Monte Toboggan Guide
The basket sledges of Monte are the ride guests ask me about most. Here’s how they work, so you know what to expect before you go.
- Ride
- about 10 minutes, 2 km
- Route
- Monte church → Livramento
- Hours
- Mon–Sat, 9:00–17:45
- Tickets
- on the spot, same day
Want to do the ride as part of a private tour? I take you up to Monte, meet you at the finish and continue through the Old Town.
See the Monte Toboggan & Old Town tourWhat it is
Wicker baskets on wooden runners, steered down a steep public road by two carreiros dressed in white with straw hats, who use their rubber-soled boots as brakes. The ride began around 1850 as a quick way for people in Monte to get down to Funchal, and today it’s one of Madeira’s best-known experiences.
Where it starts and ends
It starts next to the Church of Our Lady of Monte and runs about 2 km down to Livramento, which is not yet the city centre. The ride takes around 10 minutes, so think beforehand about how you’ll carry on from there.
Days, times and tickets
The sledges run Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 until late afternoon (the last departures are around 17:45), and not on Sundays or some public holidays. Tickets are sold on the spot, for the same day, and the price depends on whether one, two or three people share the basket. The ticket office can close early when the queue is long or the weather is bad, and there are no three-person rides on wet roads. Check current prices and times on the official Carreiros do Monte website before you go.
Booking my Tuk-Tuk tour does not reserve a basket ride; the basket-ride tickets are purchased separately from the operator.
Closed days
The basket sledges are closed every Sunday, on 1 January, Good Friday, 14 and 15 August, and 25 December. Easter Sunday is already covered by the Sunday closure. Additional closures or early closing may occur, so please confirm with the operator before your visit. Official closure dates.
How to get to Monte
The cable car from the Old Town takes about 15 minutes to reach Monte, and local buses go up too. On foot, the climb from the centre is long and steep. Or come with me: on the Monte Toboggan & Old Town tour, we drive up to Monte together, I wait for you at the end of the ride, and we carry on to the Old Town.
My tips
Go early: the queue can get long, and when it does, the ticket office sometimes closes early.
Short but special: the ride lasts about 10 minutes; enjoy it as an experience, not as a way down to the city.
Comfortable shoes: the streets around the church are steep, with steps.
Prices and times of the basket sledges are set by the Carreiros do Monte and may change. Editorial review: 20 September 2026.