A private driver in Madeira, by the hour or the day

For your own route: you choose the viewpoints, the walks and the villages, and we plan the timing around the weather and drive you in our 7-seat car.

€40 an hour (2-hour minimum), €150 a half day, €220 a full day, per car for 1 to 4 people. For 5 or 6: €45 an hour, the same half day, €280 a full day.

  • Up to 6 passengers
  • Based in Funchal

Your driver speaks EnglishPortuguêsРусский

A bend in the coast road with white bollards, high above the banana terraces of Arco da Calheta, the sea below
Day out, west coastCoast road above Arco da CalhetaPhoto: Times of Madeira, Unsplash

By the hour, half day or full day

Every price is for the whole car. Your own route is priced by the hour, as a half day or as a full day, whichever is cheaper for your plan.
  • 2 h minimum

    1–4 people
    €40/h night €46/h
    5–6 people
    €45/h night €52/h

    Your own route by the hour is for at least 2 hours, or 3 hours in July and August.

  • 4 h

    1–6 people
    €150 night €173

    One price for 1 to 6 people. Time for Monte and the old town, or Cabo Girão and Câmara de Lobos.

  • 8 h

    1–4 people
    €220 night €253
    5–6 people
    €280 night €322

    Your own route for the day, with a long lunch wherever you choose.

  • 1 h per hour

    1–4 people
    €40/h night €46/h
    5–6 people
    €45/h night €52/h

    Added when a half or full day runs over, charged per started 15 minutes.

In the price

  • Pickup in Funchal, Caniço, Santa Cruz, Machico, Câmara de Lobos and Ribeira Brava
  • A route we plan with you, and changes to it on the day
  • Fuel and parking, with no kilometre count

Not in the price

  • Entry tickets, meals and SIMplifica trail fees are not included.

Your own route, full day for 6 people: about €47 each.

A pickup outside that area adds a fixed supplement for your area, listed on the price list. Pickup at the cruise terminal adds €25, while a cruise day includes it.

Ideas for your own route

Monte and its gardens. Up the hill to Monte, its church and the tropical garden. If you ride the toboggan down, your driver collects you where it stops, in Livramento.

Short walks on the way. The Balcões viewpoint from Ribeiro Frio, the laurel forest at Fanal or the first stretch of a levada: easy walks between the drives, at your pace.

A sunset viewpoint. End the day at the Ponta do Pargo lighthouse or on the Cabo Girão skywalk, and be back at your hotel after dark.

A day that follows the weather. The north and the peaks catch more cloud and rain than the south coast. The evening before, we look at the mountain forecast and suggest which side to start on, and you can still change course at lunch.

An arrival day with a viewpoint. Your driver meets you at arrivals, and the first stop is a viewpoint, such as the Cristo Rei statue above Garajau or Pico dos Barcelos above Funchal, before your hotel. Your bags stay in the car while you look.

A last day that ends at the airport. After check-out, spend the afternoon on the coast or in the hills, with the bags in the car. For a 19:30 flight, tell us when you want to be at departures, say 17:30, and we plan the day backwards from there.

Ready-made days

A sunrise morning and two full island days, with the route and times worked out. Each has its own price for the car.
All island tours
  • The sun rising over a sea of cloud, seen from the summit of Pico do Arieiro
    4 h

    Sunrise at Pico do Arieiro

    We check the summit forecast and message you go or no-go by 20:00 the evening before.

    1. Hotel pickup before first light
    2. Pico do Arieiro viewpoint
    3. Back in Funchal by mid-morning

    4 hours

    €140 per car, 1–4 people 5–6: €160

  • A turquoise natural pool between black lava rocks at Porto Moniz
    8 h

    West Madeira in one day

    Out along the south coast and over to the north-west, with lunch by the lava pools.

    1. Cabo Girão
    2. Porto Moniz pools
    3. Fanal forest

    8 hours

    €220 per car, 1–4 people 5–6: €260

  • Red cliffs and sea stacks in deep blue water at Ponta de São Lourenço
    8 h

    East and north Madeira in one day

    The peaks when they're clear, the villages of the north coast and the red cliffs at the eastern tip.

    1. Pico do Arieiro, if clear
    2. Santana houses
    3. Ponta de São Lourenço

    8 hours

    €220 per car, 1–4 people 5–6: €260

Driver or rental car?

