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Day trip from Spain · From Marbella

Marbella to Tangier, in a Day

Marbella has no ferry to Morocco, but Tangier is still a day trip away: about an hour and a quarter down the coast to Tarifa, then an hour on the fast ferry to the city port of Tangier. Here is how the day fits together, and which tours suit it.

See the way across Ask a guide

  • Written by licensed Tangier guides
  • 91 Google reviews, rated 4.9
  • Road and ferry facts checked October 2026

Crossing

Marbella → Tangier

The day trip from Marbella to Tangier, leg by leg, with the time each leg takes and where it arrives
Leg Time Arrives Note
Road to Tarifa About 1h15 Tarifa port AP-7 or A-7, N-340
Ferry About 1h Tanger Ville Passport stamped on board
Your guide At the exit Tanger Ville Holding your name
Coach tour Long day In a group Group timetable
What matters most?

Pick what matters most and the board lights up the way that suits you.

  • About 1h15Marbella to Tarifa port
  • About 104 kmalong the coast, then the N-340
  • About 1 hourTarifa to Tanger Ville
  • On boardpassport control for Morocco
  • 1 or 2 hoursSpain ahead of Morocco
  • From $25private tour, per person (group of 4)

The short answer

Can you do a day trip to Tangier from Marbella?

Yes. No ferry sails from Marbella to Morocco, so you drive about an hour and a quarter down the coast to Tarifa, about 104 km, and take the hour-long ferry to Tangier City Port (Tanger Ville), in the city. Algeciras is on the way, but its ferries land at Tanger Med, about 40 km east of Tangier, which costs you more time on the Moroccan side.

With a morning ferry the full day tour fits: the Kasbah, the medina, Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules, then an evening ferry back and the drive home. Book the ferry yourself and keep your passport with you; passport control for Morocco happens on board.

Tour Guide Tangier meets you at the port exit with your name, plans the day around your two ferries and brings you back to the port 60 minutes before your boat home. A private tour starts from $25 per person for a group of 4, paid on the day.

  • About 1 h 15Drive to Tarifa, 104 km
  • About 1 hourFast ferry to Tanger Ville
  • The full day tour fitsWith a morning ferry
  • PassportChecked on board the ferry

The way across

From Marbella to the Tangier medina

Four places from the Costa del Sol to the old town of Tangier, and the time between each of them.

  1. MarbellaYour start
  2. About 1h15About 104 km by road
  3. Tarifa portFerry terminal
  4. About 1 hourFerry across the Strait
  5. Tanger VilleThe city port
  6. About 15 minOn foot, with your guide
  7. The medinaPetit Socco

Road and walking times measured on the map, without traffic. The crossing can take longer in strong wind.

Before you sail

The coast road and the ferry

From Marbella to Tarifa

The road follows the coast west on the AP-7 or the A-7, then takes the N-340 into Tarifa: about 104 km, an hour and a quarter without traffic. Allow time to park and be at the terminal at least an hour before your ferry, or earlier if your ticket says so.

Coaches link the Costa del Sol with Tarifa too, but only a few a day: check them against your ferry before you rely on them.

Crossing from Tarifa

The ferry takes about an hour to Tanger Ville, with passport control for Morocco at a desk on board: join the queue soon after you sail. Strong wind in the Strait can delay or cancel sailings, so check the evening before.

The first ferries leave Tarifa in the morning and the last ones back leave Tangier in the evening, at times that change with the season. Spain is one hour ahead of Morocco in winter and two hours ahead in summer.

An example day

A day in Tangier from Marbella

Example times for a ferry landing in Tangier at 10:00, Tangier time. Your guide shapes the day around your own crossings.

  1. Early morning

    Down the coast to Tarifa

    About an hour and a quarter from Marbella, in time to be at the terminal an hour before your ferry.

  2. 10:00

    Off the ferry at Tanger Ville

    From here the times are Tangier time, one or two hours behind Spain. Your guide waits at the port exit with your name.

  3. 10:30

    The Kasbah and the medina

    Up through the lanes to Bab Kasbah and the terraces over the Strait, then down to the Petit Socco.

  4. 12:30

    Lunch

    A fish lunch in the footsteps of Parts Unknown on the Bourdain tour, where lunch is included, or a Moroccan lunch your guide suggests.

  5. 14:00

    Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules

    On the full day tour, the lighthouse where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean and the caves on the shore below.

  6. Before your ferry

    Back at the port

    We bring you back to Tanger Ville 60 minutes before your ferry. Then an hour to Tarifa and about an hour and a quarter back to Marbella.

Ferry times change with the season and the weather: tell us yours and we plan the day backwards from your boat home.

