Gibralter! How to see it all in 6 short hours!

[nursemom2]

We spent 6 hours in Gibraltar and had a ball....Tips, pictures, and how too's on my blog.....take a peek if you like!

http://karanandmichael.blogspot.com/

 

Glad to answer any questions!

[ollienbertsmum]

I am glad that you had a good time in Gibraltar. We enjoyed having you :D:D

[menrex]

It looks like it was a wonderful tour and makes me confident to use this method on my trip to Gibraltar!

I may have missed it but did your tour fee include the entrance fees to the places you went?

[nursemom2]

There were no extra fees.... And we loved every minute of this tour.... Plus we had time To spend in town, and eat those pasties!!!!![emoji122][emoji122]

 

 

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Edited August 7, 2016 by nursemom2

[suttoncruisers]

Hi

 

Did you get dropped into town after the tour and then walk back to ship? If so how long was the walk?

 

Thanks

 

Sue

[ollienbertsmum]

Hi

 

Did you get dropped into town after the tour and then walk back to ship? If so how long was the walk?

 

Thanks

 

Sue

 

Hi Sue

 

Coincidentally I happened to be driving along the road to the port today and I wondered about cruise passengers getting the shuttle.

 

If there are two ships in port the queue for the shuttle can be quite long. The walk to the ship is completely flat and for a reasonably fit person cannot take more than 20 minutes (which is what Google maps makes it). I would only take a shuttle if I had something heavy to carry (and I am in my late fifties.

 

There really is no need to get the shuttle and you can be sure that walking is not an issue unless you have mobility issues.

[nursemom2]

It takes 20 min to walk back to the ship... And there are lots of cute little shops and cafes to enjoy.... They will take you back to the ship if you want.... We asked them to drop us off in the city center as we were on the hunt for pasties!!!

 

 

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[suttoncruisers]

Thanks for the replies!

 

Sue

[Cornishpastyman1]

If you are near the Moorish Castle and have time to spare, a few yards uphill are the WWII tunnels. Not as atmospheric as the Great Siege Tunnels but still very interesting. This tour takes 45-60 minutes and was £8 in 2013 All the best, Tony

 

[YOUTUBE]QpBAu6E7vEA[/YOUTUBE]

[nursemom2]

Isn't it interesting that there are so many fun things to do in such a small port!!!

 

 

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[mississauga]

HI Karan,

 

Thanks for the link to you blog. Great pictures. Did your tour bus drive you up to the caves? Would it have been possible for you to go up to the top of the Rock? If so, would one walk up from the caves. Would there be time to come back down to get your ride back down? How long was allotted for the Rock?

[nursemom2]

Yes, he took us directly to the caves and waited for us....it is possible to go up to the top, but you have to arrange it with your driver... I don't know about walking to the caves, but when you get your taxi your at the dock, you will be able to arrange your tour as long as you have agreement with the other passengers... Most of the taxi vans hold 8 people...

 

 

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[anuenue]

We spent 6 hours in Gibraltar and had a ball....Tips, pictures, and how too's on my blog.....take a peek if you like!

http://karanandmichael.blogspot.com/

 

Glad to answer any questions!

Hi I just want to thank you for your info as it helped me decide to wait till I get there and search out a tour. Thanks also for sharing pictures on your blog.

Cruise from Barcelona to Rome on Princess crown Sept. 15, 2018

Can't wait!! Our first time:cool:

[John Bull]

Tours of the Upper Rock are constrained by the narrow one-way road system, so there's major limits on customising.

 

Broadly, vans from the cruise terminal (or elsewhere in town or at the Spanish border) go to a photostop at the Jewish monument (southerly views across the Straits to the Moroccan mountains), then a 20-minute stop at St Michael's Cave (entrance included but also super westerly views over the Bay of Algeciras), a 10 - 15 minute stop at the apes den up on the ridge (no admission fee) (more westerly views, and by climbing a few steps easterly views over the Mediterranean if not obscured by the mists which frequently roll up the eastern face), then a 20-minute stop at the Great Siege Tunnels (entrance fee included) (northerly views across to Spain and almost-vertical views down to the airport & border crossing), then down into town past the Moorish Castle. They've been doing it a long time, and know how much time folk need at each stop. The driver will take you back to the ship if you wish, but folk tend to bale-out at Casemates Square at the bottom (northern) end of main-street to check out the pubs, shops, restaurants & minor town sights. From Casemates Square its an easy and level 20-min walk back to the ship.

You can bale-out on the way down at the WW2 tunnels or the Moorish Castle but beware of the time it takes to walk back down.

