Travel bucket list idea:

Alcatraz

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)

Last updated: 18 March, 2024

A mile-and-a-half offshore in the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz – or ‘The Rock’ as its residents affectionately dubbed it – was one of America’s highest-security prisons until it shut down in 1963 (the razor-sharp cliffs and frigid waters were enough to deter most escape plans).

Nowadays, visitors can hop on the ferry at Perry 33 and tour the accommodations once occupied by Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. Luckily, overnight visitors are no longer accepted.

Logistics

Price from: £35

Minimum age: 0

Age suitable: 8+

When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

The only way to reach the Rock is by catching Alcatraz Cruise’s Alcatraz Ferry at Pier 33. During high season, ferries leave almost every half-hour between 9am and 7pm.

Alcatraz tickets often sell out, and booking ahead is essential.

Different tours are available depending on your desired departure time, and ticket prices include both the ferry roundtrip and guided tour. Tours (2.5 hours including return journey) include a ranger tour and a 45-minute audio presentation. It’s also possible to do a longer 5.5 hour tour combining visits to Alcatraz and Angel Island, where guests are taken on a one-hour narrated tram tour.

When to do it

Tours run all year round, daily. During high season, ferries leave almost every half-hour between 9am and 7pm.

Night tours, leaving pre-dusk, are the most comprehensive, and have a decidedly spooky feel. As a bonus, you can enjoy the lovely sight of the sun setting over San Francisco.

Early Bird and Day Tours use audio tour, and are less intimate and interesting than the guided Night Tours. Early Bird Tours are the least crowded, departing 8.45am.

Who to go with: organised tours

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Small-Group Tour: SF, Muir Woods, Sausalito w/ Optional Alcatraz

San Francisco

Viator

You get to see everything in one day! All the main sites in San Francisco, a lunch break in Sausalito, and a walk around Muir Woods. If you have selected the Alcatraz option, you will take a ferry ride to Alcatraz Island in the afternoon for the Official Alcatraz Tour. 8am – Depart Fisherman’s Wharf 8-9:30am – Explore San Francisco’s BEST neighborhoods! You will be treated to entertaining stories about the neighborhoods and several photo stops. 9:30-11am – Explore Muir Woods You will have 75 minutes among some of the last remaining coastal redwoods in the world! 11am-12pm – Lunch in Sausalito Enjoy lunch in the quaint town of Sausalito where you can shop and explore! 1:30pm - If you have selected the Alcatraz option, you will be dropped off at Pier 33 for the Official Alcatraz Tour! For those not going to Alcatraz, you will be dropped off at the same location as your meeting point.

Price $129

Min age 0

Rating 4.85 / 5 [1153 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

Alcatraz with Muir Woods and Sausalito Tour

San Francisco

Viator

Combine three of the Bay Area's top attractions—Alcatraz Island, Muir Woods, and Sausalito—into one tour from San Francisco. Travel in a luxury small-group tour van across the Golden Gate Bridge, enjoying the scenery without the hassle of driving. Explore Muir Woods and Sausalito at your own pace. Choose between a day or night tour of Alcatraz. The night tour features a sunset cruise, cell door demonstrations, and expert talks. Both tours offer an award-winning audio guide in multiple languages, detailing the prison's dark history and escape attempts. The 8:30am option departs from 488 Post Street. Look for a black Mercedes sprinter van parked across the street. It will start with Muir Woods and Sausalito then go to Alcatraz. The 9:10am option departs from Pier 33. It will start with Alcatraz then go to Muir Woods and Sausalito. The 12:50pm option departs from Pier 33. It will start with Muir Woods and Sausalito then to Alcatraz at night.

Price $159

Min age 0

Rating 4.52 / 5 [863 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

Alcatraz Muir Woods Express with Golden Gate Bridge Visit

San Francisco

Viator

Combine inside Alcatraz with an assigned same day visit to Muir Woods with Golden Gate Bridge. Enjoy a hybrid of driver narration with bridge history and Alcatraz Escape presentations. This tour includes: Assigned By Us: Muir Wood Van departure time (70+ minute) Assigned By Us: Alcatraz Island Admission Time Slot (2.5+ hours) Golden Gate Bridge stop (10+ minutes) We will assign your between 7am-4pm in peak times. Guests will be returned to San Francisco by van or included ferry on select dates. VIP James Woods Road Trip Upgrade: Muir Woods Express plus bonus time in Sausalito with brunch credit. Guests will be returned to Wharf by van or ferry. Some dates will start by Sausalito Ferry then Muir Woods/ Golden Gate. Early Bird: Get there before the crowds do! Enjoy nature as it was intended to be! We are often the first tour group to arrive! Silence is golden! Enjoy the park and relish in the experience as we leave seeing the endless busses arrive to the park. You will thank us!

Price $140

Min age 0

Rating 4.78 / 5 [267 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

Best Alcatraz Prison Tickets & San Francisco Combo Tour

San Francisco

Viator

San Francisco and Alcatraz Tour Description Get ready for an unforgettable adventure with our San Francisco and Alcatraz Combo Tour! This thrilling journey is split into two parts: a morning guided exploration of San Francisco and an afternoon self-guided escapade to Alcatraz Island. Morning Tour: Start your day with our expert guide picking you up from your San Francisco hotel in a luxury SUV. Visit iconic sights like the Golden Gate Bridge, Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate Park, Haight-Ashbury, Twin Peaks, Painted Ladies, Civic Center, Union Square, Chinatown, Lombard Street, Coit Tower, North Beach, and Fisherman’s Wharf. This four-hour tour includes plenty of stops for photos and walks. Afternoon Tour: Your guide will drop you at the Alcatraz cruise terminal for a ferry to Alcatraz. Enjoy a self-guided audio tour of the prison, exploring at your own pace. Afterward, return to Pier 33 and either explore Fisherman’s Wharf or head back to your hotel. The drop-off is not included.

Price $393

Min age 0

Rating 4.95 / 5 [234 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

San Francisco Small Group City Sightseeing and Alcatraz Tour

San Francisco

Viator

This urban adventure in San Francisco takes you around the city in a safari-style open-air vehicle, then drops you off at the ferry to Alcatraz Island for the cellhouse audio tour. On this uniquely crafted sightseeing tour limited to 12 people, you will see renowned landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and hear quirky stories about the city as an entertaining guide drives your custom vehicle through SF's distinctive neighborhoods. After the four hour city tour, your tour guide will drop you off at Pier 33 where you will catch the ferry to Alcatraz Island. Most guests spend two to three hours at their leisure enjoying the audio walking tour of the former federal penitentiary known as ‘the Rock’. Hotel pickup is included.

Price $180

Min age 0

Rating 4.92 / 5 [224 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Website >

SEE ALL RECOMMENDED TOURS & TICKETS