Travel guide · Ferry, timing and what fits in a day
Day Trip to Tangier from Spain
Morocco is an hour from Spain by ferry: cross from Tarifa in the morning, spend the day in Tangier with your own guide and sail back in the evening. Here is how the crossing works, what fits in a day from each city in Spain, and what to bring.
- Written by licensed Tangier guides
- 85 Google reviews, rated 4.9
- Updated September 2026
Crossings
Spain → Tangier
Now in Tangier
| Way | Time | Arrives | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarifa ferry | About 1h | Tangier Ville (city) | Tarifa |
| Algeciras ferry | About 1h30 | Tanger Med (45 min out) | Algeciras |
| Coach tour | Up to 13h day | Tangier, in a group | Costa del Sol |
| Private guide | 4 to 8h | Met at the port | Your ferry |
Pick what matters most and the board lights up the best way to cross.
- About 1 hourTarifa to Tangier Ville
- About €35 to €40ferry, each way
- 10 min walkport to medina
- 1 hour behindSpain, in summer
- Passportno visa for many
- From $25private tour in Tangier
The short answer
Can you do a day trip to Morocco from Spain?
Yes. The easiest day trip to Morocco from Spain is Tarifa to Tangier: the fast ferry crosses the Strait of Gibraltar in about an hour and lands at the Tangier Ville port, about ten minutes' walk from the medina. Take a morning ferry, spend the day in the city and sail back to Spain in the evening.
You book the ferry yourself, online or at the port, for about €35 to €40 each way. Tour Guide Tangier meets you at the port exit with your name, plans the day around your crossing times and brings you back in time for your boat home. A private tour in Tangier starts from $25 per person.
Bring your passport. EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens, among many others, need no visa for a short visit, but check the rules for yours. Passport control for Morocco happens on board the ferry, so join the queue as soon as you sail.
Plan your crossing
Your day trip from Spain, city by city
Where you start decides how long the day is. Pick your city for the road to the ferry and the Tangier tours that fit.
Where are you starting from?
From Tarifa
- By road to Tarifa portYou are there
- Ferry to Tangier VilleAbout 1 hour
- In TangierYour guide at the port exit
Stay in Tarifa the night before and take an early ferry: the day is long enough for the full day tour, with the Kasbah, the medina, Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules.
From Algeciras
- By road to Tarifa portAbout 25 minutes
- Ferry to Tangier VilleAbout 1 hour
- In TangierYour guide at the port exit
Ferries from Algeciras sail to Tanger Med, about 45 minutes from Tangier by road. For a day trip, the short drive to Tarifa and the ferry to Tangier Ville save time. We meet either port.
From Gibraltar
- By road to Tarifa portAbout 45 minutes
- Ferry to Tangier VilleAbout 1 hour
- In TangierYour guide at the port exit
Allow time for the border at La Línea, then the coast road to Tarifa. A morning ferry leaves room for the full day tour.
From Cádiz
- By road to Tarifa portAbout 1 hour 15
- Ferry to Tangier VilleAbout 1 hour
- In TangierYour guide at the port exit
A comfortable day: leave early, and choose between the full day tour and a half day in the medina with time to shop.
From Marbella
- By road to Tarifa portAbout 1 hour 15
- Ferry to Tangier VilleAbout 1 hour
- In TangierYour guide at the port exit
Along the coast from the Costa del Sol. The full day tour fits well; so does a Bourdain walk with lunch.
From Málaga
- By road to Tarifa portAbout 2 hours
- Ferry to Tangier VilleAbout 1 hour
- In TangierYour guide at the port exit
Two hours each way to the ferry makes a long day, so a half-day tour is the relaxed choice, or stay a night in Tangier.
From Seville
- By road to Tarifa portAbout 2 hours 30
- Ferry to Tangier VilleAbout 1 hour
- In TangierYour guide at the port exit
A day trip is possible but long. A night in Tangier makes the crossing worth it: the walking tour on the first evening, the full day tour the next morning.
