pier 33 alcatraz tours

Alcatraz Island and the Alcatraz Tour

Alcatraz Tour Fascinates Visitors to Alcatraz Island

Matteo Colombo / Getty Images

It's a former federal prison on a rocky island in the middle of the bay, steeped in legend and a popular tourist stop.

Spanish Explorer Manuel de Ayala named this barren rock in the middle of San Francisco Bay Isla de los Alcatraces (Island of the Pelicans). The island called Alcatraz has been used as a Civil War fort, a Federal prison and a symbol of Native American plight. Today, the National Park Service runs Alcatraz Island as a tourist attraction.

Things to Do on Alcatraz

You can get a look at what you'll see on the Alcatraz tour by visiting the Alcatraz slideshow.

The National Park Service schedules activities to help you learn about Alcatraz Island, including lectures and special tours. The schedule board at the ferry landing gives the times. The only guided tour is the audio tour, but you can also pick up a self-guided tour book near the boat dock.

Barracks from Alcatraz Island's stint as a military base, the cell house, lighthouse, and a few others remain. Many of the Alcatraz Island prison buildings are gone. Some burned during the American Indian Alcatraz occupation in the 1960s. The guard's residences, deteriorated beyond repair, were torn down in the 1970s. 

If the hospital area is open during your visit, don't miss it. It's a fascinating look at medical care during the prison's heyday.

To see two San Francisco Bay islands in one day, take the Alcatraz & Angel Island Tour which will also take you to Angel Island .

Alcatraz Island Tickets

The only way to tour Alcatraz is with the company called Alcatraz Cruises, leaving from San Francisco. Other bay cruise companies can take you by, but can't stop.  Find all the details and buy tickets at the Alcatraz Cruises website . Anyone else selling an Alcatraz Island tour is re-selling tickets and may charge a processing fee.

Alcatraz tour tickets sell out fast. The official brochures say tickets sell out as early as a week in advance in the summer and on holiday weekends. When checked on a July Friday, they were sold out until the following Tuesday. 

Tickets not used by hotels are released to the Alcatraz ticket booth just before it opens. Be first in line you may get a same-day tour ticket. Your hotel's concierge or front desk may have tickets. Or consider taking the Alcatraz and Angel Island tour, which doesn't fill up as fast.

The boat ride to Alcatraz takes about 15 minutes each way from San Francisco. Your tour can last as long as you like (or until the last boat leaves).

The Day Tour is the most popular. It includes round-trip transportation to the island and the audio tour.

The Night Tour includes extra activities — and is slightly more expensive. Taking it allows more time to visit other sights that close earlier, maximizing your sightseeing time. The only downside is that a few areas that are open during the day close after dark.

Get Ready to Visit Alcatraz

Most visitors spend at least a few hours on Alcatraz. Snacks and water are essential to keep everyone from getting "hangry" or thirsty.

If you don't know much about Alcatraz, stop to see the 17-minute introductory video before you go up the hill. You can also read up on these interesting facts about Alcatraz before you go and  explore the fascinating history of the Alcatraz lighthouse .

Watch the Clint Eastwood movie "Escape from Alcatraz" for a glimpse of how the prison operated during its busiest period.

Tips for Visiting Alcatraz

Pick up an audio tour and use it. You'll get a lot more out of what you're seeing. Pay attention to the audio directions. Otherwise, you could end up gabbing away with your friends and not able to figure out where you should be going. If that happens, ask a ranger or tour guide for help.

If you miss your boat, don't despair. The ticket office can direct you to the standby line for the next one.

To see Alcatraz, you'll walk — a lot. It's easy enough if you're in reasonably good shape. They offer a tram to get you up the hill, but you still have to walk after you get there. 

The boats are quiet, clean and smooth riding. The trip is short. But if you need a Dramamine just to sit on the dock and watch a boat bobbing up and down, take your favorite remedy. 

Those white spots all over the island aren't paint. Rangers say several people a day acquire a "white badge of honor" as a gift from a seagull. DON'T look up if you hear birds. Also, watch where you put your hands to avoid touching those same white splotches of yucky stuff.

The gift shop has some very stylish and clever souvenir items. They also sell the book "Hollywood Alcatraz" which details all the films made at Alcatraz and where their scenes were filmed.

Alcatraz Tour Review

In a poll, more than 2,000 Tripsavvy readers rated Alcatraz, 48% rated it awesome and 10% great. However, 26% gave it the lowest rating.

Alcatraz is likely to bore children under the age of five and is more fun for kids who are old enough to understand what it is.

On the plus side, the views of San Francisco and the bay are eye-popping. History buffs enjoy Alcatraz. So does anyone who's seen the movies about it and feel like it's a must-see. The audio tour is one of the best anywhere, using voices of actual guards and prisoners to tell the prison's story.

On the downside, it takes almost half a day to go there and back. If your trip to San Francisco is short, that may be more time than you want to spend on one activity. And it smells like bird poop during spring seagull nesting season.

Getting to Alcatraz Island

Alcatraz Island San Francisco, CA National Park Website

Alcatraz Cruises leave from Pier 33. If you've been to San Francisco before, be aware that the ticket booth and departure dock moved several years ago.

To drive, follow signs for Pier 39. Pier 33 is a few blocks east. You can find more than a dozen commercial parking lots within a five-block radius. Street parking isn't practical because the meters have a two-hour limit and you'll be gone longer than that.

If you're staying in San Francisco, take a taxi, use a ride-sharing service or public transit. Muni's F Line runs past Pier 33 and the Powell-Mason cable car stops nearby. Find more ways to get around San Francisco .

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• Alcatraz Tours

By  Karen

Updated June 5, 2024.

Alcatraz Tours & Tickets for 2024

A local's guide to choosing the best Alcatraz tours, and how to save money on booking Alcatraz tickets.

Here's the inside scoop on how the Alcatraz tours and tickets work: my secrets on navigating the system! 

• What are the Alcatraz tours like?
• What's the best way to get Alcatraz tickets?
• What if Alcatraz tickets are sold out?
• What to do and see on the island?

The bleak remains of Alcatraz prison sit on a windy island in the middle of San Francisco Bay.

Every year, over 1.4 million people visit Alcatraz, definitely one of the most popular of San Francisco attractions. A fascinating spot - both creepy and beautiful! Highly recommended.

The dark history and sense of isolation seem to seep out of the penitentiary's damp walls. It's no Disneyland ride; this is real and has a rough edge to it. Plenty of "atmosphere"! Lots of people have said this was their favorite San Francisco attraction.

What Alcatraz tours are available now? 

The Day Tour , the Night Tour , the Behind the Scenes Tour, and t he combo Alcatraz/Angel Island Tour are all running now

New for 2024: both the Night Tour and the Behind the Scenes Tour have added one extra sailing each day, which may explain why it's easier to get last-minute tickets now (for the Night Tour, anyway).

And the combination of Alcatraz with a visit to Angel Island has finally returned after an absence of several years!

Happy note: currently (early June, 2024), you can usually get next day   tickets  for the Alcatraz Day and Alcatraz Night Tours ! And lots of them. I have never seen this; they are usually sold out for a couple of months at this time.

However, the Behind the Scenes tours are often sold out over 6 weeks in advance, with maybe a single ticket available here and there before that.

Day tour: daily , 8:40 am to 3:50 pm, about every 30 minutes.

Night tour:  Tue-Sat, at 5:55, 6;30 and 7:05 pm.

Behind the Scenes tour: Tue-Sat,  at 4:20 and 4:50 pm.

Alcatraz/Angel Island tour:  daily, at 9:40 and 9:50 am.

General Info on the Tours

My insider tips on:

• The best ways to get Alcatraz tickets
• What the different Alcatraz tours are like

What if Alcatraz is sold out for the dates you want? It's still possible to get tickets! See my page on the ways to get last-minute Alcatraz tickets for sold-out days.

The best ways to get Alcatraz tickets...

Tickets for Alcatraz go on sale 90 days in advance of the tours. These tickets book up, so get them as soon as you know your travel dates!

There are two ways to buy Alcatraz tickets :

• Tickets for Alcatraz only
• Tickets for Alcatraz combined with another tour

Single Alcatraz tickets or Alcatraz combination tours?  

You can get tickets just for Alcatraz or you can book a package that combines Alcatraz with some other fun San Francisco attractions or activities (see information on  combo tours below).

Getting tickets for Alcatraz only

The best way to get the Alcatraz tickets is to purchase them directly from City Experiences (cityexperiences.com), the "official" seller of the tickets and the company that runs the only ferries out to Alcatraz.

There are three ways to buy them from City Experiences:

• Online: at cityexperiences.com
• By phone: 415 981-7625
• At Pier 33, Alcatraz Landing, on the Embarcadero

Warning: don't overpay.  There are no "discounted" Alcatraz tickets and other companies sell the individual tickets for much higher prices. There is no reason to buy individual tickets from other companies, and here's why...

Not only are the prices a lot higher than with the with official seller, cityexperiences.com, you don't get to pick your dates and times directly and you'll have to stand in line to exchange your voucher to get a ticket!

So how do those companies sell individual Alcatraz tickets? They "sell" a ticket to the customer (for considerably more that the official ticket costs), then go to the cityexperiences.com website and buy the ticket in your name with the credit card you provided.

Problem:  aside from being overcharged when you book from them, you also can't see the number of spaces available for each day and departure time, you can't just download the ticket and print it out like you can from City Experiences.

So basically you're paying them to buy the ticket from City Experiences for you, with your credit card.

It's legit, but why bother? Why not just go directly to the source and pay a lot less. Plus, you won't have to wait in line at the ticket booth at Pier 33 to exchange your voucher for a ticket.

You can get right on the boat with the ticket you print out from City Experiences or use the mobile version they give you on your phone.

Inflated prices:   one major company you'll see in the search results sells the official $45.25 adult day ticket for $41.01, plus a $10.99 service charge per ticket, plus a $6.95 processing fee per order: total = $58.95!

You get nothing extra with that, and if the official company, City Experiences, is sold out, they are sold out as well.

Plus, you have to select three possible departure times when you book, and they'll give you one of your choices in order requested (if available) so you don't know which departure time you are getting, if any, when you book it.

When you book directly with cityexperiences.com , the price is a lot cheaper, and you choose the departure time you want from all those available at the time.

You know which tour you're doing when you book the ticket. The official ticket company has no "service" fees or "processing" fees tacked on.

Another prominent company you'll see in the search results sells the $45.25 adult ticket online for $53.25.

Combo tickets: Alcatraz + another tour

Package tours.  City Experiences does sell bundles of tickets to approved tour companies who combine them with other tours.

Buying the packages that include Alcatraz is a popular way to get tickets for Alcatraz, and basically the only way of getting deals.

Are you thinking about visiting Muir Woods or Sausalito, doing a bay cruise, or taking a city tour?

There are no bargain or discounted tickets for Alcatraz per se, but if you are planning to take another tour or tours while you're here, you may save some money by doing a combination of Alcatraz plus another attraction(s).

In some cases, it's actually more expensive to do the combos, but may be the only way of snagging tickets for sold out days. See the list below.

This article contains affiliate links and I get a small commission if you book through them, at no additional cost to you. See affiliate disclosure . This helps me provide all the free information on the site. Thank you!

Alcatraz Combo Tours

Here are some of the most popular Alcatraz combination tours:

Alcatraz & Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour.  Get a 1-day pass on the hop on hop off tour bus that hits most of the main San Francisco sights (including Sausalito), and a visit to Alcatraz. $123.30.

See  Hop On Hop Off & Alcatraz  for info and booking.

Alcatraz, SF & Bay Cruise.  See Alcatraz combined with a city tour. Plus sail around the bay and out to the Golden Gate Bridge. Great views out on the water (and goes under the bridge - very cool). All in one day. $169.

See  Alcatraz, SF Tour, & Sail the Bay  for info and booking.

Alcatraz plus a City Bus Tour.  See the city sights by bus, with photo stops at the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park and more, and visit Alcatraz, all in one day. Hotel pickups and lunch included. $160.

See  Alcatraz & City Tour  for more info and booking.

Alcatraz, Muir Woods & Sausalito. Tour Alcatraz and explore the ancient redwoods of Muir Woods all in one day, with a stop in the charming, seaside town of Sausalito. $170.

See Alcatraz, Muir Woods & Sausalito Tour for info and booking.  

Alcatraz & Bike the Golden Gate Tour. This is a 2-day tour, with a visit to Alcatraz one day, and the day before, a guided bike tour through the waterfront, over the Golden Gate Bridge, and down to the seaside town of Sausalito. $179.

See  Alcatraz and Golden Gate Bridge Bike Tour  for info and booking.

Or check out  Alcatraz combo tours  to see a list of the many combinations available; there are lots!

