Access to Alcatraz is contracted by the National Park Service through a private ferry company, Alcatraz Cruises LLC. Buy your ferry tickets directly from Alcatraz Cruises, which guarantees the lowest prices. Ferries depart throughout the day, seven days a week, from San Francisco's Pier 33. Tickets can be purchased online and should be purchased several days in advance due to the popularity of the tour.
Alcatraz Cruises, LLC
Pier 33, Hornblower Alcatraz Landing
San Francisco, California 94111
415-981-ROCK
alcatrazcruises.com
Alcatraz Cruises offers a variety of tours to Alcatraz. The basic "Day Tour" departs frequently from Pier 33 and includes a 45-minute, audio tour of the Alcatraz Cell house in addition to the orientation video and docent tours provided by the National Park Service. The "Early Bird Tour" also includes the audio tour, orientation video and docent tours. It departs from Pier 33 at 9 a.m., allowing you to avoid large crowds and enjoy the peace of the island. The most complete tour of Alcatraz, the "Alcatraz Night Tour," includes a narrated boat tour, guided tour from the dock of Alcatraz to the prison building, as well as the standard audio tour. For those looking for all-day adventure, the seasonally-available "Alcatraz & Angel Island Tour" offers all the amenities of the Alcatraz day tour, plus a trip to Angel Island complete with a one-hour audio tour guide.
While the tours provided by Alcatraz Cruises get you through most of the prison buildings, you can visit many other sites and participate in other activities during your visit to Alcatraz. Along with breathtaking views of the San Francisco skyline, Alcatraz features several restored, historic gardens. Best viewed January through September, docent-lead tours -- which include visits to several off-limit sites - are offered several times a week. Along with the garden tours, the National Park Service often has other activities and tours, which will be announced when your ferry first docks.
