Mediterranean › British Overseas Territory › Gibraltar
Gibraltar
A towering limestone Rock where Europe faces Africa — wild Barbary macaques, hand-carved siege tunnels, a glass-bottomed Skywalk, and a slice of Britain guarding the gateway to the Mediterranean.
⚓ Docked (North Mole Terminal)🕒 Typical call: 8–10 hrs💷 Gibraltar Pound (GIP) · GBP/EUR ok🗣️ English (+ Llanito)
Docking
Gibraltar Cruise Terminal (North Mole)
To town
~2 km · 15–20 min walk or shuttle
Best For
The Rock · Wildlife · History
Don't Miss
Macaques, Skywalk & siege tunnels
📄 Take this port with you
A printable port guide — key info, things to do & tips. Includes an editable “My Day in Port” box for your ship times & booked excursions.
Gibraltar docks at the North Mole Cruise Terminal on the western harbour. It's about 2 km to the city centre — a flat, safe walk past Ocean Village marina, or a quick shuttle or taxi.
Getting Off the Ship
1
North Mole TerminalShips berth at the modern Gibraltar Cruise Terminal (North Mole). It has a tourist info desk, Wi-Fi, souvenir shops, a café-bar, and taxis queued outside. A shuttle to Casemates Square (£3–4 return) runs on busy days.
2
Walk or shuttle to townThe 2 km walk to Casemates Square takes 15–20 minutes along a flat paved path past the Ocean Village marina, full of waterfront cafés and dolphin-watching boats. Taxis are plentiful if you prefer.
3
Upper Rock: cable car closedThe Gibraltar Cable Car is closed for full refurbishment, with reopening expected in 2027, not guaranteed. Use a confirmed official taxi/minibus Rock Tour, a ship excursion or steep Nature Reserve walking paths with the required admission ticket. Check current status: Nature Reserve: cable car status
4
Public busesPublic buses serve lower-town destinations, including the Alameda Gardens area and Europa Point; they are not a working cable-car connection. Check current routes before travelling.
💡 Pro move: The Gibraltar Cable Car is closed for full refurbishment, with reopening expected in 2027, not guaranteed. Use a confirmed official taxi/minibus Rock Tour, a ship excursion or steep Nature Reserve walking paths with the required admission ticket. Check current status: Nature Reserve: cable car status
Piers & Tendering by Cruise Line
All cruise ships dock at the Gibraltar Cruise Terminal on the North Mole — a modern berth 2 km from the city centre with shuttle, taxi, and bus connections.
Gibraltar packs an extraordinary amount into 2.6 square miles — an iconic rock, wild monkeys, dripping caves, secret WWII tunnels, a glass Skywalk, and dolphins in the bay. Here's how to use your hours.
Iconic
Upper Rock Nature Reserve & Barbary Macaques
Meet the Barbary macaques and explore the Upper Rock by a confirmed Rock Tour or steep walking paths with Nature Reserve admission. The cable car is closed for refurbishment; reopening is expected in 2027, not guaranteed.
⏱ 2–3 hrs🐒 Wildlife🚕 Tour or steep walk; cable car closed📷 Iconic
Stand on a glass-bottomed viewing platform 340 metres above sea level and cross a 71-metre suspension bridge hanging over a sheer gorge — Gibraltar's most exhilarating new attraction.
Explore the astonishing 18th-century tunnels hand-carved into the Rock during the Great Siege, then go deeper into the vast WWII network used as an underground city — a completely hidden world inside the Rock.
A vast, dramatically lit limestone cavern of stalactites and stalagmites that doubles as a natural concert hall. 'The Awakening' immersive light and sound show runs inside the cave.
The Bay of Gibraltar hosts resident pods of Common, Striped, and Bottlenose dolphins year-round. Boats depart from Ocean Village marina — a 10-minute walk from the ship — for 1.5-hour trips with near-guaranteed sightings.
Stroll the pedestrian Main Street past red phone boxes and Marks & Spencer to Casemates Square, then cab to Europa Point's lighthouse for clear-day views across the Strait to Morocco's Rif Mountains.
Gibraltar's town is flat and walkable from the terminal; the Rock is best by cable car or tour. All routes follow real roads and paths.
Terminal to Casemates Square via Ocean Village
~2 km · 20 min · easy · flat
From the cruise terminal, walk north along the western waterfront past Ocean Village marina (dolphin-boat departures, waterfront restaurants) to Grand Casemates Square and pedestrian Main Street.
Walk south along Main Street past the Governor’s residence and Cathedral Square to Alameda Botanic Gardens. The nearby cable car is closed; this lower-town walk does not provide a ride to the Upper Rock.
The Rock's southern tip: the red-and-white lighthouse, the Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque, and on clear days a spectacular view across the 14 km Strait of Gibraltar to the mountains of Morocco.
Climate normals for Gibraltar (2014–2023 averages). Pack for the month you sail — highs, lows, and how many rainy days to expect.
