Home > Malaga > Gibraltar Sightseeing Day Trip from Malaga
USD $55.00
Gibraltar Sightseeing Day Trip from Malaga
Malaga, Spain
On this day trip from Malaga, travel across the border from Spain to Gibraltar, a British territory most famous for its Rock of Gibraltar. See top Gibraltar attractions on a sightseeing tour, shop for British goods and photograph views of the Spanish and Moroccan coastlines from the top of the Rock.
After the approximate two-hour drive from Malaga on a comfortable coach, your day trip to Gibraltar starts with a sightseeing tour that takes in all the British territory’s sights. See the port of Gibraltar, the walled inner city and St Michael’s Cave, a dramatic natural grotto used as a venue for concerts, ballet and classical music performances.
Then head to the famous Rock of Gibraltar, a tour highlight. The limestone rock stands about 1,400 feet high (425 meters) and has a long history – the ancient Romans and Greeks considered it one of the two Pillars of Hercules, which marked the edge of the ancient world.
From the top, take in views of the Iberian Peninsula and across the Mediterranean to Morocco, and meet the locals -- the semi-wild troop of macaque monkeys, popularly known as Barbary apes. Legend says that the British won’t leave Gibraltar until the monkeys have left. Hang on to your belongings -- these cheeky little monkeys have been known to snatch and run!
You’ll also have free time too have lunch at a local restaurant (own expense) and for shopping on Main Street, where prices are tax-free, the currency is the British pound and English brands like Marks & Spencer sell their wares. Hit the shops for British clothing and glassware, and pick up duty-free designs from international brands like Tommy Hilfiger and the Spanish brand Mango.
Upgrade Don’t leave without saying hello to Gibraltar’s friendly dolphins, the world’s favorite marine mammals. Upgrade your day trip to include a dolphin-watching cruise to catch sight of the three types of dolphins who call these waters home: common, striped and bottle-nosed dolphins. If you don’t choose this option, you’ll have extended free time.
I booked the tour directly from the website of VIATOR although it was more expensive than that advertised by Julia Travel. The reason for this was that when I read the reviews on the tour organised by Julia Travel many complained that the trip from Malaga to Gibraltar took much more time than the advertised duration of two hours. However, to my astonishment, when I booked I received an email form VIATOR informing me that the tour would be organised by Julia Travel. Thus I had paid the extra fee in vain._br/_ The coach from Malaga took almost 4 hours to arrive at Gibraltar despite the fact that VIATOR advertises that the trip would take around 2 hours. This delay was due to the fact that there were many pick-ups on the way and the guide had to distance herself from the coach several times to pick up persons along the way. A more clear indication of the time which would be taken from Malaga to Gibraltar should have been given. We arrived at Gibraltar at around 10.45am and were given free time up to 12.30pm. Then we were led to different mini buses according to the preferred language and were informed that the coach would leave Malaga at 3pm sharp. The local guide for the city tour named Paul was commendable and he was both knowledgeable and friendly. However, we were rushed through the places we had to visit. In fact we were spared only 20 minutes to visit St Michaels caves and on our way to the coach parking area, at 2.45pm, Paul even received a telephone call asking him where we were. However, we arrived at the parking area within the following minute._br/_ Our return to Malaga took much less and we arrived at our destination prior to 6pm. This means that although the tour was advertised as having a duration of approximately 12 hours, in our case it lasted only 11 hours whereas more time could have been allotted to us either during our city tour or during our free time. Prior to dropping the participants off, the guide even told us that whoever wished to give tips to her and the coach driver was free to do so. Notwithstanding this, almost none of those who were dropped off in Malaga gave any tips._br/_ All in all, I opine that the tour was not quite worthwhile and it should give more value for money. It would pay whoever wishes to visit Gibraltar to do so on his own if he is able to do so.
Review by: Cree P, May 2018
Julia Travel really took care of us
Review by: Nancy R, April 2018
This tour was underwhelming. We spent 7 hours on the bus and 4 hrs. actually touring at Gibraltar. Felt like we were on the milk run stopping at the various hotels/locations to pick up passengers. It was an exhausting and pricey tour for so little. The Julia Bus tour guide was pleasant but inefficient. He was not clear in his explanations of what passengers were to do next thus creating confusion. The small bus tour guide at Gibraltar, Phil, who drove us to St. Michael's cave and the monkeys was a 5 star guide. He did a great job. Our tour was on a Saturday which is the Sabbath day for the Jewish shop owners. Therefore their shops were closed thus giving less shopping options during the time on Main Street, Gibraltar, a major portion of the tour. Felt a little cheated in this aspect. I would not recommend this tour.