Road times are rounded estimates without traffic. Ferry timetables change with the season: check them when you book the crossing, and tell us your times.
Step by step
How the day works
From the ferry in Spain to your boat home, with the times that matter.
Book the ferry
Online a day or two ahead, or at the port, for about €35 to €40 each way. Be at the terminal early: the ferry companies ask for up to 90 minutes.
Get stamped on board
Passport control for Morocco is at the front of the ferry, where you hand in a landing card. Queue as soon as you board; the line gets long.
Meet your guide
At the Tangier Ville port exit, holding your name. The medina is about ten minutes' walk away; the coast and Cap Spartel are by car.
Back for your boat
We plan the day backwards from your ferry home. Crossings can be delayed in bad weather, so check the day before.
Before you cross
What to know for a day in Morocco
Passport
Always
Carry it for the ferry and passport control on both sides, even for one day.
Visa
Not for many
EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens need none for a short visit. Check the rules for yours.
Time
GMT+1 all year
Morocco keeps GMT+1, except during Ramadan. In summer it is one hour behind Spain, so you gain an hour on the way in.
Money
Moroccan dirham
Cards and euros work on the ferry. In the medina, cash in dirhams is easier: use a cash machine in the city.
What to wear
What you wear at home
Comfortable clothes and shoes for the medina's slopes and steps. Otherwise, dress as you would in Europe.
Phone
Check roaming
Morocco is outside EU roaming, so check your plan before you cross or buy data for the day.
Only one day in Morocco?
Why meet a private guide at the port
Met off the ferry
Your guide waits at the Tangier Ville port exit with your name, so the day starts the moment you land.
Timed to your boat
The day is planned backwards from your ferry home, and you are back at the port in time for it.
Your group only
No coach and no group timetable: the Kasbah, the medina, the coast or a food walk, at your pace.
No deposit
Private tours from $25 per person, paid on the day in cash, by PayPal or by bank transfer.
Good to know
Day Trip to Tangier from Spain: Your Questions
What travellers ask before they cross.
Can you do a day trip to Morocco from Spain?
Yes. Take the morning ferry from Tarifa to Tangier Ville, about an hour, spend the day in Tangier and sail back in the evening. With a private guide waiting at the port, you see the Kasbah, the medina and the coast without losing time.
How long is the ferry from Tarifa to Tangier?
About an hour, and it can take longer in bad weather. The first ferries leave Tarifa in the early morning and the last ones back leave in the evening; times change with the season, so check them when you book.
Which ferry should I take from Spain?
For a day trip, the ferry from Tarifa: it lands at Tangier Ville, at the edge of the medina. Ferries from Algeciras sail to Tanger Med, about 45 minutes from the city by road. We meet both, and we plan the tour around your crossing times.
Do I need a passport or a visa?
You need your passport. Many nationalities, including EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens, need no visa for a short visit; check the rules for yours before you travel.
Is there a time difference between Spain and Morocco?
Often, yes. Morocco keeps GMT+1 all year, except during Ramadan when it moves to GMT, while Spain changes to summer time. From late March to late October Morocco is usually one hour behind Spain. Ferry times are shown in local time on each side.
Do you pick us up in Spain?
No. You book the ferry yourself and we meet you at the port in Tangier, then bring you back in time for your boat home. Tell us your ferry times when you book.
Tangier tours for your day
What to do with your day in Tangier
- Tangier Full Day TourThe Kasbah, the medina, Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules, from $65 per person
- Tangier Walking TourTwo to three hours on foot through the medina and the Kasbah, from $25 per person
- Anthony Bourdain TourThe cafés and the fish lunch from Parts Unknown, from $65 per person
- Tangier Shopping TourThe souks with a lesson in every shop, from $30 per person
- Things to do in TangierIdeas, day plans and a map for your time in the city
- All private toursEvery private tour from Tangier, side by side
Ready when you are
Send us your ferry times
Tell us your date, your group and your crossing times, and you will have a plan and an exact price within 12 hours. Nothing to pay until the day.
- No deposit
- Free cancellation 48h before
- Reply within 12 hours