Alcatraz Island's history and picturesque location make it one of San Francisco's most-visited sites. A prison for more than 100 years, "The Rock" housed notorious criminals such as Al Capone and "Machine Gun" Kelly in a facility that was supposed to be escape-proof. The prison shut down in 1963.
The island is now managed by the National Park Service. Self-guided tours and excursion packages are offered-year round, with ferries departing from Pier 33 in San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf area.
A ferry drops you on the island's dock. The uphill walk to the prison takes about five minutes. The centerpiece of the visit is a self-guided 30-to-60-minute audio walking tour of the old cell house, included with every ferry ticket. Audio interviews with former inmates and guards recall a life of riots and solitary confinement. You can walk freely about the island, which is home to thousands of nesting sea birds. Park rangers give live talks on famous escape attempts. A typical visit, including ferry transit time, takes about 2 1/2 hours. Ferries leave every 30 minutes.
Alcatraz Cruises
Pier 33, Hornblower Alcatraz Landing
San Francisco, CA 94111
alcatrazcruises.com
415-981-7625
In addition to the basic tour, at night you get a narrated boat ride around the island and a guided walk from the dock to the prison. If it is not foggy or overcast, the sunset behind Golden Gate Bridge can be spectacular. It can also be very cold.
Alcatraz Cruises
Pier 33, Hornblower Alcatraz Landing
San Francisco, CA 94111
alcatrazcruises.com
415-981-7625
This tour combines a visit to Alcatraz with a trip to its much larger companion island to the north. Angel Island State Park has miles of hiking trails and a historic immigration station that was the major entry point for Asian immigrants to the United States between 1910 and 1940. The trip includes a one-hour narrated tram tour of Angel Island. Visits to both islands can take about 5 1/2 hours if you go easy on the hiking.
Alcatraz Cruises
Pier 33, Hornblower Alcatraz Landing
San Francisco, CA 94111
415-981-7625
alcatrazcruises.com
This trip combines a narrated one-hour morning boat cruise around San Francisco Bay with an afternoon stop on Alcatraz. You go beneath the Golden Gate Bridge and briefly into the Pacific Ocean, then re-enter the bay, passing by the Marin Headlands, the town of Sausalito, Angel Island and other landmarks.
Brighter Images
18 Daisy Lane
Orinda, CA 94562
800-700-3151
alcatraztrips.com
Combine your visit to "The Rock" with a three-hour narrated tour of San Francisco in an open-top double-decker bus. The city portion of the tour includes pickup at many San Francisco hotels. A "hop on/hop off" feature allows you to get off the bus to spend time at a particular spot, then get on the next bus coming along the tour route.
Alcatraz Tours
800-410-8233
alcatraz.us
