Day trip from Spain · From Tarifa
Tarifa to Tangier: Ferry and Day Trip
The ferry from Tarifa is the shortest way to Morocco for the day: about an hour across the Strait of Gibraltar to Tangier City Port (Tanger Ville), in the city itself. You book the ferry, your licensed guide waits at the port exit, and private tours start from $25 per person for a group of 4. Here is how the crossing works, what fits between two ferries, and where your guide meets you.
- Written by licensed Tangier guides
- 91 Google reviews, rated 4.9
- Ferry facts checked October 2026
Crossing
Tarifa → Tangier
Now in Tangier
| Leg | Time | Arrives | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walk to the port | 5 to 10 min | Tarifa port | From the old town |
| Ferry | About 1h | Tanger Ville | Passport stamped on board |
| Your guide | At the exit | Tanger Ville | Holding your name |
| Ferry home | Evening | Tarifa | Times change by season |
Pick how long you have and the board lights up the legs that matter.
- About 1 hourTarifa to Tanger Ville
- A short walkTarifa old town to the ferry
- On boardpassport control for Morocco
- 1 or 2 hoursSpain ahead of Morocco
- Your guidewaiting at the port exit
- From $25private tour, per person (group of 4)
The short answer
Can you do a day trip to Tangier from Tarifa?
Yes, and Tarifa is the easiest place in Spain to do it from. The fast ferry crosses the Strait of Gibraltar in about an hour and lands at the Tanger Ville port, in the city itself, about 15 minutes' walk from the Petit Socco in the heart of the medina. Take a morning ferry, spend the day in Tangier and sail back to Tarifa in the evening.
You book the ferry yourself, online or at the port, and you need your passport and your ticket. The port is a short walk from Tarifa's old town, so there is no car to park and no bus to catch, and passport control for Morocco happens on board: you walk off the boat ready for the day.
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 hourFast ferry to Tanger Ville
- 15 minutes on footFrom the port to the Petit Socco
- PassportChecked on board the ferry
- Met at the portThe day fits your two ferries
The crossing at a glance
From Tarifa to the Tangier medina
Four places from the old town of Tarifa to the old town of Tangier, and the time between each of them.
- Tarifa old town
- 5 to 10 minOn foot
- Tarifa port
- About 1 hourFerry across the Strait
- Tanger Ville
- About 15 minOn foot, with your guide
- The medina
Walking times measured on the map. The crossing can take longer in strong wind.
Before you sail
The port and the ferry in Tarifa
Getting to Tarifa port
The ferry terminal sits at the foot of Tarifa's old town, a short walk from the Puerta de Jerez gate. If you stay in Tarifa the night before, you can walk to the boat and leave the car at your hotel.
Driving in on the day, allow time to park and be at the terminal at least an hour before your ferry, or earlier if your ticket says so.
On the crossing
The crossing to Tanger Ville takes about an hour; strong wind 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.
Passport control for Morocco is a police desk on board. Join the queue soon after you sail: you cannot leave the port in Tangier without the stamp. The ferries also carry cars, but for one day in Tangier you are better on foot.
Tickets, times and fares
There are several sailings a day each way, more in summer than in winter. You buy the ticket on the ferry company's website, from a travel agency or at the ticket office in the ferry terminal, and it shows Tanger Ville as the port of arrival.
The ticket costs about €35 to €40 each way, depending on the company and the season, and you see the exact fare when you book. For a day trip, buy the outward and return crossings together: the time of your boat home sets the plan for the day.
An example day
A day in Tangier between two ferries
Example times for a ferry landing at 10:00, Tangier time. Your guide shapes the day around your own crossings.
10:00
Off the ferry at Tanger Ville
Your guide waits at the port exit with your name. The medina begins a short walk from the port gate, and the Kasbah stands at the top of it.
10:30
Up to the Kasbah
Through the lanes of the medina to Bab Kasbah and the old sultan's quarter, with terraces over the Strait where, on a clear day, you see Spain across the water.
12:30
Lunch in the medina
A Moroccan lunch at your own pace, in a place your guide knows. It is included on the Anthony Bourdain tour.
14:00
Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules
On the full day tour, a drive west to the lighthouse where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, and down to the caves on the shore below.
16:30
A last walk in the city
Time for a mint tea, a shop you liked in the morning or the view from the Kasbah walls before the boat.
Before your ferry
Back at the port
We bring you back to Tanger Ville 60 minutes before your ferry home, with time for the queues on the way out.
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 Tarifa
- Tangier Full Day TourThe Kasbah, the medina, Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules, from $65 per person for a group of 4
- Anthony Bourdain TourThe cafés and the fish lunch from Parts Unknown, lunch included, from $65 per person
- Tangier Walking TourThe medina and the Kasbah on foot, from $25 per person for a group of 4
Before you cross
Three things to sort before Tarifa
Passport
Always
You need it for the ferry and for passport control on both sides, even for one day. EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens need no visa for a short visit; check the rules for yours. 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.
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.
Money
Dirhams in the medina
Cards work in hotels, restaurants and larger shops; in the lanes, cash in dirhams is easier. Take out only what you will spend.
Good to know
Tarifa to Tangier: Your Questions
What travellers ask before the crossing from Tarifa.
How long is the ferry from Tarifa to Tangier?
About an hour from Tarifa to the Tanger Ville port. Strong wind can slow the crossing or stop sailings for the day, so check the evening before, and add the time to board and to queue for the passport stamp on board.
Where does the Tarifa ferry arrive in Tangier?
At Tanger Ville, the city port, below the medina and the Kasbah. From the port exit the Petit Socco is about 15 minutes on foot, and your guide waits for you at the exit with your name. Travelling without a tour? Book a private transfer from the port instead.
Is the passport stamp done on the ferry?
Yes, the passport stamp is done on board: Moroccan passport control is a desk on the ferry from Tarifa. Join the queue soon after you sail: without the stamp you cannot leave the port in Tangier.
What time is the last ferry back from Tangier to Tarifa?
The last ferries back leave Tangier in the evening, at a time that changes with the season, so check the timetable when you book. Remember that Tangier is one or two hours behind Spain: a ferry leaving Tangier at 20:00 local time lands in Tarifa about an hour later, at 23:00 Spanish time in summer or 22:00 in winter.
Should I book the Tarifa ferry before I go?
You can book online ahead or buy a ticket at the port. Booking ahead fixes your return time, which is the time we plan your day around.
Can I take my car to Tangier on the ferry?
Yes, the Tarifa ferries carry cars. For one day it is easier on foot: the old town of Tangier is best seen walking, and the full day tour drives you to Cap Spartel and back.
Plan your day
Your day from Tarifa, 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)
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