Alcatraz Prison Tour

The Alcatraz Prison tour is an amazing mixture of history, lore, and human interest. In order to get to the infamous prison, you (obviously) need to take a boat- get your tickets in advance! they sell out fast, especially in the summer. The boat rise itself provides amazing views, but the real fun starts on the island. The hike up to prison is steep, but provides time to see and learn about other parts of the islands' history. The audio tour of the prison is incredible. It includes clips from former prisoners and guards. Take time to explore the prison and grounds after the tour. This is a must in San Francisco. more

Locals think Alcatraz is for the tourists, but the night tour ups the ante and offers things the day folk don't get to see. Special demonstrations are creepy and cool, but the best part is the boat ride home. Catch a beautiful sunset, and by the time you reach shore, the city is a spectacle of lights. more

I lived in SF for years before I finally tagged along with my family (visiting out of town) to Alcatraz. The highlight of the island is the Prison tour. It's an extremely visceral experience – you can feel how lousy the place must have been deep in your gut. Not lite n' fluffy like most tourist bs. Get the headphones because the guided tour is excellent. Next to the sea lions, my favorite SF tourist jaunt. Make your reservations weeks in advance. more

It's been a few years since I visited but I still remember how incredibly interesting the tour was. The audio tour is wonderful and really gives you a feel for what it would be like for a prisoner in Alcatraz. Just be sure to get tickets early, the tour sells out quickly for good reason. No trip to San Fransisco is complete without a stop here. more

I think that the Alcatraz tour is incredible. The boat ride over gives a beautiful view of the island and of San Francisco. There are options for tours but both times I have gone I choose the cassette tour where you listen on your headset and walk the prison on your own. It is in the words of the actual guards and prisoners and gives you a real feel for what it was like when the island was home to the prison. Such a big part of American history. more

On a recent trip to San Francisco my husband and I took the Alcatraz Prision Tour. We took the ferry out to the island from the pick up point near Fisherman's Wharf. The ferry ride was only about 15 minutes or so. Upon arrival we watched a short video and heard a brief presentation from a guide. After that we took the prision tour. Included in the price was an audio tour which included a headset (obviously) to listen to at each station. It was definitely a highlight of our trip to San Fran. more

This prison is a must see when visiting San Francisco. The tour leaves from Pier 41 at Fisherman's Wharf. You take a ferry across to the island which does not take too long. One at the island, a park ranger gives you some information about the do's and dont's. There is no eating on the island, which means that there is not place to buy food there. So grab a bit to eat before you go. You can either go on a ranger led tour or explore the island yourself. There is an audio tour that you can purchase when you get your tickets. I would suggest doing this. It takes you around the inside of the prison and gives a lot of information. I does get cold there, even in the middle of July. After visiting the island, go rent "Escape from Alcatraz". You will recognize a lot in the movie. more

One of San Francisco's main attractions, this infamous island-prison tour lets you experience how the inmates here lived. You can visit cells, while a tour guide explains the history and the stories behind the prison itself, and some of it most (in)famous residents. Special attention is given to the legendary single successful escape from the island prison, and, naturally, to Al Capone, its most famous inmate. Another obvious benefit are the wonderful views of the San Fransisco skyline and of the Golden Gate bridge. All in all, the tour is informative and this is certainly a must-see in San Francisco. The drawbacks are that you are on the boat's schedule as far as the return trip is concerned. more

This is such an interesting place! You are actually walking to through the world famous prison Alcatraz! Of course there are no prisoners here since the proson closed down because of the high costs it took. Now it is just a museum type things. Take the audio tour. Its is just so interesting. It tells you about some of the prisoners, the esape attempts, prison life. I was just so amazed. There are some open cells that you can walk in to and see how small they are. See that all of the toilets are out in the open. See how the doors are all closed. See the most dangerous room in the prison, the dining room where everyone had a fork and knife. How the prisoners were checked to make sure no one stole a utensil. See the courtyard where they would excersize. Amazing. o yeah, you get here on a ship and those tickets sell out REALLY quickly, make sure you get there early enough. more