Alcatraz Night Tour combos

The good news: starting in 2018, some tour companies started offering the harder-to-get, Alcatraz Night Tour in combination with other tours.

They're not as many combos as with the day tours, but they're worth checking out, especially if the night tour is sold out.

The bad news: since Covid, most of the night tour combos haven't been running, but I've found a couple that are running.

This used to be a good way to get night tour tickets when they were sold out. Hopefully it will be again.

January 2024: two of the night tour combos are now available! 

The Alcatraz Night Tour combo tours:

Alcatraz Night Tour & SF Bay Cruise.

The Alcatraz Night Tour is combined with a one-hour boat cruise of the bay.

Sail out under the Golden Gate Bridge and along the waterfront for a great view of the bay and city skyline.

See Alcatraz Night Tour & SF Bay Cruise for info and booking.

Alcatraz Night Tour & HOHO City Bus Tour.  

See Alcatraz one evening, then tour the city on the Hop On Hop Off bus at your leisure, getting off to explore any of the sights.

See Alcatraz Night Tour & City Bus Tour for info and booking.

How the Alcatraz Tours and Tickets Work

Alcatraz Island is administered by the National Park Service .

All the tours on the island are free and are given by US Park Rangers or volunteer guides.

The ticket to Alcatraz pays for the ferry ride out to the island and includes all the activities once you're on the island.

The only thing you have to pay for once you're out there is bottled water or shopping in the gift store.

All the tickets for the Alcatraz ferry are sold by the City Experiences company at cityexperiences.com  (formerly alcatrazcruises.com).

You can get the tickets either directly from them (via their website or ticket office), or through third parties (other tour companies) authorized by them to combine their tickets with other tours.

Tickets for Alcatraz aren't transferable. They are issued in the name of the purchaser, and once sold, can't be resold (to deter scalping).

How do you get out to Alcatraz Island?

The only way to get out to Alcatraz Island is to buy a ticket for one of the Alcatraz ferries. These are the only boats that stop at Alcatraz and allow you to get off and explore the island and prison.

The ferries out to Alcatraz Island are run by City Experiences,  which currently holds the Alcatraz ferry concession from the U.S. Park Service. 

How often do the ferries run? The Alcatraz ferries for the day tours run seven days a week, starting at 8:45 am, and leaving about every 30 minutes during the day.

The ferries for the night tours and the Behind the Scenes tours run four nights a week, Tuesday through Saturday. There are two night tour sailings each evening (one sailing in winter).

Where do you catch the Alcatraz ferry? The ferries leave from Alcatraz Landing, located at Pier 33 on the San Francisco Embarcadero.

How long is the ferry ride to Alcatraz? The ferry over to the island takes about 15 minutes. The views are spectacular: the city skyline, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, SF Bay and Angel Island.

For more information on taking the ferry, plus how to get to Pier 33, and suggestions for parking, see my page on visiting Alcatraz .

What do you get with your Alcatraz tickets?

All of the Alcatraz tours include the following:

• Roundtrip ferry ride to Alcatraz Island
• Self-guided audio tour of the prison
• Free guided tours by park rangers and staff
• Film about Alcatraz and its history
• Exploration of the prison and island

Note: there are also Alcatraz cruises that go around the island (see below for my recommendations), but don't allow you to visit Alcatraz itself.

They are great fun too (see my page on SF Bay Cruises for tips on the different bay cruises), but that may not be what you were looking for. So read carefully about the tour being offered.

• Book early. In summer, especially on weekends, and around holidays, these trips are very popular. The Alcatraz ferries get sold out, weeks or months in advance, so it pays to plan ahead. There are ways to get tickets when Alcatraz is booked-up, but it's better to buy them well in advance if you can (up to 90 days, usually).
• Alcatraz sold out?   There are ways to get tickets for sold-out days, for both the day and night tours. If you find yourself in this situation, check out my tips for getting last-minute tickets . It can be done! But they don't do the early morning line-ups for day tours anymore.
• Save money. Buy individual tickets directly from cityexperiences.com (the official company) or get a combination package (sometimes cheaper, sometimes more, see combo tours ).
• Avoid the lines. If you buy your tickets online directly from cityexperiences.com and print them out (or use the mobile version), you won't have to wait in a line to (a) buy a ticket, or (b) pick up your "will call" ticket when you get to Pier 33.
• E-tickets. If you buy your tickets online, you can either print them out or use your mobile phone version. They can scan either format at the boarding gate. If you have a voucher, exchange it for a ticket at Pier 33.
• Discount passes. Can you visit Alcatraz on the Go San Francisco Card , or the  San Francisco CityPass  ? Yes, but only if you buy the cards from the City Experiences company at Pier 33 or by phone through their company at 415 981-7625.

Hardest times to get tickets: June, July & August, plus around the Christmas/New Years holidays, Easter break, Memorial Day (end of May) and Labor Day (beginning of September). And to a lesser extent: April, September and October.

In other words, just about any time can be tough to get tickets, except for January, February and early March!

However, ever since Covid, it's been a lot easier to get tickets. So far (end of December 2023), you can usually get tickets just one week out for the day tours and night tours!

Toughest tours to book: in order of how fast the tickets book up:

The Behind the Scenes Tour

• The Night Tour (most popular)
• Early Bird Day Tour (first day tour of the day)

Alcatraz Sold Out?

Alcatraz Sold Out for the dates you want?

Don't despair! There are ways to get tickets. I've given the steps of how to do it on my page, Last Minute Alcatraz Tickets .

Also, see above for some Alcatraz combination tours that might have tickets for sold-out days.

Alcatraz is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Also, the Night Tour and the Behind the Scenes Tour don't run on July 4th, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

Something cool for California residents.  Residents get a good deal on Alcatraz tickets during the slow season. 

The  Buy One Get One Free  sale is available for Day Tours on select dates in January and February each year.

The Alcatraz Prison Tours

The tours of Alcatraz island come in four flavors.

The different types of Alcatraz prison tours:

• Behind the Scenes Tour
• Alcatraz/Angel Island Tour

What to see on the island...

Once you're on Alcatraz, in addition to seeing the prison itself, you're free to explore the island, including the Civil War era buildings, seabird nesting areas and the Alcatraz gardens.

You'll be able to walk the halls where Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly did their time, and see the solitary cells where  Robert Stroud, the Bird Man of Alcatraz, sat out most of his sentence.

The first floor of the prison cell block is open for visitors to explore; the audio tour directs you through the prison to see various places of interest, like Al Capone's cell (B 181, on the second tier of cells near the starting point of the audio tour.

The cell door is open and the light is on, but it's not labeled as his cell.

The former prison exercise yard is also open to visitors; from there, you can see how close San Francisco must have looked to the inmates.

They had a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge, too!

Some areas are off-limits due to safety issues or fragile historical artifacts, mainly on the second floor of the prison.

But some of those areas are included on the night tour or the Behind-the-Scenes tour, like the Civil War tunnels and the basement cells.

Now you can also go into the New Industries Building where the prisoners worked in the laundry, which use to only be accessible on the Behind the Scenes Tour.

Spring/Summer Schedule Starts in March

For all the tours, check the current schedule and ticket availability on their website: cityexperiences.com .

Day Tours of Alcatraz

This Alcatraz island tour includes:

• The boat trip to and from Alcatraz
• The self-guided Audio Tour of Alcatraz prison
• Guided tours by park rangers and volunteers

Day Tour Ticket Prices:

• Adults: $45.25
• Juniors (12-17): $45.25
• Kids (5-11): $27.55
• Seniors (62+): $42.65
• Under 5: free
• Family (2 adults and 2 kids ages 5-11): $131.85

The Early Bird Tour. The first tour of the day is called the Early Bird Tour, leaving at 8:40 am.

This one's very popular because it's the first boat out to the island and you can explore before it gets really crowded. This tour gets booked up faster than the other day tours, so booking ahead for this one is even more important.  

Alcatraz Day Tours Ferry Schedule

Spring/Summer schedule.   The Alcatraz Day Tours run seven days a week, and leave about every 30 minutes from Pier 33 (Alcatraz Landing). Daily, 8:40 am-3:50 pm.

Fall/Winter schedule (October - March). Daily, 8:40 am-1:35 pm.

The return boats leave Alcatraz every 60 minutes; the last one leaves Alcatraz at 6:30 pm in summer (4:25 pm in winter) and you can take any of the boats back. The return times are posted at Pier 33 and at the dock on the island.

In summer, there are 15 day-tour sailings out to the Rock, and 11 sailings in winter. Each boat trip carries about 300 people to the island.

As the day progresses, it tends to get more crowded, since there's no time limit and visitors can take any boat back; as a result, the morning tours tend to be more popular and book up faster.

How much time do you need to see Alcatraz? Allow at least 3 hours for the whole trip; you may find yourself spending more than that once you get exploring the prison and the island.

Once on the island, there are free guided tours by Park Service staff and the self-guided Alcatraz prison audio tours , included in the ticket.

And you are also free to explore the island and the buildings remaining from the time when Alcatraz was a fort and military prison.

During the Civil War, Confederate prisoners and were held there, and during WW1, the prison held POW's and conscientious objectors.

At other times, it was used as a stockade for U.S. military prisoners.

How long is the ferry ride? The boat ride to Alcatraz island is about 15 minutes. There's no presentation during the trip, but the views of the city and the bay on the way over are spectacular!

Views from Alcatraz. Alcatraz has an amazing view of the San Francisco skyline. If you walk down to the southern side of the island (facing the city), there's a walkway along there with a spectacular view of the city. Both the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge are visible from this side as well.

There's also a great view from the area by the lighthouse; you'll end up here at the end of the audio tour.

Alcatraz Night Tour

This version of the Alcatraz prison tours is very popular and includes:

• Ferry ride to and from Alcatraz
• A narrated cruise around Alcatraz island
• The self-guided Alcatraz Audio Tour of the prison
• Guided tours inside the prison
• A variety of lectures only given at night
• Access to areas not open on the day tours

Night Tour Ticket Prices:

• Adults: $56.30
• Juniors (12-17): $55.10
• Kids (5-11): $33.00
• Seniors (62+): $52.25

Night Tour vs. Day Tour

Advantages of the night tour.

• There are fewer people on the night tours, so the prison is much less crowded and has a more intimate feel.
• There are interesting tours and talks by the park rangers about Alcatraz history and stories about the prisoners.
• You have access to areas of the prison that are off-limits during the day tours.
• You circle the entire island by boat.
• You get to watch the sun set over the Golden Gate Bridge and see the lights all around the bay begin to sparkle.

What Happens on the Night Tour

There are three night-tour sailings to Alcatraz most of the year, and one nightly sailing in winter (two over Christmas holidays). They recently added the third night tour sailing, so it's easier to get tickets now.

The night tour runs five days a week , Tuesday through Saturday. Each boat carries about 150 people to the island.

Cruise around the island. The Night Tour ferry makes a trip around Alcatraz Island before arriving at the dock (unlike the day tour ferry, which sails directly to the dock).

During the cruise, you'll hear information about the island and its history. 

Arriving at the Dock

The passengers will be let off in three groups, so that not everyone arrives at the prison at the same time. Groups are chosen by who's in line first.

Each group is assigned to a park ranger, who gives a brief talk on what to see on the island, how the tours work and what activities are scheduled for that evening.

The ranger takes you up towards the prison entrance, where you head inside to pick up your equipment for the audio tour.

From there, you are free to explore the prison and start the audio tour, explore the other buildings and gardens, watch the film in the dock's theater, or otherwise ramble over the island and enjoy the views.

Special Evening Programs

There are a couple of guided tours given by the park rangers each night that take you into places not normally accessible, like the gun gallery on the second floor, and other blocked-off areas.

Plus there are scheduled talks on various subjects related to Alcatraz. The topics vary from night to night.

These tours and talks are posted inside the prison, just as you enter, and inside the gift shop, plus the ranger who takes you up to the cellblock goes over them as well.

What to do first? Here's what I recommend:

Figure out which guided tours and talks you want to go to.

Then, to avoid the crowds inside the prison, go outside and explore the grounds and admire the views.

After that, come back later, in an hour or more, and do the audio tour after the others have finished and left the prison.

Most people do the audio tour first, and people tend to get bunched up around the points of interest the recording is telling you about, so this approach is one way to have the prison (almost) all to yourself while you do the tour!

The evening's topics vary , depending on which rangers are doing them.

On one of my visits, one of the guided tours took visitors to the areas of the prison connected with Machine Gun Kelly, and there was an interesting talk on the kidnappings of the 1930's (and the kidnappers who ended up in Alcatraz).

Another time we heard talks on the gangsters' bank-robbery techniques and prisoner escape attempts.

