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Alcatraz Island

Historic and Protected Site, Island, and National Park

San Francisco

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Alcatraz Island

9.3^/10

3,054

ratings

On the list: #BabysFirstTime: SF Edition
Ranked #5 for historic and protected sites in San Francisco
The folks at Travel + Leisure and SF Weekly like this place. Would you agree?
"Kudos to audio tour too, very nicely produced and easy to follow."(115 Tips)
"The night tours are hauntingly creepy and the absolute best"(28 Tips)
"The audio tour of the cell house is excellent."(21 Tips)
"Very good audio guide."(13 Tips)

420 Tips and reviews

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Hostelling InternationalJune 13, 2011
Book Alcatraz in advance (online). We went there on the same day and it was sold out! We hadn't known that you have to book in advance (only very limited number of tickets sold on same day!)
Allison KaminskiSeptember 5, 2015
Go on the night tour & book months ahead. Sick views of the city. Remember it's always freezing on the island.
Dee ScaranoJuly 25, 2012
Definitely worth it. Make sure you book at least 3 days ahead, especially in peak season. No tickets are sold on the day.
Sandra KallmeyerNovember 6, 2014
The audio tour is fantastic! Choose the English version to hear original voices of former inmates.
MariaNovember 15, 2012
When you disembark and don't want to wait for true false waste your time questions, head up the hill go underneath the tunnel and follow signs for the cell house audio tour.
Travel + LeisureSeptember 30, 2014
Even if you have an annual national-parks pass, you’ll have to pay the entry fee here; the admission actually covers the ferry ride over. Read more
Allison KaminskiSeptember 5, 2015
Go on the night tour! book months ahead. Sick views of the city. Remember it's always freezing on the island.
James GoochMarch 10, 2020
Don’t rush the audio tour! Take some time to enjoy the gardens if it’s a sunny day.
Karina LopesAugust 3, 2015
DO the guided tour. And it also has a really nice view of San Francisco skyline
Jared ZimmermanNovember 6, 2012
The Rock! No one escapes, especially if you miss the last ferry back. If you want to see Alcatraz you gotta buy your tickets really early.
C BaileyJune 30, 2015
The audio tour is good, I learned a lot. Don't forget to check out the hospital
Vitória SousaMay 3, 2013
Take your time, do the audio tour! Very good! At spring the garden can not be explainable by words! Wonderful isn't enought...
Sean MillerFebruary 6, 2018
The audio tour of the compound was excellent!
Nadia SilvaJanuary 14, 2014
Audio tour is a must, and definitely go off season.
NéstorJune 11, 2015
Be sure to take a coat and winter clothes with you. Even in summer. SF is very cold and Alcatraz is even colder!
William LindnerDecember 6, 2014
Saw the Ai Weiwei exhibit here and really enjoyed it. Got pretty spooky when the fog rolled in.
Tony MichaelOctober 11, 2012
Plan on staying as long as you can. I originally planned on being there 2 hours, I ended up staying for 6 hours and it flew by. There is so much to see.
Synergy ByDesignJune 2, 2013
Definitely take the audio tour and explore. It's amazing, the history and aura of the place.
Allison KaminskiSeptember 5, 2015
Go on the night tour & book months ahead. Sick views of the city. it's always freezing on the island.
Michelin LifestyleFebruary 24, 2011
Lucky for you, unlike the former prisoners of Alcatraz, you can successfully escape! Make sure you have your comfy Michelin footwear with tire traction technology, to see all sites of the prison.
Tiffany KocielkoSeptember 1, 2015
Amazing place! The audio tour ensures you get. To know all the best stories and history. Great day trip!
Dan Mondragón SomeraFebruary 5, 2016
Tickets are mostly sold online. You could get them at the dock, but you should get there super early if you want to.
Thijs NiksNovember 4, 2013
Take the English language audio tour, it's awesome. Former inmates and guards explain the events and their routines.
Liz 🦎September 9, 2015
The audio tour is great. Voiced by officers and prisoners who were in Alcatraz. Super interesting.
Chris OSeptember 16, 2014
It was good to have said we have done it, but I wasn't blown away. The walking audio tour provides lots of history but results in frequent bunching of crowds.
NadiaOctober 13, 2015
Make sure you can stay here a few hours, the audio tour is really worth it!
Hussein BinsalemJuly 9, 2016
Great tour 👌🏼
The Criterion CollectionMarch 25, 2011
When a highly-decorated squad of marines held San Francisco for ransom in Michael Bay's most morally complex film, THE ROCK, they chose this "escape-proof" prison as their impenetrable fortress. Read more
Amy YounghansMarch 27, 2013
We happened to visit on the 50th Anniversary of the closing of Alcatraz. Such an incredible experience! The night tour is the best!
CristinaJune 29, 2016
A MUST place to visit in SFO. Buy ur tickets on the internet about 1 month on advanced.
Felicity DOctober 13, 2012
Save yourself 20 mins and skip the ranger lecture when you get off the boat, you need all of the time you can get on the island!
Binky BearMay 27, 2013
Take you're time! The information on the audio tour is so interesting!
Patricia Leite HuamaniApril 25, 2013
A must go in San Francisco. Take the audio tour and learn a little more about The Rock.
Veronica VMay 3, 2013
Absolutely amazing place! If you are in SF, you just have to go there! Its very windy, but wonderful.
USA TODAYJune 22, 2012
A half-century ago, three men made history by escaping the island fortress. They bought time by creating fake heads to fool guards during the bed check. But did the men survive? Read more
Brooke DeBoerJuly 2, 2014
Best money spent while in San Francisco! Make sure you do the audio tour! So awesome!
Jeremy KrantzAugust 29, 2014
Go by lighthouse for amazing views of the city from The Rock
Kelly Walker EverittApril 26, 2013
Take the last boat out for the night tour. Great view of the city at night and there were a few different tours.
Diana StefanSeptember 23, 2018
Very good audio guide. Really windy so be prepared
Manrique Josué Rivera FernándezAugust 13, 2015
This place is unforgettable! You should go and see it by yourself!
Leisha MagsisiSeptember 8, 2015
Fun historical site to visit. Make sure you take the audio tour!
Fi VeiNovember 15, 2015
A place full of history, reserve with really enough time or you will not get in!
Vibeke PoulsenNovember 29, 2016
Great idea with the audio tour! Remedier to book tickets months in advance
Ena T 🌸April 26, 2014
Make sure to take the ranger tour, not just the audio tours.
Jasmine PangFebruary 11, 2015
A good walk into the history! Attend the talks by the rangers - they are totally entertaining!
Gayle BurkholderOctober 17, 2014
The tour is well done and it is very interesting. Worth the trip but wouldn't do it again.
Ronald VeltenJuly 28, 2016
Make sure you go early and book in advance! Also dont be late for boarding!!
Marianne NJune 15, 2018
The audio tour is actually quite good
Vicki KolovouNovember 18, 2018
Worth visiting once. Scarface rules!!
MelsonAugust 27, 2015
Such a spirit there. Must have a visit.

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