More about: Alcatraz Tours from San Francisco
It's not every day you get the chance to visit a prison as iconic as Alcatraz: Al Capone served his sentence within its walls while playing the banjo for other inmates, none of whom ever managed to escape from this prison despite numerous escape attempts throughout its history. Read on to find out the best way to visit Alcatraz with tickets and tours to the island.
San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off Big Bus Tour and Alcatraz Tickets
Visit Alcatraz and explore San Francisco at your leisure for 2 days
Access the famous Alcatraz prison by ferry with an audio guide included and explore San Francisco with a 48-hour tourist bus ticket.
This excursion to Alcatraz by tourist bus is the perfect option if you want to combine a visit to the legendary prison with a flexible and comfortable way to explore San Francisco. The ticket includes the round-trip ferry to the island, the official audio guide in Spanish to explore Alcatraz at your own pace, and access to the double-decker tourist bus with unlimited stops for 48 hours.
The experience is rounded off with one hour of free bike rental, so you can explore the city on two wheels, and a non-stop night tour that allows you to see some of the most iconic sights, such as Treasure Island and Grace Cathedral, lit up at dusk. A truly comprehensive experience!
Recommended if... you want to secure your ticket to Alcatraz and make the most of your stay in San Francisco without worrying about transportation.
Alcatraz, Sausalito and Muir Wood Day Trip from San Francisco
Combine nature and Alcatraz in one comprehensive excursion
Discover the most famous prison in the U.S., along with giant redwood trees and a charming coastal town.
This combined tour of Alcatraz, Sausalito, and Muir Woods is perfect if you want to visit Alcatraz and also get out of the city center to explore some of the most beautiful landscapes in Northern California.
You'll start the day with a bus tour across the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods, home to the impressive giant redwood trees. Then you'll visit Sausalito, a charming coastal town with houseboats and spectacular views of the bay.
Finally, you'll board a boat to Alcatraz Island, where you'll tour the prison with an audio guide and have time to explore at your own pace before returning by ferry to San Francisco.
Recommended if... you're looking for a comprehensive excursion that combines history, nature, and spectacular views in a single day.
What is the San Francisco bus tour with visit to Alcatraz like?
This sightseeing bus tour of San Francisco with tickets to Alcatraz is an ideal option if you want to explore the city at your own pace for two days and visit the famous Alcatraz prison with ferry and audio guide included. A perfect two-in-one experience to discover the essentials of San Francisco.
Your ticket includes access to the double-decker sightseeing bus with free stops for 48 hours, one hour of free bike rental, and a panoramic night tour without stops to see the main monuments illuminated. The visit to Alcatraz is by ferry from Pier 33, and once there you can tour the prison with the official audio guide.
Tour route
- Golden Gate Bridge: California's most famous bridge and the city's emblem
- Union Square: the commercial and cultural heart of San Francisco
- Haight-Ashbury: the legendary bohemian neighborhood where the hippie counterculture was born
- Civic Center: with its impressive neoclassical architecture
- Lombard Street: San Francisco's most winding and photogenic street
- The Embarcadero: a waterfront promenade with views of the bay
- Palace of Fine Arts: an architectural gem on the waterfront
- Grace Cathedral and Treasure Island: included in the night tour
- Alcatraz: round-trip ferry to the island and admission with audio guide included
This tour offers great flexibility, as you can hop on and off the bus at any of the 15 stops along the route to explore the neighborhoods and monuments that interest you most.
Details of interest
- Duration: bus ticket valid for 48 hours + night tour + visit to Alcatraz
- Price: $125
- Recommended: If you want to see the best of San Francisco at your own pace without missing out on the full Alcatraz experience.
What is the Muir Woods and Sausalito excursion with a visit to Alcatraz like?
This tour of Muir Woods and Sausalito with a visit to Alcatraz is another option for visiting Alcatraz if you have already explored San Francisco or prefer to do so on your own. You will take a tour of Muir Woods National Monument and its surroundings, where you will be amazed by the majestic redwoods of this natural park.
Afterwards, you will visit Sausalito, a coastal town across the bay from San Francisco, famous for its fishing pier, its floating houses on the water, and its charming atmosphere. On your return to San Francisco, you'll head to Pier 33 where you'll board the ferry to Alcatraz. With the ticket included in the tour and the official audio guide, you can explore the island at your leisure and discover the impressive history of this famous prison.