At posted times during the evening, they also demonstrate the opening and closing (en mass) of all the cell doors; pretty intense!

Night Tour Schedule

In summer , the Alcatraz Night Tour leaves Tuesday through Saturday at 5:55 pm, 6:30 pm, and 7:10 pm from Pier 33 and lasts about 2.5 hours. You can return on either the 8:40 pm or 9:25 pm boats.

The sun doesn't set until around 8:30 pm in mid-summer, so it will be light for the first couple of hours, good for exploring the island.

During winter , (October-March) there is only one night tour, leaving at 3:50 pm, Tuesday through Saturday, returning at 6:40 pm.

At the darkest time of year in San Francisco, the sun has usually set by 5 pm, so you'll see both the sunset and the city lights.

There's a special holiday schedule  in Dec & Jan, with an additional night tour leaving at 4:45 pm, returning at 7:40 pm.

Return times are posted at Pier 33 and at the dock on Alcatraz.

The three night tour sailings (5:55 and 6:30) resume in March each year. That time of year, the sun sets around 7:15 pm, so if you take the later boat, it will be dark 30 minutes after arrival on the island.

The prison is even eerier after dark, and if it's a clear night, the lights of San Francisco are truly magical.

For lots more about the night tour , plus photos, see my page on the Alcatraz night tour .

This one is the smallest tour , limited to 30 people max.

The Behind the Scenes tour includes:

• Boat trip to and from Alcatraz
• Extra 2-hour guided tour of the island and prison

Change in format. This tour is back to being a late afternoon tour that allows you to join the night tour afterwards.

Behind the Scenes Ticket Prices:

• Adults: $101.30
• Juniors (12-17): $97.10
• Seniors (62+): $94.25

This tour starts out with a special, guided 2-hour tour of the island with a park ranger, going into places that the other tours don't go.

Then you rare free to do the other activities on the island, including the audio tour of the cell block, for a 4 to 5 hour total Alcatraz experience.

Tip: taking the Behind the Scenes Tour is one way to enjoy the night tour even if the night tour tickets are sold out;-).

After the guided Behind the Scenes Tour, you are free to explore the island as you would on the Day Tour, which includes the Cell House self-guided audio tour, but you can also join in the Night Tour events.

Cool places only this tour goes: this tour can take you into the dungeon cells in the basement (creepy!) and underground through a Civil-War-era tunnel leading to a different part of the island.

The tour group may go inside the crumbling, New Industries building, the island factory where prisoners worked and did the army's laundry.

You may also be allowed into A Block, a cellblock normally closed off, as well as the eerie prison hospital or the prison chapel.

Where you actually go on the tour depends on the guide and on construction issues.

There are repairs ongoing at the prison which result in certain areas not being available at any particular time, so the content of the tours is unpredictable...it'll be a surprise. But very interesting!

Requirements: this tour involves a lot of walking up and down stairs and steep hills and is limited to age 12 and above for that reason.

They describe this one as "strenuous". They say they don't have breaks, so eat (and whatever else you need to do) before the tour! But there was one bathroom break about half-way through when I was there.

What does "strenuous" mean? I went on this tour and can reassure folks that you don't have to be really fit to do this. Basically, if you can climb one flight of stairs and walk at a reasonable pace, you can do this tour. There's plenty of standing and hearing stories interspersed with the stairs and hills.

Behind the Scenes Tour Schedule

Summer Schedule: the Behind the Scenes Tour leaves from Pier 33 at 4:20 pm and 4:50 pm, Tuesday through Saturday.  You can return on either the 8:40 pm or 9:25 pm boats with the night-tour folks.

Winter Schedule:  (October-March) the boats leave at 2:15 pm, Tuesday through Saturday, and you can return on any of the afternoon boats. 

So far, there aren't any combination tours that bundle the Behind the Scenes Tour with other attractions.

For more details about what this tour is like , and photos of some of the places it visits, see my page on the Behind the Scenes tour .

Alcatraz & and Angel Island Tours

This tour running again!

The Angel Island/Alcatraz combined Tour includes:

• The ferry to Alcatraz
• All the features of the Alcatraz Day Tour
• The ferry to Angel Island
• Tram tour around Angel Island (narrated, one hour)
• Time to explore Angel Island
• Return ferry to Pier 33

This was a handy combination if you wanted to make a day of it and see both sights. Plan to spend at least 5½ to 6 hours doing this tour.

Angel Island is a beautiful place with spectacular views of SF Bay. It was the Ellis Island of the West Coast, and thousands of immigrants from Asia came through Angel Island, especially during the Gold Rush era.

The Immigration Station there has been made into an interesting museum, recreating the furnishings of the  dormitories and common rooms; it's one of the stops on the tram tour, and worth a visit.

There are some pretty hikes to do once you're on the island as well.

For more on this this tour, and booking tickets, see  Angel Island/ Alcatraz tour  .

Do-It-Yourself Angel Island Tour

You can also see Angel Island on your own by taking the Blue and Gold Ferry to Angel Island from Pier 41 or the Ferry Building.

Once on the island, in addition to beautiful hiking trails, there are tram tours, bicycles for rent, an immigration museum and cafes. You could easily make a full day of it.

See my tips on what to see and do on Angel Island .

Doing Angel Island on your own (ferry ride from SF plus tram tour) would run around $33.50 for adults, less for seniors and kids.

The three prisoners who escaped in 1962 were headed for Angel Island on a homemade raft. Did they make it? Possibly; some evidence suggests they did.

Doing the Alcatraz Prison Tours

Once on the dock at Alcatraz, you can take one of the guided tours which will lead you up the hill to the prison and finish at the cellblock entrance (day tours only).

Or you can walk up the hill to the cellblock on your own, and explore the Civil War era buildings on the way up.

The audio tour starts inside the cellblock.

The Alcatraz Audio Tour

You will receive your headset for the Audio Tour after you enter the prison, following a steep climb up the hill.

If you don't want to do this tour, tell the people passing out the headsets and you'll get a refund of $8.00 for adults, a bit less for others. Refunds are only available on the day tours.

It really adds a lot to the experience, so I highly recommend doing it if you can.

The Audio Tour is available in English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese, and Mandarin.

This 45-minute, self-guided audio tour is a very well-done presentation that takes you through the prison: cellblocks, dining hall, library, prison yard, warden's office, etc.

You can pause it or rewind it and so take your time going through the prison.

Some of the cells are set up and furnished as they would have been then: grim 9' by 5' rooms with a small cot, toilet and desk.

The prisoners spent most of their days alone in their cells and talking was forbidden. Rather chilling.

On the recording, you'll hear the voices of actual prisoners and guards describing their experiences at Alcatraz.

The narration directs you to particular spots in the prison where interesting events took place.

Explore the solitary cells where the Bird Man of Alcatraz spent most of his time, passageways where inmates crawled to escape, and scenes of murders and shootouts.

You can walk around in the prisoners' exercise yard and see how close San Francisco must have looked to the inmates.

In spite of the desperate escape attempts, Alcatraz' location defeated them all. (Or did it? Three escapees left on a raft and were never seen again. There is some evidence two of them made it to Brazil.) The water was too cold and the current too strong.

Even though the City was close enough for the prisoners to hear voices and laughter, they couldn't swim the distance: only 1.25 miles (2 km).

At the end, it's sort of relief to "escape" from the oppressive atmosphere in the jail and come out by the Alcatraz lighthouse.

This is where you'll have another spectacular view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.

The S.E.A.T. Tram

For those who have difficulty getting up the hill, there is a tram that leaves from the dock every 35 minutes, and carries people back down as well.

More things to do on Alcatraz

In addition to the cell block which you can explore with an audio tour, you can roam all over most of the island.

There are buildings from the Civil War era and a lighthouse, as well as pretty gardens, and of course the amazing city and bay views. 

Guided Tours by Park Service Volunteers

These Alcatraz tours are free and are offered on a variety of topics, like "Escapes", "Famous Inmates", and "Fortress Alcatraz".

These guided tours are available for visitors doing the day tours; they start at the dock and travel up the hill, ending at the prison.

The people doing the tours are volunteers with the Park Service - folks who have a passion for the history of Alcatraz and enjoy sharing their knowledge.

Times of Guided Tours

There is no fixed schedule for these tours. When you get to the dock on Alcatraz, check out the list of tours on the chalkboard to the right of the bookstore. They also post a list on the dock at Pier 33.

Each tour lasts about 45 minutes. The last time I was there, they were scheduled at 10:00, 10:30, 1:00 and 3:30.

I went on an "Escapes" tour, given by an entertaining guide (in "real life" a middle school history teacher) who told us interesting anecdotes about the escape attempts, along with some Alcatraz history.

(The Great White Sharks patrolling along the coast rarely come into San Francisco Bay - who knew? But the prisoners were told they would be eaten if they swam in the water.)

Highly recommended!

Guided Garden Tours

There are also free, guided, docent tours of the extensive gardens on Alcatraz, including tours of areas normally off-limits to visitors.

Tours are Friday and Sunday mornings at 9:45 am, leaving from the Alcatraz dock (you would have to take the first or second ferry).

Also, the Officers' Row area is open every Wednesday from 11 to 2, with a docent present for questions.

Most of the garden areas are open to explore on your own.

Seabirds on Alcatraz

Thousands of seabirds use Alcatraz Island as a breeding ground.

In spring, cormorants, gulls, and snowy egrets hatch their young here and you can see the nesting areas.

Note:   Construction and repairs. Alcatraz is starting to crumble from the effect of sea air on the metal frames of the buildings, so they're fixing up various sections of the prison.

They recently completed some major repairs on the main cellblock building and repainted it, so the areas normally open on the day tour are all open again.

The areas affected by the repairs are mainly those that would be available for the Behind the Scenes Tour , such as the prison hospital, underground tunnels, prison factory, etc. 

Consequently, that tour varies depending on what is accessible at the time, and it changes from day to day.

Can't get enough of Alcatraz?

A cool board game has been released,  Alarm 22, Escape from Alcatraz,  where you play as one of the inmates and try and escape from the Rock. 

It's a fun game created by Jimmy Treehorn, who designed the large scale model of Alcatraz that you'll see at the Pier 33 dock.

It's based on a number of actual escape attempts, and the game play is a good balance between strategy and luck.

You can find it at a number of local shops, including the Alcatraz Gift Shop at Pier 39. Also available online. See the  alarm22.com  website or Amazon for more info or purchase.

Alternatives: Sail Around Alcatraz

If you aren't able to get tickets to Alcatraz, or you don't have time to do an Alcatraz tour, you can still get a good look at the island and the outside of the prison by taking an Alcatraz cruise.

These bay cruises also take you out under the Golden Gate Bridge, a really a cool experience.

There are a number of bay cruises available that sail around Alcatraz Island, but don't stop there.

You'll get a close-up view of the entire island as they circle around and most of them will give you some information about Alcatraz as they circle it.

Some popular Alcatraz bay cruises...

These are tours that have been around for a long time and have generally high ratings.

Escape from the Rock Cruise. This is a nice, 90-minute bay cruise on the Blue and Gold Ferry that gives you a tour of San Francisco Bay and takes you out under the Golden Gate Bridge.

In addition, you'll circle Alcatraz Island and hear what Alcatraz was like for the prisoners and some stories of the more dramatic escape attempts. And with each child ticket, you get a pair of souvenir binoculars. Leaves from Pier 39. $46 for adults. See Escape from the Rock tour for more info and booking. 

If the Escape from Alcatraz cruise is sold out, the next cruise is always available:

Blue and Gold Ferry. This is a one-hour bay cruise with a recorded narration about the sights that leaves from Pier 39. You sail past the sea lions, and head out to the Golden Gate Bridge. You go out under the bridge, then turn around and sail for Alcatraz, making a full circle around the island.

Super views of the city skyline, Angel Island and both bridges. $38. See Blue & Gold cruise for more info and booking.

Fancy going out on sailing on San Francisco Bay?

Catamaran Sunset Cruise. This is another fun boat tour, sailing on a catamaran that takes the same route as the ones above: out under the Golden Gate Bridge, across the bay, and around Alcatraz.

Being on a sailboat on the bay is a great feeling, plus beer, wine and snacks are available for purchase. Alcatraz and the bridge with a glass of wine...not bad!

Audio tour available in 8 languages. $80, 90 minutes.

See Adventure Cat sunset cruise for more info and booking.

They also have a  catamaran day cruise .

There are a huge variety of bay cruises available: quick one-hour tours, more leisurely brunch and dinner cruises, and sailing trips on catamarans and sailboats. 

Check out my list of what I think are the best bay cruises .

Escapes from Alcatraz

Alcatraz was supposed to be escape-proof.

