One Day in Gibraltar: Perfect Itinerary

This post may contain affiliate links which means if you decide to use the links and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you! More info in privacy policy.

If you’re visiting Southern Spain, you should consider taking a trip to spend one day in Gibraltar. Gibraltar is a unique destination with it’s British sophistication, Spanish sunshine, and exoticism as Morocco looms on the horizon.

If you only have one day in Gibraltar, there are some sights you have to hit.

Monkeys, caves, and the Rock, oh my! Gibraltar is much more than meets the eye. Even though it only spans about 3 miles, this coastal territory is full of life and has lots to offer.

Here’s how to experience the best of the best with just one day in Gibraltar!

One day in Gibraltar – know before you go

You will need your passport to enter Gibraltar. Even though you will most likely be coming from Spain, Gibraltar is a British territory, so have your passport in hand as you cross the border.

The official currency of Gibraltar is the pound sterling. You can use pounds from the UK in Gibraltar, but Euros are also accepted in most places. However, you will typically get a better deal if you pay with pounds, and your change will also be in pounds.

£1 Pound Sterling = $1.24 U.S dollar

The official language in Gibraltar is English. Spanish is also widely spoken and will appear on some of the signs because many Spaniards cross the border daily for work.

How to get to Gibraltar

Gibraltar is SO small that the only way to cross the border is through a road that connects with Spain, or you can also pass by means of an airport landing track. Get this: we waited at a traffic light to LET A PLANE LAND because the landing strip intersects the main road. Moral of the story: it’s always a bad idea to run a red light, but it’s a REALLY bad idea in Gibraltar.

Most people visit Gibraltar from Southern Spain because it’s only an hour or two away. You can catch the bus to Gibraltar from most major cities in Spain. I like to organize all my European travel through Omio because they make it super easy to see the dates, times, and prices beforehand. 

If you drive to Gibraltar, don’t drive in. There are lots of places to park in La Linea de la Concepción, a town just on the Spanish side of the border. Then, walk across the border to save yourself a few hours stuck in traffic on your way out. If you’re not feeling the 30 minute walk, you can take a bus into the city center. Look for a red bus and buy a day ticket which costs 3.50 Euros. You could buy a single ticket but that costs 2.40 Euros, but after a long day exploring you’ll probably want to hop on the bus back across the border.

If you do decide to walk, don’t worry because it’s pretty painless. There are lots of signs to direct you into Gibraltar. If you’re still a little lost, just walk toward the giant rock!

What to pack for one day in Gibraltar

• Passport: You won’ t be able to get in or out without it!
• Map or good GPS: My friends and I had trouble getting our phones to work, so I suggest getting a map from the visitors’ center.
• Lots of water: Take a refillable bottle and look out for water fountains or ask for refills at cafes.
• Sunscreen: Remember this is the same heat and sun intensity as Southern Spain, and you don’t want a sunburn to ruin your good time.
• Camera: Trust me, you’re going to want to remember this day.
• Good walking shoes: Gibraltar is best explored on foot so make sure you’ve got some comfortable walking shoes.

What to do in Gibraltar

Even though it’s a pretty small place, there’s tons to keep you entertained for a day trip to Gibraltar. Here are some must sees for one perfect day in Gibraltar.

Look out at Europa Point

When I went to Gibraltar, my first stop was this very scenic viewpoint where you can see miles and miles of water and a charming lighthouse. This is Europa Point, the southernmost point of Gibraltar that has illuminated the way for vessels through the Strait since 1841.

• 

• 

Fun fact for any other Greek mythology nerds out there: Gibraltar was earlier known as Mons Calpe, which is one of the Pillars of Hercules. The Pillars of Hercules indicated the boundary of the known world.

Gibraltar is also only about 7 miles from Africa, so on clear days you can actually see Africa in the distance. So if you’re keeping up with the facts, we’re in a British territory connected to Spain where you can see Africa and also Europe. What!?

It might have been the strangest place I’ve ever visited because the residents spoke Spanish but also English with British accents. In Gibraltar they’re known for speaking Llanito, which is basically just Spanglish.

Go to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar

This is a can’t miss. No, like you really can’t miss it because the Rock is HUGE. This big hunk of limestone is a staggering 1,398 ft tall, so it’ll always be right in plain sight. When I told my friends I saw the Rock, they thought I meant the actor, Dwayne ‘The Rock” Johnson. I guess I can understand the confusion, though, because they’re both pretty big!

There are a couple different ways to get to the top of the Rock.

• Ride the cable car – this is the quickest way to reach the top of the Rock. It runs every 10-15 minutes every day from 9.30 am – 7.15 pm (closes earlier in the winter). The round trip tickets costs £16 or you can purchase it with your £29 Nature Reserve ticket. The cable car reaches the top in just 6 minutes. Then come the monkeys, but I’ll get to that in a minute.
• Hike via Mediterranean Steps – this 0.86 mile hike begins at the Jew’s Gate and ends at the O’Hara’s Battery, which is the highest point. Be warned, the steps are crazy steep so you’ll probably be able to skip leg day for a month at the gym! It’s challenging, but the spectacular views are worth it.

