Join this epic photography photo tour to the magical island of Madeira, a tour designed to elevate your landscape photography skills against a backdrop of dramatic peaks, ancient Laurisilva forests, and rugged coastline! Suitable for all levels, this immersive tour combines expert-led guidance with hands-on instruction to help you capture the breathtaking beauty of this hidden gem in the Atlantic Ocean. From golden light illuminating jagged mountain peaks to vibrant forests, you'll learn techniques to create striking images and deepen your appreciation for nature’s grandeur. Experience the magic of Madeira and leave with stunning photographs and unforgettable memories. Expect all this and more on this incredible 7-Day / 6-Night Photography tour.
Madeira is an autonomous region of Portugal. It's an archipelago located in the North Atlantic Ocean, southwest of Portugal and northwest of Africa. Often referred to as the "Hawaii of Europe", Madeira is known for its mild climate, dramatic landscapes, and lush green vegetation.
Throughout this tour, we will focus on the Northern and Eastern parts of Madeira, the areas that offer the best photographic opportunities and subjects. We will ensure that you are in the right place at the right time to capture amazing images. Throughout this tour we will shoot a plethora of different types of landscapes, from moody and mystical Laurisilva forests, to enormous sea stacks, grand vistas and jagged mountain peaks.
We will have 2 bases throughout the tour, one in the town of Sao Vicente, the other near the old capital of Machico, these bases will enable us to reach the locations we plan to shoot easily and with minimal driving time, but will also ensure we are in the right place for both Sunrise and Sunset, which is when we usually have the best light. Some afternoons will include downtime to rest and recharge as we will have some very early starts and late finishes throughout the tour.
I have created this 7-Day / 6-night photo tour to take you to all the best landscape photography locations in Madeira and ensure you get amazing images to fill your portfolio.
Highlights of this tour:
Photograph some of the best locations in Madeira at sunrise and sunset
Capture the best of the light by being in the right place at the right time
Carefully curated accommodation to ensure it is ideally located and offers a good level of service and comfort
Capture lesser-known spots for unique shots
Multiple hours of shooting every day to help hone your skills
Learn new skills from a professional photographer
Improve your composition with in-the-field support and feedback
Small group (Just 6 participants) for a more personalised experience
Shoot from some of the most incredible vantage points in Madeira
Connect with like-minded photographers and make new friends
Dates:
29th November 2026 to 5th December 2026 (Sold Out)
7th December 2026 to 13th December 2026 (Last few spots available)
Please Note: Additional tours may be added depending on interest/demand.
Price:
€3750 in a single room - A discount of 600 Euros (300 Euros per person) will be given for double bookings in a shared room)
Please Note: (A non-refundable deposit of €1000 is required to secure your spot on the tour, the remainder needs to be paid 120 days before the start of the tour). Terms and Conditions apply.
List of main shooting locations:
Ribeira da Janela
Ponta de São Lourenço (20-30 minute hike)
Fanal Forest
Pico do Arieiro (20 - 30 minute hike)
Pico Ruivo (30-40 minute hike)
Ponta de Rosto
Véu da Noiva Waterfall
Levada dos Balcões (20-30 minute hike)
São Cristóvão
Eira do Serrado
Casa das Flores
Rocha do Navio
Hidden Waterfalls (10-15 minute hike)
Included in price:
Accommodation for 6 nights in single rooms in 4-star hotels
Daily Breakfast at the Hotel
Pick-up & drop-off at Funchal Airport (FNC).
Transportation throughout the tour in a comfortable and modern vehicle
Fuel and parking fees
Access to all photography locations
Access to national parks/trails
A detailed guide to each shooting location and what to shoot
Expert advice and support with photography throughout the trip
Special discounts from our partners on photography equipment
Both of my E-Books (Mastering Landscape Photography and Master Night Sky Photography)
Adventure, fun, epic scenery and great memories!
Not Included in price:
Flights to/from Madeira
Meals (Except daily breakfast)
Alcohol
Travel Insurance (Including cover for medical / cancellation and gear)
Personal expenses such as tips, mobile phone usage, snacks and any other service not mentioned in the “INCLUDED” section.
Itinerary
Madeira is a relatively small island, this affords us the luxury of not having to change hotel daily, and therefore we are able to chase the light and go to locations where the weather looks more promising. This means that we will not have a fixed itinerary for this tour, we have a list of locations that are our main priority, and we will visit these locations when the light/weather is most suitable or gives us the best chance of capturing something special. Each day I will review the weather forecast for the following day and create a plan that takes advantage of the weather.
