Alcatraz Island

View the sights of San Francisco aboard a new open-top double decker bus & Cruise on San Francisco Bay to Alcatraz Island and the infamous and notorious former federal prison. The bus tour covers all the major sights of San Francisco while the Alcatraz tour delves deep into the history of the island, the prison and some of it's most famous inhabitants.

While on the island, enjoy an orientation video with historical footage, self-guided walks, exhibits and Ranger-interpretive talks on topics such as "Famous Escapes." Also featured is an award-winning audio tour in the prison Cell House with actual interviews of former guards and inmates (available in six languages - English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish).

The Hop-On/Hop-off flexibility can make the bus tour last for two full days by visiting exciting attractions, museums, shopping and dining facilities. Create your own tour by choosing your stops. Enjoy the luxury and comfort of these new buses with the added benefit of a two-day unlimited use ticket!

Also available for dates after March 10.

If you are looking for Alcatraz Tickets alone, please visit www.AlcatrazTickets.com.

**No minors under the age of 18 are allowed to tour Alcatraz Island without the accompaniment of an adult. An adult must be present with minors at all times while on Alcatraz Island.

Double Decker Bus Tour Information

The Tour features entertaining and informative narration. If you choose to ride the entire loop, the tour lasts approximately 1hr 45 minutes. If you're new to San Francisco, one option to consider is to ride the entire loop to get a good feel for what you will want to go back and visit as you hop-off and hop-on at various stops on the loop.

In a full day on the San Francisco Open Top Double Decker Hop-On & Hop-Off Bus Tour, you can make approximately 5-6 stops to visit many, but not all, of the following attractions: Some attractions, shops or facilities are closed on weekends and holidays; some require timed tickets resulting in extended waiting in line for tours. No timed tickets are included in the tour price. Times are approximate. Delays and/or route changes may occur due to traffic, weather, street closures, etc.

• Corner of Mason and Jefferson (Tourist Info. Booth)-
  • Fisherman's Wharf Area, Museums, Restaurants
  • Stops on the hour and half hour (example: 9:00 am and 9:30 am)
• Taylor Street - outside Burger King (between Jefferson & Beach Street)
  • Fisherman's Wharf Area, Museums, Restaurants
  • Stops on the hour and half hour (example: 9:00 am and 9:30 am
• Taylor Street at corner of Beach Street (in front of Luggage store)
  • Fisherman's Wharf Area, Museums, Restaurants
  • Stops at :05 after the hour and half hour (example: 9:05 am and 9:35 am)
• Columbus Avenue at corner of Union
  • Chinatown and North Beach Area
  • Stops at :10 after the hour and half hour (example: 9:10 am and 9:40 am)
• Montgomery Street at corner of California
  • Wells Fargo Museum
  • Stops at :15 after the hour and half hour (example: 9:15 am and 9:45 am)
• 314 Sutter Street (outside E&O Trading Co. Restaurant)
  • Downtown Hotels
  • Stops at :20 after the hour and half hour (example: 9:20 am and 9:50 am)
• Stockton at corner of Post
  • Chinatown and Union Square Shopping
  • Stops at :20 after the half hour and hour (example: 9:20 am and 9:50 am)
• Geary at the corner of Powell
  • Union Square
  • Stops at :20 after the half hour and hour (example: 9:20 am and 9:50 am)
• Geary between Powell and Mason
  • Union Square Hotel District
  • Stops at :20 after the half hour and hour (example: 9:20 am and 9:50 am)
• Mason across from Hotel Nikko, at Hilton hotel
  • Hilton & Nikko Hotels
  • Stops at :25 after the hour and half hour (example: 9:25 am and 9:55 am)
• Larkin, outside the Asian Art Museum
  • Asian Art Museum, City Hall
  • Stops on the half hour and hour (example: 9:30 am and 10:00 am)
• Fulton at the corner of Franklin
  • City Hall
  • Stops at :05 after the half hour and hour (example: 9:35 am and 10:05 am)
• Hayes at the corner of Steiner
  • Alamo Square, Painted Ladies
  • Stops at :10 after the half hour and hour (example: 9:40 am and 10:10 am)
• Golden Gate Park - outside de Young at Cafe and Sculpture Garden - or, when the park is closed, Fulton at the corner of 8th Avenue
  • Golden Gate Park, De Young Museum
  • Stops at :20 after the half hour and hour (example: 9:50 am and 10:20 am)
• Golden Gate Park - outside California Academy of Science - or, when the park is closed, Fulton at the corner of 8th Avenue
  • Golden Gate Park, California Academy of Science
  • Stops at :21 after the half hour and hour (example: 9:51 am and 10:21 am)
• Golden Gate Bridge - SF side - Vista Point South
  • Golden Gate Bridge, Scenic View of San Francisco Bay
  • Stops on the hour and half hour (example: 10:00 am and 10:30 am)
• Golden Gate Bridge - Marin side - Vista Point North
  • Golden Gate Bridge, Scenic View of San Francisco Bay
  • Stops at :10 after the hour and half hour (example: 10:10 am and 10:40 am)
• Richardson Avenue at corner of Francisco
  • Palace of Fine Arts, Exploratorium
  • Stops at :15 after the hour and half hour (example: 10:15 am and 10:45 am)
• Lombard Street at corner of Fillmore
  • Union Street, Chestnut Street Shopping District
  • Stops at :20 after the half hour and hour (example: 9:50 am and 10:20 am)
• Beach Street at the corner of Hyde
  • Aquatic Park, Hyde Street Cable Car
  • Stops at :25 after the hour and half hour (example: 10:25 am and 10:55 am)
• Return to Starting Point - Mason at corner of Jefferson
  • Fisherman's Wharf
  • Stops on the half hour and hour (example: 10:30 am and 11:00 am)