Review by: lfbutler, March 2018
I would give this a zero if there was an option. In an 11 hour day, only 4 1/2 hours were spent in Gibraltar, less than 2 of which comprised an organized tour. Fully six hours were spent poking along Costa Del Sol picking up and dropping off travellers. Had I been forewarned, I would not have registered for the tour! Further, the bus was old, had some broken seats and was not very comfortable. Finally, no effort was made to pull over so passengers could take the iconic photo of the Rock, impossible from Gibraltar itself. A waste of time and money!
Review by: Katherine G, March 2018
Very disappointing. We never got to the top of the rock as advertised.Maybe about 3/4 of the way up. Certainly not worth the time. We had to meet at 7:00, before breakfast being served at the hotel, and not even a rest stop on the way to Gibraltar. Nothing is open in Malaga before 8:00 am, so no coffee available Many, many stops along the way to pick up passengers. It would have been worth a few dollars more to get a private driver. I personally had a visit there 20 years ago, a much better tour, with a guide who explained the history of the rock and the surge.
Review by: bdparvin, March 2018
This was an enjoyable day tour. It was nice to have some solo time to walk around and have lunch. The Gibraltar tour guide was great and the tour of the rock was really interesting. It would have been nice to have toured some of the bunkers, but that was my only complaint.
Review by: John S, March 2018
Well worth the price !
Review by: jjwalden2, March 2018
Malaga to Gibraltar takes about 1.45hrs. With all the hotel pick ups it took us 3 hours. Thats 6hrs travel there and back. It was an interesting tour, but next time Id stay a couple of nights to see all of The Rock.
Review by: Xavier S, March 2018
3H30mn bus to reach Gibraltar and 3h30mn to get back to Malaga ! ..._br/_ We spent more time in the bus than visiting Gibraltar.
Review by: sandusky, March 2018
Some of us started started early from Malaga because on the way to Gibraltar the coach had to pick up other folks along the way. By the time we got to Gibraltar it's like 10:30 am. Then we were split into groups based on the languages used and on to a smaller coaches that took us to the top of the rock.The views are worth it and the monkeys weren't too bad as I'm not their big fan.
Review by: Jane D, February 2018
The bus drove along the coast road so we enjoyed a lovely view of the countryside and the sea with the towns stringing along, one blending into the other. In Gibraltar, you really must take the gondola up to the top. Oooh! what a view!!!! of Africa as well as the opening to the straits. The natural caves are amazing. The rock of Gibraltar is limestone and lends itself to the development of caves rather like a cheese! Macaque monkeys are everywhere up top, totally unafraid of people. The city itself is very crowded with narrow streets and interesting touristy shops. On the whole, a very nice adventure to check off your bucket list. I wish our guide had given explanations of what was going to happen and when. It was a little confusing, but we just kept asking questions. If you eat lunch there, give yourself ample time as service tends to be slow also expensive.
Review by: Natalie S, February 2018
Enjoyed the minibus tour in Gibraltar. Seeing the monkeys is worth it!
Review by: Jesus I, February 2018
We spent 75 of the tour picking up and dropping off people from hotels.
Review by: Paul M, February 2018
The bus made so many stops along the way to pick up people, I got car sick from the round abouts plus it made the trip so long. It would have been nice to stop for a photo before arriving at the border...photos at the border were cluttered with cars and junk and too close to the Rock. I thought the tour would take us higher up the rock like where the cable car goes. The WiFi on the bus did not work and then the bus broke down.
Review by: Robert B, February 2018
Two hours to pick everyone up, with fifteen minutes waiting at one hotel for what turned out to be a 'no show'. The Julia Travel guide from Malaga was poor, but the local guide in Gibraltar - Victor - was one of the best guides I have had anywhere in the world. Advertised as a 12 hour tour, back in 10 hours 45 minutes from departure. An extra hour in Gibraltar would have been excellent
Review by: Thierry K, January 2018
Horaire respecté, guide quadrilingue et connaissant son métier, petite ville à découvrir et panorama exceptionnel.
