to experience on this trip – you are getting what took us years of blood, sweat, and serious exploration in one week. That’s the goal and the objective.
We handle logistics, provide you with unique connections, and allow you to see the best of the Island in a relatively short time frame.
Our staff are the Madeira experts with years of experience discovering the most incredible trails, places to eat, and unique things to do.
Read more here about Why you should choose Epic Expeditions Tours.
Didn’t find the answer you were looking for? Feel free to get in touch with us using the contact page!
Madeira is a volcano that stopped erupting around 6,500 years ago and never got around to flattening out. In fact, the entire island you see today is the top of this large volcanic peak. Pico Ruivo, the high point, is 1,862 meters, and the whole island is only 741 square kilometers. This is a remote island, hidden far in the Atlantic, far enough that nobody lived on it until the Portuguese claimed it in 1419.
João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira arrived with orders to make the place produce. Settlers burned and cleared the lower slopes for sugar, then wine, and the forest that survived retreated into the north and the high ground. What is left is the Laurissilva: 15,000 hectares of laurel forest, about a fifth of the island, listed by UNESCO in 1999 and roughly 20 million years old.
Fun fact: Southern Europe looked like this once. This is the largest surviving stand of it anywhere!
Then came the water problem. Rain lands in the north and west, the farms were in the dry south, so the island cut levadas into the cliffs to move it: more than 2,170 kilometers of hand-dug irrigation channels, built from the sixteenth century onward by convicts and enslaved labour, with the last of them finished in the 1940s. For hikers, many of the trails on Madeira are the original maintenance paths running alongside them.
Sign up for the Epic Newsletter to gain instant access to our insider packing lists and receive regular adventure updates.
Expect lots of cool photos, trip announcements, and highlights from our favorite places around the world. Never spam.
Get exclusive trip updates, be the first to know when we launch a new itineraries and offer discounts, and stay up to date with what’s happening at Epic Expeditions!