Private car hire in Madeira can mean a rental you drive or a car with a driver. Rental rates change with the season and the company, so compare what each day includes and who does the driving.
Driver or rental car?
Rental car Your own route
2 people, one day A small car's day rate, plus the extras below €220 for the car
4 people, one day A family car's day rate, plus the extras below €220 for the car, the same as for 2
6 people, one day A 7-seat car's day rate, plus the extras below €280 for the car
Regional rental fee €2 a day, for up to 10 days, on contracts signed from 1 June 2026 Not charged
Fuel and parking You pay for both and find the spaces Included
Who drives the mountain roads One of you Your driver
Wine at lunch Everyone except the driver All of you
Days you pay for Every day of the contract Only the days you book
Good to know You drive We drive
  • 2 people, one day

    Rental car
    A small car's day rate, plus the extras below
    Your own route
    €220 for the car
  • 4 people, one day

    Rental car
    A family car's day rate, plus the extras below
    Your own route
    €220 for the car, the same as for 2
  • 6 people, one day

    Rental car
    A 7-seat car's day rate, plus the extras below
    Your own route
    €280 for the car
  • Regional rental fee

    Rental car
    €2 a day, for up to 10 days, on contracts signed from 1 June 2026
    Your own route
    Not charged
  • Fuel and parking

    Rental car
    You pay for both and find the spaces
    Your own route
    Included
  • Who drives the mountain roads

    Rental car
    One of you
    Your own route
    Your driver
  • Wine at lunch

    Rental car
    Everyone except the driver
    Your own route
    All of you
  • Days you pay for

    Rental car
    Every day of the contract
    Your own route
    Only the days you book
  • Good to know

    Rental car
    You drive
    Your own route
    We drive

If you want a car for every day of your stay, a rental costs less. Book your own route for the mountain days.

Checked on 25 September 2026 Portaria 214/2026, JORAM 21 May 2026

Dmitriy, your driver, at the Pico do Arieiro viewpoint at sunrise
DmitriyEN · PT · RU

Your driver

Your driver answers your messages on WhatsApp and drives the car.

Your driver speaks EnglishPortuguêsРусский

Our grey VW Caddy, seen from the front right, parked on the street
grey VW Caddy Maxi

The car

Car
Grey VW Caddy Maxi
Engine
Plug-in hybrid
Seats
7
Passengers
Up to 6
  • Luggage Tell us what bags you're bringing and we confirm they fit before you book.

If mountain roads make you nervous, tell us when you book. You can sit in the front, your driver stops whenever you ask, and we can plan a route with fewer narrow roads.

The rules for your own route

Extra time

Time beyond the booked hours costs €40 an hour for 1 to 4 people or €45 for 5 or 6, charged per started 15 minutes.

Changing the plan on the day

On your own route and island days you can change the plan on the day, and waiting at your stops is included.

Waiting at hotels and the terminal

At a hotel or address we wait 15 minutes free, at the cruise terminal 30 minutes after the agreed time, and after that it's €5 per started 15 minutes.

Weather

We check the mountain forecast the evening before, and if the peaks are in cloud we swap the route or move the day at no cost.

Pickup area for your own route, tours and hiking

Your own route, tours and hiking transfers include pickup anywhere from Ribeira Brava to Caniçal, including Funchal and the hills above it, and a pickup further out adds the fixed amount shown for your area.

Night pickups

Pickups between 21:00 and 07:00 cost 15% more on transfers and on your own route, while sunrise runs and hiking transfers cost the same at any hour.

Cancellation

You can cancel free up to 24 hours before pickup, with a full refund, and after that, or if you don't come, we keep 50% of the price.

Terms reviewed on 25 September 2026

Questions about your own route

Can I find a private driver on Madeira?

Yes, you can book a private driver on Madeira for a route of your own, by the hour or by the day, at a fixed price for the whole car. We're based in Funchal, and a full day costs €220 for 1 to 4 people or €280 for 5 or 6. Booking is on request, so send us your date first and plan around it once we confirm.

Is this what people call a taxi tour?

It's a sightseeing day on your own route with a private driver, booked by the hour or the day at a price agreed before you set off, not a metered taxi. The price covers the hours you book, however many stops we make and however far we drive.

Is the driver a guide?

No, your driver knows the island but doesn't give a guided commentary. Your driver can suggest where to stop, where to eat and which side of the island has the clearer weather that day. For a guided walk, book it with a hiking company, and we can drive you to their meeting point.

Can we change the plan on the day?

On your own route and island days you can change the plan on the day, and waiting at your stops is included. If the north is in cloud we turn south, and if you like a place we stay longer, within the hours you booked.

Can you pick us up in Caniço or Calheta?

Yes, pickup in Caniço is included, and a pickup in Calheta, Ponta do Sol or São Vicente adds €45 for the car. Your own route, tours and hiking transfers include pickup anywhere from Ribeira Brava to Caniçal, including Funchal and the hills above it, and a pickup further out adds the fixed amount shown for your area. The other areas are on the price list.

Can we bring children?

Yes, children are welcome, and we stop whenever someone needs a break. Child seats are free, so tell us each child's age when you book and we fit the right seat. With small children, a half day is often the better length.

Can we drink wine at lunch?

Yes, everyone can have wine at lunch, because none of you has to drive. Choose the restaurant and stay as long as you like while your driver waits with the car.

Send us a date and a rough plan

We reply within 60 minutes, 07:00–22:00 and confirm whether we can take your date.

Your own route, full day €220 per car for 1 to 4 people, €280 for 5 or 6

Who drives you: Dmitriy

WhatsApp Dmitriy Get my price