Combo Tour: Alcatraz Island and San Francisco Grand City Tour
San Francisco, USA
- 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Save time and money and explore both San Francisco and Alcatraz on this 2-in-1 tour. Enjoy a coach tour with a knowledgeable local guide. Learn about the City by the Bay through visits to top attractions such as Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, the Presidio, and the Palace of Fine Arts. Then, hop aboard a ferry for a scenic ride to Alcatraz and explore with the award-winning audio walking tour.
- Combine a San Francisco city tour and audio-guided visit to Alcatraz
- All the main attractions, including Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, and North Beach
- Audio-guided walking tour of the Alcatraz "Cell Block"
- Round-trip ferry ride to Alcatraz Island included
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
This popular combo offers a great overview of city sights plus guaranteed access to "The Rock."
What's Included
- Official Alcatraz Admission Ticket (valued at $47.95) including Ferry Ride & Cellhouse Audio Tour
- Guided bus tour of San Francisco narrated by a local expert and professional guide.
- Alcatraz tickets are 100% refundable with at least 5 days’ notice prior to departure.
- Transportation to Pier 33 Alcatraz Cruise Port after City Tour
- Plenty of stops with Photo opportunities
- GratuitiesNot included
- Any other services not specified
- Hotel Pick up or drop off
- Bus Transportation after the Alcatraz Tour is not included
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
End point
- Pier 33San Francisco, CA 94133, USA
Pier 33 concludes the bus transportation portion of tour. Pier 33 Alcatraz landing is where the Alcatraz portion commences. Upon conclusion of Alcatraz, customers will need to make their own way back from whence they came.
Operating hours.9:00 am
Itinerary
For the San Francisco portion of your tour, meet at one of the two departure points located in the Union Square area or the Fisherman’s Wharf area. Drive along the city's waterfront, and take in views of the San Francisco Bay, stopping for photos at Twin Peaks, Palace of Fine Arts, and the Golden Gate Bridge (weather permitting).
Other attractions visited on this tour include some of the city's famous Victorian homes, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, the Presidio, and North Beach. Your tour ends at Pier 33.
At Pier 33, board a scenic ferry to Alcatraz. Arrive at Alcatraz, a former federal prison that's now a national park and get a brief orientation to the maximum-security facility, which operated from 1934 to 1963. Pick up your self-guided audio tour, available in several languages, and start exploring. Listen to commentary from former staff and inmates and learn about the stints that famous inmates such as Machine Gun Kelly and Al Capone served. When you're finished looking around, hop on the next ferry (ferries depart regularly) and head back to Pier 33.
Likely to Sell-out! Alcatraz regularly sells out weeks in advance. Book ahead of time to avoid disappointment.
The schedule for the day depends on the availability of Alcatraz. You are advised of the tour schedule 72-hours prior to the tour date.
Other attractions visited on this tour include some of the city's famous Victorian homes, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, the Presidio, and North Beach. Your tour ends at Pier 33.
At Pier 33, board a scenic ferry to Alcatraz. Arrive at Alcatraz, a former federal prison that's now a national park and get a brief orientation to the maximum-security facility, which operated from 1934 to 1963. Pick up your self-guided audio tour, available in several languages, and start exploring. Listen to commentary from former staff and inmates and learn about the stints that famous inmates such as Machine Gun Kelly and Al Capone served. When you're finished looking around, hop on the next ferry (ferries depart regularly) and head back to Pier 33.
Likely to Sell-out! Alcatraz regularly sells out weeks in advance. Book ahead of time to avoid disappointment.
The schedule for the day depends on the availability of Alcatraz. You are advised of the tour schedule 72-hours prior to the tour date.
Union Square (Pass By)
Van Ness Avenue (Pass By)
Cow Hollow (Pass By)
1
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Golden Gate Bridge
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Presidio of San Francisco (Pass By)
3
Lands End
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Golden Gate Park (Pass By)
Haight Street (Pass By)
4
Twin Peaks
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
The Castro (Pass By)
Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market (Pass By)
Financial District (Pass By)
Chinatown (Pass By)
North Beach (Pass By)
5
Alcatraz Island
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Alcatraz reservations are first come first serve, all reservations are finalized (5) days prior to your departure date. No refunds or changes allowed after this date.
