San Francisco Small Group City Highlights and Alcatraz Tour

Recommended by 99% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

San Francisco, USA

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

7 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Christine_M ·

Mar 2026

Absolutely wonderful! Eric, our friendly, knowledgeable, personable, extremely helpful guide was excellent! I would strongly recommend this tour, to all travellers, who wish to see and experience the diverse and interesting aspects of San Francisco, in just a few hours! Really enjoyable! Alcatraz, exceeded all expectations! Thank you for everything.

· zenen_d ·

Jul 2025

An amazing experience!! Excellent tour guide! Eric was the best! The morning city tour really touched on all the city highlights! Alcatraz was incredible! Just a very well put together tour!

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Overview

Get an overview of San Francisco in a limited time frame in this tour of the city. Cover plenty of ground by riding in an open-air safari jeep, then board your Alcatraz cruise and take the self-guided audio tour to learn about the prison's rich history. Prior to this, cruise through the city, passing landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and Twin Peaks, and winding through the city's diverse neighborhoods. Ideal for first-timers in the city who want to see what San Francisco has to offer.

Enjoy a diverse itinerary of locations that span the city
Have a personalized experience in a small group
Relax with hotel pickup included
Hear entertaining and informative commentary from your guide

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

An open-air Jeep lets you see more of San Francisco—including hidden artwork.

What's Included

Sightseeing tour
Professional guide
Official Alcatraz ticket, including ferry ride to the island (Value $47.95)
Audio walking tour of Alcatraz
Hotel pickup

Gratuities
Food and drinks

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to your preferred meeting point, or request pickup.

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

We are happy to pickup at hotels around downtown San Francisco. If you are staying at a homeshare or outside the pickup area, we can find a mutually convenient place to meet. We can not pickup at hotels outside San Francisco (around SFO, for example).

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

End point

Alcatraz Landing Pier 33
Pier 33 Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA
At the end of your four-hour city tour, you will be dropped at the Alcatraz Landing at Pier 33 to board the ferry to Alcatraz. After enjoying two to three hours on the island and in the prison, you can return on any ferry that you wish and make your own way back to your accommodation.

Operating hours
.10:00 am

Itinerary

Find your custom-made, open-air vehicle waiting for you at your hotel or lodging in San Francisco. Climb aboard the safari-style truck, made for urban adventuring, and take off through the city.

Travel the city streets, listening to your guide's commentary, full of insightful and quirky city facts. See Sutro Tower atop Twin Peak and admire the orange art deco towers of the Golden Gate Bridge. Cross through the huge green space of Golden Gate Park and get a taste of the various personalities of the city's diverse neighborhoods. Recognize scenes from some well-known movies, find hidden artwork and discover some secrets unknown to even locals.

Upon completion of your city tour, get dropped off at Pier 33 to catch your ferry to Alcatraz. Get photo ops of the city skyline and Fisherman's Wharf during the short trip, then listen to a brief history of The Rock before embarking on a self-guided audio tour in the cell blocks. Follow along with the audio tour and listen to documentary-style interviews with former guards and inmates that paint an accurate picture of how the prison ran between 1934 and 1963.

When you've finished exploring the prison and grounds, catch the ferry back to Pier 33.

Alcatraz Island

3 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Golden Gate Bridge

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Chinatown

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Golden Gate Park (Pass By)

Tank Hill

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Haight-Ashbury

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Painted Ladies

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Pacific Heights (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate

MUST provide all passenger names at time of booking
Alcatraz audio tour is available in English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Mandarin, Portuguese and Korean
You may leave Alcatraz Island at any time; ferries depart every 30 to 40 minutes; the last departing ferry is usually 6:30pm
All passengers over 18 will need to show a government issued ID to pick up Alcatraz ferry tickets after the city tour
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

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)

Featured review

Christine_M

Reviews

4.9

based on 269 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

San Francisco City Tour, followed by Alcatraz

Christine_M, Mar 2026

Response from Host, Mar 2026

I am so glad you and Peter enjoyed the experience, Christine! I try really hard to to pack a whole lot of SF into a short time for those making a quick visit here. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review :) Cheers -Eric

Sept weekend

john, Oct 2025

Great tour.... if there are particular places you want to see then flag them up. Eric our tour guide was very helpful in this way. (Note tour buses/vehicles cannot go near Lombard (crooked street) or into certain park areas.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Thanks so much for taking the time to write a review, John! I do try hard to make each trip different depending on the group. It is unfortunate that a few parts of The City are blocked to tour vehicles, but we are still able to travel just about everywhere we want to on tour. Cheers -Eric

Eric our guide was great,...

