This customizable 15-day Azores tour connects five of the archipelago's most distinctive islands: Flores, Faial, Pico, Terceira and São Miguel. Hotels, inter-island flights, the Faial–Pico ferry and scheduled transfers are arranged in advance, while private driver-guides lead the principal island tours.
Begin amid the crater lakes, waterfalls and green valleys of Flores before continuing to Horta on Faial. Cross the channel to Pico for volcanic landscapes, maritime heritage and the UNESCO-listed vineyard culture. On Terceira, explore Angra do Heroísmo and the island's volcanic interior, then finish on São Miguel with guided visits to Furnas, Sete Cidades and Lagoa do Fogo.
Several free days create a relaxed pace and allow time for independent sightseeing or optional seasonal excursions. The program can be tailored to your preferred dates and travel requirements, subject to hotel, flight, ferry and guide availability.
Is this package right for you?
This itinerary is designed for independent travelers who want the convenience of a guided multi-island vacation without joining a fixed escorted group. It suits couples, families and small private parties who prefer hotels, inter-island transportation, transfers and key sightseeing arranged before departure.
The pace is comfortable, with several full-day vehicle tours balanced by free days in Flores, Faial, Terceira and São Miguel. Travelers should be able to manage airports, ferry terminals, hotel changes, steps and short walks on uneven volcanic ground.
Most sightseeing is provided privately, but the Flores tour and some airport transfers may be shared because local transportation and guide availability are limited. This distinction should be acceptable to anyone booking the program.
Itinerary at a Glance
Day 1 — Arrive on Flores; transfer to Santa Cruz
Day 2 — Full-day guided Flores Island tour
Day 3 — Free day on Flores; optional Corvo excursion
Day 4 — Fly from Flores to Faial; transfer to Horta
Day 5 — Half-day guided Faial Island tour
Day 6 — Ferry to Pico and full-day guided island tour
Day 7 — Free day on Faial
Day 8 — Fly from Faial to Terceira; transfer to Angra do Heroísmo
Day 9 — Full-day guided Terceira Island tour
Day 10 — Free day in Angra do Heroísmo
Day 11 — Fly from Terceira to São Miguel; transfer to Ponta Delgada
Day 12 — Full-day guided Furnas tour
Day 13 — Full-day guided Sete Cidades and Lagoa do Fogo tour
Day 14 — Free day on São Miguel
Day 15 — Airport transfer and departure
Day-by-day itinerary
Flight and ferry schedules, weather and local operating requirements may change the order of islands or activities. The descriptions below show the planned itinerary.
Day 1 — Flores Island — Arrival
Arrive at Flores Airport in Santa Cruz and meet the local representative for your transfer to the hotel. You will stay on Flores for three nights. The remainder of the day is free to settle in and begin exploring independently.
Day 2 — Flores Island — Full-day island tour
Meet your driver-guide for a full-day exploration of Flores. The planned route introduces the island's crater lakes, high waterfalls, green valleys and dramatic western coast, with viewpoints near Ribeira da Cruz, Fajãzinha and Fajã Grande.
Continue to Rocha dos Bordões, where vertical basalt columns form one of Flores' most recognizable geological landmarks, and stop at additional viewpoints as weather and road conditions permit. Lunch and entrance fees are not included. The Flores tour may operate as a shared rather than private service.
Day 3 — Flores Island — Free day or optional Corvo excursion
Enjoy a free day on Flores. When seasonal schedules, sea conditions and availability permit, you may arrange an optional boat excursion to Corvo, the smallest island in the Azores. The Corvo excursion (zodiac type of boat) is not included and should not be considered guaranteed.
Day 4 — Flores to Faial
Transfer to Flores Airport for the inter-island flight to Faial. On arrival, meet the local representative and transfer to your hotel in Horta, where you will stay for four nights.
The remainder of the day is free to explore Horta's historic center, marina and waterfront. Flight times and pickup arrangements will be confirmed locally.
