To actually stand on the staircase — not just see the summit — you walk the PR1 trail. It’s ~1.2 km from the car park, moderate but exposed, and it needs a timed permit slot. Here are the guided walks that reach it with the slot booked for you, and exactly what’s involved.
The staircase sits about 1.2 km (20–30 minutes) along the PR1 "Vereda do Areeiro" from the car park, on an exposed ridge between the Ninho da Manta and Pedra Rija viewpoints. The walk is moderate but the drop-offs are real — railings and ropes line the steps. Proper footwear is essential.
The trail needs a SIMplifica permit with a timed 30-minute slot (about €4.50 for the short Areeiro–Pedra Rija section that includes the staircase). The first slot is 08:00, and summit sunrise runs from about 07:00 in June to 08:10 in January, so the walk that works is the one the guided tours run: sunrise from the summit viewpoint, then straight onto the stairs on the first slot — within the first hour of light most of the year, as the light arrives in October and from December to February. This section is two-way, so you come back the same way.
Every product here reaches the staircase: guided walks with the PR1 booking included or the €4.50 paid to the guide, plus one $47 self-guided transfer with the ticket included. Ranked by value.
Our top pick for this page has its own calendar just below; these are the alternatives, ranked by value (price × rating, then reviews).
Madeira Stairway to Heaven to Larano Hike Mountain to Sea
Stairway then Larano ridge to the sea, permit included
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Sunrise Walk & Stairway to Heaven- Guided
Summit sunrise, then the stairway (EUR 4.50 to guide)
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Stairway to Heaven: Pico do Areeiro in Madeira Island
Stairway then the PR3 descent, 5 languages
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Madeira: Pico do Areeiro: Stairway to Heaven Experience
Stairway + hidden viewpoints, small group
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Madeira: PR1/PR3 at Sunrise Pico Arieiro Ticket Included
Summit sunrise, self-guided PR1/PR3, ticket included
Check availability →
Prices are GetYourGuide "from" prices in USD, ratings and review counts as scraped 12 September 2026; they move with season and availability — the live widget and the booking page are the reference. Booking through these links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you; it never changes the order or the verdicts.
The best-value guided route to the stairs, in five languages: PR3 from the Ecological Park, the summit, then Ninho da Manta, Pedra Rija and the Stairway. ICA-certified guides; the ~€4.50 trail fee is paid separately. Also bookable online (card on the stairway hike page).
Long-running, hugely-reviewed. The "Between Heaven and Earth" sunrise hike does the full Areeiro→Ruivo traverse past the staircase. States a certified guide but no licence number on-site; trail fee excluded. Direct booking only for the hike.
Certified mountain guide Paulo Jesus runs the well-reviewed small-group "Sunrise Guided Hike PR1" (full traverse) via Viator ("Madeira Outdoors" is the supplier label); a private "Guided Peak Crossing" is on GetYourGuide at $180.
A licensed agency; its self-guided sunrise PR1 transfer (from €33, permit handled) is the cheapest way onto the trail. Guided Sunrise & Balcões €50; private €160. Reseller, not the on-trail operator.
Direct prices are starting adult fares in euros (June 2026) and change seasonally; confirm at booking. ✓ = tourism licence verified on the operator's own site; "agency" = an RNAVT travel-agency reselling a partner-run tour. Full profiles on the tours page.
Pickup at the CR7 Museum in Funchal, the drive up, a briefing, then the PR1 ridge to Ninho da Manta and the Stairway to Heaven — about four hours door to door, roughly an hour on the trail, groups of up to 15, PR1 fee and booking included. Free cancellation; rescheduled or refunded if the weather makes the ridge unsafe.
The PR1 trail reopened on 27 April 2026 after the 2024 wildfire; the stairway section (Areeiro to Pedra Rija) has been open all week since then, and the full route to Pico Ruivo every day since 26 June 2026. You need a SIMplifica permit with a 30-minute slot — ~€4.50 for the stairway section, €10.50 for the full route (€7 via an IFCN protocol operator); under-12s and residents pay nothing but still need a slot. The first slot is 08:00 (one guide lists 07:00 — confirm on the day's SIMplifica calendar), and the morning slots sell out first. Beyond Pedra Rija the trail is one-way towards Pico Ruivo; up to Pedra Rija it is two-way. The whole trail is closed 14–17 and 21–22 September 2026 for a new footbridge. Don’t cross closure gates — fines are reported up to €2,500. Check the trail-status tracker and the access & permit section.
Sunrise from the summit is free; the stairs need the slot. A guided walk that includes the permit handles the part that sells out first, and its guide knows where the cloud sea sits that morning.
Reaching the staircase from the car park is ~1.2 km / 20–30 minutes, moderate but on an exposed, railing-lined ridge — proper shoes essential. The full PR1 traverse to Pico Ruivo is a hard 5–8 hour mountain hike.
Yes — the PR1 trail needs a SIMplifica permit with a timed slot: about €4.50 for the short section that includes the staircase, or €10.50 for the full traverse (€7 via a protocol operator). Under-12s and Madeira residents pay nothing but still need a slot. Most guided walks book it for you.
The first slot is 08:00 and summit sunrise runs from about 07:00 in June to 08:10 in January. So in early summer you reach the stairs an hour after sunrise, most of the year within the first hour of light, and in October and from December to February the first slot puts you on the stairs as the light arrives. Watch sunrise free from the summit viewpoint, then take the first slot — which is what the guided sunrise walks do.
Online: the #1-selling guided Stairway walk ($67, permit included), the Stairway-to-Larano hike ($87, permit included), Free Spirit’s sunrise walk ($68), the self-guided sunrise PR1/PR3 transfer with the ticket included ($47) and Adventure Kingdom’s hike ($56). Direct: Madeira Adventure Kingdom, Up Mountain Madeira, Madeira Local Guide and Beyond Madeira’s self-guided transfer. Jeep sunrise tours do not.
Yes, daily since 26 June 2026, apart from the full closures on 14–17 and 21–22 September 2026 for footbridge works. The east variant past Pico das Torres is closed; the west route through the tunnels is open. Check the trail-status tracker before booking a slot.