Alcatraz Tickets: Our Complete Guide to Visiting the Prison Island

Alcatraz Tickets & Tours: The Best Options

You can buy Alcatraz tickets up to three months in advance. And honestly, you should! Alcatraz island tickets sell out many weeks ahead of time — don’t leave this one to chance.

There are various vendors for Alcatraz tickets, such as Alcatraz Island Tickets. With any of them, you can choose from the same three ticket options:

• Alcatraz Day Tour: The standard daytime visit — what most people do
• Alcatraz Night Tour: A late-evening tour when most of the crowds have cleared out
• Alcatraz Behind the Scenes Tour: Gets you into areas that are off-limits on the regular tour

If you’re spending a few days in San Francisco, we’d strongly recommend booking a combo tour right away. You get an Alcatraz tour ticket bundled with another city tour or attraction — it’s cheaper than buying separately, and you’ll almost certainly want to see more than just Alcatraz.

Here are our picks for great Alcatraz combo tours:
Alcatraz + Day Trip to Muir Woods and Sausalito

Alcatraz + Bay Area Boat Cruise

Alcatraz + 48-Hour Hop-on / Hop-off Bus

What Is Alcatraz?

Alcatraz is a small island in the Bay Area off the coast of San Francisco. From 1934 to 1963, it served as a federal prison for some of the most dangerous criminals of the era — one of the first and most notorious inmates was mob boss Al Capone.

Extremely strong currents and ice-cold water made escape seem almost impossible. And yet, over those 29 years, there were a whopping 34 escape attempts — every single one unsuccessful. The only case that still sparks debate is the legendary attempt by the Anglin brothers and Frank Morris: to this day, nobody knows for certain whether they survived.

The prison was eventually shut down because its remote location made it simply too expensive to run. Today, visiting Alcatraz is, alongside the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the absolute top things to do in San Francisco.

Alcatraz Highlights: What Can You See There?

The centerpiece of any Alcatraz tour is the Cellhouse. Here you can walk through original cells, the inmates’ dining hall, and the prison yard — it’s seriously atmospheric.

The same building also housed the quarters for the guards and their families. Alcatraz was actually home to around 300 women and children at any given time — people who had nothing to do with the prison itself.

There are a few other buildings on the island, but you can only access those as part of the Behind the Scenes Tour.

Beyond the Cellhouse, don’t miss the gardens on Alcatraz — they’re a striking contrast to the grim history of the place. There’s also a short hiking trail, the Agave Trail, which offers a fantastic panorama of the Golden Gate Bridge.

What Does a Visit to Alcatraz Actually Look Like?

Alcatraz is open daily — until 6 PM in summer and 4 PM in winter.

You can only get to the island as part of a tour; there’s no standalone entry ticket. But that’s totally fine, since you’re still free to explore at your own pace once you arrive.

Everything starts at Pier 33, where you board the ferry to Alcatraz. The crossing takes just 15 minutes and gives you a really beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge along the way.

Once you land on Alcatraz, there’s a brief orientation, and then you’re free to roam at your own pace.

We’d suggest starting with the Cellhouse — it’s the main draw. At the entrance you’ll pick up a free audio guide that’s genuinely worth listening to. It’s available in multiple languages, though only the English version includes original recordings from former inmates.

The Cellhouse tour takes about one hour. After that, budget another hour to explore the rest of the island. There’s no rush — the ferries back to San Francisco run every 30 minutes, and you can catch whichever one works for you. (Fair warning: you’ll often end up on the second one.)

Important: There’s nowhere to buy food or drinks on Alcatraz. Bring enough water and snacks — there are designated picnic areas where you can eat.

Our Verdict on Alcatraz

Next to the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz is the number-one attraction in San Francisco. For us, it’s an absolute must on any San Francisco trip — yes, it’s touristy, but honestly, who cares?

The whole excursion fits easily into a half-day, so you’ll still have plenty of time for other activities.

The only real downside is that you need to plan ahead — sometimes far ahead. If you wait too long, you simply won’t find any Alcatraz tickets left.

Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting Alcatraz