It had to be, because many of the prisoners there had already escaped from other federal prisons, and they were really bad guys.

Did they make it?

Most of the escape attempts resulted in death or recapture. But one in 1962 may have succeeded.

The video below tells the story and describes recent evidence of what may have really happened to those three prisoners.

A new book about this escape was recently published:  Inseparable , by David Kruh.

It's a fictional account of how this escape could have happened. It's gotten good reviews and is available through the author's website , or from Amazon .

More Tips on Visiting Alcatraz

For information on:

• How to get to Pier 33
• Taking the Alcatraz ferry
• What to bring
• What to see on the island

See my page on visiting Alcatraz .

Check out the best (and safest) places to park near Pier 33. 

More things to do on the bay...

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Alcatraz island.

Mel Mashman

Accessible Rooms, Accessible Sites, Assistive Listening Systems, Assistive Listening Systems - T-Coil Compatible, Baby Changing Station, Benches/Seating, Braille, Captioned Media, Cellular Signal, Elevator, Ferry - Passenger, First Aid/Medical Care Available, Gifts/Souvenirs/Books, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Restroom - Accessible

From its early days as a military fortress and prison to its most infamous tenure as a federal penitentiary, Alcatraz looms large in the American psyche as a place of contradiction, violence and competing historical narratives. Today its modern incarnation as a cultural attraction offers many opportunities to experience the past and influence the future. 

Welcome to the Rock!

Getting to the RockAlcatraz is a short ferry ride from Pier 33 in San Francisco. Book your ferry ride to the Rock with Alcatraz Cruises. Everyone wants to come to The Rock and tickets often sell out, so book as early as possible. Tickets for the ferry ride and cellhouse audio tour are available at  Alcatraz Cruises  or call 415-981-7625. Group reservations for 15 or more can be made at 415-438-8361.

Military Period

For nearly 80 years, Alcatraz island was the site of the first US fortress and military prison on the West Coast. Beginning when the island was designated as a disciplinary barrack in 1868, most prisoners were US military personnel, but some notable exceptions included southern sympathizers during the Civil War, WWI conscientious objectors and Native Americans.

Bureau of Prisons

In the 1930s, the federal government developed a new type of prison for the nation's most incorrigible bad boys. The facilities at Alcatraz were modernized to become a maximum-security, minimum-privilege penitentiary specially designed for inmates that other prisons couldn't contain or control. During its 29 years of operation from 1934-1963, more than 1,500 convicts were incarcerated here.

We Hold the Rock

From November 1969 through June 1971, Alcatraz was taken over by Native American activists who called themselves Indians of All Tribes. The protest drew attention to the plight of native peoples across the US. Many lived in severe poverty on reservation land and faced serious discrimination from the greater US. The activists, many of whom were students who'd relocated to the Bay Area, selected Alcatraz for the occupation because it was surplus government land. It also had the distinct practical advantage of being difficult for federal authorities to access. The dramatic nature of the occupation was effective in capturing national attention, especially since it was an on-going action that dominated TV news for several months. The takeover resulted in a series of federal reforms with regard to the treatment of American Indians. According to the architects, the most significant impact of the occupation was to galvanize the reconnection of Native Americans to their cultural roots. The activists who first arrived on Alcatraz called for a pan-Native occupation, inviting any and all native people to join them on the island, which is exactly what happened. All the activists lived communally, some for the entirety of the occupation. In this way, a community formed that gave rise to personal bonds and cultural exploration that lasted long after the occupation was over. The success or failure of the occupation should not be judged by whether the demands of the occupiers were realized. The underlying goals of the American Indians on Alcatraz were to awaken the American public to the reality of the plight of the first Americans and to assert the need for American Indian self-determination. As a result of the occupation, the official government policy of termination of tribes was ended and a policy of American Indian self-determination became the official US government policy. Alcatraz may have been lost, but the occupation gave birth to a political movement which continues today.

From prison to tourist attraction

In 1972, Alcatraz was added to the newly created Golden Gate National Recreation Area and was opened to the public in 1973 as a historical landmark.

Alcatraz Island , Golden Gate National Recreation Area

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Last updated: December 30, 2022

• Alcatraz Tickets
• Bike Rental
• Guided Tours

The famous Alcatraz Island! Includes a 3 hour long audio tour of Alcatraz, along with your choice of: Hop-on Hop-off Bus ticket, Bay Cruise, Full-Day Bike Rental, or Napa Valley Tour.

Alcatraz Tour - 2-3 hours + option 1:Bike Rental - 24 hours + option 2:Bay Cruise - 60 minutes + option 3:Hop-On Hop-Off Tour - 24 hours + option 4:Napa Valley Tour - 9 hours

Alcatraz tickets and your choice of one of the four tours

Combine tickets to Alcatraz with one of four great tours!

(First available tours starting June 15th)

The famous Alcatraz Island where many notorious criminals, including the likes of Al Capone who have served prison time in, is now a once in a life time must-see museum to visit and explore. Alcatraz Island better known as “The Rock” offers Alcatraz audio tours of the prison that thoroughly explains the full history of the prison.

• Option 1 : Hop-on Hop-off City Sightseeing 1 Day Bus Tour Ticket

• Option 2 : Bay Cruise

• Option 3 : Full-Day bike rental

• Option 4 : Napa Valley Wine Tour

If you would like to ride along the Bay, bike the Golden Gate Bridge, or make your way to Sausalito - pick the option with Bike Rental . You can keep the bike up to 24 hours!

Pick the option with Bay Cruise and sail around under the Golden Gate Bridge for 60 minutes and see beutiful San Francisco skylines from the Bay.

The option with the 1 Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour  combines two diverse tours on one ticket, providing the ultimate sightseeing experience in San Francisco! With this ticket you can explore Downtown San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, and charming Sausalito with unlimited hop-on hop-off use for 24 hours

Want to escape and to try some of the best wines? Then unwind and soak up the stunning scenery as we journey north into Napa and Sonoma Valley, two of the most prized wine regions of Northern California. During your venture, enjoy wine tasting and exclusive estate tours of three of our favored wineries. At each winery, we spend approximately 1-hour for tour and tasting. Choose Napa Valley Wine Tour if this is for you!

Please note: The date you select on the calendar is for your Alcatraz Tickets. Contact us to pick the date for the additional attraction of your choice.

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Hours: 9AM - 5PM Monday - Friday 9AM - 5PM Saturday - Sunday CLOSED ON RAINY DAYS Union Square:

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How to Visit Alcatraz Island in 2024: Tickets, Hours, Tours, and More

Jessica Nemire Last Updated: October 26, 2023

Alcatraz Island is almost synonymous with San Francisco. Due to the island’s immense popularity, it can be hard to plan your visit. Never fear! That’s what we are here for. Here’s how to visit Alcatraz Island, plus all you need to know about tickets, hours, and more!

Pro Tip:  It’s easier to organize your trip when you have all your resources in one place. Bookmark this post along with our  San Francisco Guide  for more planning resources, our best San Francisco tours  for a memorable trip, and the top things to do in San Fran .

Alcatraz Island Hours, Tickets, Tours, And Facts: What We’ll Cover

Alcatraz Island housed the most infamous prison in the United States: the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. Since shutting down in 1963 and sending its prisoners elsewhere, both the prison and the island have become one of the most popular tour destinations in San Francisco.

It’s also in the middle of the scenic San Francisco Bay, making it even more of an iconic place to visit to get some of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco. You can learn more about the history of Alcatraz Island here !

• Hours and info
• Tickets and pricing
• Transportation and parking
• What to see and do
• Alcatraz tours
• Facts and history of Alcatraz

Not ready to book a tour? Find out if San Francisco tours are worth it .

How to Visit Alcatraz Island: Hours and Info

Hours:  Monday – Sunday, from 10 am until 9 pm.

Alcatraz Island is closed on the following days:

• Thanksgiving (4th Thursday of November)
• December 25

There are also various portions of the island that are closed off at certain times of the year to allow the island’s resident sea birds to nest. Alcatraz Island has been known to have special events, such as art exhibits, although there have not been any such events since 2019. If they resume events again, their events page can be found here . Currently, the island is hosting community building days to restore the the gardens on the island.

Tickets and Pricing for Alcatraz Island

Since Alcatraz Island is, you know, an island, it’s only accessible via a ticketed ferry. Due to the popularity of Alcatraz, we strongly recommend booking your tickets to Alcatraz Island at least a few weeks ahead of time! Especially during the summer and other high tourist times during the year, Alcatraz tickets can sell out even months ahead of your tour date!

Every ferry ride to Alcatraz Island departs from Pier 33 near Fisherman’s Wharf. The ferry ride from Pier 33 to the island typically takes around 15 minutes. Make sure you arrive at least 45 minutes before the ferry is scheduled to leave. There’s a lot to explore and views to take in from the island, so we recommend spending at least three hours there.

You can purchase your tickets online or in person at Pier 33, which is where the ferry departs. If buying directly from Alcatraz Island, they offer a day tour, a night tour, and also a behind-the-scenes tour. The prices listed below are for the daytime tour, as that is the most common option.

Admission:  $41 for adults, $25 for children (5-11 years), $41 for juniors (12-17 years), $38 for seniors (62+ years) Family Pricing: $119.60 total for 2 adults + 2 children 5-11years

Address:  31 San Francisco Pier 33 – Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, CA

Pro Tip:  Skip the line by booking your ticket online ahead of time or getting more out of your visit by joining our San Francisco in a day tour ! The tour includes a full access ticket to Alcatraz Penitentiary and Island, as well as a 4-hour guided tour of San Francisco in an open-sided van. The tour also stops by the famous Golden Gate Bridge, and includes pickup at your hotel!

Not ready to book a tour? Read more in our San Francisco Guide .

How To Get to Alcatraz Island

Please note that there is no parking available at Pier 33 (or the island) as you plan how to visit Alcatraz Island. The ferry landing dock at Pier 33 is about a 7-minute walk or a 5-minute drive from Pier 39, otherwise known as Fisherman’s Wharf.

Like most of San Francisco, parking is almost impossible to find at Pier 39. For this reason, finding another way to Alcatraz Island is advised. That’s a big part of the reason why we recommend booking our San Francisco in a day tour that includes Alcatraz. All logistics and tickets are included so you can enjoy your day without stress.

Here are a few transportation options to get to your Alcatraz ferry departure at Pier 33:

• Car/Rideshare Services

The exact timing of your journey to Pier 33 to pick up the ferry for Alcatraz Island depends on which hotel you are staying at, of course. Since most of our picks for the best hotels in San Francisco are near the Embarcadero waterfront , we calculated the times from there. We also calculated some times from Union Square, as that is another popular area to stay in San Francisco.

By Trolley:

We don’t mean the cable cars when we say trolley. Although it looks similar to a cable car, the F Market & Wharves trolley is a MUNI bus that runs from Castro St. Station to Fisherman’s Wharf. Standing for San Francisco Municipal Railway,” the MUNI system is San Francisco’s bus and underground train system.

From the Embarcadero, it takes around 8 minutes to get from the trolley stop to Pier 33. From Union Square, it takes around 24 minutes. A ride on the F trolley costs $3. You can pay by cash with exact change, or on the MuniMobile app. For more information about transportation in San Francisco, check out our helpful article about getting around San Francisco !

If you’re staying by the Embarcadero, the F trolley is your only public transportation option to get to Pier 33. If you are staying by Union Square, you can take the 8 MUNI bus. It takes around 24 minutes, and costs $3.

By Car/Uber:

It takes 10 minutes to drive from Union Square to Pier 33 and around 5 minutes or less to drive from Embarcadero. Since parking is next to impossible near the piers, if you need to drive, we suggest taking Lyft, Uber, or a taxi. With all 3 options, the one-way fare for a standard car fitting 3-4 passengers is likely between $10 and $12.

It takes less than 10 minutes to bike from both Union Square and the Embarcadero area to Pier 33. There are bike rentals all over the city, including handy electric bikes. Bay Wheels, an e-bike sharing program managed by Lyft, offers bike rentals through the Lyft app. For single rides, you will be charged an unlock fee of $3 and charged 30 cents a minute. So, a 10-minute bike ride would about cost $6. Despite being a difficult area to park in, there are frequently a lot of cars and traffic in this area, so watch out for cars if you are biking!

If you are staying near Union Square or the Embarcadero, it might be easiest to simply walk to Pier 33 to catch the ferry if you and everyone in your group is up for a walk. Walking from the Embarcadero Area will take around 15-20 minutes, depending on which hotel you are staying in, and walking from Union Square will take around 30 minutes.

What to See and Do on the Island

Throughout your exploration of the buildings left standing on Alcatraz, you’ll find hundreds of photographs and memorabilia from the time of its use. Some areas are off limits to tourists as they are unstable from neglect. The walkways are also quite steep in some areas, so wear sturdy shoes!

