Gibraltar - walk to the top of rock?

Wondering if anyone has ever skipped the cable car (and the lines) and walked to the top of the rock? How steep is it and how far? Am I correct to assume that we could stop and look on the way up instead of on the way down? We are mid-40s, hikers and in good shape other than walking down steep hills can be difficult on my DH's knees. Could we walk up and ride down?

Wondering if anyone has ever skipped the cable car (and the lines) and walked to the top of the rock? How steep is it and how far? Am I correct to assume that we could stop and look on the way up instead of on the way down? We are mid-40s, hikers and in good shape other than walking down steep hills can be difficult on my DH's knees. Could we walk up and ride down?

I would like to know this too .. I really don't want to go in cable car it fills me with dread :eek:

Yes, you can. We did it a few years ago. I guess I was 50 or so at the time. You can stop along the way to view the sites, or just take a break.

How much time should we expect to need? We are in port noon-6p.

How much time should we expect to need? We are in port noon-6p.

It has been awhile since we did it. It seems to me we left after breakfast (so probably 8 or 9) and were back on board before lunch (noon or earlier probably). Seems like it took us an hour or so to walk from the ship to the top, with a couple of stops. Then we made our way down and visited the caves along the way. It was probably 3 to 4 hours total.

I have looked into this for an upcoming trip.

you can walk and they will charge you 0.50 Euro for a hiking pass.

I think it takes 20-30 minutes to walk to the enterance from the ship then 1 hours to walk up. Once up you can spend more time and money walking around and seeing the sites.

Goggle Jews Gate and Mediterranean Steps for the walk up details.

Thanks for all the great information! Planning is so much easier when you can "talk" to people who have been there, done that.

Are there many steps on the way? We would like to walk up and ride down also but will be with our son. He is 3 so will walk some and ride some in his pushchair.

We are going to get a little pic nic from marks and Spencer on the way. Yum.

As you leave the port, there are lots of taxis offering to take you up the rock. This is what we did. We were originally going to take the cable car, but with hindsight glad that we did not. Other members of our group went for the cable car and the queue was lo long that they never made it.

In the taxi we still had a lot of walking. Traffic going up the rock was so busy and slow that the taxi drops you off some way before each stop. You then walk ahead, overtaking the other queuing taxis. You look around the attraction, then come back out and join the taxi who is waiting outside and move onto the next atraction.

The taxi driver acts as a sort of tour guide, telling you what you are about to see and the best places to look.

You lose some independence, but probably get to see more. The roads are narrow and full of traffic. I would not like to walk all the way through it, especially not with children.

At the end of the tour, the taxi drops you back in town or takes you back to the ship.

I would recommend the taxi, but of course the choice is yours.

As you leave the port, there are lots of taxis offering to take you up the rock. This is what we did. We were originally going to take the cable car, but with hindsight glad that we did not. Other members of our group went for the cable car and the queue was lo long that they never made it.

 

In the taxi we still had a lot of walking. Traffic going up the rock was so busy and slow that the taxi drops you off some way before each stop. You then walk ahead, overtaking the other queuing taxis. You look around the attraction, then come back out and join the taxi who is waiting outside and move onto the next atraction.

 

The taxi driver acts as a sort of tour guide, telling you what you are about to see and the best places to look.

 

You lose some independence, but probably get to see more. The roads are narrow and full of traffic. I would not like to walk all the way through it, especially not with children.

 

At the end of the tour, the taxi drops you back in town or takes you back to the ship.

 

I would recommend the taxi, but of course the choice is yours.

The cable car queues are long when there is more than one ship in port (you can check on CruiseTT) and if you dawdle getting there.

I have seen long queues at around 11.20 - noon ish time, with ship tour buses dropping off passengers. You would gain time if you get a taxi to take you to the cable car station. The taxi drivers would prefer you to do a rock tour, and they are good value, but if you only want to go to the cable car station they have to take you. Get in before you tell the driver where you want to go. If taxis are scarce at the port there is a 1 km walk into town where there are more taxi stands (through the arches into the big square). There are buses, they are free, but again there is the time element to consider. You need to get up the rock soon to allow yourself more time to enjoy it.

Answering a previous point, it seems that it is hard to walk up the rock and ride down in the Cable Car. My hubby tried to do that a few weeks ago (because of his knees) but they wanted to charge him the return fare and it seemed to him like there was not a ticket office at the top.

I use walking up the rock as a workout. It takes me a couple of hours from my house (sea level) to the top and back. Of course I do not visit the sites. You would not have time to see more than St Michael's Cave or the tunnels and of course the Apes before you need to be going down. If you had all day in port I would say that there is no problem, with only an afternoon it is going to be a bit of a rush. I would hate you to come back in a few weeks' time to say that you missed sailaway. :eek:

My advice would be that if you are the only ship in port then aim to leave the ship asap and go for the Cable Car. If Gibraltar is very crowded a taxi tour may be a better idea.

Have I answered the question??

Can I just add that I wouldn't like to walk up with a child in a pushchair and definitely not with them walking....it's a long, steep, hot hike on a very narrow winding road with traffic constantly passing. We took a taxi tour and even getting out to see the apes you want to hold on to your children as there are taxis all around and no room for manouvre.

Can I just add that I wouldn't like to walk up with a child in a pushchair and definitely not with them walking....it's a long, steep, hot hike on a very narrow winding road with traffic constantly passing. We took a taxi tour and even getting out to see the apes you want to hold on to your children as there are taxis all around and no room for manouvre.

Thanks so much, that's good to know! I had presumed it would be a good footpath taking into account the tourist footfall.

We will be there in November so heat not so much of an issue and like hiking but if it's a safety issue it's a definite no. Do you recall the price of a taxi tour?