Month
Avg High
Avg Low
Rainy Days
Sunrise
Sunset
Jan
60°F / 16°C
50°F / 10°C
9
8:31 AM
6:30 PM
Feb
61°F / 16°C
51°F / 11°C
9
8:08 AM
7:02 PM
Mar
64°F / 18°C
53°F / 12°C
10
7:32 AM
7:28 PM
Apr
67°F / 19°C
56°F / 13°C
9
7:48 AM
8:55 PM
May
73°F / 23°C
61°F / 16°C
4
7:15 AM
9:20 PM
Jun
80°F / 27°C
66°F / 19°C
2
7:04 AM
9:40 PM
Jul
85°F / 29°C
70°F / 21°C
0
7:16 AM
9:38 PM
Aug
85°F / 29°C
71°F / 22°C
1
7:39 AM
9:11 PM
Sep
80°F / 27°C
68°F / 20°C
5
8:04 AM
8:28 PM
Oct
74°F / 23°C
64°F / 18°C
8
8:28 AM
7:45 PM
Nov
66°F / 19°C
56°F / 13°C
9
7:58 AM
6:13 PM
Dec
63°F / 17°C
53°F / 12°C
8
8:25 AM
6:07 PM
Source: Open-Meteo ERA5 (10-yr daily averages)
Insider Tips
🐒
Never feed or touch the macaques. It's illegal (fines apply) and they bite. They'll snatch bags, sunglasses, and snacks — zip everything away on the Rock and keep cameras held firmly.
🚡
Cable car closed. The Gibraltar Cable Car is closed for full refurbishment, with reopening expected in 2027, not guaranteed. Use a confirmed official taxi/minibus Rock Tour, a ship excursion or steep Nature Reserve walking paths with the required admission ticket. Check current status: Nature Reserve: cable car status
💷
Bring pounds — but euros work too. Gibraltar uses GIP (pegged 1:1 to GBP); UK pounds and euros accepted everywhere. Cards are easy. GIP coins can't be spent in the UK, so spend them here.
🛍
Duty-free bargains on Main Street. Tobacco, spirits, perfume, and electronics are notably cheaper than EU ports. Check your home country customs limit before stocking up.
✈️
Walk across an active airport runway. Pedestrians can still cross Gibraltar International Airport's runway when planes aren't landing — one of the world's most unique and surreal short walks.
🍽
Try Calentita — Gibraltar's national dish. This baked chickpea-flour pancake is Gibraltar's answer to socca and is unique to this territory. Ocean Village waterfront has the best café-restaurant options near the ship.
Getting Around
Transport options from the pier — taxis, shuttles, transit passes, and whether ride-share apps work here.
Ride-share: check availabilityUber, Lyft, Grab and Bolt are not confirmed as operating in Gibraltar. The local taxi association has its own ride-booking app, but taxis at the cruise terminal are usually simpler for visitors.
🚍 Gibraltar Hopper Ticket / public bus network
£8 adult day ticket
Gibraltar does not have the classic open-top tourist HOHO format; the official Hopper ticket works as a hop-on, hop-off day pass across Citibus and Gibraltar Bus Company routes.
🚶 Walk to Casemates Square
Free
The cruise terminal is about 2 km from Casemates Square and Main Street. The flat waterfront walk usually takes 15-20 minutes via Ocean Village.
🚌 Cruise shuttle to town
£4-5 return
On cruise days, local shuttle minibuses commonly run from the terminal toward Casemates Square. It is the easiest option if you only want Main Street and the lower town.
🚕 Taxi or Rock tour
~£5-10 to town; tours higher
Taxis queue at the terminal and are useful for short hops, Europa Point, or Upper Rock sightseeing tours. Agree the price before leaving if you are taking a tour rather than a metered ride.
🚌 Hopper bus day ticket
~£8 adult day ticket
The Hopper ticket gives all-day use of Gibraltar public bus routes, including useful links toward the Cable Car area, beaches, and Europa Point. Buy online or locally and check route frequency before relying on it for a tight port call.
🚡 Cable car — closed
Unavailable during refurbishment
The Gibraltar Cable Car is closed for full refurbishment, with reopening expected in 2027, not guaranteed. Use a confirmed official taxi/minibus Rock Tour, a ship excursion or steep Nature Reserve walking paths with the required admission ticket. Check current status: Nature Reserve: cable car status
Cruises Calling Here
Upcoming cruises that call at Gibraltar. Dates, prices, and ports of call change — always confirm with the cruise line before booking.
Fred Olsen Borealis
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines
Round-trip from Southampton
⚓ Calls 02 Oct 202618 nights10 portsDeparts 2026-09-28
View itinerary · 10 ports
18 days, round-trip Discovering Italy with the Amalfi Coast
Itineraries and prices change — always confirm with the cruise line before booking. Some links are affiliate links that may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