Review by: Liz C, January 2018
Buyer beware! Their advertisement mentions that After a roughly 2-hour journey, arrive and enjoy a sightseeing tour of Gibraltars main attractions. This was false, it took three hours and a half to get to Gibraltar and the bus stopped about 20 times along the way to pick up passengers. We ended up spending approximately 4 hrs in Gibraltar and 7 hrs in traveling time. I believe it was very dishonest of this company to do that for a trip that takes a bit under 2 hrs from Málaga. They took detours to pick up passengers without informing us that they were going to do that. The guide was extremely rude and they didn't even stop once on the way back for restrooms.
Review by: Doreen W, January 2018
The trip was enjoyable mainly because the local bus driver was so good at his job. He had fluent English and an easy-going way of imparting information about the history of The Rock and the surrounding area. The ability to shop for English products was a bonus. This trip is rated only three stars because the trip took far too long getting to Gibraltar and returning to Malaga.
Review by: Jia Hao T, January 2018
Extremely touristy and lack of clear instruction from the guide. The tour does not bring you to the top of Gibraltar and you will have to ascend during your free time.
Review by: kathleenpoll5, January 2018
Overall, this was a good tour but having to meet the tour bus in Malaga at 7 am was not fun as we spend the first two hours from 7 to 9 am picking up other people from their hotel locations. I wish we had been given this option since we had to spend around 24 on parking in Malaga adding to the cost and time of this tour. The tour itself of Gibraltar was great but again it was a lot of time spent getting there and getting everyone back to their hotel/Malaga.
Review by: feral, January 2018
We loved every minute of our tour. The Julia staff were great and I would recommend this tour to_br/_ any one wanting to learn the history of Gibraltar and have a really fun time as well. Thanks to _br/_ everyone who made our trip so memorable.
Review by: Tresha W, January 2018
I was really looking forward to this trip. But alas, I was definitely disappointed. Julia travel at it's best once again. This is a half day trip turned full day sojourn.
Review by: c.niloy, January 2018
Buses were comfortable, guide was good. But a lot of time was spent in picking up and dropping off other passengers on route. The exact events of the days did not quite match up to the information provided about the tour. The core of the tour - 1.5 hours on the rock, which in itself was excellent - had to be hastened due to schedule issues. The itinerary in Gibraltar needs to be managed better.
Review by: Tom, December 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: graham, December 2017
The guide with Julia travel from Malaga to Gibraltar was very repetitive on his comments for the tour content. The guide and driver for the mini bus tour on Gibraltar bus number 6 was very informative and had a good sense of humour for his portion of the tour which made the trip very enjoyable.
Review by: Shahed S, October 2017
same problem, Guide was old and very rude. He did not have all information with him. Very confusing. But the guide inside the Gibraltor was ver nice and friendly.
Review by: Debbie, October 2017
Gibraltar is an amazing place and the small bus trip around Gibraltar, to the cave and seeing the monkey's was amazing! However the organisation of the tour needs some work, first we spent 2 hours driving around the coast between Malaga and Marbella picking up passengers. We arrived in Gibraltar and were given about an hour and 20 minutes to look around before coming back to do the tour around to the lighthouse, cave etc with only about 20 minutes to look at the cave and monkeys very rushed. After the tour we had another hour to find a quick lunch and then back to the bus only to wait another 1/2 hour for fellow passengers before we headed off on the trip back to Malaga and another 2 hours driving around dropping off passengers. The tour in Gibraltar needs to be when you arrive or before you leave to allow a consolidated block if time in the town. And pick up of passengers at 12 places along the coast needs to be reviewed, after all it's one spot in Malaga!
Review by: Richard C, October 2017
Your booking form said NO hotel pick up,but after Malaga the bus picked up at many hotels in torremolinos which were not on the main road,I was very angry at having to pay for a taxi to get me to the departure point.the coach took 3.50 hours to Gibraltar and 4 hours back because of hotel pick ups and drop offs 7.50 on a coach does not warrant 5 hours in Gibraltar.this was the worst day trip I have ever been on,I will never use your company again nor will I recommend your company to anyone _br/_ Richard Carlin.