Day 5 — Faial Island — Half-day island tour
Travel with your private driver-guide through the island's interior toward the Faial Caldeira, a vast volcanic crater surrounded by protected natural scenery. Continue to Capelinhos on the western coast, where the 1957–58 eruption reshaped the island and created a stark landscape of volcanic ash and rock.
The remainder of the day is free after returning to Horta. Entrance to the Capelinhos interpretation center is not included unless specifically confirmed in your quotation.
Day 6 — Pico Island — Full-day guided tour
Transfer to Horta harbor and take the approximately 30-minute ferry across the channel to Madalena on Pico. Meet your private driver-guide for a full-day tour of the island beneath Pico Mountain, Portugal's highest peak.
Discover Pico's black-stone villages, maritime heritage and vineyard landscape, whose traditional plots and lava-stone walls are recognized by UNESCO. Lunch and entrance fees are not included. Return by ferry to Faial and transfer to the hotel.
Day 7 — Faial Island — Free day
Enjoy a free day in Horta. You may explore the marina, visit local museums, relax at the waterfront or request an additional activity. A seasonal ferry excursion to São Jorge may be possible, but it is not included and depends on schedules, sea conditions and availability.
Day 8 — Faial to Terceira
Transfer to Horta Airport for the flight to Terceira. On arrival, meet the local representative and transfer to your hotel in Angra do Heroísmo, where you will stay for three nights.
The balance of the day is free to begin exploring the UNESCO-listed historic center, its harbor and the streets surrounding the old town.
Day 9 — Terceira Island — Full-day island tour
Set out with your private driver-guide for a full-day tour of Terceira. Follow the south coast through traditional communities toward Praia da Vitória, with stops that may include Porto Judeu and São Sebastião.
Continue through the volcanic interior to Serra do Cume for broad views across Terceira's patchwork fields. Depending on operating schedules and local conditions, the route may also include Algar do Carvão and the natural lava pools at Biscoitos. Lunch and entrance fees are not included.
Day 10 — Terceira Island — Free day
Spend the day exploring Angra do Heroísmo independently. Walk through its historic streets, visit local churches and museums, or travel to Monte Brasil for panoramic views and walking paths above the city.
Day 11 — Terceira to São Miguel
Transfer to the airport for the inter-island flight to São Miguel. Meet the local representative on arrival and transfer to your hotel in Ponta Delgada, where you will stay for four nights.
The remainder of the day is free to explore the historic center, waterfront and marina.
Day 12 — São Miguel — Full-day Furnas tour
Travel with your private driver-guide along São Miguel's south coast toward the Furnas Valley. Visit the lake and geothermal areas where the traditional cozido stew is cooked underground using volcanic heat.
Continue to the town of Furnas and Terra Nostra Park, where you may visit the botanical gardens and bathe in the iron-rich thermal pool. Lunch and entrance fees are not included. The return route crosses the island toward the north coast and includes a stop at a tea plantation before returning to Ponta Delgada.
Day 13 — São Miguel — Sete Cidades and Lagoa do Fogo
Meet your private driver-guide for a full-day tour of western and central São Miguel. Travel to the Sete Cidades volcanic complex for views over its crater lakes and descend toward the lakeside village as conditions permit.
Continue through the island with stops that may include a pineapple plantation, Ribeira Grande, Caldeira Velha and Lagoa do Fogo, one of São Miguel's most important protected crater lakes. A picnic lunch is included. Access and routing may change because of weather, seasonal traffic controls or local restrictions.
Day 14 — São Miguel — Free day
Enjoy a free day in Ponta Delgada or request an additional experience elsewhere on São Miguel. Options may include independent sightseeing, a food experience, whale watching or additional guided touring, subject to availability and additional cost.
Day 15 — São Miguel — Departure
Check out of the hotel and enjoy free time according to your flight schedule. Transfer to the airport for departure. The confirmed pickup time will be provided locally.
