Photography tour to Madeira
MADEIRA
Tour Dates
25 -31 October 2027
Available
€ 4 500
About the Tour
Madeira is one of those rare places that defies easy description - and rewards every attempt to photograph it. Within a single week, you’ll move through blooming valleys, fog-wrapped ancient forests, and volcanic ridgelines with the Atlantic stretching endlessly below. The light here is unlike anywhere else in Europe.
This is the Laurisilva of Madeira - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - and it looks exactly as wild and primeval as it sounds. Add hidden waterfalls, dramatic coastal cliffs, and villages where time moves a little slower, and you begin to understand why photographers keep coming back.
Join me for a week of serious photography, great food, and good company 25–31 October 2027.
Itinerary
Day 1 Day 1
I’ll meet you personally at Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport in Funchal, and we’ll head to the hotel together by comfortable minivan. The evening begins gently - a relaxed walk through the capital to take in your first impressions of the island. We’ll end the night at dinner in a local restaurant, going over the program, sharing a glass of local wine, and getting to know each other. No formalities - just good conversation and the quiet excitement of what’s ahead.
Day 2 Day 2
We start early - the best light waits for no one. A scenic hike brings us to one of Madeira’s most spectacular viewpoints, where the landscape opens up in ways that simply don’t fit into words. We’ll work the location thoroughly before moving to the opposite side of Ponta de São Lourenço to meet the sunset. Dramatic cliffs, crashing Atlantic waves, golden hour light. Bring extra memory cards.
Day 3 Day 3
Today we head to Madeira’s two highest peaks - Pico Ruivo and Pico do Arieiro. The ridgelines here are unlike anything most photographers have seen - jagged volcanic rock, clouds moving through the valleys below, light shifting every few minutes. Whether you’re shooting wide or tight, there’s no shortage of material. Come prepared for mountain conditions and leave with images you’ll be proud of for years.
Day 4 Day 4
We relocate to our new hotel - situated right on the oceanfront, where the Atlantic views begin the moment you open your balcony door. Take a breath. In the evening, we head out for a dedicated photo session at one of Madeira’s most beautiful and dramatic coastal locations, with towering cliffs and epic seascapes that are simply made for long exposures.
Day 5 Day 5
This is the day many participants say they came for. The legendary Fanal Forest - ancient laurel trees rising out of the mist, gnarled branches reaching in every direction, silence broken only by the wind. This is Laurisilva of Madeira, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is genuinely unlike anywhere else on earth. We’ll spend hours here exploring compositions and chasing the light as it filters through the fog. If the skies clear after dark, we’ll stay for Milky Way photography in one of the most atmospheric settings imaginable.
Day 6 Day 6
Today’s walk follows what is widely considered the most beautiful levada on the island. Never heard of a levada? Think of it as a narrow irrigation channel carved into the mountainside - and a walking path that leads you through scenery that feels almost fictional. Waterfalls, rock tunnels, sheer cliffs dropping into forested valleys below. It’s part hike, part adventure, entirely photogenic.
Day 7 Day 7
Our last morning on the island. We’ll make the most of it with a final photo session before breakfast, then transfer together to Funchal Airport. Goodbyes are always a little bittersweet at the end of a good trip - but if previous tours are anything to go by, this won’t be the last time we travel together.
Behind the Scenes
What's Included
Included
- Guided by 2 professional photographers (English, Russian and Czech languages)
- All transfers
- Transport
- Twin room
- Breakfast
- Entrance fees to national parks
- Processing sesiions
- Support in my private WhatsApp chat
Not Included
- Air tickets
- Visa
- Insurance
- Lunch/dinner
- Extra-alcohol
- Personal expenditures (souvenirs etc)
- Single supplement +800 Euro
- Cable car tickets, museum tickets
- Anything not mentioned in the “Included” list
What to Bring
Photo Equipment
- Camera
- Tripod
- Wide angle lens (11-24mm or 16-35mm)
- Middle range zoom lens (24-70mm or 24-105mm)
- Telephoto zoom lens (70-200mm or (better) 100-500mm)
- Memory cards
- Extra batteries
- Shutter release
- Headlamp
- Drone (optional)
Clothing
- Warm waterproof jacket
- Warm waterproof pants
- Warm waterproof shoes or rubber boots
- Casual clothing for dinners, visits of towns, processing sessions
- Knitted cap
- Gloves
- Fleece/softshell jacket
- Thermal underwear
- Raincoat
Your Guides
Oleg Rest
My name is Oleg Rest, I am a professional landscape photographer and traveler. I was born in Kazakhstan, the land of steps and severe climate. Since early childhood I was dreaming of traveling. I first took camera in my hands at 6, when my parents rented a Zenit film camera during our holidays on the Black Sea coast. I enthusiastically took pictures of my parents, later with my father we developed films in our bathroom and dried them on a rope. Now I shoot with a modern camera Canon R5, but nature and photography still inspire me the most. I have been to such amazing places as Patagonia, Norway, Iceland, Tuscany, Namibia, Slovenia, China, Moravia, the Alps and the Lofotens, Myanmar, Czech Switzerland and I wish to share my impressions and delight with you! Life is full of beauty. This is my motto. I am not a fan of sophisticated and time-consuming processing of photos. The best shot for me is the one that needs minimal processing. My main principles in photography are:
Interesting composition
Beautiful light
Minimum of processing
Nowadays it is hard to find a location where no photographer has ever been, that is why even in popular places I try to find an unusual foreground which makes any shot look in a new light. I have won several landscape photography competitions. My photos are published by Canon Czech Republic, Canon Ukraine. I am an ambassador of Lucroit filter manufacturer (Spain), H&Y (Hong Kong), software company Skylum (Luminar, Aurora HDR software) and backpack manufacturer f-stop (USA).
Maria Rest
My name is Maria. I am a portrait and landscape photographer. For several years in a row I have been travelling together with my husband and my camera all over the world. This has always been our dream to travel together sharing our love to nature and photography. We are now guiding photography tours together as tour leaders. I am happy to assist Oleg and to help participants of our tours with anything they might need.
Refund & Cancellation
Booking & Payment
A tour is considered booked once you receive confirmation of availability and pay a deposit. The remaining sum is to be paid 90 days before the beginning of the tour.
Cancellation Policy
- 90 days before — deposit is non-refundable (100% of deposit)
- 60 days before — 50% of the tour price
- 30 days before — 100% of the tour price
If the tour is cancelled by me due to force-majeure, 100% of the paid sum is returned to you.
⚠ Important Information
A tour may be cancelled 90 days before departure if the minimum number of spots is not filled.
I strongly recommend NOT buying air, train or bus tickets far in advance. Please buy insurance covering all risks. Purchasing tickets earlier than 90 days before the tour is at your own risk.
All participants acknowledge that tour organizers cannot control weather conditions. The shooting schedule and planned activities may be adjusted on site. The itinerary may also be modified at the sole discretion of the organizers to achieve the best possible results.
Other Tours
Ready to Join?
Secure your spot on this photography journey.
€ 4 500
Available
per person
Pay Deposit €1,000
Deposit secures your spot. Balance due 60 days before departure.
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