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Cruise port guide · Terminal, ships and time ashore

Tangier Cruise Port Guide

Cruise ships calling at Tangier dock at Tangier City Port (Tanger Ville), right below the medina and the Kasbah, or at Tanger Med, about 40 km east of the city. Here is how to get from the cruise terminal into town, what fits in your hours ashore, and every ship due in Tangier in 2026 and 2027.

Find your ship Ask a guide

  • By Fadi Bennani, licensed guide, licence 3797
  • 87 Google reviews, rated 4.9
  • Updated October 2026

Arrivals

Port of Tangier

The next cruise ships due in Tangier, with the date, the time in port and the cruise line
Ship Date In port Line
Le Bougainville Fri 13 Nov 07:00 to 17:00 Ponant Cruises
Star Legend Fri 13 Nov 07:00 to 13:00 Windstar Cruises
Marella Discovery 2 Sat 14 Nov 08:00 to 18:00 Marella Cruises
Europa Mon 16 Nov 07:00 to 14:00 Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Le Bougainville Wed 18 Nov 07:00 to 17:00 Ponant Cruises
Mein Schiff 4 Wed 18 Nov 07:00 to 20:00 TUI Cruises

The next ships due, from public cruise schedules. See every month; your cruise line's times are the ones that count.

  • In the cityTanger Ville
  • 10 to 20 minon foot to the medina
  • 3 cruise berthsup to 360 m long
  • 40 km eastTanger Med, the other port
  • GMTcheck your ship's time
  • Dirhamcash for the medina

The short answer

Where do cruise ships dock in Tangier?

Cruise ships calling at Tangier, Morocco, dock at Tanger Ville or at Tanger Med; your cruise line's itinerary names the port, and we meet ships at every terminal. Tanger Ville is in the heart of the city, right below the medina and the Kasbah. The port authority lists three berths built for the world's largest cruise ships, of 360, 300 and 290 metres, and services in the cruise terminal include a first aid station. From the gangway the old town is 10 to 20 minutes on foot, depending on your berth.

Tanger Med is the large cargo and ferry port about 40 km east of the city, around 45 minutes by road. From Tanger Med you need transport into Tangier: the cruise line's shuttle, a taxi, a private transfer or a guide with a car.

Tour Guide Tangier meets ships at every terminal, with official port access, and private tours are available from each one (from Tanger Med, the transfer has an extra fee). Groups of 6 or more, children included: your guide waits for you inside the terminal, holding your name. Smaller groups: your guide meets you just outside the port's main exit, with your name; at Tanger Ville that is by the big mosque. We send you the exact spot before your day.

MSC Sinfonia cruise ship moored at the Tanger Ville cruise quay, with the medina and hills of Tangier behind
A cruise ship at the quay of Tanger Ville, with the city behind it (MSC Sinfonia, January 2020)
  • Two portsTanger Ville or Tanger Med
  • 10 to 20 minutesOn foot from the ship to the old town
  • About 45 minutesFrom Tanger Med to the city
  • Every terminalWe meet ships at all of them

Tangier port map

A map from the ship to the sights

Tangier has been a port since the Phoenicians and the Romans, on the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean, with Europe in sight across the water. The cruise terminal is located at the foot of the old town.

Atlantic OceanStrait of GibraltarTangier BayTangierTo Tanger Med, 40 km →1234567
Schematic map, not to scale. Tanger Med is off the map, about 40 km east.

  1. The cruise terminal

    Tanger Ville

    Where the ships berth, with taxis at the port gate. Where your guide meets you: step 1 below.

  2. The medina and the Kasbah

    10 to 20 minutes on foot

    Narrow streets and the Petit Socco, then, at the top, the Kasbah Museum of Mediterranean Cultures with its view over the Strait.

  3. The American Legation Museum

    In the lower medina, on foot

    The first American public property abroad and the only US National Historic Landmark outside the United States.

  4. The Grand Socco

    Through the medina, uphill

    The square where the new town meets the old and a good place to start a walk, beside the Mendoubia Gardens, with the covered market a few steps away.

