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Beyond San Francisco

Alcatraz Inside Access Ferry and Audio Tour with Night Option

San Francisco, USA
Trending
Booked 10+ times in 12 hours.
  • 2 to 4 hours (approx.)
  • Offered in: English

Overview

    What's Included

    • Round-trip ferry tickets to Alcatraz Island
    • Official Alcatraz admission
    • Immersive audio tour from start to finish
    • Official Alcatraz Cellhouse audio tour
    • Food & Drink
    • Live Tour Guide

    Meeting and Pickup

    Meeting point

    • Pier 33
      San Francisco, CA 94133, USA

      Please go to Pier 33 (Alcatraz Landing) approximately 30 minutes before your departure time. Boarding will begin 15 minutes prior. Make sure you have the QR codes that will be sent the day before and go directly to the boarding line (not the ticket line).

    End point

    This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    Itinerary

    1

    Alcatraz Island

    Admission Ticket Included

    Additional Info

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Wheelchair accessible
    • Stroller accessible
    • Service animals allowed
    • Near public transportation
    • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
    • Most travelers can participate
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 100 travelers

    Cancellation Policy

    This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

    Traveler Photos

    Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
    Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
    Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
    Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
    Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

    Reviews

    3.9
    based on 196 reviews
    Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

    Excellent Service

    Terri_T, May 2026
    Excellent experience booking with Viator for our evening cruise to Alcatraz. Could not ask for more clear information and instructions. Highly recommend!!

    Night tour. Amazing

    Joanne_C, May 2026
    Brilliant. Absolutely fantastic trip. Wanted to visit from the moment we booked our trip to San Francisco and wasn't disappointed. Booked the night tour and went across just before sunset. By the time we were ready to leave the sun was setting and it made the whole experience even more eerie.

    Yes amazing to visit such...

    Lisa_N, May 2026
    Yes amazing to visit such an icon however we did the tour in less than a hour. Many areas closed off for renovations so access limited and that was disappointing for the price paid.

    Dress warm!! And be...

    Paula_G, May 2026
    Dress warm!! And be prepared to walk up more hills. It was what we expected as far as the tour went. Very interesting!! Take the tour!

    Well structured and...

    Patricia_C, May 2026
    Well structured and interesting tour of Alcatraz. Ranger Kyle was very knowledgeable and pleasant to have as a guide.

    Scam

    Melika_K, Apr 2026
    This is a scam, people. A predatory scheme. Just go on any other website like alcatraz city cruise and buy the EXACT SAME ticket for 47.95 $. They charge an extra 43 $ for nothing. I don’t know how it’s allowed. I wish someone had mentioned it in the reviews before. The tour operator is extremely rude and unprofessional too. Very disappointing experience. Zero star if I could.

    Maybe someday

    susan_r, Apr 2026
    We were Cancelled at the last minute. In the rain, ready to board. This was the whole reason we came to San Francisco. Disappointed.

    We booked the Alcatraz by...

    Philip_C, Apr 2026
    We booked the Alcatraz by Night experience, hoping for a few "extra" adult prison stories. While the audio tour was very good, I don't know that it was different from the daytime tours. The ferry over leaves a lot to be desired. There is not enough seating for everyone that is on board for the 20 minute ride to the island. There aren't even enough places for people standing to brace themselves or hold on to en route. The boats have more than enough room to install benches for all to be seated.

    I feel like it was pretty...

    Allison_H, Apr 2026
    I feel like it was pretty expensive for what we got. There were a lot of sections closed down for renovation, which was disappointing. Not sure the night tour was really worth it. But overall, I’m glad we went and have experienced it.

    Great experience

    Kim_C, Apr 2026
    We had a great experience on this tour. The tickets allowed us to board straight away rather than having to join a long queue. The boats are every 30 minutes back to shore and you are self guided, so you can really take as much time as you like to explore the whole island. Great experience.

    Yurt 🍆💦

    Jay_L, Apr 2026
    It was a super kool aide quest especially at night. Just be aware there is a lot of walking and to wear comfortable shoes. Remember to look at the weather too.

    Could be very windy and...

    Christy_J, Apr 2026
    Could be very windy and cold. Please have time to listen to the entire recording. This is very educational.

    Dissapointed.

    Leslie_L, Apr 2026
    Booked for 2pm. When i went to check in my ticket was invalid because the operator booked for 1:35pm instead of 2pm. I had to buy another ticket to not lose the only time i had left for this tour. No response from operator about a refund.