If you’re not a big hiker then I’d recommend the cable car because you’ll be a lot less sweaty and have a lot more time for all the other great sites Gibraltar has to offer.

Discover St. Michael’s Caves

One of the most impressive features of Gibraltar is St. Michael’s Caves. These caves are a series of limestone chambers and tunnels that go so deep that people used to say they must’ve gone all the way to Africa. This is one theory to explain how the monkeys ended up in Gibraltar.

The caves were originally used to defend Gibraltar from their attackers, the Moors and the Spanish. The cave was also prepared to be used a military hospital during WWII, but it was never actually used for this.

Nowadays the caves are just a great spot to explore and the setting of the occasional concert. Yep, the cave has awesome acoustics, so there will be a concert inside every now and again in the 600 person auditorium.

St. Michael’s Caves are over 300m above seal level. The caves were created by water seeping slowly through the rock. This resulted in the formation of these stunning stalactites and stalagmites, but don’t ask me which one is which because I can never remember!

As cool as that would be, these colors aren’t natural. There’s lights shining on them that constantly change colors. Some think it takes away from the natural beauty, but I think it amplifies it.

Encounter the Ape’s Den

Gibraltar’s most famous residents are undoubtedly the Barbary Macaques, one of the two kinds of monkeys without a tail. This makes Gibraltar the only place in all of Europe with wild monkeys, so they are a huge tourist attraction.

You will usually see some lazing around outside the entrance to St. Michael’s Caves.

But if you really want to get up close and personal with the monkeys, take the cable car up to what’s known as the Ape’s Den. There are at least 300 of them living on the top of the Rock.

BE CAREFUL. Although they are typically very friendly and will pose for photos, these are still wild animals. If provoked, they could become aggressive. DO NOT bring any food to the Ape’s Den because you could be fined about £4,000.

• 

• 

These monkeys might be cute, but they’re pretty crazy. I saw them wrestling with women’s purses, jumping on backpacks, and even pulling hair. I, too, had a pretty wild experience with the monkeys, which you can read about in my post Monkey See Monkey Do (But Please Don’t).

If you want to avoid having your stuff stolen, I would recommend a crossbody purse that’s cute and comfortable. I really like the ones from Lug because they come in a bunch of different colors and are RFID protectant to prevent credit card theft.

Explore the Alameda Botanic Gardens

If you love flowers and plants then you should visit the Alameda Botanic Gardens. The gardens are filled with various palms, pines, and plants from all over the world including California, Australia, and Asia.

The Alameda Botanical Gardens are right next to the cable car just beyond the southern end of Main Street.

Unearth the Great Siege Tunnels

Underneath the Rock of Gibraltar are miles and miles of underground tunnels. The oldest were dug during the 1779–83 Great Siege of Gibraltar. Since they no longer serve defensive purposes, you can explore these tunnels during your day trip.

Go Dolphin Watching

Monkeys aren’t the only famous creatures in Gibraltar. Did you know there are dolphins living right off the coast? You can take a boat trip to hopefully spot a few. Talk about an adventure!

Roam the Moorish Castle

Although perhaps not the most glamorous castle, the Moorish Castle is still worth checking out if you’ve got some extra time.

See the Ibrahim-Al-Ibrahim Mosque

The Ibrahim-Al-Ibrahim mosque is the southernmost mosque in Europe. It’s really lavish and ornate, and it sort of reminds me of the Taj Majal.

Relax On The Beach

Gibraltar has six beaches, which is insane for such a small place! If you’re coming from Southern Spain you’ve probably already had your fair share of beaches, but can you can never have too much of a good thing!

Some final tips

When you visit the Rock, you are actually visiting the Gibraltar Nature Reserve, which occupies about 40% of Gibraltar’s land. To be able to explore the area, you need to buy one of the two types of tickets: the Walkers ticket or The Walkers ticket with attractions (£13). The latter allows you to explore the Rock and also gives you access to some of the Reserve’s biggest attractions.

• St. Michael’s Cave
• Ape’s Den
• Skywalk
• Windsor Suspension Bridge
• O’Hara’s Battery

Visiting the lower part of St. Michael’s Cave and the WWII tunnels requires an additional ticket on top of the Walkers ticket, which can be bought at the base of Cable Car and the other two entry points: Jews’ Gate and Moorish Castle.

After so much exploring, you’re bound to be starving! With all the prices in pounds, iconic red phone booths, and even a little Big Ben, you’ll feel like you’ve gone across the pond. You might as well embrace the British heritage and indulge with some beloved fish and chips.

You can’t leave without stopping at Piece of Cake for some delicious cupcakes. You can thank me later!

Maybe you don’t want to do all of these things, or maybe you’re going to try to fit them all in. You do you! But if you do want to hit everything on this list, you’re probably in for an early morning and a late night.

It’s not easy fitting so much into a single visit, but one day in Gibraltar is just enough time to do everything you want to do and get a feel for this unique culture.

Love this post? Save it for later!