Gibraltar Shore Excursions

Gibraltar · 5 independent tours

Across Gibraltar — laws & safety

National rules and risks that apply anywhere in Gibraltar — relayed from official sources, not our verdict. We pass on what the authority says and leave the judgement to you.

Laws that catch visitors out

The laws of Gibraltar are similar to UK laws for alcohol, drugs and anti-social behaviour.

Drones

Gibraltar is treated as one highly congested area, so a drone — even one under 250g — cannot be flown without permission from the Gibraltar Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). Visiting operators must apply to the GCAA for a permit (proof of identity, insurance, a UK CAA Flyer ID and proof of competence); recreational flights are only allowed in four designated coastal zones, over the sea. In practice, treat casual drone flying as not available without advance GCAA permission.

via HM Government of Gibraltar — Small Unmanned Aircraft (SUA) · 28 Jun 2026

Scams to watch

Violence and street crime are rare, but take sensible precautions to protect your belongings.

Relayed from UK FCDO travel advice — Gibraltar · checked 18 Jul 2026

Traffic drives on the right. Look left first when you cross the road.

Docking & terminals in Gibraltar

Cruise ships berth alongside both sides of the Cruise Terminal — a 940-metre total quay length taking up to four medium or two large vessels simultaneously, within an hour of leaving the main shipping lanes (Gibraltar Port Authority).

Cruise Terminal (berths 1-2 East, 2-3 East, 1-2 West, 2-3 West) — 1 km to the city centre — about a 10-minute walk (GPA facilities table) (Taxis and a shuttle bus wait outside the Cruise Terminal; a Gibraltar Tourist Board information office is inside.)

Mobility & step-free access

Getting around between the pier and town:

On foot — The GPA lists the berth-to-centre distance as 1 km, about a 10-minute walk.
Taxi / shuttle — Taxis and a shuttle bus are stationed outside the Cruise Terminal (GPA).
Bus — The Gibraltar Bus Company publishes routes, timetables, a network map and a live bus tracker; Hopper tickets can be bought online.

Step-free options vary by pier and by the day — confirm the specifics with your operator and the ship’s guest-services desk before booking.

The terminal sits inside a restricted security zone with x-ray screening — allow time to re-board, and carry ship ID.

Getting around & must-sees in Gibraltar

Getting around

Town is a 10-minute walk from the terminal; the Upper Rock Nature Reserve is the main excursion ground — note the cable car is closed for refurbishment.

On foot — The GPA lists the berth-to-centre distance as 1 km, about a 10-minute walk.
Taxi / shuttle — Taxis and a shuttle bus are stationed outside the Cruise Terminal (GPA).
Bus — The Gibraltar Bus Company publishes routes, timetables, a network map and a live bus tracker; Hopper tickets can be bought online.

Must-see sights

St Michael's Cave — Gibraltar's premier tourist attraction, famed for its natural beauty and as a concert venue (Gibraltar Nature Reserve).
Gibraltar Nature Reserve — Upper Rock — Home to the Skywalk, Windsor Suspension Bridge, Great Siege Tunnels, WWII Tunnels and Moorish Castle. NOTE: the cable car up is closed for full refurbishment, expected to reopen in 2027.
Gibraltar National Museum — The national museum, on Bomb House Lane.
The Alameda — Gibraltar Botanic Gardens — Free admission, 8am to sunset (the Gardens' own site).

More sights & details ↗

Getting back to the pier

It is a 1 km, ~10-minute walk back to the terminal from the centre; taxis and the shuttle wait outside the terminal (GPA).

On foot — About 10 minutes from the city centre (GPA facilities table).
Taxi / shuttle — Stationed outside the Cruise Terminal.

Operator policies we’ve checked in Gibraltar

Before a tour earns its trust pills, we read the operator’s own site — their terms, cancellation and accessibility pages — and relay what they state. These are the operators’ own terms, not our verdicts; confirm when booking.

