San Francisco Alcatraz App Guided Tour with Cruise and Jail House
San Francisco, USA
- 1 to 2 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
What's Included
- App Guide
- Unlock secret stories, audio, and music
- Official Alcatraz ticket, including ferry ride to the island (Value of $48)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Pier 33San Francisco, CA 94133, USA
Your tour will start at Pier 33
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Pier 33
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Alcatraz Island
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Stroller accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
3.7
based on 158 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Long walk up hill to prison. Can be taxing for older people. Bring water. Prison is under construction so many areas are restricted. Reading a book about the prison history ahead of time helps a lot.
What a great experience, would recommend to anyone.
Arrive at Pier 33 ahead of your scheduled boarding time to secure optimal seating on the upper deck of the ferry.
A lot of walking. When you leave the gift shop make sure you go left. Otherwise you end up back in the prison.
Great few hours around San Francisco and lots of knowledge from our driver Brian. Would definitely recommend uf its your first time in the city.
This was a fantastic trip and a surreal experience
From catching the boat at pier 35 and then boarding again at Alcatraz every step went smoothly.
The audio guided tour of the cells and around the prison was all done great. Totally amazing experience and highly recommend.
There is a lot of walking uphill so wear comfortable shoes and be prepared for this. And get in line early for the ferry or you may have to stand. Other than that it was an awesome experience. Would recommend this tour.
Great experience with the main prison cell tour having their own individual headsets that can be paused when you want. The audio that came with the ticket purchase wasn’t user friendly & we ended up not using it.
For the price not really worth it , to many areas closed . So you dont get to see the entire prison.
The code for the app was sent at the very last minute and, despite following the instructions, a verification code was never sent.
Alcatraz was a great experience and you can do the self guided audio tour while there, so don’t waste your money on this provider.
We had an amazing experience on our Alcatraz tour! Everything was well organized, and the entire experience was both interesting and memorable. The history of Alcatraz was fascinating, and being able to explore the island and the prison in person was truly unforgettable.
The tour was informative, engaging, and definitely worth it. We especially enjoyed learning about the stories and history behind the prison. The views of San Francisco and the bay were also absolutely beautiful.
I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting San Francisco. It was one of the highlights of our trip, and we would definitely do it again!
Operator gave meeting/cruise directions that were incorrect. Calling their help line the rep was argumentative and had no helpful information.
It would have been cheaper and easier to simply buy the cruise tickets at the terminal.
Very disappointing. Park Ranger said it was probably a scam
Tried to purchase tickets through the direct operator but their website said they were sold out (untrue per the person onsite). Bought tickets through a third party operator for almost triple the price. Tour was fine, had a nice time, but falsely limiting availability is slimy and overcharging to such an extent is unnecessary and unethical.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We're sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. We value your feedback and would appreciate the opportunity to learn more about what happened so we can improve. If you're willing, please let us know more about your experience.
I had a fantastic experience touring Alcatraz! The entire visit was incredibly interesting, and I learned so much about the history of the island, the prison, and the people who lived and worked there. Walking through the cell house and hearing the stories really brought the history to life.
The views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge from the island were an added bonus. This was definitely one of the highlights of my time in the San Francisco area. If you’re visiting, I highly recommend making time for an Alcatraz tour. It’s absolutely worth it!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and hope to welcome you again soon!
The visit to Alcatraz itself was excellent. It is a self-guided audio tour but the information is excellent, precise and useful.
I did not find any value in paying Viator extra for this ticket. From what I could see, for the money I paid Viator I simply got access to the boat ride and the regular tour on the island. I believe I overpaid by about $30 through Viator for the same self-guided tour. Apparently there are some added videos and such you get but I didn't find any value in this. Think you'd do better just buying the tickets to Alcatraz directly and saving some money.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We're sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. We value your feedback and would appreciate the opportunity to learn more about what happened so we can improve. If you're willing, please let us know more about your experience.
Easy to book and such a great experience getting to know the history of the Alcatraz. Boarding and pickup times were convenient.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and hope to welcome you again soon!
The tour is excellent! Very informative and gives you a true feeling of what it would have been like to be there.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and hope to welcome you again soon!
Overall, Alcatraz was a really interesting experience and definitely worth visiting at least once. The boat ride over was smooth and enjoyable, with great views of San Francisco and the Bay.
The jail itself was fascinating to see in person, but I was a little disappointed because quite a few areas were closed off due to construction. I was hoping to explore more of the prison and see additional cells and sections, so it felt a bit limited compared to what I expected.
