Gibraltar allowing private excursions?

[konatyme]

I realize things can change often (and quickly) but am just wondering whether anyone knows about Gibraltar in terms of excursions. Do they allow private ones or on-your-own walking around, or are ship excursions required?

[riffatsea]

We'll be there in October and have already booked a private tour with 2 other couples

[konatyme]

Thank you.

[FlaMariner]

Was in Gibraltar last week for a port stop.  Had a great time.  No issues with private tours or group tours or anything else, for that matter.

 

No masks required. 

 

 

[konatyme]

Thank you!

[JennAngel9]

Riffatsea and FlaMariner, would you be willing to share the names of the guides you did use or plan to use on Gibraltar? 

[Denmal]

How easy is it to get to the cable car from the ship ?  Will a taxi take us there.  My husband has trouble walking ...  I was planning on booking my tickets in advance for the cable car (up and down) but want to make sure we can get there once we get off the ship .  Thanks for any information 

[Hlitner]

22 hours ago, Denmal said:

How easy is it to get to the cable car from the ship ?  Will a taxi take us there.  My husband has trouble walking ...  I was planning on booking my tickets in advance for the cable car (up and down) but want to make sure we can get there once we get off the ship .  Thanks for any information 

There will be taxis waiting outiside the pier area (that does involve some walking over a flat surface).  Most will want to take you on a taxi-tour up the rock and this might be advisable since your DH has walking challenges.  Just walking around the top area of the Rock involves lots of walking on slopes so having a car/driver might better allow you two to enjoy various places up on the rock.   But you might be able to get a taxi to take you to the cable car (located on the far side of town from the cruise port).  But, as I said, your DH is likely to have problems walking.  Just getting to the cable car entrance from the street (where a taxi would drop) might be difficult for somebody with mobility issues.

 

Hank

[John Bull]

On 8/6/2022 at 6:20 PM, Denmal said:

How easy is it to get to the cable car from the ship ?  Will a taxi take us there.  My husband has trouble walking ...  I was planning on booking my tickets in advance for the cable car (up and down) but want to make sure we can get there once we get off the ship .  Thanks for any information 

 

Cruise terminal to bottom cablecar station takes about 35 minutes on foot - no fun even for the tolerably-fit. There'll be taxis & vans at the cruise terminal and I imagine one would take you but as per Hank's post most will be offering Upper Rock tours.

The top cablecar station gives you glorious views (and there's a cafe there). The apes' (beg pardon, the Barbary Macaques') feeding station is a 250 yard walk, the skywalk a further 100 yards.

 

Alternatively an Upper Rock taxi / van tour involves very little walking but

- they stop for a five-minute photo-stop at the Pillars of Hercules monument for southerly views over the Straits to Morocco

- they stop for about 20 minutes at St Michael's cave, where there are steps down & back up - but if you don't want to enter there are great elevated westerly views over the Bay of Algeciras.

- they stop for 15 - 20 minutes at the apes' den. By going up about 15 steps you get great elevated easterly views over the Mediterranean.

- they stop for 15 - 20 minutes at the Great Siege Tunnels. No steps but a smooth sloping floor - you go as far in as you like. Vertical northern views down over the airport, the border and the Spanish mainland.

- at the end of the tour the driver can take you back to the ship, or most folk choose to bale out in town at  Casemates Square / the northern end of Main Street - from there it's a 20 minute walk back to the ship or there's a taxi rank behind Casemates Square.

 

Difficult to advise which to choose, because I don't know the extent of hubby's mobility.

 

JB 🙂

[Denmal]

Well is sounds like a taxi tour is the best.  Any idea on costs ?  I want to bring enough british pounds to pay the driver including a tip.  Thanks for the advice 

[John Bull]

11 hours ago, Denmal said:

Well is sounds like a taxi tour is the best.  Any idea on costs ?  I want to bring enough british pounds to pay the driver including a tip.  Thanks for the advice 

 

Last I heard it was around £25 - £30.

 

Tips at your discretion but generally way less than in the US. £5 for a couple would be very generous, and you're not going to be chased down the street if you don't tip.

 

 

But like pretty-well everywhere else in Gib. you can pay in euros -  no need to buy GBP unless you're also visiting the UK.

Most things (incl those tours) are priced in both GBP and euros - do a quick bit of mental arithmetic to be sure you're not being ripped off. If you don't have any GBP most places accept cards, but I don't know about taxi/van tours.

 

JB 🙂

[mcase131]

Is the price per person or total for both.  Thank you in advance

[Over from NZ]

I can't say enough good things about these guys! - https://www.rocktoursgibraltar.com/packages/ultimate-tour

 

Was an excellent excursion.. one of the best we've done in the Mediterranean. Included time for lunch in the middle. 

[John Bull]

On 8/9/2022 at 9:32 AM, John Bull said:

 

Last I heard it was around £25 - £30.

 

 

JB 🙂

 

10 hours ago, mcase131 said:

Is the price per person or total for both.  Thank you in advance

 

That's per person.

Payable in £ or €, not sure about $ or cards.

 

JB 🙂

[LPG27]

I will be stopping at Gibraltar o May 8th from a Princess cruise.  This thread has been very helpful.  I am trying to get more information about getting around Gibraltar after I get off the ship.  Sounds like taking the cable car is not a good option for us because of all the walking.  I do want to take a rock tour of the key sites including the WW2 tunnels.  How reliable are the vans, taxis by the cruise terminal.  Are they always there?      Would I be better off booking a tour in advance.    There are some tours offered on TripAdvisor by Blands travel.   Does anyone know anything abouts Blands?      Would appreciate your advice.   