• The cellhouse and infamous escape room
• The gardens
• The courtyard or playground
• View of the bay and the city

Alcatraz Island Tours

A trip to Alcatraz Island is only possible by purchasing a ferry ticket to the island. The National Park Service has jurisdiction over the island, so you’ll find park guides available to help you explore the island. It’s a mostly self-guided tour, but there are also several tour options available throughout the day.

The most popular tour option is the Alcatraz day tour, but there are also night tours, behind-the-scenes tours, and combination tours with Angel Island and Alcatraz Island.

Since it’s extremely difficult to get tickets during peak tourist months, booking a combination tour with a local guide is a popular option. Most tourists prefer booking both Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge to see both of the top San Francisco attractions in one day.

Facts and History of Alcatraz

To get you excited about your trip to Alcatraz, here are some interesting facts about the history of Alcatraz from authors and eyewitnesses mentioned in our other article here .

• Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary housed prisoners during the Civil War.
• The army left Alcatraz in 1934, but it was only empty for a few weeks before the Bureau of Prisons put the most dangerous criminals here.
• Most of the criminals at Alcatraz had committed violent crimes or tried to escape their previous prisons.
• Famous Alcatraz inmates included Al Capone (for tax evasion) and “Machine Gun” Kelly (not the singer) convicted of kidnapping.
• Although the prison took up most of the island, there were also barracks, apartments, and a recreation hall, and at least 60 families with children lived there full time.
• The families who lived there called it  “the poor man’s Hawaii.”
• In 1972, the island became a part of the National Park Service, and it has been home to beautiful gardens since 2003.
• Currently, many species of animals call the island home, such as salamanders and cormorants.
• It’s referred to as “The Rock” because it is made up of mostly rock, and dirt was hauled in to make it livable.
• So far, it has appeared in 10 movies and TV shows, including the 2010 movies The Book of Eli and the 2006 movie X-Men: The Last Stand .

Where To Stay in San Francisco

Make the most of your visit to San Francisco by choosing to stay in the best neighborhoods for seeing all this iconic city has to offer. You’ll love our hotel recommendations.

About Jessica Nemire

Jessica Nemire has been writing about about travel since 2011. She graduated from San Francisco State University in 2016 with a BA in journalism. She loves the ocean, Mission District burritos, and amazing sunsets.

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Alcatraz Island tours – tickets, prices, discounts, ferry timings, duration

Alcatraz Island is a small island in San Francisco Bay, California, USA.

The island is best known for its former prison, which operated from 1934 to 1963 and housed some of the country’s most notorious criminals, including Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly.

In addition to its history as a federal prison, Alcatraz Island has been used for military purposes, as a lighthouse station, and as a site for Native American activism.

More than one million tourists book an Alcatraz tour and visit Alcatraz Island annually.

The island also offers stunning views of the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge.

This article covers everything you must know before buying an Alcatraz Island ticket.

Top Alcatraz Island Tours

# Tickets for San Francisco: Alcatraz + 2-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus # Alcatraz Inside Tour with Bay Cruise

Table of contents

Where is alcatraz, can you visit alcatraz, what to expect at alcatraz, where to book tickets, how do online tickets work, alcatraz island ticket price, alcatraz island tickets, tickets for san francisco: alcatraz + 2-day hop-on hop-off bus, alcatraz combo tours, how to reach pier 33, ferry timings in summer, ferry timings in winter, best month(s) to visit, how long does a tour of alcatraz take, map of alcatraz island, what to wear for the alcatraz tour, alcatraz audio tour, alcatraz tickets faqs.

Alcatraz is a rocky island 2 km (1.5 miles) from the San Francisco shore. ( Get Directions )

This island occupies 22 acres (9 hectares).

Yes, the Alcatraz prison and island grounds are open to the public.

Tourists can plan to visit Alcatraz any day of the year except Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Day – the three days it is closed.

All you need to do is book an Alcatraz island tour.

Take the ferry ride starting from the famous PIER 39 and immerse yourself in breathtaking views of the San Francisco skyline en route to Alcatraz island.

Dive deep into the rich history of the notorious Alcatraz Penitentiary, where infamous criminals like Al Capone were once held.

Step into the cells that once housed some of America’s most notorious criminals and feel the chilling atmosphere of “The Rock.”

Engage in the award-winning audio tour narrated by former inmates and guards, providing a gripping narrative of daily life behind bars.

Explore the prison’s iconic features, including the ominous Cell Block D and the haunting exercise yard with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Listen to the captivating tales of escape attempts and prison life as you traverse the cold, echoing corridors.

Beyond the penitentiary, discover the island’s natural beauty, featuring diverse wildlife, gardens, and stunning vistas

Tickets for San Francisco: Inside Alcatraz Tour  are available online and at the tour agency office.

Online ticket prices tend to be cheaper than tickets at the attraction.

When you buy online, you can avoid the long queues at the ticket counters. 

Because the Inside Alcatraz experience sells limited tickets, they may sell out during peak days.

Booking early helps avoid last-minute disappointments.

Visit the ticket  booking page for San Francisco: Inside Alcatraz Tour  , select the preferred date, time slot, and number of tickets, and buy the tickets immediately.

Once you purchase tickets, they get delivered to your email address.

You will show your smartphone tickets to your tour guide, who will then give you the Alcatraz Island tickets.

Please carry a valid ID with you.

For San Francisco: Inside Alcatraz Tour with Bay Cruise , the general ticket for all ages above 12, costs US$135.

Children aged between five and 11 get a US$10 discount and can participate in the tour for US$125.

Kids under five years old are not charged any fee.

For Tickets for San Francisco: Alcatraz + 2-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus , the general ticket for all ages is priced at US$120.

This ticket is the most popular way to explore Alcatraz Island and the penitentiary.

This ticket covers:

• Round-trip Ferry transportation from Pier 33 to Alcatraz Island
• The on-board narration during the round-trip ferry ride
• The Cell House audio guide
• The tour of the prison (using the audio guide)
• Other programs and exhibits going on in Alcatraz
• Passage under the Golden Gate Bridge during the San Francisco Bat Tour.

This tour will last for four hours and is accessible to wheelchair users.

Ticket Prices

Adult ticket (12+ years): US$135

Child ticket (5-11 years): US$125

Kids up to four years old can participate for free.

This ticket provides you with a round trip to access to and from Alcatraz Islands and its exhibits via a ferry.

You will have an audio guide at Alcatraz, but not the Cell House Audio tape that has a running commentary from Alcatraz inmates.

You will also have two-day access to a Hop-on-Hop-Off bus tour of San Francisco that loops around attractions such as Lombard Street, Haight Street, Embracadero, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Golden Gate Bridge, among 15 other stops.

You will have an audio commentary on the bus in a language of your choice.

The Hop-on-Hop-off tours run every day from 10 am to 5 pm, with buses departing every 60 minutes.

You will also get a Chinatown guided walking tour and have the option to pick from a half-day bike rental tour or USS Pampanito

Ticket Price (All ages): US$120

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Combo tickets help you save a lot of money and time by pairing up tickets to attractions that are relatively close by at a highly discounted price

Every day, a limited number of Alcatraz tour tickets get allotted to tour operators in San Francisco to be sold as Alcatraz combo tours.

Below, we share our favorite combo tours, including a visit to Alcatraz Island.

Or you can see all the  available Alcatraz tours .

Since even Alcatraz combination tickets get sold off fast, it isn’t easy to get your preferred dates.

You may have to search for a suitable Alcatraz combination tour with your preferred dates available.

Can’t afford so much? Try this tour, where you  cruise around Alcatraz Island for 90 minutes for only US$47 per person.

If these combo tours didn’t excite you, check out these time-tested tricks to buy  Alcatraz tickets last minute .

How to reach Alcatraz Cruises

Alcatraz Island tour ferries depart from and return to Pier 33, also known as Alcatraz Landing .

Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing is along San Francisco’s northern waterfront promenade, also known as The Embarcadero.

Pier 33 is near the intersections of Sansome Street, The Embarcadero, Bay Street, and Embarcadero.

It is just 400 meters (a quarter of a mile) from Fisherman’s Wharf .

The Alcatraz Landing area at Pier 33 includes the Ticket booth, waiting, and boarding areas.

You can use BART or MUNI to get to the Pier 33, two mini-bus and light-rail mass transportation services in San Francisco.

North Point St & Kearny St bus stop is just a three-minute walk away.

Powell St & North Point St is a ten-minute walk away.

Bay St. and Midway St. bus stop is a six-minute walk away.

LOWL bus lines stop near the Pier.

By Cable Car

The MUNI F line stops at The Embarcadero & Stockton St , a one-minute walk from the pier.

All odd-number piers on San Francisco’s waterfront are north of the city’s famous Ferry Building , at the foot of Market Street, and all the even-numbered piers are south of the Ferry Building. 

Many tourists don’t realize this and land up at Piers 30, 32, or 34, which are miles from the spot from where they must board the Alcatraz Island ferry.

Cars for rent and Taxis for hire are easily available in San Francisco.

Put on Google Maps to navigate to Pier 33.

If you plan to board an Alcatraz ferry to the Island, we don’t recommend driving to Pier 33.

Parking is difficult to find and very expensive in the Fisherman’s Wharf area, especially in the summer and spring months.

You may miss your scheduled departure if you don’t find parking in time.

It is better to get dropped off at Pier 33 or take public transport.

A list of parking spots can be found here.

Alcatraz tour times

Alcatraz Island opens for tourists as early as 8.45 am.

The first ferry of the day is the ‘Early Bird Tour,’ which is available for booking throughout the year.

The rest of the Alcatraz tour timings change with the season.

Alcatraz & Angel Island Combo tour happens at 9.30 am all through the year.

Best time to visit Alcatraz Island

Early morning is the best time to visit Alcatraz – if you get the ‘Early Bird Alcatraz ticket’ and board the ferry departing Pier 33 at 8.45 am, you can avoid the crowd that comes in later.

The next best time to visit Alcatraz Island is 6 pm in the summer and 4 pm in winter – on the night tour ferry.

Only some people opt for the night tour of Alcatraz Island , making it seem personalized.

As a bonus, you will see amazing views of a lit-up San Francisco skyline when you return from the Island.

Mondays to Thursdays are the best days to visit the island because weekends get crowded.

The late winter months of January, February, and March see the least crowd at Alcatraz.

The weather is less pleasant than expected, and there is always a threat of rain.

However, since the ferries have covered seating, rains don’t affect the travel to Alcatraz Island.

If you want to avoid the crowd and prefer good weather, look at September and October at the latest.

Note:  San Francisco weather is unpredictable. It can get sunny, foggy, or chilly at an hour’s notice, so it is better to dress in layers.

The Alcatraz Island day tour includes the ferry ride to Alcatraz Island, the Cell House audio tour, the optional exhibits, and the ferry ride back, all of which take approximately three hours.

The ferry rides take 12-15 minutes each way, allowing for two and a half hours on the island.

If you love history, like to get into the details, and prefer to take many photographs, you can easily spend four to five hours exploring Alcatraz.

Here are the three factors which impact the duration of Alcatraz tours most:

• Once you get down at Alcatraz Island, a steep 400 meters (1312 feet) climb takes you to the Cell House. This elevation change is 40 meters (130 feet). Some visitors prefer to rest in between, while others manage this distance faster.
• While some tourists stop to catch their breath, others stop for the breathtaking view during this climb. The sights are so alluring that many tourists take it easy and spend extra time.
• The Cell House audio tour at Alcatraz is 45 minutes long. However, you can pause it at regular intervals and pace your exploration.

Alcatraz night tours also tend to take three hours.

Save up to 45% on ticket prices of the top 25 attractions in San Francisco. To save time and money during your SFO holiday, buy San Francisco’s Go Card

During your visit, it will help to have the Alcatraz Island map.

Even though you are not likely to get lost, you will know where the facilities are, where the Agave trail is, where the bird-watching space is, etc.

We recommend you save this map (pdf) on your mobile or bookmark this page to return to it later.

The weather on Alcatraz is unpredictable and subject to change at short notice.

However bright the day begins, dress up in layers and bring a light jacket or sweater.

Once you reach Alcatraz Island, you must climb 400 meters (1312 feet) to the Cell House.

While exploring the San Francisco attraction, you will also get exposed to stairways and gravel walkways, so wearing comfortable and covered walking shoes is an absolute must.

It is better to avoid sandals, high heels, and open-toe shoes.

The sunlight reflecting off the bay’s surface can be dangerously bright on the water and the island. We highly recommend sunglasses and sunblock.

Rain is a high possibility if you are visiting during winter and early spring.