Tour route
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Muir Woods National Monument
- Sausalito
- Alcatraz Island
Interesting details
- Duration: 7 hours
- Price: $180
- Recommended: If you prefer to explore San Francisco on your own and book additional tours for a guided experience
What you will see on your Alcatraz tour
A tour of Alcatraz is much more than just a visit to an old prison. During the tour, you'll discover the true stories of its most famous prisoners, learn what daily life was like on the island, and explore the original facilities at your leisure.
From the moment you step onto the ferry, everything is designed to give you an immersive experience, with unique views of San Francisco Bay and access to one of the most iconic places in the country.
The famous Alcatraz prison ceased to function as a penitentiary in 1963, was abandoned for a few years, and in 1972 the island was declared a U.S. National Park. Upon arrival at "The Rock," you will receive a brief informative talk about the history of the prison and its importance today, and then you will be allowed to begin the tour by climbing the small hill to the prison entrance.
Highlights of Alcatraz
- The cell block (including Block D): you can tour the inside with an audio guide, including the isolation cells.
- The prisoners' dining room: accessible as part of the interior tour.
- The exercise yard: can be visited during the tour.
- The administration building: visible from the outside, currently closed for safety reasons.
- The oldest lighthouse on the West Coast: not accessible from the inside, but can be seen up close from the outside tour.
- Ruins of the officers' club and guards' houses: these can be seen from the paths, but cannot be visited inside.
- The prison library and common areas: accessible inside the cell block.
- Seabird colonies: visible along the outside paths (especially in spring and summer).
- Panoramic views of San Francisco Bay: visible from almost any high point on the island.
How to purchase tickets for Alcatraz
You can buy your tickets to Alcatraz online, which gives you basic access to the island, round-trip ferry, and the official audio guide. However, these tickets often sell out weeks in advance, especially during high season, and do not include other services such as city transportation or additional guided tours.
That's why an increasingly popular option is to book a combined tour with companies such as Hellotickets, which not only guarantee you entry to Alcatraz, but also include extras such as 48-hour tourist bus transportation, night tours, or excursions to nearby places such as Sausalito and Muir Woods. It's a much more comprehensive, convenient, and flexible way to enjoy the experience, especially if you only have a few days in the city.
How to get to Alcatraz on your own
If you are visiting Alcatraz on your own, keep in mind that the first ferry to Alcatraz from Pier 33 leaves at 8:45 a.m. and runs every 30 minutes until the last departure at 6:30 p.m. Keep in mind that the last ferry is always full, as the sunset tour is a very popular activity.
The last ferry back from Alcatraz to San Francisco is at 9:25 PM. Don't miss it! You'll have to swim back to San Francisco. Just kidding, there are some independent boatmen and water taxis that will take you back to the city, but they may charge you quite high prices.
How to get to Pier 33
The ferry to Alcatraz departs from Pier 33. If you are visiting Alcatraz on your own, here are the best ways to get to the pier:
- By tourist bus: one of the stops on the San Francisco tourist bus is Pier 33, so you can easily combine a bus tour with a visit to Alcatraz in a single day.
- By cable car: The Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde lines go to Pier 45, from which you can walk to Pier 33 in about 20 minutes.
- By city bus: The F bus line is the most direct to Pier 33, getting off at the Bay Street stop. Buses 8, 39, 82x, and 88x also drop you off a short walk from Pier 33.
Tips for visiting Alcatraz
- First of all, bring a jacket or something light to wear if you visit Alcatraz in the summer, because even when it's sunny, there's usually a strong breeze and it gets chilly on the island.
- From the ferry, there are beautiful views of the bay, San Francisco, and the Golden Gate Bridge, so you know it's going to be the perfect spot to post a couple of stories on Instagram.
- If you want to avoid most of the tourists and still see Alcatraz in beautiful light, take the first ferry instead of the afternoon one.
- Book your tickets or combination tour in advance, as it is a very popular attraction and places sell out quickly.
Other activities that may interest you
Visiting Alcatraz on your trip to San Francisco is a must, but don't forget to explore the city in depth, discovering its most beautiful corners and surroundings. To do this, I recommend reading about the best tours and excursions from San Francisco, and booking an experience to make the most of your vacation.
I also recommend taking a Hop On Hop Off bus tour of San Francisco. Does that sound too touristy to you? That's because you don't know all the advantages of this type of tour. Read more about them and you'll learn a couple of tricks to get around San Francisco like a pro.