This 7-day Faial vacation combines private guided sightseeing with time to enjoy Horta independently. Discover the island's volcanic interior at the Faial Caldeira, see the landscape created by the 1957–58 Capelinhos eruption and learn how Horta became an important Atlantic port.
A separate gardens tour introduces native and ornamental plants, while two free days allow time for the marina, museums and optional excursions to Pico or Sao Jorge. Hotels, breakfast and airport transfers are arranged in advance.
Is this package right for you?
This itinerary suits couples, families and small private parties seeking an easy-paced introduction to Faial with private sightseeing and ample free time. It is primarily a vehicle and walking tour rather than a hiking program.
Travelers should be comfortable with short walks, steps and uneven surfaces at volcanic viewpoints, gardens and historic areas. Optional visits to other islands require additional ferry arrangements and are weather-dependent.
Itinerary at a Glance
Day 1 — Arrive on Faial; transfer to Horta
Day 2 — Full-day private Faial Island tour
Day 3 — Half-day guided Horta walking tour
Day 4 — Half-day Faial gardens tour
Day 5 — Free day or optional excursion
Day 6 — Free day on Faial
Day 7 — Airport transfer and departure
Day-by-day itinerary
Weather, visibility, seasonal opening hours and local access conditions may change the order or routing of sightseeing.
Day 1 — Faial Island — Arrival
Arrive at Horta Airport and meet your driver for the private transfer to your hotel. The remainder of the day is free to settle in and explore Horta's waterfront.
Day 2 — Full-day Faial Island tour
Meet your private driver-guide and travel through the island's interior toward the Faial Caldeira, the broad volcanic crater at the heart of the island. Continue to Capelinhos, where the 1957–58 eruption extended Faial's western coast and transformed surrounding communities. Visit the volcanic landscape and, when open, the Capelinhos Interpretation Center. Entrance and lunch are not included unless confirmed.
Day 3 — Half-day Horta walking tour
Explore Horta on foot with a local guide. Learn about its churches, monuments, transatlantic cable history and international marina, whose painted seawalls record generations of visiting sailors. The remainder of the day is free.
Day 4 — Half-day Faial gardens tour
Visit a selection of Horta-area gardens, which may include the Faial Botanical Garden, Florencio Terra Garden and Praca da Republica Garden. Discover native Azorean flora, protected species and the island's ornamental garden traditions. Sites may vary according to opening schedules.
Day 5 — Free day or optional excursion
Enjoy Faial independently or request an optional day trip to Pico or Sao Jorge, whale watching or a guided hike. Optional activities are subject to transportation schedules, weather, availability and additional cost.
Day 6 — Free day on Faial
Spend another day at leisure in Horta or arrange an additional island experience.
Day 7 — Faial Island — Departure
Check out and meet your driver for the private transfer to Horta Airport.
What's included
Please note
The sequence and routing of tours may change because of weather, access restrictions or local operating conditions.
Guided sightseeing is private unless otherwise stated in your quotation.
Included
6 nights' accommodation on Faial
Daily breakfast
Private arrival and departure airport transfers
Private full-day Faial Island tour
Private half-day Horta walking tour
Private half-day Faial gardens tour
English-speaking driver-guides or local guides as described
Hotel service charges
24-hour assistance during the trip
Not included
International and inter-island airfare; ask us to include flights in your quotation
Meals other than breakfast
Entrance fees unless specifically listed as included
Municipal tourist taxes payable at hotel check-in
Optional excursions, personal expenses, gratuities and travel insurance
Meals
Daily breakfast is included. Lunches and dinners are at your own expense unless confirmed in your quotation.
What to bring
Bring comfortable walking shoes, layered clothing and a waterproof jacket. Faial's uplands can be cooler, windier and wetter than Horta.
Dates & rates
Understanding the rates
Package Type
For some packages you may be given a choice of different hotel categories.
Superior/Premier Hotel Package - Includes first class 4-star lodging, and standard rooms.
Comfort/Standard Hotel Package - Includes 4-star tourist class lodging. May include first class 3-star lodging in the smaller islands., standard rooms
Hotel Notes
Each package has a hotel summary description. For detailed information, please visit the hotel's official webpage online.
For specific hotel or ocean-view room preference, please notify us when filing your booking form. Additional charges may apply.
Room Rate Type
Solo = Person traveling alone
Single = Person staying in a single room and sharing tour services with others in travel party
Note: Hotels shown are for reference only. We reserve the right to change hotels based on availability, group size or other factors. Should an alternate hotel be required, it will be of the same or a better rating.
Comfort Hotels
Caloura - Caloura Hotel Resort
Located in the Sao Miguel Island of the Azores archipelago, the Caloura Hotel Resort is inserted on a protected natural area and features direct access to the sea and natural volcanic pools. There is also a swimming pool surrounded by sun loungers.
Featuring free WiFi and a panoramic view over the Atlantic Ocean, the Caloura Hotel Resort offers air-conditioned rooms equipped with a flat-screen cable TV, a telephone, a desk, a wardrobe, a safety deposit box and a minibar.
The hotel’s à la carte ad buffet restaurant serves a varied menu and offers panoramic views of the ocean. The Furnas town known for its stew is just 26 km away. Caloura Hotel Resort also offers a fitness centre, a sauna and a tennis court.
Horta - Hotel Horta
Located in the old Azorean town of Horta, the newly-renovated Hotel Horta offers views of Pico Island. It features rooms with balconies, a large garden and an outdoor pool.