- You must provide first and last names, along with ages of all passengers to confirm your reservation. If for any reason you do not provide this information within the window of time provided, your Alcatraz tour will be forfeited.
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Date changes are not permitted once confirmation is received
- Service animals allowed
- The Alcatraz portion usually takes 2.5 hours to complete, with its audio tour consisting of approximately 45 minutes. You are advised to inquire on your arrival to the island as to what time the next guided tour will begin. There is no restriction on the amount of time you spend on the Island. The ferry boat service departs Alcatraz every 30 minutes and you can disembark at your own leisure
- Near public transportation
- Pier 33 is the last stop and ends the bus transport portion of tour. Customers will need to make their own way back to their desired destinations after Alcatraz.
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- There are Stops with Photo opportunities at: Golden Gate Bridge, Palace of Fine Arts, Twin Peaks, Land’s End Ocean Beach (Sutro Baths) & Mission San Francisco de Asis (Mission district) .
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 55 travelers
Supplied by
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
Featured review
celestialashgina
Robert our guide was fantastic and funny. Iva from the reservations' department very kind. I would definitely use this company for our next tours.
Reviews
4.2
based on 2,229 reviews
garykwizard, Apr 2025
City tour had time problems. My friends and I were picked up last so every stop we had about 15 minutes total time and then back to the bus. Reality was by the time people exited the bus there was no time for the attraction. Michelle stood at the front of the bus and answered questions so that left us at the back of the bus no time to explore. I think more time is needed and she should exit the bus and field questions at the attraction. We got no time at The Place of Art
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Hi Gary! Thank you for your feedback—we’re sorry to hear about the timing issues and your experience. We appreciate your suggestions and will definitely look into ways to improve the tour flow for everyone.
Mohammed_A, Apr 2025
It was bad experience, not recommended at all you can find something best and cheaper than this!! The organizer wasn’t share the correct information about location, be careful!!!
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Hi Mohamed! We're sorry to hear about your experience and appreciate your feedback. We'll review this issue to help improve communication and guest experience.
Seri_B, Nov 2024
Everything about Alkatraz was good n the Golden Gate though the rain.Also the tour guide did a great job n was very friendly n accommodative.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thank you for your feedback! We're glad to hear you enjoyed Alcatraz, the Golden Gate, and the tour despite the rain. We're also happy to know the guide made your experience even better. We appreciate your kind words!
Christine_B, Nov 2024
We really enjoyed the tour of SanFrancisco with Michelle and Michael. The palace of arts was so amazing. Being able to go over to Alcatraz was like going back in time. Thank you for such a great tour!
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Hi Christine! Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad you enjoyed the tour with Michelle and Michael. The Palace of Fine Arts and Alcatraz are truly special, and we're thrilled you had such a memorable experience. Hope to see you again on another tour!
Patricia_B, Sep 2024
Overall, an anverage experience. Enjoyed learning about San Fran and Alcatraz! Unfortunately, our tour guide was 30 min late as we all waited for her on the bus. Never apologized or made mention as to why she was late. Also, we had prepaid tix for Alcatraz and were told to check in at Will Call. Had to wait 30 min in line and barely made the ferry for Alcatraz tour!
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Hi Patricia! Thank you for your feedback. We’re glad you enjoyed learning about San Francisco and Alcatraz, but we sincerely apologize for the delays and lack of communication from the tour guide. Your experience is important to us, and we’ll address these issues to improve future tours. We appreciate your input!
Pam_W, Aug 2024
Twin Peaks was our favorite viewpoint. Trip had nice balance between riding in bus and walking around sites. Narrator was very informative.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Hi Pam! Thanks for your feedback! We're glad you enjoyed Twin Peaks and the balance of the tour. It’s great to hear that the narration was informative. We hope to see you on another adventure soon! 🌄🚶♂️
Virginia_M, Aug 2024
the staff was great. very understanding and helpful.
was on schedule as promised. too bad the Golden gate park was closed.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Hi Virginia! Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad you found our staff helpful and that we stayed on schedule. We apologize for the Golden Gate Park closure and appreciate your understanding.
