Monte Palace Tropical Garden, Madeira: Tickets and Tips

Monte Palace Tropical Garden covers about 70,000 square metres of hillside at Monte, above Funchal, with koi ponds, pagodas, swans, rare cycads and hundreds of Portuguese tiles. Its main entrance is beside the top station of the Monte cable car, so it fits neatly into a morning with the church and the toboggan ride.

Quick answer: tickets cost €18 for adults, museum included, and children up to 14 go free with an adult. The garden usually opens 9am to 7pm from April to September and 9am to 6pm from October to March, daily except Christmas Day. Allow 1h30 to 2h30 and take the cable car up from the Old Town (about €16 one way).

What Monte Palace is

In the 18th century the British consul Charles Murray turned this estate beside the Monte church into a country retreat. In 1897 Alfredo Guilherme Rodrigues bought it and built a house inspired by the palaces of the Rhine, which became the Monte Palace Hotel. Since 1987 the collector José Berardo has shaped the grounds into today’s garden, part plant collection, part sculpture park. The palace itself is closed to visitors.

What to see

The Oriental Gardens

This corner, inspired by China and Japan, has pagodas, little bridges, stone lanterns, Buddha statues and a marble dragon. Koi glide through the ponds, and the garden says they can live for up to 100 years.

The azulejo panels

The garden holds tiles from the 17th to the 21st century. Look out for:

• The history of Portugal: 40 panels spread along the paths, from the monarchy to the republic.
• Portuguese Adventures in Japan: a 166-tile panel in the Oriental Garden about the first contacts between the two countries.
• Elements of Nature: three panels about 7 metres high, showing earth, fire, air and water.

Lakes, forest and cycads

Swans glide round the central lake, with its two islets, waterfall and water-jet tower. Peacocks wander the paths, and flamingos have lived in the tiled wishing-well lagoon since 2023. One section recreates the laurisilva, Madeira’s UNESCO-listed laurel forest. The cycad collection is one of the most complete in Europe, with more than 500 plants from 30 of the 65 known Encephalartos species.

The museum

Your ticket includes the three-floor museum. The ground floor shows about 700 minerals and precious stones, plus petrified wood from Argentina. The upper floors hold more than 200 modern and contemporary works from the Berardo Collection, while the contemporary Zimbabwean sculptures that used to fill them now have their own garden among the cycads. The museum closes first, so don’t leave it until last.

Tickets and opening hours (2026)

• Adults: €18 for the garden and museum together.
• Children: free up to age 14 with an adult.
• Garden: usually 9am to 7pm (April to September) and 9am to 6pm (October to March), daily except 25 December.
• Last entry: the official visit page says 6:15pm in summer and 5:15pm in winter, but its FAQ says 5pm, so arrive by mid-afternoon.
• Museum: usually 9am to about 5pm or 5:30pm (the official pages differ).
• Buying: online (with a fast-track lane at the cable car entrance) or at the gate, by card or cash.

Paths, access and cafés

The paths drop down to the central lake and climb back on steps and steep slopes, so wear shoes with grip. The garden itself says its steep terrain gives limited access for people with reduced mobility. There are accessible toilets, and a guided trolley ride (€5 per adult per trip) links the central lake with the north entrance, saving the hardest climb. Ask at the ticket office where to leave a pushchair.

Four cafés and bars usually open from 9:30am to 5:30pm, including a poncha bar on the south viewpoint. Picnics are fine in the garden, but not in the museum.

Getting there

• Cable car: the Madeira Cable Car climbs from the seafront by the Old Town to Babosas in about 15 minutes. It costs about €16 one way and €22 return in 2026, half price for ages 7 to 14 and free for under-7s. The glass-floor cabins cost more. It usually runs daily from about 8:45am to 5:45pm.
• Bus: Horários do Funchal city buses 020, 021, 022 and 048 go up to Monte. They were 20, 21, 22 and 48 before the March 2026 renumbering. See getting around Madeira.
• Taxi: a short ride up from the centre.

From the Botanical Garden

A second cable car links Babosas with the Madeira Botanical Garden in about nine minutes. The operator lists about €11 one way or €16 return, usually from 9am to 5pm, so check before you go.

Add the church and the toboggan

The Nossa Senhora do Monte church is a short walk away. Austria’s last emperor, Charles I, who died in exile on Madeira in 1922, is buried there. The wicker toboggans leave from the foot of the church steps and slide about 2km to Livramento in around 10 minutes. They usually run Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm, and cost €30 for one, €40 for two or €60 for three, cash only. See the Monte toboggan.

A good plan: the cable car up at 9am, before the cruise-ship groups, the garden until late morning, then the church, the toboggan and a taxi to lunch in the Old Town. Spring adds azaleas and the Flower Festival.

Book ahead: some tours bundle the cable car, Monte and the toboggan. For the garden alone, the €18 official ticket is cheaper. See Monte cable car and toboggan tours.

FAQ

How much does Monte Palace Tropical Garden cost?

Adults pay €18, which includes the museum. Children up to 14 go free with an adult.

How long do you need at Monte Palace?

The garden recommends 1h30 to 2h30.

Is Monte Palace suitable for wheelchairs?

Only partly. The garden is steep and access is limited, though a €5 trolley ride covers the climb between the central lake and the north entrance.

How do you get to Monte Palace from Funchal?

Take the cable car from the seafront by the Old Town (about 15 minutes, €16 one way) to the main entrance. City buses and taxis also go up.

More: the Madeira itinerary and 3 days in Madeira.

See also: things to do in Funchal, Madeira with kids and the Madeira travel guide.

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