We require a minimum of 24 hours notice to be able to accommodate handicapped passengers. Please note any handicapped passengers on the Order Form.

PLEASE NOTE

• Open-Top Buses do not operate on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend, July 4, Thanksgiving Day, or Christmas Day. This tour may not be available other days, or schedule of departures may be changed due to road closures or special events in San Francisco.

Alcatraz Tour Information:

Today Alcatraz swarms with tourists -- about a million a year -- but for 30 years it was the most infamous prison in the country. It housed prisoners too notorious or dangerous to be held elsewhere. Its inhabitants included Al Capone, George "Machine Gun" Kelly, and Robert Franklin Stroud, the Birdman of Alcatraz. In 1933, the Federal Bureau of Prisons used the facility as a maximum security prison. It was closed in 1963 due to its expense.

Your trip to Alcatraz departs on a ferry from Pier 33. The ferry across the San Francisco Bay takes about 10 minutes. Alcatraz Island is a 25-acre island located just 1 1/4-miles from San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. Upon arrival, a National Park Ranger will provide a brief welcome and orientation. You are then free to explore the island and the prison at your own pace. We recommend that you stop at the theatre to see the Alcatraz video following the orientation. The video provides an excellent overview of what you will see. The 35-minute audio headset tour of the Alcatraz cell block is a real highlight. This tour is available in six languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. During the tour, you will hear stories from former inmates and prison guards as you walk through the cell block. After the Cell Block tour, there is time to see all the sites around the island and visit the Alcatraz museum and bookshop.

To reach the Cell House, you walk from the wharf up the steep hill on the old service road. The Cell House is at the top of the island. Along the way, you can stop and visit exhibits, see a variety of buildings that were used for various prison uses, and enjoy the views. Access: SEAT (Sustainable Easy Access Transport), is available for wheelchair users and visitors with a mobility need who are unable to walk up the quarter mile, 12% grade hill. Another option is to walk along the Agave Trail. The trail begins near the ferryboat landing on the east side of Alcatraz Island and continues to the southern tip of the island. The Agave Trail passes through a protected bird sanctuary and features beautiful plants and flowers. This trail offers fabulous views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Be sure to bring a camera because you will definitely want to remember your tour to the Rock!

Important Information

This tour does not offer hotel pick-up or drop-off. The Alcatraz ferry departs from Pier 33.

Please note that we will be sold out of Alcatraz tickets many days this year. Order your Alcatraz Tickets today to avoid missing out on the opportunity to see the most popular tourist attraction in San Francisco.

Alcatraz Schedule Information

Departure Times Available for Day Trips to Alcatraz from Pier 33:

• Ferries depart & return approximately every half hour continuously throughout the day. You may return on any ferry you choose, so stay as long as you like.

***Please check availability calendar for the complete list of available times for each month. Alcatraz tour times are subject to change. If times change you will be rescheduled on the nearest scheduled time closest to your preferred time.

Other Alcatraz Tours Available

We have several different tours that include a tour to Alcatraz. For more information, please click on one of the following links:

• Alcatraz Tour & San Francisco City Tour
• Alcatraz Tour & Muir Woods - Sausalito Tour
• Alcatraz Night Tour
• Alcatraz Ticket & Souvenir Package

Why Choose Us?

Tour with us and be assured of a great tour with nice people and an excellent tour guide in new, state-of-the-art tour buses! This is a top quality tour of San Francisco! There are other companies offering San Francisco City Tours, but the tours are not comparable.

