Planning to visit the Rock? Well, it’s incredibly likely you’ll be wanting to visit the Upper Rock. In this post, we explain how to get to the Upper Rock including on foot.

Gibraltar Nature Reserve on the Upper Rock

As well as being home to well over 200 semi-wild barbary macaques, the Upper Rock boasts huge swathes of trees and is an important resting point for migrating birds. And as a Nature Reserve, it’s all protected. It’s this Nature Reserve that people visit when they go up to the Upper Rock.

For visitors, there’s a wealth of things to see and do up here. As well as enjoying the incredible views from the various look outs and walking trails, there are also a number of attractions such as St Michael’s Cave and the Great Siege Tunnels.

Tickets for the Nature Reserve

From 1 April 2018, ticket prices have changed for visiting the Nature Reserve. You can find a guide to the attractions and ticket types in: Gibraltar Nature Reserve Attractions and Tickets.

How to get to the Upper Rock

Lookout tower at the Cable Car top station, Gibraltar

Cable Car

The cable car is the quickest way up to the Upper Rock. It takes just 6 minutes to get from the cable station in town to the top station on the Upper Rock, 412 metres above sea level. And you can enjoy spectacular views of the peninsula and over Gibraltar Straight along the way!

There is also a middle station close to Apes Den. Many people choose to go all the way to the top station first and after exploring some of the trails or attractions, take the cable car down from the middle station. However, cable cars don’t stop at the middle station between 1 April and 31 October.

Cable Car tickets

Cable Car tickets include the general entrance ticket to the Nature Reserve at the top. However, some of the attractions require an additional ticket. For more information, see our guide to the Gibraltar Nature Reserve attractions and tickets.

• Adult single ticket: £13.50
• Adult return ticket: £15.50
• Child ticket (single/return): £6.50
• Senior citizen or student (single/return): £14.00

Cable Car opening hours

The cable car is open daily with cars every 10 to 15 minutes. Opening hours vary on the season.

• 1 April to 31 October: 9.30am to 7.15pm. The last cable car down from the top station is 7.45pm. Remember that during this time, the cable car doesn’t stop at the middle station. The kiosk to buy tickets closes at 4.00pm so make sure you buy your cable car ticket before then.
• 1 November to 31 March: 9.30am to 5.15pm. The last cable car down from the top station is 5.45pm. The kiosk to buy tickets closes at 3.00pm so make sure you buy your cable car ticket before then.

Where to get the cable car and buy tickets

The base station is on Red Sands Road (a short walk from Queens Quay). You can buy tickets for the Cable Car at the kiosk at the base station. The Adult tickets include an interactive handheld multimedia guide but you’ll need to leave your ID as a deposit. The guide includes commentary on history and information about the Upper Rock and its attractions.

There is a free car park by the base station. There are also a couple of bus stops nearby too if you don’t have a car or don’t want to walk.

Walking to the Upper Rock

Devil’s Gap Road steps with the Union flag

This is the cheapest way to enjoy the Upper Rock but you will need to be relatively fit to do it. Whilst there’s no rock climbing involving, sections of the trails can be fairly steep. If you’re planning to walk, I’d recommend allowing the best part of a day for your time on the Rock so you can relax and enjoy the sights and attractions as well as the hike.

From the main part of town, there are two pedestrian routes you can take to the Upper Rock:

• Devil’s Gap Road: This is a series of steps that begin at the north-end of Flat Bastion Road, which is a few hundred metres east of Cathedral Square. The steps have the Union flag painted on them so they’re hard to miss. They lead you towards the Devil’s Gap Battery and Moorish Castle.
• Willis’s Road: You can access the Upper Rock from the north-end of Willis’s Road. This will lead take you towards the Moorish Castle, City Under Siege Exhibition and Great Siege Tunnels.
• Windmill Hill Road: At the southern end of the Rock, you can access Windmill Hill Road from Europa Road. This takes you to Jew’s Gate. O’ Hara’s Battery and the Mediterranean Steps are nearby. This is also the main route for drivers accessing the Upper Rock.

Taxi tour

Taxi tours can be booked with a number of agencies… You’ll no doubt come across a couple of touts whilst you’re in Gibraltar. As you cross the border from Spain, you’ll find the Gib tour office just past customs. They can be surprisingly good value for money and can actually work out cheaper than the combination cable car ticket if there’s a minimum of four of you (you can ask about sharing a taxi tour). This is also the best option for people who are less keen on walking and want to see more of the sights on the Upper Rock.

Visit www.gibtaxi.com for more information and a guide to tour prices as these vary depending on how much you want to fit in and generally include the ticket for those indoor sights.

Remember to wear comfy shoes!

Anyone visiting the Upper Rock should wear comfortable shoes… especially if you want to go off the main paths and roads as some trails are quite rocky and others are steep at points. You also just want to be comfortable because unless you’re doing one of the taxi tours, you’ll likely be walking a lot.

Gibraltar Nature Reserve Map

You can see the three access points to walking paths up to the Nature Reserve in: Rock of Gibraltar Map. It also includes the three Cable Car stations and the main attractions on the Nature Reserve.

Gibraltar and Spain car hire

Want to go beyond the Rock and enjoy the charms of Andalucia too? You can get around best with your own set of wheels. With our easy-to-use search tool, you can find and compare rates from suppliers at destinations across Spain. Locations include Gibraltar Airport, Malaga Airport, Seville Airport and Jerez Airport. Click on the links below for our guides to collecting and returning a car hire at Gibraltar Airport.