What's included
Please note
The itinerary and order of islands may change because of inter-island flight schedules, weather or local operating conditions.
Guided sightseeing is private unless otherwise stated. Airport transfers and the Flores tour may operate as shared services because of limited local transportation and guide availability.
Optional visits to Corvo or São Jorge are not included and depend on seasonal ferry schedules, weather and availability.
Included
14 nights' accommodation
Daily breakfast
Inter-island flights from Flores to Faial, Faial to Terceira, and Terceira to São Miguel
Round-trip ferry tickets between Faial and Pico
Airport, hotel and harbor transfers as described in the itinerary
English-speaking driver-guides for scheduled sightseeing
Full-day Flores Island tour
Half-day Faial Island tour, including the Caldeira and Capelinhos area
Full-day Pico Island tour
Full-day Terceira Island tour
Full-day Furnas tour on São Miguel
Full-day Sete Cidades and Lagoa do Fogo tour with picnic lunch
Hotel service charges
Complimentary crate of local products on São Miguel
24-hour assistance during the trip
Not included
International flights to and from the Azores; ask us to include airfare in your quotation
Meals other than daily breakfast and the picnic lunch specifically listed as included
Entrance fees unless specifically stated as included
Optional excursions to Corvo or São Jorge
Municipal tourist taxes payable directly at hotel check-in
Personal expenses, gratuities and travel insurance
Meals
Daily breakfast and the Day 13 picnic lunch are included. Other lunches and dinners are at your own expense, allowing you to choose local restaurants along the route.
What to bring
Bring comfortable walking shoes, layered clothing and a waterproof jacket. Pack swimwear and a towel if you plan to use the thermal pool at Terra Nostra Park or the natural swimming areas. The iron-rich thermal water at Terra Nostra may stain light-colored swimwear.
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.
Pousada Forte da Horta (Faial) will be closed until March 31. Hotel Azoris Faial Garden will be booked as alternative.
Alternative hotel accommodation will be provided for triple rooms, as not all properties offer this specific room type.
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
Angra do Heroismo - Hotel Cruzeiro
Hotel Cruzeiro, a 4 star Hotel, is the latest hotel unit to open in Angra do Heroísmo, Unesco World Heritage city, located 5-minute walk from various points of interest, such as the Angra bay, Sé Church, Old Town Square (Praça Velha), Museum, Pico da Memória, among others.
Wi-Fi access is available in all areas of the hotel.
The hotel has a restaurant and a bar, where lunches, dinners and snacks are served and private parking.
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.
Santa Cruz das Flores - Hotel Ocidental
Hotel Ocidental offers fine accommodation in Santa Cruz das Flores. The city center is 10 minute walking distance from the hotel. The property offers 36 guestrooms appointed with climate control, cable TV, a balcony and direct dial phone. Restaurante Rosa are situated in a natural area, about 1000 meters from the venue. The hotel enjoys an ideal location within 5 minutes' drive from Santa Cruz airport.
Ponta Delgada - Hotel Ponta Delgada
Hotel Ponta Delgada (RNET 6591) is centrally located and only a 10-minute drive from the airport. Hotel Ponta Delgada features a family ambiance and comfortable furnishings. It features an indoor pool.
Air-conditioned rooms all open out on to a private balcony and are fitted with double-glass windows. All rooms include a TV set with cable channels and private bathrooms with walk-in shower or bathtub. Free WiFi access is available in all areas of the hotel.
The Ponta Delgada’s Baco Restaurant offers authentic cuisine from the Azores. The hotel’s bar has an esplanade, where guests can enjoy a refreshing drink or cocktail.
Guests can stroll in the narrow streets of the city center. Alternatively, they can dip in the hot tub or relax in the on-site hammam and sauna.
Superior Hotels
Flores - Ocean Cliff Hotel
Located in the island of Flores, Ocean Cliff Hotel started a new ownership embracing both tradition of excellence and a vision for modern luxury in the Azores. With 26 equipped rooms, a restaurant serving local and international cuisine, a panoramic pool, and updated leisure spaces, we offer a unique blend of contemporary comfort and Azorean authenticity.
