Generally, Gibraltar 🇬🇮 is the kind of country that people only visit once - for a day, just to get it off their list or to add another to their list. I was one of those people and I won't try to convince you to stay longer. So without further ado - my optimal one day itinerary in Gibraltar.

Travelling from Malaga:

I took the bus from Malaga to Gibraltar which took about 3 hours. It cost me about EUR 20 each way, so about 40 total. The first point of confusion for me was:

  • There is no station called "Gibraltar", rather you want to go to "La Línea de la Concepción".

Google Maps will show you a relatively accurate schedule (although it does warn you that they don't have the most accurate schedule for the route).

You can try to buy tickets online (https://malaga.avanzagrupo.com/en), however, it seems like the website has not been working for the past few months. If it still isn't, you can head to the central bus station in Malaga (https://maps.app.goo.gl/kaN8xiFGUeyH3fY69) around 30 minutes prior to the departure time of your planned bus.

  • Rough Schedule: From Malaga to La Linea: 08:30, 11:30, 13:15, 14:30. From La Linea to Malaga: 07:45,11:45, 12:35,16:30, 20:00. (These may not be 100% accurate, I would recommend double checking on Google Maps or other blogs.)

At the counter they spoke enough English to sell me a one-way ticket to Gibraltar (I was told it is only possible to purchase a one-way ticket, you have to purchase the return at the counter at La Linea). They accepted card at the counter in Malaga. When I arrived in La Linea I immediately went to purchase a return ticket - they only accept cash there!

Overall, the bus was quite comfortable, and even relatively empty (I went on a Sunday at 8:30). The bus ride takes about 3 hours.

Travelling from Elsewhere:

You could fly to Gibraltar from the UK, drive a car, or take a bus from elsewhere in Spain or Portugal.

The most cost effective option is likely a bus - I would recommend just going to the central bus station in whatever city you're in and asking at the counter there (usually you'll find a bus leaving within a couple hours). Note: The station you want to head to is called "La Línea de la Concepción", from there it is a 5 minute walk to the Gibraltar border.

Crossing the Border:

  • EU Citizen: ID Card
  • Otherwise: Passport - if you have a Schengen visa, you won't have any problems entering Gibraltar.

From the "La Línea de la Concepción" bus stop, it is a 5 minute walk to the border, the line there is generally rather long, so I would recommend planning about an hour or more waiting in line - especially during rush hour (Monday through Saturday, 6am to 8:30am and 4pm to 8pm).

I crossed on a Sunday in the late morning and I waited about 30 minutes on the way into Gibraltar, and I would have had to wait 1 to 1.5 hours on my way back during the early evening (I didn't by joining the Spanish migrant workers queue and skipping most of the line - in my defence I had 5 minutes to make my bus and I didn't really intend on staying the night in Gibraltar).

Once you've crossed the border, you will need to take a bus that costs around EUR 3,50 to the center (they only accept cash, either EUR or GBP, and there doesn't seem to be an ATM directly at the border). I suppose you could also walk - especially if you'd like to cross the Airport's landing strip, but it is a 20-40 minute walk depending on whether there is an airplane landing (and there doesn't seem to be any cover in case of sun or rain - don't underestimate the sun, the airstrip is pure concrete, so it gets quite hot even on a rather mild day.)

One Day Itinerary:

  1. Grand Casemates Square

This is the main square of the city, with a bunch of shops and restaurants. I didn't find it too interesting, but it is a good place to start especially since the bus from the border stops quite close to here and you can get a nice feeling for the English-Spanish mix of life by listening to the people around you. In addition, this is a nice place to buy a magnet or other such souvenir, if you're into collecting them.

  1. Moorish Castle

It is about a 15 minute (up-hill) walk to this castle, and you can get some nice views of Gibraltar on your way up through some of the less touristy parts of the city. Once you've made the 15 minute walk, you'll come to a ticket booth where you'll need to pay EUR 25 per person to enter the entire natural reserve area (this includes tickets for all the attractions that follow). Just make sure not to lose the bracelet they give you (you'll need it to enter all the other attractions).

The castle itself is quite underwhelming - unless you're a history buff - however, it is a nice place to take a break before you begin the rest of the walk up the mountain with a great view of the city, ocean, and airstrip (plus there was a well-placed flag of Gibraltar to take pictures with a view and the flag).

  1. WW2 and The Great Siege Tunnels

First, you can stop at the WW2 tunnels where they have you put on a helmet and enter a large complex of tunnels. These are quite nice to explore, especially with all the different plaques and mannequins explainning/demonstrating life in the tunnels.

Next you can head to The Great Siege Tunnels. On the way here, you can also stop at the "City Under Siege Exhibition", which I found quite interesting (not because of the history, but because of the goofy animatronics). Once you make it to the tunnels, they have some more interesting history and a couple of jump-scares.

It is also a nice place to prepare for the next part of your hike which will take about an hour.

  1. Charles V Wall

This is the place to see the monkeys - if that's what you're after. After about an hour of walking, you'll get to this staircase from Old Queen's Road up to the Cable Car road. It is relatively steep - however, there are monkeys all over the place, and the view from the staircase is quite stunning.

  1. Skywalk Gibraltar

This is not really a highlight, however, it is on the way to St. Michael's Cave, and you already paid for the entrance ticket, so why not. Plus you get a nice view of other side of the mountain, since during the hike you are always looking out across the same view.

  1. St. Michael's Cave

This is the colorful cave that you see on all the pictures. On a summer day this is a great place to go, mainly due to the coolness of the cave air. In terms of the cave itself, I think it is a nice place to take pictures and to cool-off from your hike, however, I was not too impressed, as I had thought the colors were natural, but they're just projections onto the rocks. However, overall, it is worth a visit, and can be a nice place - especially if you temper your expectations a little.

  1. Cable Car Station

Here, they have a nice restaurant (read - expensive), but if you're willing to spend a little, they have decent food and a great view. After your hearty meal (or not, depending on the budget), you can take the cable car back down the mountain.

You could also choose to hike back down, but in my opinion, for a day trip you might as well save your energy to explore a little more of the city rather than do the same hike back.

  1. Europa Point

This is the southernmost point of Gibraltar, where you get some nice ocean views, I didn't manage to make it there due to time constraints, but apparently it's worth a visit.

In addition, I would spend some time wandering around the city to experience more of the odd combination of British architecture and accents in the south of Spain. Overall, I quite liked Gibraltar, but more for the nature than the history or city itself.

Enjoy your trip!

🇬🇮 Gibraltar - A 1-Day Itinerary