The Alcatraz Cellhouse audio tour is at the core of the Alcatraz experience and is included with every Alcatraz ticket. 

Visitors can tour the Cellhouse at their own pace with the award-winning audio presentation “Doing Time: The Alcatraz Cellhouse Tour.”

The 45-minute-long tour introduces four former Alcatraz officers and four former inmates, who narrate the tour.

You will be shown a photograph of each man in one of the first prison cells, with a short biography, and having a face to each personality adds that extra zip to the narration.

This audio tour also covers escape attempts, the Battle of ’46, food riots at the jail, how the prisoners survived solitary confinement, etc.

Besides English, the Cell House audio tour is available in ten other languages. 

You can use the traditional audio tour equipment provided at the attraction or download the mobile app on your device (bring your earbuds). 

You can check out a sample of the Alcatraz Cellhouse audio tour  here .

Tourists have a lot of questions before they buy their Alcatraz Island tickets.

Tickets to Alcatraz Island can sell out much in advance. Please secure your tickets on the Alcatraz ferry as soon as you finalize the plan. Alcatraz tickets get sold out 75 days in advance during the peak summer months. During the months with moderate tourist activity (September and October), Alcatraz tour tickets get booked 45 to 50 days in advance.

Alcatraz ticket booth is at  Pier 33 , The Embarcadero, San Francisco. The office is open seven days a week from 7.30 am to 5 pm Pacific Time.

You can buy the tickets at Pier 33, but we recommend buying tickets online to avoid hassle and last-minute disappointment.

Alcatraz tickets get sold out very fast from the official website. If you are searching for Alcatraz tickets at the last minute, your only option is to  book a combo tour , which includes a ferry ride to the Alcatraz prison island and back

Every day, guests can purchase a limited number of same-day Alcatraz tour tickets from the Alcatraz City Cruises ticket office at Pier 33. The authorities sell it to the tourists on a first-come, first-served basis, so you may have to line up at 5 am.  We suggest  Alcatraz Combo tours  instead.

The  Alcatraz Night Tour  is also often called the Alcatraz Haunted Tour. This is because the guides who lead the Alcatraz night tour use the darkness and fewer visitors at night to create a ‘haunted’ experience.

Wherever you buy your Alcatraz tour tickets from, there is no refund. There will be no compensation for no-shows as well.

Yes, all Alcatraz tickets include the full experience – ferry transportation both ways, access to the Alcatraz prison on the Island, and the Cell House audio tour.

Alcatraz tour tickets are sometimes referred to as ‘Alcatraz boat tickets’ because they include the ferry to Alcatraz Island and back.

Sources # Alcatrazislandtickets.com # Tripadvisor.com # Alcatraztoursf.com The travel specialists at TheBetterVacation.com use only high-quality sources while researching & writing their articles. We make every attempt to keep our content current, reliable and trustworthy .

Popular attractions in San Francisco

# Alcatraz Island # San Francisco Zoo # San Francisco MoMA # California Academy of Sciences # Monterey Bay Aquarium # San Francisco aquarium # Exploratorium # De Young Museum # San Francisco Bus Tours # Madame Tussauds # San Francisco Bay Cruise # San Francisco Ghost Tour # The Tech Interactive # San Francisco Dinner Cruise # SFO Go Car Tour # Legion of Honor Museum # Walt Disney Family Museum # Museum of 3D Illusions # 7D Ride Experience

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This article was researched & written by

Jamshed V Rajan

He is a two-faced traveler, who enjoys both the hustle-bustle of an urban holiday and the serenity of a break from the rest of the World. During some of his vacations, he is a resort hopper, and on others, he barely spends time in his hotel. He loves to try mouth-watering local cuisines, especially non-vegetarian dishes. Favourite Cities: Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Dublin, Prague, Vienna

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Visiting Alcatraz: How to do it right and get the most from your trip

By: Author Ginny Vail

Posted on Published: 13 Feb 2024  - Last updated: 27 Feb 2024

Visiting Alcatraz is one of the top things to do in San Francisco. The tour includes the Alcatraz Ferry to the island, the infamous prison audio tour, and more.

The island has so much to offer, it’s little wonder that visiting Alcatraz is a top San Francisco attraction . The infamous former federal penitentiary is on an island in San Francisco Bay, so the tour includes a short ferry ride with great views of the bay and city skyline. It also includes an excellent audio tour of the Alcatraz prison cellhouse, exhibits, and talks and tours led by National Park staff.

Alcatraz is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is operated by the National Park Service. In normal times, more than 1.7 million people visit Alcatraz each year.

When planning your visit to San Francisco, you can find more great sights in our San Francisco Itinerary article.

Here’s what’s in this article:

• About visiting Alcatraz
• Getting  tickets to Alcatraz
• Ticket types: Day Tour , Behind the Scenes Tour , Night Tour
• Getting to Alcatraz Landing (at Pier 33) to catch the ferry
• Ferry to Alcatraz Island
• About the cellhouse audio tour
• Brief mention of the great escape , famous inmates , and ghosts

Best time to go

• Bits of history
• Good things to know about an Alcatraz visit

About Visiting Alcatraz

A National Park Ranger meets each arriving ferry to welcome visitors to the island and to provide a brief orientation and review the day’s program schedule. In addition to the great cellhouse tour, there are permanent and temporary exhibits, ranger led walks and talks, a trail to take, gardens to see, and lots of interpretive signs around the island.

Although Alcatraz is open every day except for three major holidays, getting to and from the island depends on the ferry schedule, and it varies. Tickets are timed and coincide with a ferry going to the island. Once on the island, you can stay as long as you wish, just check the ferry schedule posted on the dock, and make sure you don’t miss the last boat back to Pier 33.

Days and hours open: Alcatraz is open from 10am to 8pm every day of the year except for three holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Time needed to visit: Allow about 3 hours for the ferry ride and Cellhouse Audio tour. Allow more if you also take the Behind the Scenes and/or Night Tour. Location: The tour begins (and ends) at Alcatraz Landing at Pier 33 on the Embarcadero.

Tickets to Alcatraz

Purchase your tickets early because they often sell out days in advance. This is especially true during the summer months and holidays. The tickets are timed and dated.

Buy tickets from Alcatraz City Cruises . It’s the only concessioner authorized by the National Park Service . The price of the ticket is specifically for the ferry and the cellhouse audio tour. The National Park Service does not have an entry fee for the island.

There are three types of Alcatraz tickets and they all include the ferry to/from the island and the self-guided Cellhouse Audio Tour. The Behind the Scenes Tour and Night Tour are currently offered Tuesday through Saturday. Here are more details about each of the three ticket types:

What you get:  Access to all open parts of the island, the theatre, and exhibits and the self-guided Cellhouse Audio Tour. Time needed:  Most people spend about 3-hours (including the ferry), but you can spend all day if you wish, just don’t miss the last ferry back. Currently Offered: Daily

Behind the Scenes Tour

What you get:  This is a small group guided tour through parts of the island not normally open to visitors. It includes some underground locations that were created by the Fort Alcatraz military in the 1800s. The Behind the Scenes ticket also includes the night tour and the self-guided Cellhouse Audio Tour. Time needed: My recent Behind the Scenes Tour took 2.5 hours just for the tour. We boarded the 2:45p ferry from Alcatraz Landing (Pier 33) and joined our guide on the Alcatraz dock at 3p. We finished the tour at 5:30p. If you also take the included Night Tour, allow 5 hours, and if you take the included Cell Block Audio Tour too, make it 6 hours. That should cover all tours and the ferry in both directions. Currently Offered: Tuesday through Saturday afternoons

A bit more about the Behind the Scenes Tour:

We walked from the dock up to the cell house and along the way stopped at several locations while our guide (Jim) shared historical details and stories about the locations and people. Jim has worked on the island for several years and had a lot of interesting stories to share.

Part way up the hill, we went through an underground tunnel that was built by the military on Fort Alcatraz and used to move munitions to gun placements. Alcatraz Island became Fort Alcatraz in the 1850s as part of the Triangle of Defense guarding San Francisco Bay.

At the top of the hill, we entered the cell block and went down a flight of stairs to an old underground jail. This was the Fort Alcatraz jail and was used for conscientious objectors and other men who would not follow orders. This area is now called the dungeon and the conditions were appalling: no bed, no bedding, no toilet, and not much food.

Alcatraz Night Tour

What you get:  A guided (Ranger or educator led) tour from the dock to the Cellhouse, and after the self-guided Cellhouse Audio Tour, a guided tour back to the dock. Time needed:  3-hours, including the ferry Currently Offered: Tuesday through Saturday afternoons

I’ve not taken the Night Tour, but I can certainly appreciate why it’s so popular. In addition to the Cell House Audio Tour and a variety of short talks and demonstrations, the Night Tour has these advantages:

• you get a more complete view of the entire island because the ferry circles Alcatraz Island before docking.
• you get an unobstructed view of the city skyline and might see the sun set behind the Golden Gate Bridge.
• the night tours are limited to a few hundred people, so the island is much less crowded.

Getting to Alcatraz Landing (Pier 33) and Alcatraz Island

When you book your ticket(s), you select a specific date and time, and that’s the date and time your ferry leaves Alcatraz Landing (Pier 33) and heads to Alcatraz Island. Here are three options for getting to Alcatraz Landing at Pier 33 and a map with locations pinned:

Getting to Alcatraz Landing (Pier 33)

• Public Transit:  Take a historic F-Market & Wharves Streetcar. It stops on the Embarcadero at Bay Street, nearly in front of Pier 33. It’s my favorite way to get there.
• Walking:  If you’re in the vicinity of Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39, it’s an easy walk. It’s only about 1,700-feet (524 m) from Pier 39 to Pier 33.
• Parking near Pier 33: The Waterfront Plaza Parking Garage is the closest, and it’s open daily. It’s located at 80 Francisco Street. Check the Parkopedia website for times, prices, and reservations.

Alcatraz Landing and Island Map

Click the map image below to go to the expandable, interactive Google Map with pins for Alcatraz Landing, Alcatraz Island and other nearby sights and places of interest. The pins have brief descriptions.

Alcatraz Ferries

The ferry takes about 15-minutes to get from Alcatraz Landing (Pier 33) to Alcatraz Island. Once on the island, you can get back to Pier 33 on any ferry departing the island. Check the schedule posted at the dock, so you don’t miss the last ferry of the day.

Ferry tips: On my most recent visit, the last Day Tour ferry left Alcatraz at 4:25pm. For the Night Tour, there is one ferry to and from the island.

Alcatraz Cellhouse Audio Tour

Tip: It’s a ¼ mile (0.4 km) uphill walk from the boat dock to the cellhouse. Visitors with limited mobility are welcome to take the free Tram up and down the hill.

The excellent 30-minute audio tour guides you through the cellhouse and features former prisoners and guards telling their stories. It’s called  Doing Time: The Alcatraz Cellhouse Tour . The audio tour is available in these 10 languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Download the National Park Service App

You can have more information about Alcatraz literally at your fingertips, if you Download the National Park Service App onto your smartphone. Search the app for Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and then select Alcatraz Island from the list of GGNRA locations. You’ll find descriptions and location information for 14 sights on the island.

Alcatraz Famous Inmates

Alcatraz was a maximum-security federal prison from 1934 to 1963. Among the 1,545 men sent there, a few were famous: Al “Scarface” Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, Arthur “Doc” Barker, Alvin “Creepy Karpis” Karpavicz, Robert “The Birdman” Stroud, Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson, and Meyer “Mickey” Cohen.

Alcatraz Escape Attempts

There were several attempted escapes but only one that may have been successful. In 1962, three men, Frank Morris and the Anglin Brothers tunneled out of their cells and slipped into the bay in a makeshift raft. They were never seen again, and their bodies were never found.

On the cell block tour, you’ll learn how Morris and the Anglin Brothers dug their tunnels and fooled the guards into believing they were asleep in their cells. Stay tuned for more: recent facial-recognition technology may have solved the case.

In the 1979 film,  Escape from Alcatraz , Clint Eastwood plays Frank Morris.

Is Alcatraz Haunted; Are There Ghosts?

There are reports of people hearing crying or moaning coming from the empty cells. It’s also claimed that a prisoner in Cell 14D died after screaming that he was being killed by a ghost. Some visitors have also claimed they felt extreme coldness after visiting Cell 14D. So, maybe there are ghosts on Alcatraz, or maybe it’s just the cold wind blowing through the cellhouse.

Weather-wise, mid-September through mid-November is best. The summer fog (nature’s air conditioner) doesn’t roll in as often and the winter rains haven’t yet started. The rest of the year, the weather is mixed: there are often gorgeous, sunny days in winter and spring, and summer days can quickly turn chilly if the fog rolls in. Dressing in layers is always a good idea in San Francisco.