Weather

The weather in San Francisco and at Alcatraz can change suddenly. It can be cold and foggy one morning and sunny that afternoon. Be prepared, and dress in layers. Fog is common from June through September; temperatures may range from 38 degrees F (3 degrees C) to 75 degrees G (24 degrees C).

Parking

On-street parking can be difficult to find, and parking spaces usually have a two-hour maximum time limit, which doesn't work for this tour. There are numerous commercial lots. Please arrive early to find a parking space, exchange your E-Ticket Receipt for the boarding tickets, and wait in line for boarding.

What to Wear

Be prepared, and dress in layers. We suggest comfortable walking shoes with grip-type soles. It is an outdoor, uphill walk to the prison. Sunglasses and sun screen are recommended.

Food and Beverage

There is no food service on Alcatraz. Eating is restricted to the dock area. Snacks are sold on the ferries. Drinking fountains are located at the island dock and near the lighthouse.

Alcatraz Tour Cancellation Policy & Terms

• Your order does not guarantee availability of tickets. Alcatraz tickets are often sold out for specific dates and times. Your order is not confirmed until you receive a second email from us advising that the order has been placed and confirmed. You will receive two emails from us; the first will confirm that your order was placed and your credit card was charged. It is the second email that will confirm the availability of the tickets and that the tickets were secured for you.
• Alcatraz tickets sell out very quickly and often far in advance. If tickets for the date and/or time you need are not available, your order will automatically be canceled and your money refunded.
• No Refunds or Changes:
  • There are absolutely no refunds on Alcatraz tickets, unless tickets are not available for the date and time you requested.
  • There are no exchanges or refunds after a ticket has been purchased or for lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed tickets. So once you buy a ticket, that's it -- no changes at all.
  • There can be no changes on Alcatraz tickets. Once you have purchased the tickets, that's it. You have tickets for that date and time, and we are unable to change the date or the time.
  • Tickets shall be null and void and of no value unless utilized by the customer on the date and time on the tickets.
• Maximum Order:
  • Ticket sales for Alcatraz are limited to 8 tickets per household within any 30 day period. If you order more than 8 tickets, we may need to contact you to obtain an additional name, address, and credit card per each 8 tickets to comply with this National Park policy.
• Online Orders Only - No Phone Orders: Tickets may be ordered online only. We do not take telephone orders for Alcatraz tickets only.
• • Resale of tickets is strictly prohibited.
  • To the extent permitted by law, the management reserves the right to refund the purchase price of the ticket and to revoke the rights granted herein.
• Other Terms:
  • Please click here to read our complete Terms and Conditions.

IMPORTANT ORDERING INFORMATION

• Please read this information BEFORE ordering Alcatraz tickets. By purchasing, you are indicating that you have read and agree to the following.

• Your Alcatraz Tickets:
  • We provide a booking service for purchasing Alcatraz tickets. The price includes our per-ticket booking fee and processing fee of $6 to $10. Your order authorizes us to purchase the tickets in your name.
  • TICKETS MUST BE PICKED UP BY THE CARDHOLDER. If you are using your credit card to purchase Alcatraz Tickets, you must be present to pick up the tickets. You will pick up your tickets at the Will Call Window at Pier 33. You will need the credit card used to order the tickets as your identification and a valid photo ID (driver's license or passport). Tickets may not be picked up prior to the tour date.
• There is a $5.95 USD processing fee per order. This is a flat fee regardless of the number of tickets or tours purchased on an order.
• Your credit card statement will show two charges - one for Alcatraz Media and one for the Alcatraz tickets.
• Attention Debit Card Users
  Please be aware that an attempted purchase of Alcatraz tickets with a bank debit card, even if the purchase is declined, will result in a temporary deduction from the account associated with the debit card. This deduction will be credited back to the account within several days of the attempted transaction. The time-frame of the charge being reversed is determined by the bank or institution issuing the debit card. Customers with duplicate charges on their debit card must contact their bank or institution with questions about the status of these charges. ZZ Tours is not responsible for duplicate charges to any account associated with a debit card. In order to avoid duplicate charges please only click on process order once.

This tour does not include hotel pick up. Alcatraz ticket confirmations are sent 10 to 30 days prior to your tour. If you order is less than 10 days prior, we will make every effort to send your ticket confirmation within 72 hours from receipt of your order. Alcatraz tour times are subject to change. If times change you will be rescheduled on the nearest scheduled time closest to your preferred time. Children ages 4 and under are admitted free, but they do not receive audio headsets. Alcatraz asks that you arrive one hour prior to your departure time. Please reserve online. Call 800-410-8233 for more information.