Pico do Arieiro Sunrise: Madeira's 3rd Highest Peak

Experience the breathtaking beauty of Pico Ruivo on a full-day sunrise hiking and walking tour. Start your day with a stunning sunrise from the 3rd highest peak in Madeira, Pico do Arieiro, and then embark on a unique early morning walk to the highest peak, Pico Ruivo. Avoid the crowds and enjoy the tranquility of this unforgettable adventure.

Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Pico do Arieiro - Departing from Funchal early in the morning, we will drive to the third highest peak, which offers the best view to start a new day on a clear morning. We will arrive while it is still dark to ensure a complete experience. After the sunrise, we will embark on a challenging walk between Madeira’s highest peaks. Upon reaching the…
What's Included
  • Comfortable in-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
  • Breakfast
Additional Information

An early start is truly rewarding. Picture beginning the day with a breathtaking sunrise from Pico do Arieiro, the third highest peak in Madeira. Although recent fires have limited the full walk, the opportunity to visit this stunning peak remains. Following the sunrise, the journey continues to two viewpoints along a section of the trail where a 2.4 km…

Location
Funchal Cable Car
Avenida do Mar e das Comunidades Madeirenses
We have many hotels in Funchal city center that will have to pick up included, the other smaller hotels (city hotels or residential) will be at the walkable reach of the nearest pickup point
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(13 Ratings)
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R4519ciandreac
Oct 27, 2025
Beautiful Experience - I could not speak more highly of our experience with Madeira Free Spirit! Me and my fiancé went on tours with them for 2 days- the Levadas/25 Fountains, as well as a private tour to Pico Arieiro at sunrise. We were both left speechless- both were highlights of our whole trip to Portugal. Over the course of each day, my fiancé and I each had our own minor health complications we were working through, and we both felt extremely cared for by our guides, and confident they would be able to help us if needed. I think that is a very important quality for travelers to look for in a guide and tour company, as these hikes can be long days, and strenuous on the body. We never doubted help was there if we needed it. More importantly, our guides, Maria and Sofia, were extremely caring, informative, generous, and clearly strong and passionate advocates with love to share for the beautiful island they call home. It was an honor to share our time on the island with you both! Sending love from Boston! 💜 Adam and Andrea
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Louise_m
Aug 30, 2025
Stunning views and memorable experience! - Very early start with pick up at 5:10am, However once you get over that it was well worth it to have the experience of being above the clouds with an amazing sunrise. Memorable experience with great videos and pics!!
Review provided by Viator
Liam
Aug 26, 2025
No sunrise turned something even better!!! - The weather changed quickly into a really foggy morning which made the sunrise impossible to see. Fortunately our guide was really quick with improvising and suggested we made our way to the stairway to heaven before sunrise. This, in the dark together with the fog, made one of the most unforgettable and amazing experiences of our whole vacation. Even though we couldn't see the sunrise (which is very rare around this time of the year) she made it worth all the money by taking us through something even more awesome. Recommend this tour above all! Funny driver as well haha :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Zoe_s
Jul 9, 2025
Amazing views - The most amazing experience, our guide was fantastic. 100% would recommend the views were spectacular 😍😍😍😍
Review provided by Viator
Dreamer01986725488
Jul 8, 2025
Amazing tour guide and tour!! - We had an amazing experience with Maria! She was very knowledgeable, patient, and kind! She showed us all the best spots to take photos and took some great photos for us as well! Thank you Maria!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Falguni_p
Jun 17, 2025
Amazing Tour - This was an AMAZING tour! We did this tour with my family, which included two kids, ages 14 and 10. We were picked up promptly at our hotel and taken to the viewpoint for the sunrise. Words cannot describe the beauty of this place. After the sunrise, we did a total hike of 5 km which included the “stairway to heaven.” Beautiful views all around as we hiked. Dress in layers. Our tour guide and driver were great. We got plenty of information about the area before, during, and after the hike. 100% recommended! Just book it!
Review provided by Viator
Gary190739
May 27, 2025
Dad and daughter at Sunrise ! - Superb trip with our guide Maria and driver Albert. Perfect sunset with spectacular views. Great scenery en route and good door to door service. Would definitely recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lennybob
Mar 21, 2025
Knowledgeable and friendly - We were picked up on time at 5.30 and had a lovely hot chocolate before watching the sun rise at Pico Arieiro which was beautiful. Unfortunately it was extremely cold and windy and then the cloud came down so we were unable to do the planned peaks walk. Julia took us to walk along the Levada da Serra do Faial instead, which was great and she was very knowledgeable about the flora and the history of the island. We had a nice coffee stop on the way. And finally we drive to the Christ the Redeemer statue before heading back to the hotel. Had a great time and would use this company again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Traveler45596328194
Mar 19, 2025
The best morning 🌅⛰️ - We had perfect clear views, we also managed to do the stairway to heaven! Magical experience. We were given a lovely hot chocolate by the tour company before our hike, it was a lovely touch.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H8789aiseanh
Jun 7, 2024
Amazing sunrise and hike - This Free Spirit sunrise Pico Do Areeiro walk was amazing. Spectacular scenery and well worth getting up early for. Iulia, our guide, was very knowledgeable and shared her knowledge of the regions flora with enthusiasm. We watched the sun rise from Pico Do Areeiro. Then were offered hot chocolate and cake before starting the hike to Pico Ruivo. We found hiking at this altitude difficult so opted for the alternative safer and less strenuous walk from Teixeira to meet at Iulia and the group at the top. This was a very enjoyable and scenic walk. We all ended the walk together. A very well organised experience, highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $64
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).