Is it better to visit Alcatraz in the morning or afternoon? Early morning is best if you prefer to go when the island is less crowded. Midday is best if you prefer a warmer day and sunny skies. I took the photo below on the Agave Trail about 1pm in early December. It was a gorgeous sunny day with temperatures in the 60s.

Gardens on The Rock

Alcatraz is nicknamed  The Rock  for good reason: it’s a 225-acre rock. But beginning with the residents of Fort Alcatraz, people brought soil to the island and planted gardens. Now there are gardens scattered all over the island. Military families, and later prisoners and prison staff planted and tended them; now they are tended by volunteers.

Take the Agave Trail between the dock and the Parade Ground to see the Agave Garden and great views of the Island and bay.

Bits of Alcatraz History

• 1775: While mapping San Francisco Bay, Spanish explorers, observe a small rocky island occupied by a colony of brown pelicans; they name the island Alcatraces (strange birds). Overtime, the name was anglicized to Alcatraz. You’ll likely see flocks of pelicans flying by during your visit, and they are strange looking birds.
• 1850: The island became Fort Alcatraz as part of the Triangle of Defense to guard San Francisco Bay. First it was a military fortification and later became a military prison.
• 1854: California’s first lighthouse was built on Alcatraz.
• 1934–1963: Alcatraz was a maximum-security federal penitentiary.
• 1969: Native Americans took over and occupied the island from late 1969 to mid 1971.
• 1972: Congress created the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which included Alcatraz.

Native American Occupation

Notice the red graffiti above the bookstore by the dock and also on the water tower. These are remnants of the Native American occupation of the island from late 1969 to mid 1971. The Indians hoped to build a university and cultural center on the island, but they were never able to raise enough money to do so.

More Things to Know About Visiting Alcatraz

• Do wear sturdy walking shoes. Walking surfaces are uneven.
• Do bring a jacket or sweatshirt. When the fog rolls in through the Golden Gate, it heads straight for Alcatraz.
• Don’t bring more stuff than you can carry. There are no lockers or storage facilities.
• Please don’t eat anywhere on the island except in the picnic area by the dock. You can bring your own food or buy snacks in the bookstore/gift shop.
• Wheelchairs are not available for loan or rent at Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing or on Alcatraz Island.

Who would have imagined that a 19 th  century fort and an old prison would become such a popular place to visit? Perhaps it’s the combination of a rugged small island with an interesting history, and the ferry boat ride on San Francisco Bay. It’s a great way to spend half a day, and I hope you enjoy it.

For more ideas about things to do and see in San Francisco, visit these articles:

• Seven Unique San Francisco Neighborhoods to Visit
• 12 Best Parks and Gardens in San Francisco
• 15 Best Museums in San Francisco

About the Author

Ginny Vail is a travel writer who loves travel planning, sightseeing, photography, and videography. She’s visited all 50 states and traveled around the world. Her articles focus on discovering places to go, sights to see, and details about when and how to visit them.

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Alcatraz Island and Guided San Francisco City Tour

Combine the official Alcatraz tour and a fully guided city tour for a day of San Francisco highlights

This full-day tour breaks you into Alcatraz Island prison and features guided entertainment and stops to explore Golden Gate Bridge, Palace of Fine Arts, Land’s End and Twin Peaks.

• See San Francisco’s top attractions like the Haight-Ashbury, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Castro
• Make stops to photograph and experience the Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate Bridge, Land’s End, and Twin Peaks.
• Ferry to Alcatraz Island for the famous prison tour
• Hear guided tour narration in your own language
• Begin with a pickup from two major San Francisco hotels

What’s Included

• Pick up at two San Francisco locations
• Local expert guide commentary in English
• Foreign language audios for the city tour available (specify at checkout)
• Alcatraz Island admission

What’s Not Included

• Meals or beverages
• Guide gratuity

Description

Ride in comfort before you float the bay as you tour the city’s top attractions, on this San Francisco City tour plus Alcatraz . Our city insider guide goes way beyond a “hop-on, hop-off” experience to deliver a fully-narrated San Francisco sightseeing adventure. Your comprehensive 4-hour morning City Tour ends in style with a ferry ride to and tour of the (in)famous Alcatraz Island in the afternoon.

Morning: Bus City Tour

Stop #1 – palace of fine arts.

After a morning pickup at one of two convenient San Francisco locations, your city tour will begin on San Francisco’s waterfront in the popular Fisherman’s Wharf before rolling through the Marina District on your way to your first stop. At the lovely and instagrammable  Palace of Fine Arts , you will have the chance to stop and photograph the historic building, grounds, and stunningly beautiful lagoon.

Stop #2 – Golden Gate Bridge

Continue to the most iconic stop at the Golden Gate Bridge . Spend 10-15 minutes at a perfect vista point taking photos and creating memories.

Stop #3 – Land’s End Overlook

The next stop on your San Francisco City Highlights tour will be the historic Land’s End where you can stretch your legs while overlooking Sutro Baths and the Pacific Ocean coastline. Later, you will be blown away by the beauty of Golden Gate Park as you ride past Dutch windmills, Queen Wilhelmina’s tulip garden, the bison paddock, and old redwood and eucalyptus groves. Next, we’ll take you through the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, where you can see some of San Francisco’s famous Victorian homes, known for their iconic architecture.

Stop #4 – Twin Peaks

Fog-permitting, the next stop on this tour gives you a birds-eye-view of the whole Bay Area from atop Twin Peaks. Here, you’ll get an amazing panoramic view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Tamalpais, Mount Diablo, the whole Bay and more from the viewpoint sitting 1,000 feet above sea level. To say it’s breathtaking would be an understatement!

Afternoon: Sail to Alcatraz Island for the Famous Prison Tour

Grab some lunch in Fisherman’s Wharf , then make your way to Pier 33 to board your ferry for the Alcatraz Island Prison Tour. The 15-minute sail has incredible views of the city skyline, Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, San Francisco Bay and Angel Island   — have your camera ready!

On arrival to Alcatraz Island, pick up the Cellhouse Audio Tour included with the purchase of this San Francisco and Alcatraz tour package. Hear the voices of prisoners and guards describing their experiences at Alcatraz in English, Spanish, Japanese, French, Italian, German, Dutch or Mandarin.

After touring on Alcatraz Island to your heart’s content, take one of the returning ferries back to Pier 33. If you’ve worked up an appetite or thirst, there are plenty of Fisherman’s Wharf options before making your own way back to your hotel.

Things to Know About this Tour:

You must bring a government-issued photo ID to board the Alcatraz Ferry

Children under the age of 8 must have an appropriate child seat for the city tour

08:30 AM to 10:00 AM - Pick up, Palace of Fine Arts

• Pickup at one of two convenient San Francisco locations in either Union Square or Fisherman’s Wharf
• Drive through the Marina district while enjoying the views of Alcatraz Island
• Stop and explore the picturesque Palace of Fine Arts (15 minutes)

10:00 AM to 11:00 AM - Golden Gate Bridge and Land’s End

• Stop at a spectacular vista for photos of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge
• Stop at Land’s End for the Pacific Ocean coastline views
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sutro Baths and the Cliff House

11:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Golden Gate Park and Twin Peaks

• Drive through Golden Gate Park with its many gardens and museums
• Drive through San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury with it’s Victorian architecture
• Stop at Twin Peaks overlook and enjoy the 360 degree views of the whole Bay

12:00 PM to 1:00 PM - Mission District, Fisherman's Wharf

• Drive by Misión San Francisco de Asís in the vibrant Mission District
• Ride through the Civic Center
• Return to your pickup point

2:00 PM to 4:30 PM Enjoy the Infamous Alcatraz Prison Tour

• Board your ferry for the Alcatraz Island tour at Pier 33
• Enjoy the “The Alcatraz Cellhouse Audio Tour” (foreign languages available)
• Free time to explore Alcatraz Island; take a return ferry to Pier 33

Times listed are approximations. Traffic and unforeseen events can cause delays

What Our Guests Are Saying About Us

Authentic guide.

Our guide was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, approachable, and thorough. She also adapted well to detours and other unplanned obstacles.

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Nathan M, TrustPilot

All in all, we felt the price justified the experience and recommend Extranomical to future visitors to San Francisco. Our guide was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, approachable, and thorough. She also adapted well to detours and other unplanned obstacles. She even handled well an interruption by a participant who took a mobile phone call. Moreover, she was authentic and really cared that her guests would have a quality experience.

Everything we expected!

Our guide Don was excellent. Loved his laid back California vibe. We had a pretty thorough tour of the city, with great commentary. The coach was comfortable & sheltered us from the chill.

Leenora B Broussard, GetYourGuide

Our guide Don was excellent. Loved his laid back California vibe. We had a pretty thorough tour of the city, with great commentary. The coach was comfortable & sheltered us from the chill. By the afternoon, Alcatraz was everything we expected & the boat ride was gorgeous.

Amazing tour!

SF tour and stops at key areas . Alcatraz good and able to stay as long as you want so no pressure!

Jane Corser, GetYourGuide

Awesome tour!

Joseph was our tour guide and Archie was our driver and they made a great team with their combined knowledge from growing up in the area.

Lindsey Feld, GetYourGuide

We did this tour on the first full day we were in San Francisco and we felt it was a great introduction to the city! Joseph was our tour guide and Archie was our driver and they made a great team with their combined knowledge from growing up in the area. Alcatraz was awesome and we were lucky enough to experience it during fleet week with the Blue Angels flying above us. Highly recommended activity!

Excellent experience

Both the city bus tour and Alcatraz Island experiences were excellent, with a very experienced and well understood morning tour guide.

Ralph L Lewis, GetYourGuide

Both the city bus tour and Alcatraz Island experiences were excellent, with a very experienced and well understood morning tour guide. Unfortunately, coordination between Extranomical and the Guided City Tour people was not as seamless as it should have been. When we arrived in the morning, the on site coordinator didn't have us listed for the afternoon tour and I had to make a last minute phone call to Extranomical to be apprised of the afternoon check-in details.

Very Exceptional!

Tour guide Kimmy collected us on time from our Hotel and proceeded to give us a wonderful insight and tour of San Francisco in her mini bus - 12 people in total and very covid safe

Suzanne Fitzgerald, TrustPilot

Tour guide Kimmy collected us on time from our Hotel and proceeded to give us a wonderful insight and tour of San Francisco in her mini bus - 12 people in total and very covid safe (masks mandatory) - we covered so much area and learnt so much about each area... history, movie sets and famous people, restaurants to visit, etc - I now feel very wise about SF! We had two stops along the way and even did a trip along the Golden Gate Bridge. Amazing photo's from this vantage point (a whale even made an appearance in the bay on queue). Kimmy's knowledge (being a local) is exceptional! We were then dropped off at the Pier to head off on the Alcatraz tour with plenty of time to buy lunch. Was a really interesting and informative day. (For lunch, if you are not into the hamburgers and fried fish available along the wharf area - cross the road from the pier to a really lovely cafe - beautiful indoors/outdoors, food and bathrooms). The visit to Alcatraz is a must - very sobering indeed and definitely a 'must do' when in San Francisco. It is a really good idea to research the 'Escape from Alcatraz' story before you go as this will really give you a better understanding of the prison and day-to-day life. When you arrive on Alcatraz - go to the top where the prison is actually located and where you are able to pick up (free) an audio machine to take you on a personal tour. Excellent tour - highly recommend to all visitors to SF - run by a very professional company.

Very enjoyable

Went on the full day tour of San Francisco and Alcatraz. It was very enjoyable. Bus driver Jack was super friendly and Michelle our tour guide was very knowledgeable about San Francisco.

Ingrid Bennett, TrustPilot

Went on the full day tour of San Francisco and Alcatraz. It was very enjoyable. Bus driver Jack was super friendly and Michelle our tour guide was very knowledgeable about San Francisco. Took us to a lot of sights and different areas of the city.

A must tour!

The Alcatraz/City tour was good. Our guide showed us all the major sites & explained them well. Alcatraz is a must & the tour made it as easy as possible.

Kerry Dubbert , TrustPilot

Book With Confidence

Award-winning tours & customer service, money back guarantee, 2000+ 5-star reviews, what will we see during the city tour.

Easily the most comprehensive city tour of San Francisco, including visits to: Marina District, Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate Park, Haight-Ashbury, Fisherman’s Wharf, Land’s End, Castro District, Union Square, Twin Peaks and, of course — the Golden Gate Bridge!

Is the Alcatraz portion of the tour guided?

All tours of Alcatraz are operated by the National Park Service. While rangers are available for questions, the primary content of the tour is delivered through an audio guide available in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish languages.

What should I wear?