Clinton_S, Sep 2025

Eric our guide was great, he eally knew his stuff and could tell he had a passion for his hometown 5*

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Thanks for taking the time to write a review, Clinton! I'm glad you had a good time and that my passion for SF shows through :) Cheers -Eric

Excellent! Highly recommend!

zenen_d, Jul 2025

An amazing experience!! Excellent tour guide! Eric was the best! The morning city tour really touched on all the city highlights! Alcatraz was incredible! Just a very well put together tour!

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Thank for taking the time to write a review - I try hard to make the experience the best for the City and the group just that day :) Glad you enjoyed yourselves. Cheers -Eric

Quite simply the best city tour I’ve ever done.

christopher_t, Jul 2025

So, if you’ve found this review you’ve found who you need to use for your tour of San Francisco! Eric was 100 percent professional, friendly, fun and astonishingly knowledgeable from start to finish. Changing the order of attractions to suit the weather and the groups requests to pass a couple of points of interest that aren’t usually on the schedule. Also giving guidance and advice on things to do and places to visit after the tour. All I can say to summarise, you really will be surprised just how good this tour is! Book now to avoid inferior impersonations. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Thanks for taking the time to write a review, Chris! I take great pleasure in adapting my trip to match the day and the group in front of me. Glad you enjoyed yourselves. Cheers -Eric

San Francisco must tour with Eric!!

Mary_M, Jul 2025

We were picked up at our hotel. Eric was enthusiastic, friendly & unique in showing us around. Eric Pointed out the significance in homes & parks. Took us through different ethnic, diversified areas. The golden gate bridge (not the color of gold but international orange), was amazing. Lunch in a hippie town was delicious. His open window custom mini bus made all the uphill & downhills with ease & excitement.

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Thanks for taking the time to write a review, Mary! So glad you had a good time (and remembered the color of the Golden Gate Bridge :) Cheers -Eric

Mesmerizing

Cynthia_B, Jul 2025

Well it confusing due to a technical error but Eric my tour guide was patient and it was worked out.

Response from Host, Jul 2025

I am always happy to work through technical issues with my guests to make their experience a good one. Thank you for taking the time to write a review. Cheers -Eric

Eric our tour guide was...

Kelly_H, Apr 2025

Eric our tour guide was awesome. We enjoyed this tour immensely. Eric’s knowledge and experience of San Francisco was very evident. We give this tour 5 out of 5 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Totally recommended and a great way to see the city.

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Thanks for taking the time to write a review, Kelly! I am glad you both had a nice time :) Cheers -Eric

Love the National Parks!

Caitlyn_L, Feb 2025

My boyfriend and I love visiting national parks! This was a beautifully maintained part of history with a nice self-paced walking tour! You take a boat ride to/from the island. Would also highly recommend!

Response from Host, Feb 2025

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! I'm glad you enjoyed the Alcatraz Island portion of the tour. Cheers -Eric

Great tour! Highly recommend

Kim_C, Oct 2024

Eric was so personable and knowledgeable about all things San Francisco! He offered the group some flexibility in what we toured, answered all our questions, and made the tour fun! I would highly recommend this tour other visitors to San Francisco. Side note: wear comfortable shoes for the Alcatraz portion of the tour and, if visiting in the fall, dress in layers since conditions will vary throughout the tour.

Response from Host, Oct 2024

Thanks so much for taking the time to write a review, Kim! I am glad you had fun. I really do try to make each tour a special experience for the unique group on any given day. Thanks for mentioning the weather. The van sides are open for great views, but it can be windy and chilly sometimes. I have blankets for on the van, but it helps to have layers to make the other parts of tour comfortable. Not just in the fall either - our summer fog in San Francisco is famously chilly!