Cesar_L, Jun 2024
All .. nice experience recommended friend / family and employer the my company .. cold but is nice time
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Hi Cesar! Thank you for recommending us to your friends and family. We're glad you had a nice experience with us, despite the cold weather. We look forward to welcoming you back soon!
SHELLY_E, May 2024
Very nice tour of all the hot spots in SF. I liked the jump in and out aspect at different locations. Worth the money to tour in comfort
Alcatraz was amazing and the timing of this tour perfect.
Response from Host, May 2024
Hi Shelly! Thank you for posting your opinion on our tour.
I am incredibly delighted to see you had such a great experience with us!
James_C, May 2024
We enjoyed our city tour and our guide Michelle was knowledgeable however it was shorter than we expected with limited time at the stops. The Alcatraz section of the tour was very interesting and fairly well organised. There were some parts of the island that weren't open to tourists and some parts are needing some upgrading.
Response from Host, May 2024
Hi James! Thank you for your feedback! We're glad to hear that you enjoyed your city tour and found Michelle to be knowledgeable. We apologize if the tour duration and time at the stops were shorter than expected. Your comments regarding areas needing upgrades are duly noted, and we'll pass them along to the appropriate team. We appreciate your insights and hope to welcome you on another tour soon!
Melissa_L, Jan 2024
It was a good introduction to the city. The Alcatraz tour made it good values as well Clean bus and a very sweet tour guide
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for posting your opinion on our tour.
I am incredibly delighted to see you had such a great experience with us
Francesca_H, Sep 2023
Our tour guide Michele was so informed and charming. Even in areas socked in with fog she made the best of it.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Hi Francesca_H,
It's great to hear that you had an informed and charming tour guide in Michele who was able to make the most of the day. We hope to see you back for more tours in the future.
James_D, Sep 2023
The weather was great perfect day. The Alcstraz tour was very good. The bus was good but the bathroom was filthy. Driver even told me so before I had to use it, not acceptable. Driver did not know route and tour guide, Michelle, was constantly having to tell him where to turn, etc. Tour guide very knowledgeable, but really redundant. We probably heard a dozen times or more how great the weather was and how lucky we were to be on the tour.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Hi James_D,
Thank you for sharing your feedback about your tour experience. It's great to hear you had perfect weather and enjoyed the Alcatraz tour. However, it's concerning to learn about the issues with the bathroom. We also apologize for the driver's confusion as he was new to the City tour, as our drivers regularly shift to learn new routes. Your feedback is valuable for us to make necessary improvements and ensure a better experience for future guests. We hope we get the chance to make it up to you on future tours.
Antheny_H, Sep 2023
It was a great tour! I would recommend it to friends and family. Will probably take it again myself.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Hi Antheny_H,
Thank you for your positive feedback about the tour! I'm glad to hear that you had a great experience and would recommend it to others. If you decide to take the tour again in the future or have any questions about other tours, don't hesitate to reach out. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon.
Mark_W, Sep 2023
Had a great day around Alcatraz easy step by step instructions to follow and a good trip to and from pier 33 by ship.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Hi Mark_W,
We're glad to hear that you had a great day visiting Alcatraz with easy-to-follow instructions and a pleasant trip to and from Pier 33. Alcatraz is a fascinating and historic destination, and it sounds like you had a memorable experience. If you have any more travel plans or need assistance in the future, feel free to reach out. Thank you for sharing your positive feedback with us.
Tiffanie_G, Jul 2023
Omgoodness where do I begin…
This was such an amazing, beautiful, and inspiring experience. The tour of Alcatraz was like nothing I had ever experienced before as you went through the audio part you could feel like you where right there. It is a great experience for teens and older. There is so much to see and hear and learn about.
Now the negative…
The tour of San Francisco was not what I expected, a) not enough time to explore the 4 places you got off the bus, we were given 15 mins, b) it said you would experience the Golden Gate Bridge however we were taken to a parking lot by the bridge not to the bridge. My group was most definitely disappointed by this especially for the amount of money that was spent on this experience. c) the driver of the bus didn’t drive very well which made most of us car sick. d) people in charge were not very friendly.
