The Azores · WALKING TOURS
Good walking tours fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Taste Azores wine and Portuguese food on a small-group evening walk in Ponta Delgada, ending with a chef-led dinner and pairings.
“Lots of delicious food! Everyone was so pleasant. The tour guide was informative. Nice small group to travel with”
A 3-hour walk through UNESCO Angra do Heroísmo, with palace and cathedral stops plus coffee and Dona Amélia in Terceira.
“we really enjoyed our guide Dora. she was very attentive and incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. we arrived at the wrong location for the start but I called to support number and the person walked us to he correct location”
A 3-hour historical walk in Ponta Delgada, from Camões at the library to markets, museums, and the Forte de São Brás area.
“I liked that we visited the museums, but what definitely needs to be improved is our guide’s English. Also, the tour was mostly based on biblical stories rather than real historical facts. I think this should be indicated somewhere, because I’m sure there are more people like me who don’t want to listen to biblical fairytales.”
A 2.5-hour Ponta Delgada cultural walk with local stories, old squares, a market stop, and art time, in a small group for $47.
“Gabriel was a fantastic local guide who knew so much about the town and all the islands”
Guided hike to Lagoa do Fogo with lunch on the trail, pickup from Ponta Delgada or cruise port, small English group, and great views.
“Hugo was very good at explaining the flora and the fauna of the place, how it changed and was affected by foreign plants. The hike was around 12km, easy hike in the forest with last part outside it and usually exposed to gusty winds. We managed to see the lake as clouds were just above it. Recommend:)”
Walk the Gorreana tea trail, tour a century-old factory, then taste local Azorean tea and biscuits with hotel pickup in Ponta Delgada.
“Andre, our guide from Big Blue Adventures, was very knowledgeable and personable. He is a trained and certified tour guide, which showed compared to other tours we took in Sao Miguel! He picked us up promptly. We drove to the tea plantation and then did a ~3.4km hike. The hike goes about 400 meters uphill before descending through the tea fields to the tea house. We got to see the plants up close and personal, and see the workers in the field too. Andre explained everything for us. The tasting was a little disappointing: all that was offered was a green tea and a black tea dispenser at the plantation’s…”
Guided walk to Sete Cidades from Ponta Delgada with crater-lake picnic, small-group van transfer, and easy routes.
“Do not hesitate to do this tour or any other tour with Funtastic Azores. Paulo is so knowledgable, and has the desire to share so much with you. It feels like he had 3 lifes to study and know this much.”
Walk through Angra do Heroísmo with a live guide, seeing the cathedral, palace, gardens, museum and harbor. Museum and entry tickets included.
“Amelioration : Le point de démarrage de la visite … perdre plus de 30 minutes de marche sans aucun intérêt c’est assez nul ! La guide : La guide était très professionnelle mais bon … sans plus sur ce voyage nous avons fait 7 visites guidées et je dirai que c’était la moins “passionnante”.”
Santa Maria walking tour in the Azores with fossil tales, protected reserves, and calm short trails, plus pickup and private transport.
“We did the North Shore Trail, which was a very diverse trail of 12 km. Very beautiful hike! Thank you a lot, nice job guys! :)”
Hike Terceira’s forest and north coast lava views with a guide, hotel pickup, and a 4-hour walk for about $64.
“Nuestro guía nos ha recogido en el Hotel. Nos ha sorprendido en el sendero a recorrer. Un pequeño gran desafío, una gran satisfacción sintió toda la familia al saber que habíamos cumplido la mision.Disfrutamos de una agradable caminata en medio a la naturaleza en una excelente compañía. Recomiendo mil veces esta experiencia!!”
Guided Terceira walks of ocean trails, calderas and crater lakes, plus lunch and English pickup in about 3 to 4 hours.
“The guide was lovely, and local, we had a nice morning but not as expected. We expected more of a hike and less off road 'touring' tracks in the Landrover. It would be best to check at the start how long the hike will be and where you are going. It was misty in the hills so we just did a short circular walk on the coast, which was nice but too short. The morning appeared to lack a plan.”
A guided 3-hour walk from Ponta Delgada to Salto do Cabrito waterfall, with hydro history, geothermal notes, and forest views.
Guided Lagoa do Fogo trail from Ponta Delgada with picnic lunch, small group hike, scenic coast drive, and time to swim in the Azores.
“This was our favourite guided hike we did. We are from Canada and don't normally feel the need for a guide in the wilderness, but happy we did a guided tour for this hike as there is limited signage/mapping . Bento (the guide) was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about the surrounding plants, ecosystem, and water capturing technology. Strongly recommend! Bento is very nice and we learned a lot we did not expect!”
A small-group walking tour in Sete Cidades, Sao Miguel, with Serra Devassa views and a stop at Vista do Rei for lake panoramas.
“Breathtaking scenery along the way as we made our way to the peak of the mountain, and reaching the peak was definitely the highlight of the hike!”
3-hour small-group walking tour of Angra do Heroísmo with VIP hotel pickup, complimentary snacks, and UNESCO stories in Terceira.
“We wanted to do a walking tour of Angro to orient ourselves but could not find a slot until our last full day on the island. But even though we'd already gone around a lot by ourselves, Andre was a great guide who helped us understand a lot mRead more”
Every kind of day out across the islands, and the best of each.