Alcatraz

Donna_B, Oct 2024

Loved the opportunity to learn about the history of Alcatraz. So interesting hearing stories from prisoners on the headset.

Response from Host, Oct 2024

Thanks for taking the time to write a review, Donna! The audio tour of the Alcatraz cell house is a really immersive look at life on the Rock. Cheers -Eric

BOOK THIS TOUR! YOU WONT REGRET IT.

Beatris_G, Oct 2024

My sister Daisy and I visited SF for the very first time and we are so so grateful to have found this service with Eric! His tour was PERFECT. We wouldn’t change a thing. We were able to see so much of SF that we wouldn’t have otherwise. Eric was so friendly and understanding. He sought our opinions and made sure we were happy with how the tour was going. 10/10 would totally recommend!

Response from Host, Oct 2024

I'm so glad you had enjoyed yourself, Beatris! Thank you for taking the time to write a review :) Cheers -Eric

Excellent

Liz_D, Sep 2024

Eric was amazing!! He even bought us some cookies for our honeymoon! What a great tour and fabulous way to see the whole of San Francisco… including Mrs Doubtfire’s House! Oh and Alcatraz audio tour was pretty cool too :)

Response from Host, Oct 2024

Thanks for taking the time to write a review, Liz! I am so happy when guests celebrate their special occasions on my tour - I always try to do something special for them. Cheers -Eric

Best city trip by far

noel_g, Sep 2024

Enjoyed Everything from start to Finish,Thanks soooooo much to eric or city tour guide who's knowledge of san francisco is second to none,we enjoyed our trip with you and we learned so much about the san francisco and the golden gate bridge what views they would take your breath away,we would highly recommend this trip with Eric so much to see and do thanks again Noel and marie,ireland

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Thanks for taking the time to write a review, Noel and Marie! I am glad you enjoyed the day :) Cheers -Eric

above and beyond

tilmon_g, Aug 2024

although things fell short with us getting the wrong date which was all our fault. eric went above and beyond to hook up us up with some help on some different tours and help us do Alcatraz the next day. this type of experience doesn't happen all too often but when it does, it should be recondite. definitely recommend and he will be a great tour guide.

Response from Host, Aug 2024

Thank you for taking the time to write a review. I really want everyone to have the best possible experience in San Francisco, whatever happens :) Cheers -Eric

Great Tour

Emily_B, Jun 2024

This tour was amazing! We had such a great time and saw lots of San Francisco sights. Eric was brilliant, highly recommend.

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Glad you had a good time, Emily! Thanks for taking the time to write a review. Cheers -Eric

GREAT TRIP WITH ERIC IN SF

Agneta_K, May 2024

We had a fantastic trip with Eric. He showed us SF in a wonderful way. Realy nice trip as we strongly can recommend./ Agneta and Henry

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Thank you for taking the time to write a review, Agneta and Henry! -Eric

San Fran tour

Margaret_K, Apr 2024

We had an amazing day exploring San Francisco on this tour. Our guide, Eric, was very knowledgeable and engaging. Eric made sure we saw the highlights of San Fran in our short stay.

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Thanks for taking the time to write a review. I am glad you enjoyed the tour :) Cheers -Eric

Highly recommend

Jayne_W, Sep 2023

Eric was very friendly & professional. He was knowledgeable & considerate. We enjoyed the open sided jeep & appreciated the blankets. Enjoyed the fortune cookie factory. Dropped at the ferry building in good time for Alcatraz. An excellent small group tour

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Thanks for taking the time to write a review, Jayne! I'm so glad you enjoyed the open air vehicle and included blankets :) Cheers -Eric

Eric was an excellent...

Angela_R, Aug 2023

Eric was an excellent guide! Bus is open so did get a bit chilly but blankets were provided. He offered stops to take pictures often. Was a great experience.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Thanks for taking time to write a review, Angela! I’m glad you had a good time and appreciated the blankets. Cheers -Eric

Great day!