The cable car queues are long when there is more than one ship in port (you can check on CruiseTT) and if you dawdle getting there.

 

I have seen long queues at around 11.20 - noon ish time, with ship tour buses dropping off passengers. You would gain time if you get a taxi to take you to the cable car station. The taxi drivers would prefer you to do a rock tour, and they are good value, but if you only want to go to the cable car station they have to take you. Get in before you tell the driver where you want to go. If taxis are scarce at the port there is a 1 km walk into town where there are more taxi stands (through the arches into the big square). There are buses, they are free, but again there is the time element to consider. You need to get up the rock soon to allow yourself more time to enjoy it.

 

Answering a previous point, it seems that it is hard to walk up the rock and ride down in the Cable Car. My hubby tried to do that a few weeks ago (because of his knees) but they wanted to charge him the return fare and it seemed to him like there was not a ticket office at the top.

 

I use walking up the rock as a workout. It takes me a couple of hours from my house (sea level) to the top and back. Of course I do not visit the sites. You would not have time to see more than St Michael's Cave or the tunnels and of course the Apes before you need to be going down. If you had all day in port I would say that there is no problem, with only an afternoon it is going to be a bit of a rush. I would hate you to come back in a few weeks' time to say that you missed sailaway. :eek:

 

My advice would be that if you are the only ship in port then aim to leave the ship asap and go for the Cable Car. If Gibraltar is very crowded a taxi tour may be a better idea.

 

Have I answered the question??

I appreciate your information here. When you use this walk as your workout, do you fight traffic all the way up and down? Must you use the same road as the car traffic? Finally, we are hikers and will have our hiking poles with us; would you say they would be a help or hindrance?

Thank you.

from what I have found looking around the internert, this is the option I am going to attempt.

walk from the ship to the town's main bus stop.

take the free(?) bus #3 towards the jews gate.

get off near the jews gate

pay a 0.50€ hikers fee

hike up the Mediterranean Steps

hike back towards the apes den, tbd path

hike down the rock

once down catch a bus back if required

I think this works, I will find out when I am there!

This link would give some useful information:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g187510-i1247-k2704921-Walking_up_the_rock-Gibraltar.html

Screwcork

Thank you both, esp. for the TA link. We will have from 8am-4pm in port May 7 and am hoping it won't be too hot, for we'd like to walk up and back. But from the TA posts, I am wondering if the E.50 hikers' fee covers admissions - unlikely. So, will someone be at the apes' den, the cave, etc. to collect?

Debbie

Thank you both, esp. for the TA link. We will have from 8am-4pm in port May 7 and am hoping it won't be too hot, for we'd like to walk up and back. But from the TA posts, I am wondering if the E.50 hikers' fee covers admissions - unlikely. So, will someone be at the apes' den, the cave, etc. to collect?

 

Debbie

Hi Debbie,

There's no admission fee to the Cave, or to the Great Seige Tunnels if you get that far, or to the apes den although that is simply a hang-out at the roadside.

Admission to the Reserve is included in the cablecar ticket and in both organised tours and impromptu taxi tours, only hikers have to pay.

JB :)

Thank you!

Hi Debbie,

There's no admission fee to the Cave, or to the Great Seige Tunnels if you get that far, or to the apes den although that is simply a hang-out at the roadside.

Admission to the Reserve is included in the cablecar ticket and in both organised tours and impromptu taxi tours, only hikers have to pay.

 

JB :)

I think this is wrong. I have never been there but the 0.50 hikers pass includes admission to nothing, but the apes den is free. Not the caves or tunnels or anything else, only the view is included. Anything involving the cable car may include other things, I do not know.

google "gibralter nature reserve hikers fee 0.50"

and the first links says the 0.50 includes nothing

and a 10 gbp includes entrance to a number of attractions

I think this is wrong. I have never been there but the 0.50 hikers pass includes admission to nothing, but the apes den is free. Not the caves or tunnels or anything else, only the view is included. Anything involving the cable car may include other things, I do not know.

Ouch. :rolleyes:

According to the web, it looks like you're right, though it's a little confusing. :o

We've paid no entrance fees when we've gone up by taxi. The driver didn't give us any tickets or accompany us into the Cave and the taxi fares wouldn't have been enough to cover entry fees, so I'm none-too-sure how that worked.

Mebbe we were trespassing :D

JB :)

There is a fee to enter the caves. The ape's den is free, but they sell tickets to the tunnels at the entrance. If you get to the top and want to take the cable car down, ask at the gift shop - they can sell you a ticket down IF they have one.

I went in May and it is MUCH hotter than you might expect. It is definitely rough on the knees going down, but was a very enjoyable trip. I recommend doing it as early as you can, so that you can spend the afternoon having lunch in town.

Thanks. We definitely plan to start early, early. I am investigating taking the Mediterranean Steps; anyone have a comment? TripAdvisor has some helpful reviews, but I wouldn't mind more input from here.

Thanks.

We were in Gibraltar last month although not via cruise ship. We had a car with us and the charge for the entrance to the siege tunnels, the caves and the apes den was £10 per person and £2 for the car to drive up to the top of the rock.

The taxis were charging £12 per person for the rock tour. This was less than usual (£18) and I suspect it was a quiet day with no ships in.

Have a look at the Gib taxi website for more info on tours available

www.gibtaxi.com

Pam.

We will be in Gibralter this summer on a cruise and we do not arrive until 2PM and leave about 6PM. I have emailed three different tour companies to try to book a rock tour and none seem to email me back. Is this normal. It has been over a week and no answers. Actually one did reply that i should fill out a form and i did that and then i didn't hear from them again. Has anyone else had this problem.? We really want to go to the top and also want to see the WW II tunnels....