Review by: Julie L, October 2017
Excellent trip thoroughly recommended
Review by: Gary H, October 2017
My main complaint is that a 12 hour tour 7 a.m. to 7 p.m contained only 1.5 hours of guided tour. Granted, the time from Malaga to Gibraltar is 2 hours making 4 hours total. The bus was punctual at 7a.m. but it took 20 min. to check everyone off a clipboard no one uses a digital notepad? We arrived at Gibraltar just after 9 a.m. and then got off the bus at about 10 a.m. Then the confusion started. The tours in Gibraltar are all run by local companies. Our guide tried to sort out people going for sightseeing / dolphin watching / shopping / tunnels all just outside the door of the bus. This could have been done in the bus on the way. I was on the sightseeing tour so was told I had 2 hours free time and to be back at the bus station at 12 noon for the minibus tour. We left soon after. Our stops were Europa Point, St Michaels Cave and a spot where some monkeys were hanging around. We did not go to the peak as advertised. I quote Next, drive up the 1,400-foot 425-meter rock ......... At the summit, gaze out over the Spanish coast and toward Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar. This did not happen. We were back at the coach station in 1.5 hours and told we had another 1.5 hours of 'free time'. If we had known we had 3.5 hours of free time we could have taken the cable car to the peak on our own initiative. We were then delayed another hour in the coach station as the local operator had forgotten to buy tickets for the Tunnel tours and they were late coming back. In all fairness to the Malaga operator the problems were the results of the Gibraltar mini-bus tour operators. Our guide told us the standard tour was 1.5 hours and there was nothing they could do. However be fair in your promotion materials and don't make false promises. On the positive side the bus was comfortable and immigration customs went smoothly. I am disappointed I missed visiting the top of the rock and surely there is a point where you can view one of the most unusual aspects of Gibraltar ... the highway that crosses the airport runway! If I ever visit Gibraltar again I will stay overnight and make my own sightseeing arrangements. However for a quick visit all the way from Malaga I guess it wasn't too bad.
Review by: Jennifer C, October 2017
A good day, knowledgeable guide
Review by: Maroš N, October 2017
Really disappointed. We went through all resorts and picked up every senior in Andalusia. Trip is estimated for 12 hours and we spent 7 in the bus. When we reached Gibraltar we had 1.5 hour in city centre and then another waiting for mini bus. There were only two stops. South coast of Gibraltar for 15 minutes and 30 minutes in Saint Michael's Cave which could be nice without all those flashing lights. It was like in club after midnight when you are high and drunk and techno music kicks in. In front of the cave there were few apes and Quadrillion people. Everyone had a phone and wanted a selfie with them. The worst tourism view you can imagine. Then we went by minibus to bus and left Gibraltar.
Review by: valschull, October 2017
A 12-hour day from Malaga, collecting and returning people from many hotels along the way, and we were on the actual rock about 20 minutes, and 20 minutes in the mini bus. This is due to restricted terrain and the difficulties of getting access to the rock. We saw the hospital cave, which is now rather Disneyfied. Anyhow, I've achieved an ambition to see Gibraltar. I would recommend anyone to take the cable-car in future.
Review by: shlomit, October 2017
the tour itself was very interesting and the Gibraltarian guide gave fairly good explanations with a lot of sense of humor. the rock. the cave and the monkeys were unforgettable. but the trip in the bus took three and a half hours instead of two seven hours in the bus instead of four. its a big difference because we picked up so many people from so many hotels, and they didn't make even one bathroom stop. I had with me my over 80 years old mother and I had to bag and argue with the guide to let her go to the bathroom. never seen anything like it.
Review by: crisisrn, October 2017
This was a big bus tour. The company does not pick you up or drop you off. It was a ways from my hotel. They picked up at least_br/_ 12 people along the way 6 stops. Once we got to Gilbraltar, you have to have your passport as the passport police check your_br/_ passport. Once we got to Gilbraltar, our guide said you have two hours to see the villageon your own ? map.Meet back at_br/_ the bus station. We met back at the bus station to be driven with a guide around the island. They looked for the monkeys, but _br/_ alas no Gilbraltar monkeys! When you leave, you have to go through passport control again. A long day.11 hours be prepared.