Maximum Number of Participants: 6 - I prefer smaller groups to ensure that everyone gets a more personalised experience, but also so that we can access more off-the-beaten-track locations that simply wouldn’t work with a larger group. A smaller group also means that we leave less impact on the environment, and it enables us to have more flexibility with our schedule.
Please Note: A minimum of 4 participants are required for this tour to take place, please do not book flights until the tour is confirmed.
Difficulty: Easy
Physical Fitness Required: Moderate – A reasonable level of fitness is required for this trip—you will be walking around on well-maintained trails, at elevations of up to 1800 meters above sea level. This is not a hiking photography tour, most locations are within a 5-minute walk of the parking area, however, a few locations require a short but easy hike to reach the ideal shooting location.
These hikes take 20-40 minutes depending on pace and do not include any significant elevation gain (Less than 100 Meters), we will also stop along the way to rest and capture images, helping to make these short hikes even easier. Some routes include some steeper sections with stairs built into the trail.
Getting to Madeira
Getting to the island is very simple - there are daily flights from several European capitals to Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (FNC). Some airlines offer direct flights from the US to Funchal (Madeira), whilst others include a stop-over in Portgual or the Azores.
Pickup and Drop Off
Both pickup and dropoff will take place at Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (FNC), Madeira. Pickup will be at 12:00 (Midday) on Sunday 29th November 2026. We aim to be back at the airport by 12:00 (Midday) on Saturday 5th December 2026. Flights out can be booked after 15:00. Air travel delays and lost luggage are not uncommon, for this reason, as with all other tours, we suggest arriving at least one day prior to the start of the tour so that you don’t miss any of the tour.
Accommodation
We will be based in 2 different hotels, spending 3 nights in each. These hotels have been carefully chosen to ensure we are never too far from the locations we will be shooting at, saving time on driving and enabling us to spend more time shooting and exploring. Both hotels provide comfortable and modern rooms, with all the standard amenities.
Both hotels are nestled beneath the stunning peaks, and will give us the perfect base to reach our desired photography locations and giving us a comfortable base where we can relax and recharge between our time out shooting, as well as have our image review sessions.
What will you learn on this tour?
Our goal is to ensure that you are at the right place at the right time to capture beautiful images whilst improving your technique and knowledge on Landscape Photography. Working with a small group enables me to understand your needs and support your development in these areas, with plenty of one-to-one tuition both in the field and in reviewing the images that you have captured.
Spending multiple hours per day shooting will enable you to get into a shooting rhythm and practise the new skills that you have learned.
Finally, we want to share with you our passion for nature and landscape photography in this incredible place. Travelling in such small groups means we can quickly build a great learning environment where people feel comfortable together and at ease with asking questions and making the absolute most of the trip. We aim to make each trip a memorable one, not just in terms of capturing great images, but also in spending time with like-minded people in a beautiful environment.
Photography techniques covered in this tour:
Planning for a specific location
Observing the weather and predicting how the light will evolve
Understanding the light and choosing the right exposure
Composition. balance and harmony, leading lines and creating depth
Lens choice - Which focal length to use and why
Drone photography and composition
Long exposures and photographing water
Photographing moody scenes (Fog, Mist and Cloud Inversions)
Photographing backlit scenes and high dynamic range scenes
Shooting multiple image panoramas
Bracketing multiple exposures
Note: You can also book my sending an email to info@samuelscicluna.com
Guide - Sam Scicluna
I was born and raised on the island of Malta, where my love for seascapes began. I have always enjoyed being outdoors and surrounded by nature. Growing up on an island has meant that I always had a special bond with the sea, this led to seascapes being a natural comfort zone and starting point in photography. In 2014, I went on an expedition to climb Mount Etna and later that year also climbed Monte Rosa, spending time in the mountains is what sparked my passion for landscape Photography. In 2016 I traveled to Iceland for the first time, realising a dream and further affirming my passion for landscape photography. I have always been amazed by the night sky, and going camping often has led me to experiment with astrophotography and shooting the night sky. I love outdoor activities like camping, hiking, climbing, scrambling and just exploring new places in general! I also just love taking time out to appreciate the world around me.
Important Information:
Please do not book travel to Madeira before we confirm the tour. In the event of trip cancellation, we will not be responsible for any refund for non-refundable airline tickets or for any airline tickets purchased by the passenger directly from an airline or travel agent. Please ensure you have suitable travel insurance.
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