    Wonderful history to be preserved.

    eileen_p, Apr 2026
    The Native American history!! An understanding of the importance to the native people as they took a protest stand and shone an important light on their issues…..in order to make changes and educate others

    Multigenerational trip

    Heather_D, Apr 2026
    The audio tour was great. Hearing from people, both guards and inmates, that actually spent time there was really great

    A Must Visit

    Raymond_V, Mar 2026
    Interesting history of the prison, the island and its previous occupants. Would love to know the exact route on the island the 3 escapees used to leave the cell to off the island

    Thank you 🩷

    Vanessa_C, Mar 2026
    Stress-free on the actual day. I got a bit worried before the tour because I hadn’t received the Alcatraz ticket yet, but they replied quickly and said it would be sent one day before. They did send it, so just be patient 😅 Would definitely recommend!

    History

    Richard_D, Mar 2026
    Going to Alcaraz is a great experience it is amazing to see all that history. would book early as it gets very busy and the island has a very steep climb to get to ware the tour starts but it is a great half day

    Must do if visiting San Francisco

    Cinthya_C, Mar 2026
    Great experience, loved the area. Alcatraz is something you should do at least once. It’s an location full of history for those who find it interesting. Easy access to information and allowed for us to move at our own pace. Just know you need good comfortable shoes, maybe a hat, and earphones in case you don’t want to use the ones they provide on site. There were flies but not too bad. Ferry ride was a bit choppy but I imagine that’s the waters fault. Overall, I recommend.

    Response from Host, Mar 2026

    Thank you for your thoughtful review, we appreciate it!

    Delayed boarding but nice trip

    Stacie_C, Mar 2026
    It took some time to board the boat we left 40 minutes past our due time,with no explanation by the staff there, after getting there a half hour before as the tour stated so we had to cut our time on Alcatraz to make it to a reservation. Otherwise ok

    This is a Scam

    Lia_D, Mar 2026
    This excursion is a scam. Book directly with Alcatraz City Tours and save half. This tour is double in price with the only addition being an app that provides optional audio guide. It’s pretty disappointing that Viator allows this on their platform.

    Vacation 2026

    Karen_H, Mar 2026
    A must adventure that everyone needs to experience at some point in their life. Maybe if some people saw this type of jail, we would have less crime in the world .

    Good to do once with kids

    Sue_S, Mar 2026
    Overall, a good thing to do one time. The audio is a must and adds so much to the experience. However, the boats providing transport are TOO crowded, and the prison itself is awesome on the outside and has killer views, but it’s dilapidated, cringy, and haunted as hell! Really gets across the message that incarceration IS NOT the answer!

    Great family activity

    Nathan_P, Mar 2026
    It is a climb up to the top for the audio tour. Worth it for sure! The audio part is a must for the tour

    Met an Alcatraz legend!

    Veronica_R, Feb 2026
    Well organized...gives freedom of time and very interesting. There was an Alcatraz legend giving his story. William "Bill" Baker. That was awesome!!!

    Nice tour with a lot of...

    Nicholas_D, Feb 2026
    Nice tour with a lot of history- the extra programs with the "after Hours" / night tour were a nice touch. Love that we could get tickets through Viator when the official concessionaire was sold out!

    Awesome

    Margaret_T, Feb 2026
    Great tour very informative. Loved the headsets for the guided tour. Staff was very helpful with directions

    Bring comfortable shoes...

    Erick_G, Jan 2026
    Bring comfortable shoes and if you’re going to visit during lower temperatures bring some jackets. I would visit again!

    Response from Host, Jan 2026

    Thanks Erick! We're glad to hear you enjoyed your day.

    Closed off

    Sydney_L, Jan 2026
    Many sections were closed off and the audio tour was somewhat underwhelming. There was pretty scenery along the way but not something I would do again.

    Scam tickets

    Farshad_S, Jan 2026
    I got 4 tickets and 2 of the tickets didn’t work and O had to buy new ones a d go with another ferry

    Response from Host, Jan 2026

    Hi there, we can see that only 2 tickets of your 4 tickets were scanned. We're following up with Alcatraz on why they only scanned 2 of your tickets instead of the 4 that were issued.
    From
    -16%

    $76.43

    per person
    Was $90.99

    -You will not receive a refund if you cancel.

    Book ahead!
    On average, this is booked 16 days in advance.

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