That being said, the history of Alcatraz and simply being on the island made the trip worthwhile. I’d recommend visiting, but if possible, check ahead to see how much of the prison is open before you go. Hopefully once the construction is finished, the experience will feel more complete.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your positive feedback! We're glad you enjoyed your experience. We also appreciate your comments and will continue working to make every visit even better. We hope to see you again soon!
Wonderful experience. The audio tour was very interesting! Be prepared to wait at least 45 minutes to catch the boat off the island. If you have a hard time standing after walking fir 2 hours, the wait fir the boat might be rough.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your positive feedback! We're glad you enjoyed your experience. We also appreciate your comments and will continue working to make every visit even better. We hope to see you again soon!
Great historic tour with very interesting areas to look at. Fast travel in a boat and friendly people
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and hope to welcome you again soon!
Long wait for ferry back to pier. Be prepared to stand for an hour
Jailhouse audio tour is well worth the visit.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your positive feedback! We're glad you enjoyed your experience. We also appreciate your comments and will continue working to make every visit even better. We hope to see you again soon!
Do not buy tickets through Viator. The vendor they used arbitrarily changed the time that I had requested and had been assured that I had scheduled. I arrived at the dock only to find out that my trip had been rescheduled from 915 to noon. This was infuriating and aggravating because I had other plans for the afternoon. I called multiple times to get it corrected and the operator would put me on hold and then disconnect me. It never did get straightened out and I ended up having to go at noon because there was no way to cancel through Viator and get new tickets. All tickets were sold out for several days in advance.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your positive feedback! We're glad you enjoyed your experience. We also appreciate your comments and will continue working to make every visit even better. We hope to see you again soon!
The ferry ride and tour of Alcatraz are great; I would highly recommend. Book early and book through Alcatraz City Cruises. It will cost half as much. The Viator tour added exactly nothing to our experience.
It is supposed to include a guide through the app, which we were excited for since our daughter didn't want to do the (highly recommended) audio tour that comes with admission to Alcatraz. We assumed that with the app guide we could still look up essential info and answer her questions. We never received the app guide or information regarding how to access it. We tried reaching out to the tour operators a couple of times before the tour began and never received any response.
Don't waste the extra money. Book through Alcatraz City Cruises.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We're sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. We value your feedback and would appreciate the opportunity to learn more about what happened so we can improve. If you're willing, please let us know more about your experience.
This was a great experience. My family and I enjoyed the tour. Ticketing was easy and everything was well organized. 10 out of 10!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and hope to welcome you again soon!
It's definitely worth of money and time especially for true crime lovers. I would recommend this experience to my friends and family.
Only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that when I book the trip I was able to ask for audio guide in Polish and get answer it's available but at the jailhouse we found out that it is not.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your positive feedback! We're glad you enjoyed your experience. We also appreciate your comments and will continue working to make every visit even better. We hope to see you again soon!
Take your time! Pause the audio and really take the whole experience in. It is remarkable! Well worth the ticket price!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and hope to welcome you again soon!
Wear warm clothes, very windy. Great adventure to tour such a unique piece of history. Can’t visit San Fran without touring Alcatraz.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and hope to welcome you again soon!
Don’t book through this company. We selected a time 4 months before the tour and all communication said 9:25am. Until after midnight the day of the tour the ticket said 12pm. We had already made plans for the afternoon. No one will call back and take responsibility. Completely unacceptable. Even when we were standing there we’d get a text saying your tour at 9:25 is starting.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We're truly sorry to hear about your experience and apologize for not meeting your expectations. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We take concerns like yours seriously and would like the opportunity to make things right. If you're willing, please contact us with more details so we can review the situation and work toward a resolution.
Lots of walking on inclined surfaces. Wear comfortable shoes. Get there early as it gets crowded quick. Very good presentations
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and hope to welcome you again soon!
Don’t waste your time or money. They tried to change my booking time the night before when I booked weeks ahead. They never sent the link to the tour app - and honestly you don’t need it- the ferry ticket includes a self guided tour player. Basically paid more for nothing. There was no group or person to meet and no app provided. Just book a ferry ticket - it’s all you need.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We're truly sorry to hear about your experience and apologize for not meeting your expectations. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We take concerns like yours seriously and would like the opportunity to make things right. If you're willing, please contact us with more details so we can review the situation and work toward a resolution.
The trip was great and super cool to see however I would not recommend this booking company. I was booked at one time and then moved to another w/o consultation. Couldn’t be ahold of anyone to talk to, they do everything possible to not speak to you. Book elsewhere.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We appreciate your honesty and are sorry that your experience didn't fully meet your expectations. Your comments help us improve, and we'll use them to provide a better experience for future guests.
Member Pricing
From
$72.66
per personWas $76.49(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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