Walking / Sightseeing TourAlcatraz

out of 100 points
based on 41 reviews
No. 1 out of 5 Walking / Sightseeing Tour in San Francisco

Close to a hotel that is good value for money. Deals Hotel Holiday Inn Fishermans Wharf Double Room (per night) 10.03. - 11.03.

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£107

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Olotels.com rate

£109

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Expedia rate

£126

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Photos Walking / Sightseeing Tour Alcatraz All photos

ReviewAll reviews

out of 100
Overall rating includes:
78
Accessibility
92
"Must See"-Factor
79
Budget Friendliness
86
Number of Attractions
66
Suitable for Children

Address Pier 41 Fishermans Wharf
San Francisco

Telephone: +1(415)7055555

Websites

Official Homepage
Hotels nearby

Surroundings

Aquarium of the Bay
(0.2 miles)
The Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf
(0.2 miles)
San Francisco Cruises
(0.2 miles)
Pier 39
(0.2 miles)
Ride the Ducks
(0.2 miles)
USS Pampanito
(0.2 miles)
Fior d'Italia
(0.3 miles)
Aquatic Park
(0.5 miles)
Gary Danko
(0.5 miles)
Saints Peter and Paul Church
(0.5 miles)

Reviews Walking / Sightseeing Tour Alcatraz All reviews

Helencbradshaw(43)
East Bridgford, United Kingdom

98%

perfection!

[Helencbradshaw, 12/01/2008] Alcatraz Island and its infamous prison holds fascination for many of us, and so I was absolutely certain I didn't want to miss a tour to the Island on my recent trip to San Francisco. Visit the NPS.gov website for more information, and this links you to the http: / / www.alcatrazcruises.com / which is the official agent for tickets. There are several crossings a day over to the Island, typically every half hour, and Evening Tours are also available. It is recommended you leave around 2.5 hours for the trip and I would agree with this. Tickets are non transferable and non refundable. We [more]

Bloodnok(60)

47%

excellent

[Bloodnok, 07/07/2007] Make sure you book tickets some time in advance in high season. Access from Pier 41 via a short boat trip. Also make sure you opt for the Audio Tour. This really brings the entire place to life. All the background noise you hear will be the "prison life" sound effects - removing earphones reveals an eerily quiet atmosphere as everyone is avidly listening to their commentaries. Highly informative, well scheduled and interesting content. It's one of those tours that makes you say "Wow, I'm really glad I went on that!", and not being easily impressed, that's a real recommendation from me. It re [more]

micksheff(42)
Sheffield, United Kingdom

99%

very good

[micksheff, 06/07/2007] The island of Alcatraz lies in the middle of San Francisco bay off the west coast of California; although it is only about one and a half miles from the coast its isolation is immense and best appreciated from the island itself. As I stood on the edge of the courtyard and looked down the steep rocky cliffs to the sea I realised that this was the true definition of isolation. The distant lights of San Francisco city shimmered beneath the haze and the Golden Gate bridge spanned the pacific ocean to my right but separating them all was one of the deepest, darkest, most shark infected stretch of w [more]

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External reviews Walking / Sightseeing Tour Alcatraz All external reviews

Frommers.com

74%

good

The author starts by saying "Juan Manuel Ayala was the first European to discover it in 1775 and named it after the many pelicans that nested on the island". After this time the army vacated the island and it became a "military post". In 1934 the goverment "converted the buildings of the military outpost into a maximum-security prison". Among the famous inhabitants were Al capone the famous gangster of the 1930's. The island after the closure of the prison" the island became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area".This is now a tourist attraction with audio guides on your visit [more]

Private website

90%

very good

The blog post is about Alcatraz Island and the author's visit in May 2009. The ferry service runs "almost constantly". She describes its history of "many levels" from the 18th to the 20th centuries. Inside Alcatraz you can see how those inmates who were imprisoned here lived, in a cell "this small" and "seeing the world through the iron gates. Hearing San Francisco". Ten of her photos accompany the blog. Overall she found it "very educational" and finishes by recommending a "to-do-list" for those who are planning to make a visit.