Horta’s rooms are decorated in neutral colors, and have wooden furniture. Each of the air-conditioned rooms has a cable TV and a private bathroom with a hairdryer.
The hotel’s panoramic restaurant offers international and regional dishes. The bar and the lounge offer views of the outdoor pool, the pool bar and the garden.
Guests can rent a bicycle to explore the surrounding area. Horta is famous for the whale watching and the volcanoes of Capelinhos and Caldeira.
Horta Airport is 4.3 mi away, and the hotel provides free private parking on site.
Superior Hotels
Horta - Azoris Faial Garden Resort Hotel
The Azoris Faial Garden Resort Hotel is just a 7 minute walk to the beach. This property is situated in parkland on the edge of the city of Horta. The hotel features both indoor and outdoor pools and breathtaking views of the Horta marina and Pico Mountain.
The hotel’s restaurant offers panoramic Atlantic Ocean views, as well as, a buffet breakfast and an à la carte lunch and dinner of Portuguese specialities. There is also a snack bar and an outdoor café.
The hotel’s guest rooms open onto balconies overlooking the pool area. Each is air conditioned and equipped with a minibar.
Azoris Faial Garden – Resort Hotel features a tennis court and a fitness centre. After a workout, guests can unwind in the spa pool or the sauna.
Azoris Faial Garden is just 6.2 miles away from Horta Airport. The town and marina of Horta is within walking distance of the hotel.
Horta - Pousada Forte da Horta
Just an 8 minute walk from the beach, The Pousada Forte da Horta is set in a 16th century fortress with a view of Horta Bay and Pico island. This Pousada features air conditioned rooms, a swimming pool, and a regional restaurant. Most of the rooms offer a view of the marina.
Classified as a National Monument since 1947, the Pousada Forte da Horta offers modern rooms with cable TV and a minibar. Each private bathroom is stocked with a hairdryer and bathrobe.
A breakfast buffet is served daily on the poolside veranda terrace. Guests may taste fried pork, tuna and passion fruit pie in Pousada Forte da Horta’s restaurant.
The swimming pool area is furnished with sun beds, tables and parasols. Indoors, there is a lounge with various seating areas and a bar with a piano.
The 24-hour reception offers car rentals and free on-site parking. The Horta Airport is just 5.4 miles from the Pousada Forte da Horta.
Booking & policies
Booking Your Trip
While prices are shown in USA dollars, we can also charge in Euros at the prevailing currency conversion daily rate.
Early booking is advised. Availability of accommodations and inter-island flight is limited especially in summer months.
If hotels named in itinerary are not available at time of booking, alternate similar same rating properties will be confirmed, and subject to new quote.
Order of islands visited may need to be altered due to flight schedule changes.
Unless otherwise indicated, sightseeing tours are by private car with English speaking driver. Other languages are available upon request.
Quotations with different hotels have a non refundable deposit of $50. Deposit will be credited towards final booking price.
Booking Your Trip With Air
International airfare for this package is additional to price shown on Rates table. Departure cities are limited to those serviced by SATA International (Azores Airlines).
If you want a quote for airfare to be included make sure to check yes when prompted during the booking/reservation request process.
Booking Conditions
A non-refundable, non-transferable deposit of $350 per person is required to book and hold both land and air for you.
Final payment is due 50 days before departure.
Option to pay full price up front is available.
Cancellation Policy - Land Portion
Full-payment minus the $350 deposit per person is refunded if canceled up to 50 days prior departure.
75% of full-payment paid per person if refunded if cancelled 49-39 days prior departure.
50% of full-payment paid per person is refunded if canceled 38-31 days prior departure.
No refunds if canceled less than 30 days prior departure.
Cancellation Policy - Airfare
Airfare cancellation terms and conditions are those of the Airlines company and will be provided to you before ticket is booked.
Refund Fees
On any payments made via a bank credit card, a 3.9% bank credit card assessed fee will be subtracted from any refunded payment, including deposits refunded due to services requested not available for date of booking.
I Want To Book. What Do I Do Next?
Click on the "Request Quote" button to send your reservation request.
No payment will be collected at this time.
Our travel Associate will contact you via email to answer any questions and book your Package.
If you don't plan to book at this time please click here to contact us with any questions or concerns about your trip or your holiday.
Booking Changes
A fee of $35 per person, per transaction, will be charged
for any revision or alteration made to a reservation after the booking
is confirmed.
If the change increases the value of the booking, the $35
per person fee will be waived.
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend you purchase travel/cancellation
insurance.
Common questions about this package
Is this a private guided Faial tour?
Yes. The scheduled sightseeing and airport transfers are private unless your quotation states otherwise.
Can the program be customized?
Yes. Optional activities, additional hotel nights or changes to scheduled touring can be requested, subject to availability.
Is admission to the Capelinhos Interpretation Center included?
No, entrance fees are excluded unless specifically included in your quotation. The center is visited when its schedule and operating conditions permit.
Can I visit Pico or Sao Jorge during a free day?
Yes, an optional excursion may be requested. Ferry schedules, weather, local transportation and guide availability must be confirmed.
How much walking is involved?
Most sightseeing is vehicle-based, with short walks in Horta, gardens and volcanic areas. The Horta tour is conducted primarily on foot.
Can weather affect the itinerary?
Yes. Cloud and wind can affect Caldeira views, while weather and sea conditions may affect optional boat trips or visits to other islands.
7 Days/ 6 Nights: Stay in some of the best São Miguel hotels while exploring the rich culture, fauna, and flora of the green island. Package includes Hotel and rental car
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