Review by: Juris I, September 2017
The trip to Gibraltar took 3 hours because the bus had to pick up travellers from several hotels on the way. The same on the trip back to Malaga. No stop to visit guest room. I would have liked to have more free time in Gibraltar to walk around myself. Good local guide in Gibraltar - Steve.
Review by: Miles D, September 2017
Well worth the 7am start from Malaga. Once there the trip was great and well worth it.The town and views are spectacular and the guide Paco was excellent. Got to see a lot of the Rock, St Michael's Cave and the Ape's Den. The top of the rock is not included, but overall a great trip
Review by: Paulina Ł, September 2017
Trop was fine. We had 5h of free time and visiting tour lasted only 1,5h. We had 10min in the sightseeing point (where you can see Aficans mountains), 20 minutes in caves and 10 to see the apes. _br/_ If you do not have your own transportation, this tour is fine.
Review by: hedgehog18, September 2017
The tour guide in Gibraltar was amazing, he made our day with his jokes and beside this he shared all impoartant information about Gibraltar in all aspects.
Review by: tomjhaughey, September 2017
Frank the tour guide was excellent and very informative. the Bus driver was a very nice man and very careful. However there was some problem and we were late being picked up and had to wait a while for others which was fine but we didn't get any extra time for shopping in Gibraltar the other end. Tour guide in Gibraltar was very good , clear and easy to understand. Traders in Gibraltar however out for what they can get of the tourist. Be careful of being short changed! Very Cheap worth a shopping trip.
Review by: Ruth O, September 2017
We began our tour in Malaga, from a designated departure point, where everyone from Malaga gathered. The bus departed nice and early for our long awaited trip to Gibraltar. Unfortunately, the bus stopped many times to pick up other travellers from their hotels along the coastline between Malaga and Gibraltar. This was extremely frustrating, as many of them were not ready, and we sat waiting for up to 20 minutes at some of those places. To make matters worse, the toilet on the bus was out of order, and we were not permitted to get off the bus to use the facilities. When we finally picked up the last passengers, we realised there were not enough seats on the bus, and some people had to stand, while others had children sitting on their laps. Four hours later, we finally arrived in Gibraltar. It was exciting to see the big rock looming before us. We were taken to the main bus station, where we were finally allowed to use the toilets, before being loaded on to smaller buses. Our guided tour around Gibraltar was interesting, and the views going up the rock were wonderful, however, the tour does not go to the top of the rock, which I found extremely disappointing. It only goes halfway up. When I told the driver we wanted to go to the top, and could he direct us to where the chairlift station was, he told me I didn't really want to do that! He said I had seen enough, and would be better spending our free time shopping in the town. Well, this made us even more determined to get to the top. We hadn't travelled all the way from Australia, only to get halfway up the rock! So, when he dropped us all back to the bus station, with two hours free time, we walked the 10 - 15 minutes to the chairlift station. We had to wait 20 minutes in line, but after a six minute ride, we were on the top of the rock! Absolutely amazing! This was the highlight of our day. Nothing previous had come even close to this. We stayed as long as possible, taking breathtaking photos, and enjoying watching the monkeys, before descending, walking back to the town which we found quite dirty and disappointing before boarding the bus for the long trip home. My recommendation is this - find some other way to get to Gibraltar - there are plenty of local tours - this one is frustrating and disappointing!
Review by: Shane M, September 2017
Although we enjoyed this trip to Gibraltar and we got to see what we wanted, there are a lot of elements that could be better._br/_ As a combined tour, one shopping and one for the visit, we on the visit tour had too long at the start for shopping...over two hours._br/_ Then when we started the sightseeing part it was all very rushed, 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there. For example when we got to St Michaels cave we were given 20 minutes only, and considering the Barbary apes where outside also, we had to split out time between the both, so by the time you got into the cave it was just a rush through and came out the other side not really seeing it properly._br/_ The small tour van on Gibraltar had no aircon and we nearly suffocated in the heat. This tour could be so much better with a bit more organisation.
Review by: Mike R, September 2017
To start you get bus stop number 11 not an address, not a landmark just an area not on map and a bus stop. The bus showed up 15 min late, we were told to be 15 min. early the guide asked for a paper copy even though the website said the PDF was suffice, we got no information other than a complaint that some needed the bathroom before completing a four hour bus ride. The tour on Gibraltar was wonderful but I would not book with viatar for this tour
Review by: abigail7, August 2017
The rock, the memorial, the caves, the monkeys, shopping downtown, and time for lunch - fantastic!!
