Pico do Areeiro Sunrise: Madeira's Epic Views

Experience a breathtaking sunrise at Pico do Areeiro, hike the iconic Stairway to Heaven, and explore serene trails on Madeira’s PR3.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Pico do Arieiro - Experience the sunrise at Pico do Arieiro, where the first light of day emerges above the clouds, casting golden and pink hues across the horizon – a stunning beginning to your adventure.
    PR1: Ninho da Manta & Stairway to Heaven - Traverse a picturesque segment of the renowned PR1 trail. Enjoy expansive views from the Ninho da…
What's Included
  • Driver
  • Briefing before the hike
  • Pickup and Drop off at your accommodation
What's Not Included
  • Bottled water
  • Meals
  • Government fees
  • Guide ( it is a Self-Guide Walk but we´ll provide all the instructions you need
Additional Information

Start your day above the clouds with a stunning sunrise at Pico do Areeiro, Madeira’s third-highest peak. As the sky transforms into shades of gold and violet, you’ll experience one of the island’s most memorable views. After sunrise, embark on a beautiful section of the PR1 trail towards the famous “Stairway to Heaven” — a dramatic ridge walk offering…

Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(29 Ratings)
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Matthias_e
Apr 20, 2026
Best value for money. - Very safe driving, polite and entertaining driver, open to answer all your questions. Would do it again. Best value for money.
Review provided by Viator
Michelle_v
Apr 16, 2026
Luis was amazing today.... - Luis was amazing today. He was super friendly, knowledgeable, informative, kept us laughing, and gave many suggestions on things to see and do around Madeira. Amazing sunrise, stairway to heaven hike and PR3 hike. Completed the hike with amazing food and cappuccino’s at the restaurant near trail end. Highly recommend this tour and Luis!!
Review provided by Viator
Joerv5354ig
Apr 14, 2026
Luis is the best Madeira walking guide - Luis is brilliant! Really friendly, funny and helpful. He picked us up, on time from our apartment in Sao Martinho and took us and 4 other guest to the top of Pico do Arieiro. The weather was wet, super cloudy, freezing cold and blowing a gale so no chance of seeing the sunrise! Luis leant us coats and gave us advice about the walk while we waited in the van for it to get lighter and ideally less cloudy. The cloud and rain did not stop so Luis suggested we do the other walk PR3 first and then come back to do the Stairway afterwards. He changed his arrangements to meet us at the end of the walk in the (seriously welcome) cafe at the end of PR3. He kept in touch with us on the walk and showed us how to use the Mappy app duo we didn't get lost. The walk was tough, harder than I thought it'd be, there is a lot of rocky uneven steps and roots. Luis was there to pick us up at the end, and drove us back to the top to do the Stairway to Heaven. He couldn't have been more helpful. We will be back to see the view in better weather, hopefully! In conclusion; trust in Luis, dress warm and be ready for a tough walk!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Traveladventure
Apr 10, 2026
Great tour! - I booked this tour last min was a little worried, but it turned out to be a great tour. I don’t remember the tour guy, but he was great and helpful. He made sure we know where we’re going and checked on us multiple times. It was really cold watching the sunrise, but it was worth it. Both hikes (PR1 / 3) weren’t hard to us. The directions were clear on the paths. Make sure to download the map before you go and bring a jacket or something to stay warm for the sunset. After 15 mins hike, it gets hot. Overall, it was a great tour. Highly recommend it.
Review provided by Viator
Jenny_a
Apr 7, 2026
Great Day Out!! - Weather can be mixed so come prepared! Luis picked us up from our hotel and we had a great time but got caught out by wind and weather. Would highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Imogen_b
Mar 31, 2026
Our guide Luís was on... - Our guide Luís was on time, fun and had answers to all of our questions about the hike and Madeira. Would highly recommend as it makes your journey to/from your hike much more enjoyable 😁
Review provided by Viator
Chrishz4354wm
Mar 30, 2026
Brilliant guide, superb trip - Seeing sunrise on the peak was a phenomenal experience! The walk down PR3 was very quiet with brilliant scenery. Luis was a fantastic guide and went out of his way to organise the trip for us, even with some disruption from route closures and limited tickets to access the trails, he planned the day so we got to do it all. He’s very knowledgable about Madeira, answering all the questions we could throw at him, and even gave some great recommendations for restaurants in the city.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicoledu3729rs
Mar 30, 2026
Amazing trip, very helpful guide - Would 100% recommend. The trip was easy to book, our guide was super helpful tailoring the trip for the best options for the group. Sunrise and the views were incredible! We also enjoyed PR3 as a less busy walk to appreciate the area. Would definitely do again :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jinal_b
Mar 29, 2026
It’s beautiful! My guide... - It’s beautiful! My guide Luis was really funny and very kind and helpful. Highly recommended, magical sunrise
Review provided by Viator
398anthonya
Apr 10, 2026
Dramatic landscape - Our driver was excellent. We booked a self-guided trip and Luis sent us all the information we needed before the trip and communication about pick up time was spot on. As we headed into the hills, the weather was very different to Funchal, much colder, very windy and wet. We decided to just do PR3, having attempted the path to PR1 and found the conditions just too miserable to continue. We saw the sunrise from the PR1 drop off point and actually got some dramatic photos from there. PR3 is very straightforward to follow, there was just one point where there appeared to be two choices & that was where the app came in to make sure we were on the right path. There are however sections where the steps down are very deep, as well as a couple of stepping stone sections. A good level of fitness and mobility are needed, as well as sturdy walking boots. We were prepared for the weather with waterproofs and warm clothing. We would do it again and hope for better weather but we enjoyed the challenge this time around and still managed to get a few decent photos. Luis was available to contact should we get stuck as well.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $35
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).