Guided tour

Funchal: Historical Walking Tour

4.9 / 5

68 reviews

Activity provider: Madeiran Heritage
Guided tour

Funchal: Historical Walking Tour

Activity provider: Madeiran Heritage

From US$ 14.96 per person

See Funchal's English neighborhood, the manor houses of the Madeirans and St. Claire's Monastery. Take in panoramic views from Quinta das Cruzes.

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
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Covid-19 precautions
Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
Duration 2 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible
Small group
Limited to 6 participants

Experience

Highlights
  • Discover the beauty of historic Funchal and learn about its history
  • Visit Madeira's oldest monastery and hear about its important treasures
  • See the romantic area favored by Sissi of Austria and Leopold of Belgium
Full description
Explore historic Funchal on a 2-hour guided walking tour. Begin at the walls of the city and learn about the attack on Funchal by the French army in 1566. Enter the English Church and hear about the foreign community that inhabited Madeira for over 5 centuries. Take in Funchal from the Cruzes viewpoint and see the area where João Gonçalves Zarco, the founder of Madeira, used to live. Learn why the nuns of Santa Clara were a tourist attraction some 200 years ago and where the foreign princes used to enjoy the island’s best queijadas. Visit some of the most notable churches in Funchal and hear about the individuals that sponsored their construction.
Includes
  • Guided walking tour
  • Hotel pick-up and drop off
  • Food and drinks
  • Personal expenses

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

Meet your guide at the Jesuit's College of Funchal, Madeira University, next to D'Oliveiras Madeira Wine to begin the tour

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Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes

Not allowed

  • Pets
  • Luggage or large bags

Know before you go

  • The tour guide will be a former university student or European volunteer participating in the Erasmus Madeiran Heritage Program at the University of Madeira
  • Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes
  • The wine and culture tours are 90 minutes long, starting at 11:00 AM, 02:00 PM and 04:00 PM, Monday to Friday. They are available in Portuguese, English, French, German and Spanish
Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.9 /5

based on 68 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    5/5
  • Value for money
    4.9/5
  • Service
    4.9/5
  • Organization
    4.8/5

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My husband & I did the 2-hour historical tour with Martha who had an extensive knowledge of the place and was very personable. We thoroughly enjoyed having her as our guide and would highly recommend her to anyone else doing this tour. We could have chatted with her for hours!

March 25, 2023

Our guide was excellent. Her English was perfect. She was very knowledgeable and was always ready to say if she did not know the answer to our questions. She had a good sense of humour, listened well and was clear about where we were going. She set a good pace, sensing the right pace for us two fit but older people. We finished the tour feeling we had spent the afternoon with a friendly and interesting young person. It was a delight. Thank you. Will recommend this tour to others.

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March 25, 2023

We did the Historical Funchal tour as it takes in the sights that we hadn't seen before. It was very interesting and our guide spoke beautiful english. We missed out on some things due to covid and some places are closed on Mondays. Also there was one museum that was closed due to renovation work. So bear in mind when booking. Recommend Tuesday to Friday as the best days perhaps?

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March 25, 2023

Product ID: 138272