 

Also be aware that prices on tax/duty-free goods vary a great deal from shop to shop, so window-shop before you buy.

And double-check the price of each item before you pay, some shops seem to make a lot of mistakes with their window prices :rolleyes:

Gib's tax-free electronics shops are a dumping-ground for last-year's models, so don't buy on the spur-of-the-moment - go armed with model numbers & features, and home-town prices.

Don't want to put you off buying, but don't want you to be suckered either.

 

JB :)

[speedyjane]

Thank you John for the info about the mini taxis. This sounds like the way to go, but are there enough taxis to accommodate cruisers when a large ship is in port?

[John Bull]

Thank you John for the info about the mini taxis. This sounds like the way to go, but are there enough taxis to accommodate cruisers when a large ship is in port?

 

 

Hi Jane,

I can only reply as an occasional visitor, but I've not heard of shortages.

And October is very late in the season.

 

But I suggest you be among the first off the ship - and especially don't be amongst the last because I reckon that when the supply of customers slows the drivers will desert the cruise terminal & head for spots at the Spanish border or the coach park or the town centre.

 

JB :)

[ollienbertsmum]

Gosh, follow John Bull's advice. He seems to be part way qualified to be a Gibraltar taxi driver (John please come and pick me up on a Saturday night when I need to get home from a night out).

 

As long as you leave the ship soon after you dock, you will not have a problem getting a taxi. It really is the best way for tourists to get around in Gibraltar.

[Moose12345]

Can anyone tell me if the bus goes to the cruise pier. I would love to walk back from Main Street but my knees won't allow it.:o Also, I'm trying to find if there is a gift shop at the Apes Den, but can't seem to see anything.

[John Bull]

Can anyone tell me if the bus goes to the cruise pier. I would love to walk back from Main Street but my knees won't allow it.:o Also, I'm trying to find if there is a gift shop at the Apes Den, but can't seem to see anything.

 

 

There's no gift shop at the apes' den - in fact there's nothing except a shelter for the apes (tail-less monkeys). And that's the way it should be, as you'll realise when you're there.

Probably (?) one at St Michael's cave, but plenty of gifts / souvenirs in the shops around Main Street.

 

 

The van driver will take you back to the ship at the end of the tour if you want.

Local buses - you really need an answer from a local like Ollie&BertiesMum.

Best I can tell you is ........

It's about 3/4 of a mile from Casemates Square / Main Street to the cruise terminal, all level, all on sidewalk.

I don't think there's a bus to the cruise terminal.

I believe several bus routes run that way from the bus stands behind Casemates Square but that they turn off halfway along (onto Europort Road) so only save you about half that walk. So it's probably best to take a taxi from the rank adjacent those bus stands.

 

JB :)

[fabnfortysomething]

there is a gift shop at St Michaels cave

 

we pre arranged a taxi tour via our roll call with agreement to meet our driver 8.30

2 of our group were no shows-we waited 10 minutes but our driver said if we didn't leave soon it would get very crowded at top

sure enough even leaving 8.40 there was a line forming below.He dropped us off a few hundred metres before entrance so we could walk up to caves and he inched his way up so met us at entrance 20 mins later

 

so advice would be get off ship quickly to find available taxi

[Moose12345]

We have an excursion booked from Celebrity. I was wondering about transportation back to the ship if we get off on Main Street to do some shopping.:confused:

[ollienbertsmum]

We have an excursion booked from Celebrity. I was wondering about transportation back to the ship if we get off on Main Street to do some shopping.:confused:

 

You can easily walk. It is 15 - 20 minutes and flat.

[sarar]

I will be in Gibraltar on the 25 November and wanted to get the cable car up the rock to see the monkeys, is the cable car very far from the cruise ship? Thanks in advance

 

 

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[John Bull]

I will be in Gibraltar on the 25 November and wanted to get the cable car up the rock to see the monkeys, is the cable car very far from the cruise ship? Thanks in advance

 

 

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It's a 35 minute walk from the cruise pier to the bottom cablecar station, but all on level ground.

 

There will be taxis at the pier, but they may try to persuade you to instead take a tour of the upper Rock - which is the way I'd suggest anyway because it includes much more than just the apes' den.

 

If you share a taxi or van to the cablecar station with like-minded folk, that may have a distinct advantage over walking - not just the time & distance but it also means that if there's grief at the bottom cablecar station you can then agree with your driver to take the tour of the upper Rock - the route up starts near the cablecar station.

Grief at the bottom cablecar station? ........

1. There may be a very long line waiting to use the cablecar. Being November, that's fairly unlikely, but ......

2. In even moderate winds the cablecar service is suspended (awful pun intended :rolleyes:), and that of course is more likely in November.