Dolphin Safari Gibraltar
- Free cancellation — verified with conditions: Cancel at least 48 hours before the tour start time for a full 100% refund. Inside 48 hours but not on the day of travel, only 50% is refunded, and cancelling on the day of the tour — or not turning up at the meeting point — incurs the full price with no refund or credit. This is the operator's site-wide cancellation policy; it publishes no separate terms for this particular tour.
Checked 7 Aug 2026 · covers 2 tours listed on this page
Naturanda Turismo Ambiental
- Free cancellation — verified with conditions: The operator states that as a general rule its activities can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before the tour. It publishes different cancellation windows on other products, so the wording is a general rule rather than a guarantee specific to this tour.
Checked 7 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
Solboat La Duquesa
- Free cancellation — verified with conditions: Cancel free of charge up to 72 hours before the booking start time. That window is longer than most operators' — inside 72 hours the operator states no free-cancellation right. The policy is published in Spanish: 'Cancelación gratuita hasta 72h antes'.
Checked 7 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page
TREEUS Limited
- Free cancellation — verified with conditions: The operator offers a full refund guarantee on unused tickets. This is not a timed cancellation window — the test is whether the ticket has been activated: once it has been, it can no longer be refunded.
Checked 7 Aug 2026 · covers 1 tour listed on this page

How we check, and what “not stated” means

Local know-hows in Gibraltar

Money

Currency: Gibraltar pound and UK sterling are legal tender; euros are widely accepted, but the tourist board advises exchanging currency or paying by card for a better rate.
Cards: Credit cards are widely accepted (Gibraltar Tourist Board).
ATMs: Banks and bureaux de change are plentiful; the tourist board advises watching exchange rates when using ATMs and making purchases.

Local etiquette

The macaque rules are law, not advice: no feeding (£500 penalty), no touching, no bags, keep your distance.

Never feed the Barbary macaques — it is illegal, with a £500 penalty (HM Government of Gibraltar).
Touching the macaques is also illegal — they are wild animals despite being used to people (Gibraltar Nature Reserve).
Leave bags behind when visiting the macaques — they associate bags with food and may snatch them (Gibraltar Nature Reserve).
Keep a safe distance and avoid shouting or sudden movements around the macaques (Gibraltar Tourist Board).

Practicalities

Language: English is the official language; a local English–Spanish mix known as 'Yanito' is spoken casually (Gibraltar Tourist Board).
Tap water: Drinking water is produced by reverse-osmosis desalination blended with well water from the Rock; AquaGib samples and analyses each district's supply for wholesomeness against the Public Health Water Rules 1994, which include EU Directive 98/83/EC requirements.
Plugs: UK-style type G three-pin sockets, 220–240V, 50Hz (Gibraltar Tourist Board) — no adapter needed for UK visitors.

More practical info ↗

Key facts to know before you step off — confirm anything time-sensitive locally.

Port busyness in Gibraltar

Moderately busy

Four passenger berths take up to four medium or two large ships at once; the GPA publishes cruise schedules showing which ships share your day.

Peak pattern: Busiest when multiple ships berth simultaneously along the shared 940 m quay.

Up to 4 medium / 2 large ships alongside at once (GPA)
GPA publishes cruise schedules
Busy commercial port and bunkering centre alongside cruise traffic

This shows a typical day for the time of year — actual crowds vary on your date, and it isn’t a guarantee.

What we’ve checked in Gibraltar — and when

We last checked the facts on this page on 7 Aug 2026. Live travel advisories refresh automatically from the official sources.

Docking & getting ashore: Verified by The Excursion Edit · 7 Aug 2026
Getting around: Verified by The Excursion Edit against official sources · 7 Aug 2026
How busy it gets: Verified by The Excursion Edit · 7 Aug 2026
Operator policies: From each operator’s own site and terms · 7 Aug 2026
Travel advisories: FCDO (GOV.UK) & US State Department · refreshed automatically