Explore the hand-blasted galleries hewn into the Rock during the Great Siege of 1779–1783 and later expanded into a vast WWII command complex — 34 miles of tunnels hidden inside a living mountain.
What to expect
The Upper Galleries of the Great Siege Tunnels emerge from sheer cliff face at 370 metres — the views down to the Bay of Gibraltar and across to Spain are extraordinary even before you step inside. Within, Georgian-era cannon ports still aim toward the Spanish lines, while WWII-era bunk rooms, command posts, and ammunition stores reveal how 30,000 Allied troops lived underground. A licensed guide brings the tunnels to life with personal accounts of the 1779–1783 siege — the longest in British military history — and the secret wartime expansion. The cool, dimly lit galleries feel genuinely cinematic.
Good to know
Part of the GBP 35 Nature Reserve combined ticket — pre-book at naturereserve.gi. Wear layers; the tunnels are cool and damp. Best combined with St. Michael's Cave and Apes' Den in a private taxi tour (2–2.5 hours total on the Upper Rock). Pier to Upper Rock is a 10-minute taxi ride.