[John Bull]

2 hours ago, LPG27 said:

I will be stopping at Gibraltar o May 8th from a Princess cruise.  This thread has been very helpful.  I am trying to get more information about getting around Gibraltar after I get off the ship.  Sounds like taking the cable car is not a good option for us because of all the walking.  I do want to take a rock tour of the key sites including the WW2 tunnels.  How reliable are the vans, taxis by the cruise terminal.  Are they always there?      Would I be better off booking a tour in advance.    There are some tours offered on TripAdvisor by Blands travel.   Does anyone know anything abouts Blands?      Would appreciate your advice.   

 

As long as you head to the cruise terminal at about the same time as the herd, there will be vans. And they load quickly.

If you're late off the ship you might have to wait quite a while for the van to load - or more likely they will have moved on to more lucrative spots.

 

The tour from the cruise terminal is very good - but doesn't include the WW2 tunnels. However it does pass them on its way back to town, and those who are keen to visit them can pay off the driver and bale out of the van at the entrance - they miss nothing on the van tour.

 

The WW2 tunnels are guided, if DIY were an option there'd be folk still lost in there since Christmas 😏

Tours every 15 to 30 minutes, no need to book.

After the tour, instead of using the exit (which is located higher than the entrance) accompany the guide back thro the tunnels to the entrance, then a five-minute walk down past the Moorish castle to the bus stop for a bus down to Casemates Square at the northern end of Main Street, a 20-minute walk from the cruise terminal.

 

I don't know Blands, but there are a few differences from the standard upper Rock tour.

- They leave from the mid-town car & coach park, about a 20 minute walk from the cruise terminal

- Their website says they call at Europa Point. Excellent, but that would surprise me - other tours stop at the Pillars of Hercules which is en-route, and perhaps that's where Blands mean.

- That tour includes the WW2 tunnels but not the Great Siege Tunnels (c.1780), which are higher and offer a panoramic northerly view over the airport and border - the WW2 tunnels offer only a small northerly window.

http://www.gibraltartaxiassociation.com/tour/standard-rock-tour  is a typical tour from the cruise terminal

 

If your group is big enough (or you find sharers thro your ship's RollCall) you can pre-book a tour tailored to your needs

 

JB 🙂

 

[demodawn]

On 8/7/2022 at 8:27 PM, John Bull said:

 

Cruise terminal to bottom cablecar station takes about 35 minutes on foot - no fun even for the tolerably-fit. There'll be taxis & vans at the cruise terminal and I imagine one would take you but as per Hank's post most will be offering Upper Rock tours.

The top cablecar station gives you glorious views (and there's a cafe there). The apes' (beg pardon, the Barbary Macaques') feeding station is a 250 yard walk, the skywalk a further 100 yards.

 

Alternatively an Upper Rock taxi / van tour involves very little walking but

- they stop for a five-minute photo-stop at the Pillars of Hercules monument for southerly views over the Straits to Morocco

- they stop for about 20 minutes at St Michael's cave, where there are steps down & back up - but if you don't want to enter there are great elevated westerly views over the Bay of Algeciras.

- they stop for 15 - 20 minutes at the apes' den. By going up about 15 steps you get great elevated easterly views over the Mediterranean.

- they stop for 15 - 20 minutes at the Great Siege Tunnels. No steps but a smooth sloping floor - you go as far in as you like. Vertical northern views down over the airport, the border and the Spanish mainland.

- at the end of the tour the driver can take you back to the ship, or most folk choose to bale out in town at  Casemates Square / the northern end of Main Street - from there it's a 20 minute walk back to the ship or there's a taxi rank behind Casemates Square.

 

Difficult to advise which to choose, because I don't know the extent of hubby's mobility.

 

JB 🙂

What is the cost of this tour please. Or the website. Thanks

[John Bull]

1 hour ago, demodawn said:

What is the cost of this tour please. Or the website. Thanks

 

Last I heard (pre-pandemic) a typical tour such as the one I linked was £25 pp, I can only hazard an educated guess at £30 to £35. Euros also accepted, I don't know about cards.

That's for joining a van at the cruise terminal, probably the same in town or at the border.

The vans are separately-owned so there's no website, but the price is standard - it will cost more from elsewhere on Gib. if it's not a full  van .

 

Pre-booked vans can be arranged and can be customised - price will depend on itinerary & party numbers (usual max 6 to 8

Google Rock of Gibraltar Tour for the various operators and options

 

JB 🙂

[drega99]

On 1/12/2023 at 2:02 AM, LPG27 said:

I will be stopping at Gibraltar o May 8th from a Princess cruise.  This thread has been very helpful.  I am trying to get more information about getting around Gibraltar after I get off the ship.  Sounds like taking the cable car is not a good option for us because of all the walking.  I do want to take a rock tour of the key sites including the WW2 tunnels.  How reliable are the vans, taxis by the cruise terminal.  Are they always there?      Would I be better off booking a tour in advance.    There are some tours offered on TripAdvisor by Blands travel.   Does anyone know anything abouts Blands?      Would appreciate your advice.   

We used Blands Travel in August and did the full tour with the WWII tunnels, monkeys etc. The tour itself was great, however locating the meeting point was hard to locate and taxis were nonexistent, we ended  walking the whole way. Again, discreet car garage location but in the end all was good.

[Lady Anna & Sir Troy]

On 1/24/2023 at 7:03 PM, drega99 said:

We used Blands Travel in August and did the full tour with the WWII tunnels, monkeys etc. The tour itself was great, however locating the meeting point was hard to locate and taxis were nonexistent, we ended  walking the whole way. Again, discreet car garage location but in the end all was good.

 

You mean the taxis for the tours no longer line up by the cruise ships? 

[lisabdh1]

Just got back from a cruise stop there and we used Carl from Inside Out Rock Tours, we did the Ultimate Tour - 7 hours for 100 pounds per person. We had 3 vans full. Everyone loved it! Best tour ever!