  5. The beach promenade

    East of the port, on foot

    The long city beach and the corniche along Tangier Bay, a flat walk from the port area.

  6. Cap Spartel

    About 30 minutes by car

    The lighthouse on Africa's north-west tip, where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean.

  7. The Caves of Hercules

    A few minutes past Cap Spartel

    The sea cave whose opening is shaped like Africa, above Achakkar Beach.

Tangier port or Tanger Med

Which port is your ship calling at?

Tanger Ville and Tanger Med, side by side. The port in your itinerary decides how the day starts.

Tanger VilleTanger Med
WhereIn the city, below the old townAbout 40 km east of Tangier
Also calledPort Tanger Ville, the Tangier City cruise portTanger Med Passengers
Who uses itCruise ships, and the fast ferries from TarifaCargo ships, car ferries from Algeciras, and cruise ships
Travel time to the medina10 to 20 minutes on footAbout 45 minutes by road
ServicesA first aid station in the terminal, taxis at the gateA passenger terminal built for the ferries
Into townOn foot, a petit taxi or your guideThe ship's shuttle, a taxi or your guide with a car

Step by step

From the gangway to the medina

Getting from the Tangier cruise terminal into the old town, on your own or with a guide.

  1. Norwegian Epic cruise ship alongside the quay in Tangier, under a blue sky with white clouds
    The Norwegian Epic alongside in Tangier, 2015

    Leave the ship

    Take what your cruise line asks you to carry ashore, usually your ship card and your passport or a copy. If you booked a guide and you are 6 or more, children included, they wait inside the terminal with your name; smaller groups meet them just outside the port's main exit, by the big mosque.

  2. Lalla Abla Mosque and its minaret at the entrance of Tanger Ville port, with the Bay of Tangier behind
    The Lalla Abla Mosque, known as the Port Mosque, at the entrance of the port

    Walk to the port gate

    The cruise berths are inside the port area, so the walk to the gate is flat and takes a few minutes; some cruise lines run a shuttle bus into town. Now and then a ship tenders passengers ashore instead.

  3. Guests on the Kasbah ramparts, the port and the bay of Tangier below
    The port below the Kasbah ramparts, at the top of the climb

    Up into the medina

    The best way into the medina is on foot: from the gate, the lanes climb to the Petit Socco and on to the Kasbah, steep and cobbled, so wear comfortable shoes. Or take a petit taxi from the gate, for up to three passengers: ask for the meter, or agree on the fare, before you set off.

  4. White houses of the Tangier medina rising above the harbour, with boats below and a minaret on the skyline
    The old town of Tangier seen from the harbour

    Back before all-aboard

    Be back at the terminal at least an hour before all-aboard. It is the rule our guides work to, and the queue at the gangway can be long.

Your day in port

Plan your day at the Tangier cruise port

Pick your ship from the schedule, or type its times, and see the whole day: when you are off the ship, how long you have ashore, which shore excursions fit and when to be back at the terminal.

I know my all-aboard time

Without it, we count all-aboard 30 minutes before the ship sails. Your ship's daily programme gives the exact time.

Times are in Tangier time (GMT), as the schedules publish them; the times your cruise line gives are the ones that count.

Things to do from the cruise port

What fits in your hours ashore

Count your time in port from the ship's arrival to its departure, as our excursion pages do. First time in Tangier? Start with the medina and the Kasbah.

  1. 5 hours or more in port

    Walk the medina and the Kasbah straight from the port on the 3-hour walking tour, from $30 per person. Less time than that? Walk up into the medina on your own and keep an eye on the clock.

    See the Medina and Kasbah walk

  2. 6 hours or more in port

    Tangier Highlights, a four-hour tour by car: Cap Spartel, the Caves of Hercules, the Kasbah and the medina, from $70 per person.

    See Tangier Highlights

  3. 8 hours or more in port

    The full-day tour: the medina, the Kasbah, the Atlantic coast and lunch, with a camel ride at Achakkar Beach if you want one, from $95 per person.