Over all the best part was Alcatraz, I would say it is a must see/visit. Also a tip take food with you as lunch was $127 for a burger, 2 chicken baskets and 2 fish and chips, $5 for a bottle of water. I know that the tour had nothing to do with the food prices just leaving this here as a tip. Have fun exploring and enjoy life!
Response from Host, Jul 2023
Hello Tiffanie_G,
Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback about your experience. We're glad to hear that the tour of Alcatraz was amazing, beautiful, and inspiring, providing a unique and immersive experience through the audio narration.
However, we apologize for the negative aspects of your San Francisco tour. We understand your disappointment with the limited time given to explore the four places you stopped at, as well as the confusion regarding the Golden Gate Bridge visit.
We're grateful for your overall positive feedback and recommendation of the Grand City Tour + Alcatraz tour. Thank you for sharing your experience, and we hope to have the opportunity to provide you with an improved tour in the future. Enjoy your explorations and join us again soon.
cwvzhbq9jy, Jun 2023
Joseph was great with all of his little factoids of the San Francisco area and Li was absolutely amazing manipulating the tight crazy roadways with expertise! This tour was great in providing an overall brief of the city. My only complaint would be that we had longer at some of the sights.
Response from Host, Jun 2023
Hello cwvzhbq9jy,
Thank you for your positive feedback about Joseph and Li, and their knowledge and expertise in guiding you through the San Francisco area. We're glad to hear that you found the tour great and that it provided you with a brief overview of the city.
We appreciate your feedback regarding the duration of the stops at certain sights. We understand that having more time at specific locations would have enhanced your experience. We will take this into consideration to improve and optimize our tour itinerary in the future, allowing for a more balanced and satisfying visit to each sight.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and we hope to have the opportunity to provide you with an even better experience should you choose to join us again in the future.
Kay_W, Jun 2023
Bus trip was great, informative and some different locations to the usual city bus tour (we done both). Pick up point easy to find but the Rep was delayed until second stop and the guide at pick up point could have given more details for passengers reassurance.
Alcatraz itself is an excellent experience and a well organised tour. My only suggestion would be an age limit to perhaps 12yrs & over as younger children get bored easily and strollers can get in the way when it is an already very busy location- appreciate that’s a personal POV
Response from Host, Jun 2023
Hello Kay_W,
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We're glad to hear that you enjoyed the bus trip and found it informative, especially with the different locations it covered compared to the usual city bus tour. We will take your suggestions into consideration to ensure better communication and passenger reassurance in the future.
We're pleased to hear that you had an excellent experience visiting Alcatraz and found the tour well-organized. Your suggestion regarding an age limit for children is understandable, as it can help maintain a more enjoyable experience for all visitors. We appreciate your perspective on this matter and will share this with our friends at The National Park Service.
Thank you again for your feedback, and we hope to have the opportunity to provide you with more enjoyable and well-organized tours in the future.
Sherry_H, Jun 2023
This tour was very informative. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable.. All of the staff were pleasant.
Response from Host, Jun 2023
Dear Sherry_H,
Thank you for recommending our Combo Tour: Alcatraz Island and San Francisco Grand City Tour! We're glad to hear that you found the tour informative and our staff pleasant. We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you back for more memorable experiences.
Best regards,
ANNE_W, May 2023
The guide, Michelle, was excellent with great knowledge of San Fransisco, its historia and all places we stopped at, as well as of buildings we saw from the bus. She was keen to answer our questions. The stops were long enough. We appreciated that we were a small group. Even Alcatraz was interesting according to me. However, my husband was not that impressed by Alcatraz. The sunny and warm weather contributed of course... The tour can really be recommended.
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear Anne,
We are happy that you enjoyed our tour and had a great time with Michelle.
Our team works hard to give you the best experience and it was a pleasure serving you.
Thank you for recommending our San Francisco Grand City Tour and for giving us a 5-star.
We hope that you will come back for your next adventure with us!
julie_P, May 2023
Michelle was a very good tour guide.