Tangier tours that fit

What to do with your day from Marbella

Before you cross

Three things to sort before you leave Marbella

  • Passport

    Always

    You need it for the ferry and for passport control on both sides, even for one day. Check the visa rules for your nationality before you travel. If you cross on your own ferry ticket, an ID card is not enough: Morocco asks for a passport valid for more than six months, even for a day trip.

  • Your port

    Tarifa

    Book a Tarifa to Tanger Ville ferry. Ferries from Algeciras land at Tanger Med, 40 km from the city, where pick-up has an extra fee.

  • Time

    Spain is ahead

    Morocco keeps GMT all year since 20 September 2026. Spain is one hour ahead in winter and two hours ahead in summer, and each side's ferry times are in its own local time.

Good to know

Marbella to Tangier: Your Questions

What travellers ask before a day in Tangier from Marbella.

Coming from Marbella?Send us your date and your ferry times on WhatsApp. We reply within 2 hours (8am to 10pm).
Is there a ferry from Marbella to Morocco?

No ferry sails from Marbella to Morocco. The crossing to Tangier city is from Tarifa, about an hour and a quarter by road, and the ferry takes about an hour to Tanger Ville.

How long does it take from Marbella to Tangier?

About an hour and a quarter to Tarifa, at least an hour at the terminal before the ferry, and an hour at sea: about three and a quarter hours from Marbella to the Tangier port exit.

Is Algeciras quicker than Tarifa from Marbella?

The drive to Algeciras is shorter, but its ferries land at Tanger Med, about 40 km east of Tangier, and the road into the city takes around 45 minutes by taxi or a private transfer. For a day in Tangier, Tarifa usually leaves you more time in the city.

Should we take a coach tour from Marbella instead?

A coach tour books everything for you, but keeps a group timetable and a long day. With your own ferry and a private guide, the day follows your times and your pace.

What is the time difference with Tangier?

Morocco keeps GMT all year since 20 September 2026. Spain is one hour ahead in winter and two hours ahead in summer. The ferry times on each side are in that side's local time.

Do you pick us up in Marbella?

No, we do not pick up in Marbella: you make your own way to Tarifa and book the ferry yourself; your guide meets you at the port exit in Tangier and brings you back in time for your ferry home.

Plan your day

Your day from Marbella, planned for you

Tell us your date, your group and your ferry times. Nothing is booked until we confirm in writing.

From $25 per personFor a group of 4 guests. Smaller groups pay more per person: see the price for your group.

  • Your guide at the Tanger Ville port exit
  • The day planned around your two ferries
  • Back at the port 60 minutes before your boat
  • Pay on the day: cash, PayPal or bank transfer
  • No deposit for most groups
  • Free cancellation 48h before
  • Reply within 2 hours (8am to 10pm)

Step 1 of 3 Your day

* required

How do you arrive in Tangier?

Children count towards your group size. Child seats on request.

Step 2 of 3 Pickup

Or the area, if you have not booked yet.

Which port?

Tangier time. Morocco is on GMT: Spain is 1 hour ahead in winter, 2 in summer.

We bring you back to the port in time for your ferry.

Start typing: the ships calling at Tangier appear with their dates and times. Not on our schedule? Type its name.

On your ship’s day programme.

We meet you at Tanger Ville. Docking at Tanger Med, Ksar Sghir or the Tetouan cruise terminal? Say so in your note: a pick-up fee applies there.

Airport or train station?
Start time

9 or 10 am is best: places are open and the lanes are calm.

Guide language
Step 3 of 3 Check and send

Your guide waits for you inside the terminal.

Your guide waits just outside the port’s main exit, by the big mosque.

Our team replies on WhatsApp. Start with your country code.

  • Pay on the day: cash (EUR, USD, GBP or MAD), PayPal or bank transfer. No card.
  • Nothing to pay if you cancel. Please tell us as soon as you can.
  • 40% deposit to hold the date, the rest on the day: cash, PayPal or bank transfer. No card.
  • Deposit refunded in full up to 48 hours before.

This is a request: nothing is booked until our team confirms in writing. Reply within 2 hours, between 8am and 10pm Tangier time. Nothing to pay to ask.

We use your details only to answer and plan your request, and keep them 12 months. Privacy policy

What is included
  • Any time that suits you. The best start is 9 or 10 am.
  • Your guide waits at the port exit.
  • You book the ferry yourself. We look after your day in Tangier.
  • We have you back at the terminal 60 minutes before all aboard.
  • Bad weather, a closed port or a strike: a new date or a full refund, your choice.
  • Private: your group only.

Starting somewhere else?

Day trips to Tangier from other cities in Spain