Monte Toboggan & Cable Car: The 15 Best Tours

1.Nuns Valley, Monte and Sleigh Ride Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,829 reviews · 4 hours · from $47Our pick

From Funchal, visit Monte’s church and take a 2-kilometer wicker toboggan ride, then admire Nuns Valley from Eira do Serrado and sample local liqueurs. The four-hour tour also stops at Pico dos Barcelos. Guides may include Tony, Daniel or Lucy, and hotel pickup is included in many areas.

“Absolutely brilliant experience with our fabulous guide local Lucy. she went out of her way to make our activity happen after our cruise ship arrived late in port. Her local knowledge and enthusiasm made our trip. nuns valley and monte were spectacular 👌 Those views of mums valley at top view point were fantastic. The sleigh ride was brilliant. Would definitely recommend”

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2.Guided Tuk Tuk Tour to Toboggan Rides & Old Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 308 reviews · from $42Best value

Your driver-guide picks you up in Funchal for a private 105-minute tuk tuk tour through the Old Town and up to Monte. You may stop at Marmeleiros viewpoint for sweeping city views before reaching the toboggan rides. The ride itself costs extra, but guides can help you find the ticket office and waiting area. Guides include Luis, Moises, Laura, and Gregorio.

“Greg was great! And your chat feature was really helpful when our arrival was delayed”

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3.Monte Tropical Garden & Toboggan Ride by Tuk Tuk

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 227 reviews · 3 hours

In three hours, an English-speaking local guide takes you from Funchal toward Monte by private tuk tuk, with time for the Monte Palace Tropical Garden and the traditional toboggan ride. Guides such as Luis, Laura, and Fabio have been praised for their local stories and flexible approach. Garden and toboggan tickets cost extra.

“Lovely tour, including tuk-tuk ride and toboggan ride. Helpful and friendly guide.”

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4.Monte Toboggan and Old Town Tour by Tuk-Tuk

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 225 reviews · 1h 50m · from $47

Travel by private tuk-tuk through Funchal’s old town and past the Farmers’ Market, then climb to Monte at 585 meters. Visit Nossa Senhora do Monte and, if operating, take the traditional two-kilometer basket-cart ride downhill. The €17.50 ride ticket is extra. Guides have included Ricky, Alexis, Tiago, and Tom.

“we were picked up from the ship; communication was good; we had a phone call saying he was on his way. Tiago was a lovely yiu g man; gave us a brilliant tour, with lots of local information and stopping for views and photos. we even had a coffee together at the end. would definitely recommend.”

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5.Monte Palace Tropical Gardens Tuk Tuk Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 185 reviews · 3 hours · from $58

Take a three-hour private tuk-tuk tour from your Funchal hotel up to Monte Palace Tropical Gardens. Your Portuguese- or English-speaking guide can point out city sights, share local history and stop at viewpoints and a church. Garden admission is extra, and the route back can include parts of Funchal’s old town.

“Not only did we get a trip upto the tropical garden but a thorough trip around the old town”

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6.Toboggan and Old Town Experience with Tukway

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 126 reviews

Take a private tuk tuk from Funchal to Monte, visit the Church of Our Lady of the Mount, and ride the traditional toboggan downhill to Livramento for an extra €35 per two people. Your English-speaking guide then shows you Funchal’s Old Town and its painted doors. Guides such as André, Luis, Ricardo, and Andrea have been praised for their local stories and friendly style.

“Fabio was very knowledgeable about everything and was very easy to talk to I would thoroughly recommend him to anyone to had this guided tour!!!!”

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7.2-Hour Tuk-Tuk Tour with Cable Car Finale

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 118 reviews · 2 hours

Explore Funchal’s hills and central sights on a private, two-hour tuk-tuk tour with an English- or Portuguese-speaking local driver-guide. Stops include Pico dos Barcelos, Pico’s Fortress, the cathedral and Barreirinha. You can finish at the cable car station, but the ride to Monte and attraction tickets cost extra.

“Guides (Greg and Francisco) were informative and entertaining. We had plenty of photo opportunities and saw the highlights of Funchal. Highly recommend.”

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8.Private Tuk Tuk Tour to Old Town + Monte in Funchal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 106 reviews · 50 minutes to 2 hours (approx.) · from $47Top rated

A private tuk tuk and English-speaking local guide take you from Funchal toward Monte, with hotel pickup in the Funchal area. Visit the Church of Our Lady of Monte, then ride the historic wicker baskets downhill if you buy a ticket. Guides such as Ricardo, Ricky, Miguel, and Alexis have led the route, with time for views and optional stops.