    See the full-day excursion

  4. A long day in port

    Cook a Moroccan lunch with a Berber chef in a family home, or travel through the old town with a camera and a guide who knows where the light falls. For more ideas, see our things to do in Tangier.

    See the cooking class

Ships due at the port

Cruise ships in Tangier, month by month

Every ship due at the Tangier cruise port in public cruise schedules, with its time in port. Find your date, then see which excursions fit your hours.

Pick a month

November 2026 20 ships

DateShipCruise lineIn port
Le BougainvillePonant Cruises07:00 to 17:00 10 h
Star LegendWindstar Cruises07:00 to 13:00 6 h
Marella Discovery 2Marella Cruises08:00 to 18:00 10 h
EuropaHapag-Lloyd Cruises07:00 to 14:00 7 h
Le BougainvillePonant Cruises07:00 to 17:00 10 h
Mein Schiff 4TUI Cruises07:00 to 20:00 13 h
Spirit of DiscoverySaga Cruises09:30 to 17:00 7.5 h
Azamara OnwardAzamara Cruises09:30 to 18:00 8.5 h
Viking NeptuneVikingTimes to come
Celebrity EquinoxCelebrity Cruises07:00 to 16:00 9 h
Queen VictoriaCunardTimes to come
Celebrity InfinityCelebrity Cruises07:00 to 16:00 9 h
Silver RaySilversea Cruises08:00 to 19:00 11 h
Spirit of AdventureSaga Cruises08:00 to 17:00 9 h
BalmoralFred. Olsen Cruise LinesTimes to come
Le ChamplainPonant Cruises07:00 to 16:00 9 h
BoletteFred. Olsen Cruise LinesTimes to come
Viking NeptuneVikingTimes to come
Celebrity InfinityCelebrity Cruises08:00 to 18:00 10 h
Costa FascinosaCosta Cruises09:00 to 19:00 10 h
Tangier shore excursions for your ship

Ship times from three public Tangier cruise schedules (CruiseTimetables, CruiseMapper and CruiseDig), refreshed every few months. Schedules change: your cruise line's times are the ones that count, and we confirm yours when you book. Every ship of 2026 and 2027, the busiest days and the cruise lines: the Tangier cruise port schedule.

Cruise lines

Cruise lines calling at Tangier

Each cruise line's page lists its ships due in Tangier, their dates and hours in port, and the excursions that fit.

Before you go ashore

Tips for a day at the Tangier cruise port

  • Time

    Ship time or local?

    Morocco keeps GMT all year since 20 September 2026 (the Moroccan government's announcement). Your ship may keep its own time: go by the all-aboard time the ship announces, and set your watch to local time only if the ship does.

  • Currency

    Moroccan dirham

    Credit cards work in hotels, restaurants and larger shops; in the medina, cash is easier. The dirham is a closed currency, so change only what you will spend.

  • Papers

    What the ship says

    Carry what your cruise line asks you to take ashore, and keep the port agent's number from your daily programme.

  • What to wear

    What you wear at home

    Comfortable clothes and shoes for the old town's cobbled slopes. Otherwise, dress as you would at home.

  • Phone

    Check roaming

    Morocco is outside EU roaming. Turn off data roaming unless your plan covers Morocco.

  • Guides

    Look for the badge

    Unofficial guides near the port gate offer tours. A licensed guide carries an official badge from the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism; ask to see it.

Only a few hours in port?

Why meet a licensed guide at the terminal

  • Waiting at the port

    Official port access at every Tangier terminal: your guide waits with your name at the meeting point in step 1 above, and you are on your way in minutes.

  • Back an hour early

    We track your ship's real-time arrival and bring you back at least an hour before all-aboard. Thousands of cruise passengers have toured Tangier with us, and none has missed the ship. If you miss your ship because of our tour, the excursion is free and we pay your transport to the ship’s next port.

  • Your group only

    A private tour, no coach, and nobody joins you unless you agree: the old town, the Kasbah, the coast or a cooking class, at your pace, with a local guide who knows its history and culture.

  • Pay on the day

    Cash in US dollars, euros, pounds or dirhams, PayPal or bank transfer, and no deposit for most bookings. Port call cancelled? A new date or a full refund.