Ruth_H, Jul 2023

Eric and his Fog Cutter Safari van were great! He custom made the tour of San Francisco for all of us and gave us lots of information about the city! Went to a great grocery store to get lunch then on to Alcatraz! A fun filled day

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Thanks for taking the time to write a review, Ruth! I'm glad you enjoyed the custom experience and liked lunch. Cheers -Eric

Great Experience!

Reginald_P, Jul 2023

Eric was fantastic! Very knowledgeable. Great tour! He was friendly and flexible with schedule. I would highly recommend!

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Thanks for taking the time to write a review, Reggie! It was great to tour with your family. I'm glad you appreciated the flexible nature of the experience. Cheers -Eric

If you do one trip in San Francisco make sure it this one with Eric

Lorraine_L, Jul 2023

The tour helped us to see all the highlights of San Francisco which was great for us as due to flight delays we only had one day to see everything. The tour was prompt and well planned. Eric is a great guide full of enthusiasm and mindful of small touches phone charging, blankets, photo taking. He is knowledgeable about his city and presents information in an engaging, humorous way. The final step of picking up tickets to go to Alcatraz was seamless. Definitely a must do trip. .

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Thanks for taking the time to write a review! I am glad you appreciated the attention to details and enjoyed the trip out to Alcatraz. Cheers -Eric

Sightseeing and a fun trip around San Francisco

seanzo11199, Apr 2023

First time in San Francisco! Was celebrating my birthday! Saw a lot of amazing things in the city and our driver Eric was very knowledgeable about the history of San Francisco… Would definitely recommend doing this Sightseeing of the city!

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review and for sharing your special day with me. I'm glad you appreciated my perspective on SF history. Cheers -Eric

The best SF tour there is

Jana_R, Mar 2023

Eric was the best tour guide I’ve ever had and I have been on a bunch of city tours. He made it so personalized and fun it was just perfect in every way. Can’t recommend any higher!!

Response from Host, Mar 2023

I'm so glad you and your daughters had a great time. It was a pleasure to show you all around and thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! Cheers -Eric

Great experience

Harry_M, Mar 2023

Eric was a very professional and fun guide who showed us all the best spots in the city. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, Harry! I'm so glad you enjoyed your time on tour. Cheers -Eric

Cool unique tour

Andr_B, Aug 2022

Eric and his open-air jeep are amazing. You get to see so many parts and neighbourhoods of the city. He does not stick 100% to the itinerary so if this is important to you, contact him beforehand. He is the only guide in all of my viator-booked tours who was already super helpful before the actual tour. Very much recommended!

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Thanks so much for taking the time to write a review, Andre! I do try to do something a bit different each day, depending on the group and what is happening in the city. My assistant, Emily, and I always reach out to customers when they book to find out what might be special for them. I'm so glad you enjoyed your experience with Fogcutter Tours! Cheers -Eric

Memorable

Daphne_K, Aug 2022

Eric from Fog Cutters Tours arrive in a unique van with no windows but drop downsides if it was wet or too windy. He was friendly helpful and knowledgeable. Listened to clients so he could give you extra information which would be of interest to you. We stopped at a great place to get some lunch arriving to get ferry for Alcatraz. I would recommend to anyone that likes a more personnel trip. He made my Birthday unforgettable.Thank you

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Thanks for taking the time to write a review, Daphne. I'm glad you enjoyed the sights, the unique vehicle, and our lunch place. Thanks for sharing your birthday trip with the crew :) Cheers -Eric

Fog cutter tours San Francisco

Jane_G, Aug 2022

A fantastic small group tour of San Francisco that I would heartily recommend. Eric is a vivacious and knowledgeable tour guide, makes every one feel at ease and knows the best places to go (especially for lunch. Even though he does this on a regular basis, he made it feel like you were the first people on his tour and made it personal. Book this you won’t regret it 😊.

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Thanks for taking the time to write a review, Jane! I work really hard to make each tour a unique experience for my guests and for myself :) I am glad you enjoyed yourself!