“Tom was a great guide (and good driver). He called us to arrange meeting up. We met a short walk from the cruise terminal. We thoroughly enjoyed our tuk tuk drive up to Monte then down in the toboggan. We stopped for a local drink a poncha, which Tom explained was rum, honey and lemon, delicious. Tom asked where we wanted to end our tour in the city centre (we opted for this) or back at our cruise ship. We learnt a lot of interesting facts about Madeira on our short trip. We definitely would recommend this tour.”

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9.Private tour:Tuk Tuk Ride to Monte Funchal Toboggans

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 90 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $47

A private 1.5-hour tuk tuk tour takes you from Funchal up to Monte, with a viewpoint stop and time to visit Monte Church before the downhill toboggan ride. Your guide waits at the end and takes you back toward town. Guides have included Carla, Virgilio, Jesus, and Henrique. Toboggan tickets cost extra.

“Carla and Jesus was our guides, brilliant tours, really fun and informative”

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10.Madeira Highlights: Toboggan, Garden & Cable Car (All-Inclusive)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 80 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $199

This 3-to-4-hour Funchal outing links the cable car to Monte, a visit to Monte Palace Madeira’s tropical garden, and a traditional toboggan ride back down. Tickets, hotel or cruise pickup, and transport are included. Guides named Luis, Miguel, and Luigi have led tours, though your guide may vary. Expect garden paths with slopes and uneven surfaces.

“We had a great trip with the fantastic help of Luis who made everything so easy and smooth for us ensuring we got the most of our time without having to wait in any of the blistering queues. Toboggan ride was the standout activity and Luis made sure we had some additional memories by sending us some photos he took of our journey down the hill as part of his excellent service. Would highly recommend Luis and these activities as he made sure we were comfortable and well looked after throughout”

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11.Private Monte tour on a Tukxi

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 72 reviews · 1.5 - 2 hours · from $58

A private Tukxi tour climbs from Funchal to Monte, with a local guide, garden time, a visit to Our Lady of Monte and the option to ride a traditional toboggan for an extra fee. Guides have included Sybille, Daniela, Lydia, Pedro and Margarida. The route also lists Monte Palace Tropical Garden and Funchal’s Farmers’ Market.

“Pedro was very helpful and Insightful. Thos was a good way to see some of Madeira. The only drawback was the tuktuk had little legroom.”

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12.Monte Palace Tropical Garden tour with Cable Car

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 44 reviews · 2 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $72

Travel from your selected hotel to Monte by cable car, then explore its tropical gardens with a guide. Expect ponds, fountains, grottoes, and oriental-inspired sections, plus steep paths and uneven ground. The optional wicker toboggan ride back down is an extra, not part of the included price.

“The tour of the gardens was lovely. Wear shoes that are comfortable in uneven terrain. The garden tour and tram ride are included, the downhill basket ride is not. it is super fun, though. Luckily, because my name was on her list, our tour guide paid for our entrance fee to the gardens. My phone ticket was not recognized at the entrance. So, do not try to enter without the tour group. The pina colada in a pineapple at a kiosk about halfway through the tour is really good, if you like that sort of thing.”

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13.Private: Maderia Island Tour & Famous Monte Toboggan Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 30 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $191

Set out from Funchal at 9:30 a.m. with a private driver-guide for Pico dos Barcelos, Eira do Serrado, Câmara de Lobos and Cabo Girão, then finish with the Monte toboggan ride. Hotel and port pickup are offered. The ride costs an extra €35 per couple, and the tour lasts about four and a half hours.

“The driver was excellent and very knowledgeable of the local area. A very scenic driving tour with many opportunities to stop and enjoy local sights and foods”

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14.Monte Sightseeing Tour & Toboggan Sled Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 23 reviews · 3 hours · from $117

This private, three-hour tour pairs a guided walk in Monte with the traditional toboggan ride down to Funchal. You’ll see Largo da Fonte and Monte church, then take in city views from the sled. Driver and guide, private transport, Wi-Fi, and the ride are included. Guides named by past participants include Marco and Duarte.

“From start to finish our guide was excellent would definitely recommend Pearl of the Atlantic Madeira”

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15.Private Service The Monte Toboggan Sledge Halfday Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $120

Spend about three hours with a private driver-guide, visiting Monte and riding a traditional wicker toboggan sledge downhill. The tour includes pickup and drop-off anywhere on Madeira, transport, onboard Wi-Fi, and the ride. One recent outing was led by Richard, whose flexible guiding added to the visit. Your guide may differ.

“Really good trip. Richard our guide was lovely - happy, very knowledgeable and accommodating. The gardens on the Monte are stunning and then we had an exciting ride down the hill in the baskets. Highly recommended.”

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