VipDolphins: Affordable Luxury Whale Watching Experience in Madeira
4.9
1,729 Ratings
Funchal

Experience affordable luxury whale watching in Madeira with VipDolphins. Enjoy Portuguese sparkling wine, cocktails, local wines, and appetizers while spotting dolphins and whales. Book now!

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • VipDolphins Catamaran Whale Watching - We will sail from the Marina of Funchal to find some dolphins and whales, after we will stop for a swim in the crystal clear waters, at the bottom of Cabo Girao.
What's Included
  • Bottled water
  • Carbonated beverages
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Tea and coffee
  • Snacks
  • Blankets
  • Towels
  • Use of snorkeling equipment
What's Not Included
  • Pick-ups
Additional Information

We stand as the sole company in Madeira offering a premium Whale Watching journey at a reasonable cost to witness dolphins and whales. You’ll be greeted with superior Portuguese sparkling wine, and everything for your tour is taken care of - from cocktails and local wines to local fruit drinks, appetizers, and traditional local biscuits available…

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Location
VipDolphins Catamaran Whale Watching
Praça do Povo
Check-in 30 minutes before departure at the VipDolphins Kiosk. We are located in the marina in the city center of Funchal. Plan for traffic and accidents. The boat leaves on time and cannot wait if you are late, even if you call. No refunds or free reschedules for late arrivals.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(1729 Ratings)
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Safari622759
Jan 17, 2026
Fantastic Boat trip. - We had a wonderful time! Not only did we see whales and dolphins, we were treated so well. They offered us so many good things to eat and drink, with warm blankets and pillows and a roof to protect us when it briefly rained. It was great.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tammie_b
Jan 16, 2026
Relax and have fun! - So relaxing and fun! Sheila and Liv took great care of us and were super friendly. They brought us all kinds of local treats to try and beverages. It was nice to have a smaller sized group and have room to move about on the boat. The captain kept us informed and jumped down to help me back on the boat after swimming. We were also able to see a group of pilot whales with babies! It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon and be pampered.
Review provided by Viator
486ir
Jan 16, 2026
Outstanding - An outstanding experience. The crew of 3 were so professional and personable. Delicious canapés and refreshing drinks kept coming. The catamaran was beautifully appointed and roomy as only a maximum of 17 guests allowed. The crew spotted a large pod of pilot whales which made the 3 hour cruise even more exceptional. I can thoroughly recommend this company for an highly enjoyable whale/dolphin watching experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paul
Jan 10, 2026
So excellent last year..... We just had to do it again! - Wanted to do this again as a bit of a birthday treat. Excellent boat, crew, organisation. It did not disappoint. We have also in the past done other boat trips, but the VIP ones are by far the best & all things considered Excellent value.... we probably ate & drank our way through more than our ticket price. Most of all saw lotad of Pilot whales. The information provided by the crew was superb 11 out of 10 from us again. See you next year & many thanks for the birthday pastry & candle!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_w
Jan 9, 2026
Fantastic afternoon, well... - Fantastic afternoon, well worth doing. The drinks flowed the nibbles we're lovely the staff were Fabulous & couldn't do enough & the dolphins were so amazing.
Review provided by Viator
G1261zjmarcinc
Jan 8, 2026
It is real luxury - just do it :). - Due to the bad weather our first term was changed - we received the call with solution proposal. The trip itself was great and the biggest advantage was the crew. Cannot be better. Five stars level.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicholas_c
Dec 31, 2025
A wonderful and successful whale and dolphin cruise - We have been on whale/dolphin watching cruises before with varying degrees of success, but this was by far the best. Liv, Sheila and Chico (I hope I’ve got the names right) were attentive throughout and kept us well supplied with freshly prepared food and drink. They also were quick to identify the dolphins and whales when they surfaced and to explain more about them. The ride was very smooth despite a slight swell and we were very lucky with the warm sunshine. All in all a wonderful experience.
Review provided by Viator
Rafaelanobrega358
Dec 27, 2025
Spectacular - Super recommend ya have had several experiences in various boats and can see various differences to super professional team and very attentive to the requirements of customers we feel super well received. My family loved the walk
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nathalie_ts75
Dec 27, 2025
Great experience - Great experience although whales and dolphins were absent! Lovely crew, comfortable and very clean boat, limited to a small group, to do without hesitation.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Skyler
Dec 21, 2025
Extremely professional and accommodating - My family was happy with and impressed by this service. We believe that we more than got our money’s worth out of paying to go with a smaller boat (17 people max). Everyone on the boat got ample individual attention, from being offered explanations about the wildlife, being served food, or having drinks prepared for them. The crew was very hands on and attentive. We saw two pods of pilot whales and followed them for the maximum amount of time allowed by regulation. Open bar did mean open bar - another reason this option was worth the extra up-front fee.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Check Availability
From $91
From $91
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
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Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).