Can you do this cruise port on your own?
Tangier
DIY Score
Doable with planning
Walk in confidently, agree taxi fares first, and expect persistent vendors.
Tender or Docked?
Docked in the city at Tanger Ville. You walk off onto the pier and the medina is a flat 10-20 minute stroll along the waterfront.
How to Get Into Town
Walk to the medina in 10-20 min, free. A petit taxi to the Grand Socco is about 30-50 MAD (EUR 3-5) if you would rather ride.
Main Attractions
The medina, Kasbah and Grand Socco, all on foot. Add Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules by taxi if you want to leave the city.
How Much Time You Need
3-4 hours does the medina comfortably. Add a couple of hours if you want to drive out to Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules.
Keep in Mind
Faux guides will attach themselves to you. A firm, friendly "no, thank you" and walking on is the standard response; do not pay someone who simply followed you.
Safety & Comfort
Generally safe, but the hard-sell hassle is real. Violent crime is rare; the main issue is persistent vendors, faux guides and taxi overcharging.
Tips from Cruisers
"just wandered the souks and had a mint tea in the petit socco. bought a rug i probably paid too much for lol. good morning out" — by Marc D.
just wandered the souks and had a mint tea in the petit socco. bought a rug i probably paid too much for lol. good morning out
Walked off the ship and into the medina in about fifteen minutes. The hustlers are full on, a guy followed us for two streets insisting he was official, but once we stopped engaging he gave up. The Kasbah views were worth the climb.
Did a taxi out to Cap Spartel and the Hercules cave, negotiated 250 dirham return with him waiting. Took about two and a half hours all in, back at the ship with loads of time. Not one place we stopped took a card, it was all cash.
Honestly the vendors were a lot with two kids in tow and we cut it shorter than planned. The cave was a hit though, my youngest kept calling it the map of Africa. Glad we walked rather than dealt with more taxis.
We took a little blue taxi up to the top and walked down through the medina, which saved my knees. Agreed 40 dirham before getting in and that was that. Loved the little squares, the selling was a bit much for me though.
Got talked into following a "guide" who then wanted twenty euros for ten minutes. My fault for engaging. Tangier is fine but you have to be a bit hard-nosed, which isn't really my style.