Good to know

Tangier Cruise Port: Your Questions

What cruise passengers ask before a day in Tangier.

Ship calling soon?Send us your ship and your date on WhatsApp. We reply within 2 hours (8am to 10pm).
Where do cruise ships dock in Tangier?

At Tanger Ville, in the city below the old town and the Kasbah, or at Tanger Med, about 40 km east of the city. Your cruise line's itinerary names the port, and we meet ships at every terminal.

How far is the Tangier cruise port from the medina, and can you walk?

About 800 metres from the city centre, and yes, you can walk. The walk to the port gate is flat, then the medina's lanes climb to the Petit Socco and the Kasbah: 10 to 20 minutes from the ship, depending on your berth. Wear comfortable shoes, as the streets are steep and cobbled. By petit taxi it takes a few minutes.

Is there a shuttle from the Tangier cruise port?

Some cruise lines run a shuttle bus into town; the daily programme on board will say. Petit taxis also wait near the port gate, and from Tanger Med you need a shuttle, a taxi or a guide with a car.

Is Tangier safe for cruise passengers?

Yes, Tangier is safe for cruise passengers. It is a busy port city and a cruise destination all year. Keep an eye on your bag in crowded lanes, and say a polite no to the unofficial guides near the port gate.

Do I need dirhams in Tangier?

For the medina, cash in dirhams is easiest, and cash machines are easy to find in the city. Cards work in hotels, restaurants and larger shops. Our excursions can be paid in US dollars, euros, pounds or dirhams.

Can I join a shore excursion on my own?

Yes, if a group already booked for the same day agrees to share its excursion. We ask that group first and confirm once it says yes; you pay the per-person price for two guests. If no group is booked that day, we tell you as early as we can, so you can plan your time ashore another way. The cooking class and the photography excursion are never shared: a solo guest has them privately, at the price of two guests.

Plan your port day

Your port day in Tangier, planned for you

Send your ship, your date in Tangier and your group. We send back a plan and the price. Nothing is booked until we confirm in writing.

From $30 per personFor a group of 4 guests. Smaller groups pay more per person: see the price for your group.

  • Your guide meets you at the port, with your name
  • The day planned around your ship's real times
  • Back at the port at least an hour before all-aboard
  • 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 ship

* required

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

Not on a cruise ship? See our Tangier private tours

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.

Step 2 of 3 Your group
Which excursion?

Children count towards your group size.

Your guide waits for you inside the terminal.

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

Anything you do not eat?

Lunch is included. Optional. We use this only to plan your trip, and delete it with your request after 12 months.

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.
  • Free cancellation up to 48 hours before. Your ship does not call: nothing to pay.
  • 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, or if your ship does not call.
  • If you miss your ship because of our tour, the excursion is free and we pay your transport to the ship’s next port.

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
  • We have you back at the terminal 60 minutes before all aboard.
  • We follow your ship’s real arrival.
  • Lunch and a short camel ride included, the Caves of Hercules entrance included; museum fees paid on site.
  • A short camel ride included (skip it and we visit the Kasbah Museum instead), the Caves of Hercules entrance included.
  • A licensed guide on foot, from the port up to the Kasbah and through the medina.
  • Guide, car and driver; lunch not included.
  • Guide, car and driver; the stop at Cap Spartel on the way.
  • Guide, car and driver to the UNESCO medina of Tetouan.
  • Guide, car and driver; the Lixus entry included.
  • Bad weather, a closed port or a strike: a new date or a full refund, your choice.
  • Private: your group only.

Tangier shore excursions

Shore excursions from the Tangier cruise port

Staying on after your cruise? Our Morocco tours from Tangier run 2 to 21 days and can start at the port.

Ready when your ship is

Tell us your ship and your date

Send us the ship, the date and who is coming, and you will have a plan timed to your hours in port, with an exact price, within 2 hours (8am to 10pm).

See the Tangier shore excursions
  • No deposit for most bookings
  • Licensed local guides
  • 87 Google reviews, rated 4.9