Alcatraz Tours

Alcatraz Tours

Park rangers conduct tours by recounting the prison's thrilling history along with intriguing anecdotes about Al Capone and other legendary figures that made a
"home" here.

 http://www.nps.gov/alcatraz/

Address: Alcatraz Landing, Pier 33
Embarcadero San Francisco, CA 94133

Tel: 415-981-7625

Review from a customer:

I’m not a history buff and had chosen not to tour Alcatraz on previous visits to San Francisco. But I finally relented on this trip, and I’m glad I did. It was a fascinating glimpse into this chapter of history.

Be sure to purchase your tickets online prior to your trip. Apparently they frequently sell out, making it nearly impossible to purchase tickets on the day you want to tour. The boats to Alcatraz carry a surprisingly big crowd of people, so it’s best to purchase tickets on the first tour of the day. No one else will be on the island when your boat arrives. As the day progresses, it appears that the crowds can get quite large.

It’s also worth noting that the cruises depart from Pier 33. That’s about halfway between Fisherman’s Wharf and the Ferry Terminal Building, along the Embarcadero. You can easily walk from Fisherman’s Wharf or the Ferry Terminal Building, but it will take you a few minutes. The closest public transportation is the F Line streetcars, which stop right outside.

The boat ride takes about 10-15 minutes. Upon arrival at the island, there’s a brief talk from a ranger – basically laying down some ground rules for everyone. Then you’re free to climb the LONG hill up to the cell house. You can pop into the theater rooms for a brief video about Alcatraz, presented in multiple languages for non-English speaking guests.

Most of the tour takes place in the cell house. After arriving there, you’re given a headset with a pre-recorded tour in your language. After climbing one more flight of stairs, you’re instructed when to start your audio tour. The audio tour was way cooler than we expected. It’s professionally recorded and presented from the standpoint of some of the inmates and guards who worked at the prison. Following their prompts, you’re directed on a self-guided tour throughout all areas of the cell house. It’s a comfortable pace. You can pause your tour at any time if you want more time for exploring. The audio tour does an amazing job of bringing to life the stories from Alcatraz.

Following the audio tour, your free to explore other parts of the island. The buildings are old and somewhat creepy, but I found the architecture and atmosphere to be fascinating. Bring a jacket – it can get cool out on the island. It was raining the day we were there, so we didn’t get to explore much outside.

There is a large gift shop and book store at the end of the tour. And another opportunity to make purchases after you walk back down the hill toward the dock.

We spent about two hours on the island and will probably return for a future visit, hopefully when the weather is nicer.

Alcatraz Night Tour

Experience the many moods of Alcatraz with an evening visit to the Island. Enjoy the beauty of a sunset silhouetting the Golden Gate Bridge. Learn compelling stories about the Island's history and residents. Get spectacular 360-degree views of the whole Bay Area lit up at night... and feel a chill run down your spine as you venture into dark corners of the old island prison.

The Alcatraz Night Tour is a unique program limited to just a few hundred visitors per evening that includes special programs, tours and activities not offered during the day. See a list of sample programs to the right. The Night Tour was selected "Best Tour of the Bay Area" by San Francisco Magazine and has also been highlighted by the Los Angeles Times, Family Fun Magazine, Coastal Living, San Francisco radio station KFOG, the television show "Bay Area Backroads," and a variety of other media outlets. Read one of the reviews to the right.

The Alcatraz Night Tour operates year-round, Thursday-Monday evenings. The evening includes roundtrip ferry transportation, a live boat narration, a guided tour from Dock to Cellhouse, the Cellhouse Audio Tour, a keepsake souvenir brochure, recreation use fee, and a variety of special programs and presentations offered only at night. To purchase tickets call (415) 981-7625.

Proceeds from the Alcatraz Night Tour support preservation and restoration projects on Alcatraz and throughout the Golden Gate National Parks. For general Night Tour information, please call (415) 561-4926. Attention, this is not the ticket reservation line!