She was very knowledgeable about San Francisco and gave us plenty of information
We really enjoyed the trip and would highly recommend
Response from Host, May 2023
Hi julie_P,
Thank you for taking the time to write this wonderful review! We are glad to hear that you had an enjoyable experience with Michelle as your tour guide. She takes great pride in her knowledge of San Francisco and works hard to ensure that her guests have a memorable and informative experience. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future.
Trevor_D, Mar 2023
Our coach guide, Michele, was sooo good. She talked virtually the whole time on the bus and was very informative. Some good stops and the coach was comfortable.
The trip to Alcatraz was well organised although we were told we didn't need to queue up for a ticket as we had one already, but were were told at the gate we had to. The boat ride to the island was smooth. Alcatraz is somewhere we had been wanting to visit and it didn't disappoint. It's very moving and the conditions the inmates had to endure was quite shocking.
Response from Host, Mar 2023
Dear Trevor,
We are so happy to see that you had a wonderful time on our San Francisco City tour + Alcatraz.
Your review made our day!
Thank you for the kind words about our tour guide, Michelle. Our team works hard to give the best experience to our customers.
We hope to serve you again soon!
Albina_A, Dec 2022
Excellent tour guide Michelle and the driver Sam too! Very knowledgeable and friendly. Very engaging.
Response from Host, Dec 2022
Dear Albina,
Thank you for the kind words about our tour guide Michelle and our driver Sam.
Our team works really hard to give our customers the best experience.
We are happy to see that you enjoyed our tour and thank you for choosing Gray Line.
We hope to serve you again soon!
Tonette_D, Oct 2022
The whole trip was very informative. The narrator was awesome. He knew the area very well. The bathroom at Golden gate Bridge was very nasty, other then that I recommend the tour
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Dear Tonette,
We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed San Francisco and Alcatraz and look forward to welcoming you again soon!
anthonymcgoldrick, Oct 2022
I enjoyed every minute of the trip. The tour guide was superb, very informative and friendly. Definitely a credit to the company. My wife and I would recommend this trip to anyone wanting to see San Francisco and Alcatraz.
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Dear Anthony,
We’re so happy to hear you had a great experience at SF City tour. Your review made our day! Our whole team works very hard to keep our customers happy, but we can only do it thanks to amazing customers like you.
Thanks again, and we hope to serve you again soon.
Lynne_H, Sep 2022
The visit too Alcatraz so was the city tour certainly worth the money absolutely amazing The lady was very knowledgeable
Response from Host, Sep 2022
Dear Lynne,
We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed our San Francisco City Tour. Thanks for the kin words about our tour guide.
We look forward to welcoming you again soon!
David_J, Aug 2022
The tour of the city was brilliant and we had a wonderful tour guide (Michelle) and driver (Lee) …. However, when we arrived at the Alcatraz ferry stall we had major issues. My wife and I had everything that we were told to bring along including downloaded tickets, proof of purchase and photo ID yet the person at the ticket booth made life so difficult. They said that they couldn’t find our details on the system and refused us entry even though we supplied all that was asked. I had to make phone calls to the booking company and eventually a reply there spoke with them over the phone. They then amazingly found our booking details ( seemed like a scam to myself and my wife actually). Please be aware of this !!!
Response from Host, Sep 2022
Dear David
,
We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed San Francisco Grand City tour and Alcatraz Island. It was a pleasure serving you and your family. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback and being so open with us.
We are sorry about the Alcatraz tickets issue, but we are happy to hear that someone from our staff was able to help you and put things right.
We look forward to welcoming you again soon!
Shirley_P, Jul 2022
I really enjoyed the city bus tour, was thinking it would be a lot like the hop on hop off bus tour but it was so much more information and different places. Going to Alcatraz is a must see if you visit San Francisco
Robert_L, Jun 2022
Everything was made special by the tour guide. We saw so many special places and were educated on the area and all of SF
Marion_M, Jun 2022
Seeing lands end (Pacific Ocean) with breathtaking view of the ocean and the coast. Final stop Alcatraz which is over the top. You have to see it.
Likely to Sell Out
From $150.00
per person-You will not receive a refund if you cancel.
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Combo Tour: Alcatraz Island and San Francisco Grand City Tour
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