2-Day Family Itinerary in Gibraltar

Two days in Gibraltar with kids is the sweet spot. Enough time to do the big things without the scramble of a single day, with space in the evening for ice cream at Casemates and a lazy breakfast on day two. Day one is all about the Upper Rock. The Gibraltar Cable Car is currently closed for refurbishment, so start with a taxi to the top (around £10 from the town centre, 10 minutes) or the walk up via Willis Road (45 minutes). Get up there early, before the tour groups arrive. The difference between 9am and 11am at Apes Den is significant. Morning is when the macaques are active, social, and bold. By midday they are drowsy and scattered. Buy your combined Upper Rock ticket at the entrance gate: £30 adult, £22 child, covers all seven attractions inside the reserve. After the apes, push on to St Michael's Cave, then spend time at the Great Siege Tunnels. Children old enough to understand a bit of history tend to find the tunnels gripping. The idea that soldiers carved this network out of solid rock by hand, in the middle of a three-year siege, is a story that does not need embellishing. The tunnels are dark in places, which adds to the atmosphere. Come back down for a late lunch at Casemates, then a quiet afternoon at the Alameda Botanical Gardens. The grounds are large enough to keep active children busy. End the evening back at Casemates for dinner. Day two starts with a dolphin-watching tour from Marina Bay. Book the 9:30am departure if possible, the morning light on the water is beautiful and the bay is often calmer early. Most 90-minute trips see common dolphins within the first twenty minutes. After the tour, head south to Europa Point for the lighthouse and the view. The Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim Mosque is open to non-Muslim visitors outside prayer times and is worth a quick look. Finish the afternoon at Catalan Bay, a small fishing village on the eastern side of the Rock with a sandy beach and a handful of seafood restaurants.