Bear in mind that the very reasonable cost of a taxi or van tour (£25? per person, in sterling or euros) is based on a full vehicle - unless you go to the cablecar station with others (or, I guess, find sharers at the cablecar station - should be pretty easy if the cablecar isn't running), for the tour you might have to pay the same sum for each empty seat :eek:

 

The apes' den is a 5 minute walk down from the top cablecar station, there's another close to the midway cablecar station (that midway station is closed in summer to speed things up, but should be open in November).

Good 360 views from the top station, and a bit of a café.

 

The taxi / van tours start at the cruise terminal, and taxi marshals will put you in with sharers. (the tour also available elsewhere in town, but again the problem of finding sharers).

Tour visits the Jewish monument (southerly views of Morocco), St Michael's cave (westerly views over Algeciras Bay), the apes den (westerly views, and by climbing just a dozen steps easterly views over the Med if mists which frequently roll up the eastern side don't obscure the view) and the Great Siege Tunnel (northerly views over the airport & Spanish border) then drops you in town or back at the ship. Admission prices included.

Tour takes something under 2 hours - you are of course stuck with the itinerary / timings, but they've been running these tours for decades and the time allowed at each stop is fine for the vast majority of passengers

 

But the cablecar is the way to go if you want to roam free at the top. St Michael's cave is only a 10 minute walk south from the top station (not a scenic walk), the Great Siege tunnel mebbe 20 minutes (and great views on the way) - but in the opposite direction. From the Great Siege tunnel it's probably easier to walk down rather than return to the cablecar. If you're not into caves, give St Michael's a miss & head north from the apes den

 

I'd take the tour, others would take the cablecar. There are pros & cons for both.

 

JB :)

ps Barbary apes or tailless monkeys? Most folk call them apes - but most folk aren't zoologists ;)

[sarar]

It's a 35 minute walk from the cruise pier to the bottom cablecar station, but all on level ground.

 

 

 

There will be taxis at the pier, but they may try to persuade you to instead take a tour of the upper Rock - which is the way I'd suggest anyway because it includes much more than just the apes' den.

 

 

 

If you share a taxi or van to the cablecar station with like-minded folk, that may have a distinct advantage over walking - not just the time & distance but it also means that if there's grief at the bottom cablecar station you can then agree with your driver to take the tour of the upper Rock - the route up starts near the cablecar station.

 

Grief at the bottom cablecar station? ........

 

1. There may be a very long line waiting to use the cablecar. Being November, that's fairly unlikely, but ......

 

2. In even moderate winds the cablecar service is suspended (awful pun intended :rolleyes:), and that of course is more likely in November.

 

Bear in mind that the very reasonable cost of a taxi or van tour (£25? per person, in sterling or euros) is based on a full vehicle - unless you go to the cablecar station with others (or, I guess, find sharers at the cablecar station - should be pretty easy if the cablecar isn't running), for the tour you might have to pay the same sum for each empty seat :eek:

 

 

 

The apes' den is a 5 minute walk down from the top cablecar station, there's another close to the midway cablecar station (that midway station is closed in summer to speed things up, but should be open in November.

 

Good 360 views from the top station, and a bit of a café.

 

 

 

The taxi / van tours start at the cruise terminal, and taxi marshals will put you in with sharers. (the tour also available elsewhere in town, but again the problem of finding sharers).

 

Tour visits the Jewish monument (southerly views of Morocco), St Michael's cave (westerly views over Algeciras Bay), the apes den (westerly views, and by climbing just a dozen steps easterly views over the Med if mists which frequently roll up the eastern side don't obscure the view) and the Great Siege Tunnel (northerly views over the airport & Spanish border) then drops you in town or back at the ship. Admission prices included.

 

Tour takes something under 2 hours - you are of course stuck with the itinerary / timings, but they've been running these tours for decades and the time allowed at each stop is fine for the vast majority of passengers

 

 

 

But the cablecar is the way to go if you want to roam free at the top. St Michael's cave is only a 10 minute walk from the top station, the Great Siege tunnel mebbe 20 minutes - but in the opposite direction. From the Great Siege tunnel it's probably easier to walk down rather than return to the cablecar.

 

 

 

I'd take the tour, others would take the cablecar. There are pros & cons for both.

 

 

 

JB :)

 

ps Barbary apes or tailless monkeys? Most folk call them apes - but most folk aren't zoologists ;)

 

 

 

I’m a part time wheelchair user and have been to Gibraltar before, but this time I have my niece with us, so thought this time we would just get the cable car up to the top to see the apes

 

 

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