Tourism authorities in “green list” Gibraltar have created special guided itineraries to help visitors make the most of their stays.
Promoting the British overseas territory’s appeal to holidaymakers interested in a “British staycation in the Med”, Visit Gibraltar has also stressed the Rock’s safety as “an important attraction for our visitors. Now more than ever it is important that you feel secure with us, when you decide to return to visit this magnificent destination.”
Gibraltar is one of the few destinations initially included, and still remaining, on the UK’s “green list” for non-essential (or “leisure” travel). This means British tourists are not required to go into hotel quarantine or self-isolate when returning home, although COVID-19 tests (either PCR or lateral flow) are still obligatory.
Entry requirements for Gibraltar depend on whether visitors are fully vaccinated or not, the countries they have visited in the 10 days prior to their arrival, and whether these countries are on the green, amber or red lists.
The official Gibraltar Tourist Board website also provides comprehensive details about the COVID-19 requirements for travelling to Gibraltar, including information about booking tests before arrival.
For visitors living in England, Gibraltar accepts the NHS COVID Pass or the NHS letter demonstrating their vaccination status. For residents of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, the respective letter is sufficient.
Planning Your Stay in Gibraltar
Visit Gibraltar’s guided itineraries offer visitors three options, covering three, five or seven days…
The three-day tour begins with a walk up to the Gibraltar Nature Reserve, Upper Rock, to help visitors familiarise themselves with Gibraltar’s diverse heritage while also viewing some of its natural beauty. It ends with dinner in Casemates Square, the thriving hub of Gibraltar’s café lifestyle, modern marinas and iconic Main Street.
Day two starts with a trip to Sandy Bay, “to test your balance on a paddle board and watch the sun rise across the Mediterranean”, and the afternoon concludes with a cable car ride to the “ Top of the Rock” for an afternoon tea with panoramic 360-degree views.
Day three includes a “VAT-free shopping experience” and the opportunity to savour locally produced gin at Gibraltar’s only gin distillery.
For the five-day tour, visitors can also head to Ocean Village to hire an e-bike for the afternoon, and spend a chilled-out evening at the marina. Day five includes lunch in Catalan Bay village, a former fishing village populated by Genoese fishermen during the 18th and 19th centuries; and in the afternoon a wildlife experience, Gibraltar’s Macaque educational encounter, Monkey Talk – “the only opportunity in Europe to spend time with a habituated troop of free-living monkeys, in a natural setting”.
For those booking the seven-day tour, day six begins at Rosia Bay, where Lord Nelson’s body was brought ashore following the Battle of Trafalgar, and which offers visitors the opportunity of diving in Gibraltar’s waters. The visit is designed for diving beginners, with a professional PADI instructor introducing some of Gibraltar’s spectacular aquatic marine life and rock formations.
Next stop is lunch at one of Gibraltar’s historic pubs, and later a caving experience at Lower St Michael’s Cave, which was discovered by accident during World War II, and comprises several chambers believed to have been sealed for over 20,000 years.
Finally, on day seven, the chance to charter a motor yacht and take in stunning views to the Rock of Gibraltar, enjoy snorkeling and swimming in the sea, and savour a sumptuous lunch with beverages served by the crew. Then, for the finale, a visit to Chatham Counterguard for live music in one of the area’s cool bars.