San Francisco can be chilly in the morning so it’s best to dress in layers and wear comfortable walking shoes or sandals.

Do I need to bring my ID?

You must present valid government-issued photo identification to pick up your tickets at Alcatraz Pier 33. A photocopy of a passport suffices as valid photo identification.

What should I bring?

Besides your valid government-issued ID, bring a light water-resistant jacket, camera or phone, water bottle, hat, sunscreen, umbrella (if the forecast calls for rain), and a credit card or cash for purchasing souvenirs or snacks.

How much time will I have on Alcatraz island?

The amount of time you can stay on Alcatraz Island is up to you. Return ferries to San Francisco leave the island about every 20 minutes. Most guests find that 2 hours is sufficient time to do the complete prison tour. The ferry between Alcatraz Island and San Francisco takes about 15 minutes.

Is Alcatraz accessible for those with disabilities?

Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing is fully accessible. Many areas on Alcatraz Island are also accessible with the use of the S.E.A.T. (Sustainable Easy Access Transport) Tram.

Why not purchase Alcatraz and a city tour separately?

First, the combo tour makes for an easy, seamless day in which we pick you up near your hotel and deliver you to Pier 33 to catch the ferry to Alcatraz. Also, our contract with the National Park Service allows us access to Alcatraz tickets only when they are part of a tour package.

Are meals included? Can I buy or bring my own?

Meals are not included on this tour. There are multiple food options available in Fisherman’s Wharf where you can purchase lunch or snacks. Please note that food is not permitted on Alcatraz Island.

Do I need to be at Pier 33 - Alcatraz Landing before my departure?

We will manage the day so that you are at Pier 33 one half-hour prior to your departure time to check in. You must present valid government-issued photo identification at the will call booth to collect your Alcatraz tickets.

Why is this tour non-refundable?

Tour operators like Extranomical must purchase the Alcatraz tickets in advance and they may not be transferred or refunded after purchase.

How do I collect my Alcatraz tickets?

When you arrive at Pier 33, there is a separate “Will Call” line for visitors to pick up prepaid tickets. Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your departure time to check in. You must present a valid government-issued photo ID or passport.

Are there dining options on Alcatraz Island?

There are no dining options on the Island. Guests may bring bottled water to drink. Please plan accordingly and enjoy your lunch after the City Tour and before your Alcatraz experience.

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This is the only Muir Woods tour with guided audio narration inside the park. Walk under the world’s tallest trees, then enjoy charming Sausalito.

• California Coastal / Pacific Northwest

WALK FROM S.F. PIER TO ALCATRAZ PIER

By D & S , January 20, 2019 in California Coastal / Pacific Northwest

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We will dock in San Francisco on an upcoming cruise and wondering if it is within walking distance of the Alcatraz Pier 33.  Not sure which pier out ship will docked at, assuming everything is close.    Also, ship says it will dock for 8am, would the first ferry at 9:30  to Alcatraz give us enough time to book their 9:30 departure??

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CruiserBruce

A quick look at Google Maps has the distance as 3 tenths of a mile, 5 minute walk. Flat as it gets. You can do the 9:30 trip.

You will dock at Pier 27, or, outside chance, Pier 35. You will have Pier 33 surrounded.

Close enough? As long as you have legs, yes. It's ALWAYS Pier 27 that cruises use, unless there are multiple ships which pretty much never happens (and if it does, you won't be much different in distance, possibly even closer).

Enough time? If you don't have to do immigration, yes and easily so - if you do have immigration though, not a hope in h-e-double-hockey-sticks. Book nothing before noon if you're being processed by CBP in SF!!!

1 hour ago, martincath said:   Enough time? If you don't have to do immigration, yes and easily so - if you do have immigration though, not a hope in h-e-double-hockey-sticks. Book nothing before noon if you're being processed by CBP in SF!!!

 This might be relevant to a flight, but not to a trip to Alcatraz that is 5 minutes walk away.

4 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:  This might be relevant to a flight, but not to a trip to Alcatraz that is 5 minutes walk away.

Couldn't disagree more Bruce - you seem to forget that Alcatraz tickets sell out so folks are booking them well in advance at specific times, as indeed OP is no doubt doing (hence the question). Some coastals have SF as the first US port - I've done two - and SF is, to be blunt, horribly under-capable when it comes to processing a modern cruise ship. Check reports from any of the cruises over the last several years that were processed at Pier 27 and you'll find many reporting on disembarkation taking up to three hours due to CBP backups... If the ship is bang on time and OP is among the last folks processed, maybe they could safely book an 11:15am ferry - but even a relatively short delay docking risks that too.

Personally I'd book Alcatraz for after lunch, and then if OP gets off nice & early they can do some lower-priority things that don't need booked to fill their morning - if they are stuck queuing up for hours that way they only miss out on less-important stuff for them rather than Alcatraz.

Thank you for all the info on times getting off the ship.  Didn't realize it might be a hassle in SF.  I read on Trip Advisory that some folks purchased the 9:30  & 10 a.m. tour.  Now after reading all this info that doesn't seem possible most of the time.  Are there other things to do right around where the ship docks and the pier?  Like martincath pointed out to do some other things to fill the morning.  Also mentioned queuing up for hours,  is that to get onto the Alcatraz ferry?

10 hours ago, D & S said: Thank you for all the info on times getting off the ship.  Didn't realize it might be a hassle in SF.  I read on Trip Advisory that some folks purchased the 9:30  & 10 a.m. tour.  Now after reading all this info that doesn't seem possible most of the time.  Are there other things to do right around where the ship docks and the pier?  Like martincath pointed out to do some other things to fill the morning.  Also mentioned queuing up for hours,  is that to get onto the Alcatraz ferry?

Alcatraz at 9:30am is easily possible if you've already visited another US port before SF on the cruise, just not if you are coming down from Canada or any other country with SF as the first US port of call. Since I don't know what cruise you're taking I thought it best to warn you about the lengthy immigration delays in case this impacts you (Alcatraz isn't exactly super-cheap, and on top of wasting the ticket cost you may be simply unable to get on another boat later in the day as they can be sold out well in advance).

If this is one of the Spring repo cruises getting the ship up to Vancouver for Alaskan cruise season you're almost certainly fine as it will begin in the US and end in Canada (doubling back after visiting Victoria/Vancouver would be very strange routing); if it's a Fall repo cruise bringing a ship from Vancouver back southward then it depends if the ship stops in e.g. Seattle or Astoria on the way; if it's a Round Trip coastal then it depends if SF is the first US port after your last Canadian or Mexican port or not.

As to other things to do - you've got Pier 39, the Aquarium of the Bay, the Ferry Building, HOHO bus stops, walking tours, other less-booked-out boat tours, the Maritime Historic Park/Liberty Ship, railway museum, Ripleys/Madame Tussauds/7D experience for cheesy stuff, the sea lions to look at (and smell)... there's a metric buttload of stuff to do close to the pier.

ATSEAMYLIFE

Easy quick walk, depending on how long it takes to get off the ship and how long it takes the ship to get to port i.e. fog.  I would book later in the day also because it will be warmer and the island can be windy and cold.  

Thank you for all the directions and tips for going to Alcatraz.  SF will be our 2nd U.S. stop so that will help getting off on time without customs. Will make it much easier with our planning before when we arrive.   Ordering our tickets now.  Thanks for the help.

• 4 years later...

On 1/22/2019 at 8:19 PM, D & S said: Thank you for all the directions and tips for going to Alcatraz.  SF will be our 2nd U.S. stop so that will help getting off on time without customs. Will make it much easier with our planning before when we arrive.   Ordering our tickets now.  Thanks for the help.

Hi.  I'm wondering how it worked out.  We are boarding a cruise from LA which stops overnight in San Francisco.  I must see Alcatraz!  The cruise excursion is fully booked.  Right now, Alcatraz has 3:50 tickets available for the day we arrive (and we arrive at 2 p.m.) and it has Noon tickets available for the day we leave San Fran (we leave at 5 p.m.).  So, either way I'm taking a chance but I figure I'd better order my tickets right away.  Which would you suggest?  I'm sailing Celebrity. 

58 minutes ago, Mom39 said: Hi.  I'm wondering how it worked out.  We are boarding a cruise from LA which stops overnight in San Francisco.  I must see Alcatraz!  The cruise excursion is fully booked.  Right now, Alcatraz has 3:50 tickets available for the day we arrive (and we arrive at 2 p.m.) and it has Noon tickets available for the day we leave San Fran (we leave at 5 p.m.).  So, either way I'm taking a chance but I figure I'd better order my tickets right away.  Which would you suggest?  I'm sailing Celebrity. 

I've discovered tickets via another website so I think we're set.  I purchased tickets for 8:40 a.m. on the second day (and realized we leave at 4 that day, not 5).  So, I think we'll be good from what I'm reading.

There is only one official ticket site for actually landing on Alcatraz. Anything else is usually just sailing by on a boat. The official website is  https://www.alcatrazislandtickets.com/

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Alcatraz Behind The Scenes Tour

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The Ultimate Alcatraz Experience

Duration: 4 -5 Hours Available: Tues - Sat Check-In Time: 2:15 PM and 2:45 PM thru March 9th. Spring/Summer: 4:20 PM and 4:50 PM Check-in.

• E-Ticket Mobile Check-in
• Ferry ride to and from Alcatraz Island
• Two-hour Park Ranger guided tour with small group of 20 or fewer tour guests
• Award-winning Cellhouse audio tour
• Additional programs and exhibits
• Docent guided tours and talks

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Alcatraz Behind The Scenes - FAQ

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Alcatraz City Cruises: Alcatraz & Angel Island Combination Tour (June 1-Sept. 2)

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Alcatraz City Cruises brings back the combination tour to both Alcatraz Island and the newly reopened Angel Island!

Alcatraz Island is regarded as one of the most sought-after attractions of San Francisco, featuring an award-winning cellhouse audio tour that takes you through the prison that once housed some of America’s most notorious criminals.

Known as the “Ellis Island of the West,” Angel Island was a major immigration hub for people arriving from over 84 different nations between 1910 and the 1940s. Today, it functions as a State Park, offering guests the breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay while learning about the island’s historical significance.

Schedule Saturday June 1 – Monday, September 2, 2024 Starts at $84 – Get Tickets Green Group (Alcatraz Island – Angel Island) 9:40 a.m. – Depart Pier 33 9:55 a.m. – Arrive at Alcatraz Island 12:15 p.m. – Depart Alcatraz Island 12:45 p.m. – Arrive Angel Island 2:55 p.m. – Depart Angel Island 3:25 p.m. – Arrive at Pier 33 Yellow Group (Angel Island – Alcatraz Island) 9:50 a.m. – Depart Pier 33 10:30 a.m.- Arrive Angel Island 1:00 p.m. – Depart Angel Island 1:35 p.m. – Arrive Alcatraz Depart Alcatraz on any returning ferry, see schedule  here. Includes: Round-trip ferry ride to Alcatraz Island Round-trip ferry ride from Alcatraz Island to Angel Island Award-winning Cellhouse audio tour on Alcatraz Island Daily optional programs and exhibits One-hour narrated tram tour of Angel Island Allow 5½ hours to complete your visit to both Islands.

The weather on Alcatraz is unpredictable and subject to change unexpectedly, so be sure to dress in layers.  Follow this link  for more information.

Where to Meet

Alcatraz Landing

Pier 33, San Francisco, CA 94133

Cellhouse Audio Tour Included

Tour the Cellhouse at your own pace with the award-winning audio presentation “ Doing Time: The Alcatraz Cellhouse Tour ”. Stop to picture yourself in a dark solitary confinement cell, hear the stories of life inside from former inmates, and feel the intensity of a prison breakout from correctional officers who lived and worked on the Island.

No one can tell the Alcatraz tale quite like the men who lived it. Hear both sides of life in the Island prison including such famous events as escape attempts, “The Battle of ’46”, “Food Riots”, and “Surviving Solitary Confinement”.

The Cellhouse audio tour is available in Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

Please note: Audio tour refunds are available for Alcatraz Day Tours only. There are no audio tour refunds available for Alcatraz Night Tours. If you prefer not to take the Cellhouse audio tour, we will be happy to refund the audio program portion of the Alcatraz tour ticket price. Please inquire with a supervisor at the entrance to the Cellhouse for refund amount. Audio tour refunds are not given through the Alcatraz City Cruises Ticketbooth or the central reservations office.

For more info, visit Alcatraz City Cruises .

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Upcoming Alcatraz City Cruises: Alcatraz & Angel Island Combination Tour (June 1-Sept. 2) Events

• Fri 6/28 Alcatraz City Cruises: Alcatraz & Angel Island Combination Tour (June 1-Sept. 2)
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