This Hotel offers 26 equipped rooms, a restaurant serving local and international dishes, a panoramic pool, and modern leisure spaces, creating a unique blend of contemporary comfort and Azorean authenticity.
Angra do Heroísmo - Pousada Castelo de S. Sebastiao
Pousada Castelo de S. Sebastiao is a 8-minute walk from the beach. Set on top of a cliff, Pousada de Angra do Heroismo Castelo de S. Sebastiao is a modern hotel housed in a 16th century Fortress known as Saint Sebastian's Little Castle.
The Pousada offer rooms and one suite with modern décor and furnishing. The suite and some rooms include terraces with views over the sea and the Monte Brasil. All living units contain LCD TV and internet connection.
There are 2 swimming pools: one for adults and the other for children. Guests can enjoy the regional cuisine while taking in views of the sea and pool area.
The Pousada is located in the village centre of Angra do Heroísmo was classified World Heritage by UNESCO. Angra do Heroísmo also offers many activitiy options, such as marine hunting, diving, sport fishing and boat tours.
Pousada de Angra do Heroismo Castelo de S. Sebastiao is located at a 23-minute drive from the Lajes International Airport.
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.
Ponta Delgada - Vila Gale Collection S. Miguel
Located in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel island, the Vila Gale Collection S.Miguel provides superior accommodations, excellent restaurant, bar, sauna, swimming pool, kid's club and private parking.
The 4-star hotel has air-conditioned rooms with free WIFI, each with a private bathroom, and is at a short walking distance to the center of town.
All guest rooms in the hotel are equipped with a flat-screen TV. Each room includes a safety deposit box, while certain rooms will provide you with a balcony. At Vila Gale Collection S.Miguel every room includes bed linen and towels. A buffet breakfast is available every morning.
At Vila Gale Collection S.Miguel guests are welcome to use a sauna and a Turkish bath.
The attentive and professional reception staff speak English, Spanish, French and Portuguese, and are always on hand to help.
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 pricing button to send your reservation request.
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Our travel Associate will contact you via email to answer any questions and book your Package.
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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 Azores tour?
Most scheduled sightseeing is provided by private car with an English-speaking driver-guide. The Flores tour and some airport transfers may be shared because transportation and guide availability are limited on the island.
Can this five-island itinerary be customized?
Yes. The itinerary can be adjusted to your travel dates and requirements, subject to hotel, inter-island flight, ferry, vehicle and guide availability. Changes may require a revised quotation.
Are the inter-island flights and Pico ferry included?
Yes. The package includes the scheduled flights from Flores to Faial, Faial to Terceira and Terceira to São Miguel, plus round-trip ferry tickets between Faial and Pico. International airfare is not included but can be requested with your quotation.
Are the Corvo and São Jorge excursions included?
No. These are optional possibilities during free days and are not part of the package price. Operation depends on seasonal schedules, weather, sea conditions and availability.
Will the islands always be visited in this order?
Not necessarily. Inter-island flight schedules and local operating requirements may require the order of islands or sightseeing days to change. The confirmed arrangements will preserve the principal services in your quotation whenever possible.
How much walking is involved?
This is primarily a vehicle-based sightseeing program rather than a hiking tour. You should nevertheless be comfortable walking through historic centers, viewpoints, gardens, ferry terminals and airports, sometimes on steps or uneven volcanic surfaces.
Are lunches and entrance fees included?
Daily breakfast and the picnic lunch on the Sete Cidades and Lagoa do Fogo tour are included. Other lunches, dinners and entrance fees are not included unless specifically shown in your confirmed quotation.
What is the difference between Comfort and Superior hotels?
Comfort packages generally use tourist-class four-star hotels and may include first-class three-star properties on smaller islands. Superior packages use first-class four-star lodging. Named hotels remain subject to availability, and a comparable property may be substituted.
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