Review by: Ágota K, August 2017
It's a great trip, Gibraltar is amazing. Our local guide gave us a lot of information about the place, he was really funny and informative. The trip to Gibraltar was quite long since the bus stopped a lot of times to pick up travellers. What I missed was that there was not a short break for toilets although we travelled 3 hours long. And I also missed that the guide who travellled with us did not tell any stories, did not give any information about the trip. All in all, we enjoyed the trip, we spent 4 hours in Gibraltar - it could have been longer, anyway, - and the place was worth a visit, for sure.
Review by: Madalyn M, August 2017
It is not even worth 1 star. I got up at 5:30 am to get to the bus by 6:45 am as per instructions. No Julia Travel Rep was there to meet us and the bus did not arrive until almost 7:15am. The bus escort did not apologize and only asked if we had passports._br/_ I had a 3 hour bus ride with no toilets on board or rest stop plus my waiting time without a bathroom._br/_ We were not given a map or brochure about Gibraltar, just directed to Main St for shopping and told to get back later for a tour._br/_ After the shopping part, we were separated into smaller groups and taken in a smaller vehicle around Gibraltar with the driver making comments about the sights but too fast to really follow and no real historical perspective given._br/_ I did enjoy seeing the Macaques on the Rock. Despite signs advising that it was prohibited to feed or touch the macaques, our van driver fed them and gave food to some from the tour to feed them. Went into St. Michael's Cave but had no idea what I was seeing or anything about its history.
Review by: Julie O, August 2017
A long day but interesting and worth the trip
Review by: angelee_medeiros, August 2017
Amazing time.
Review by: Nanette R, August 2017
We took this tour with some trepidation. There had been some negative reviews but since it was an easy option to see Gibraltar from Malaga we went ahead anyway. We now wish we had spent more time looking at alternatives. And while we went on a Julia tour, our comments probably apply to all similar tours from Malaga. To some extent the tour did what it said it would do, but in the end we were extremely disappointed. _br/_ The tour started in Malaga some 10-15min late. It then wound its way along the coast Torremolenos and others picking up passengers. We felt we were on a suburban bus. I lost count after the eighth pick up. Meanwhile not one word hello, welcome, what we are doing, where we are going from the guide. After nearly 2 hours we seemed to have finished the pickups and hit the motorway. Oh, and yes, the guide finally spoke Yeah!! We actually got some information about the trip and a cursory overview of the country. We arrived at the Gib bus station at 10:30 1/2 hour late. We were let loose but had to return to the bus by 11:55. One hour 20 minutes, just enough time to get breakfast and look at a couple of souvenir shops. Back at the bus station we were, after some confusion, sorted into language groups and herded off to the minibuses. More confusion and arguing. It seemed that not enough buses and guides had been ordered to cope with the number of English speakers. So a big group of us got put on a bus with a couple of French, a couple of Germans and a couple of Italians. So instead of a single language commentary as we were led to believe, we got a 4 language commentary with the Blands travel guide, who had a strong German accent and favoured that language. And really, the amount of information about Gib, the war, its history was minimal!! We saw St Michaels cave a stunning letdown, it was a large wet grey limestone cave, with some formations and lots and lots of tourists, a few monkeys near the cave, a lighthouse, and a quick drive round the mountain. We then had another hour of free time and another 10 min trek to and from the bus station! before the loooong drive home._br/_ Why not more of the history in the various wars? Why not visit the siege tunnels, the apes den, the WWII tunnels? There was enough time/ Why split free time into two relatively useless parts, why not combine them so something useful could be achieved such as a taxi or cable car ride to the peak. Since all the passengers in Malaga had to go to a central point, why not in Torremolinos? Why cant Blands travel provide better guides and coverage?_br/_ Other Julia tours in Spain were enjoyable but, unfortunately, this tour was not and it proved to be the most disappointing of all.
Review by: Paula M, August 2017
The Bus Tour took too many pick-ups instead of telling people where they could be picked up instead at every hotel which took a lot time out of the Tour itself. However, the City Tour was capped by the tour to the Rock and all those caves, kudos to the City for spending money ensuring that the caves are safe to walk into. What can one say about the monkeys, simply unreal
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