Guided City Tour of San Francisco with Alcatraz
8 Hours
Cultural tours
20 people
English
About this experience
Ride in comfort before you float the bay as you tour the city’s top attractions, on this Alcatraz and San Francisco City Tour. Our city insider guide goes way beyond a “hop-on, hop-off” experience to deliver a fully-narrated San Francisco sightseeing adventure. Your comprehensive 4-hour morning San Francisco bus tour ends in style with a ferry ride to and tour of the (in)famous Alcatraz Island in the afternoon.
Morning: Bus City Tour
Stop #1 – Palace of Fine Arts
After a morning pickup at one of two convenient San Francisco locations, your city tour will begin on San Francisco’s waterfront in the popular Fisherman’s Wharf before rolling through the Marina District on your way to your first stop. At the lovely and instagrammable Palace of Fine Arts, you will have the chance to stop and photograph the historic building, grounds, and stunningly beautiful lagoon.
Stop #2 – Golden Gate Bridge
Continue to the most iconic stop at the Golden Gate Bridge. Spend 10-15 minutes at a perfect vista point taking photos and creating memories.
Stop #3 – Land’s End Overlook
The next stop on your San Francisco City Highlights tour will be the historic Land’s End where you can stretch your legs while overlooking Sutro Baths and the Pacific Ocean coastline. Later, you will be blown away by the beauty of Golden Gate Park as you ride past Dutch windmills, Queen Wilhelmina’s tulip garden, the bison paddock, and old redwood and eucalyptus groves. Next, we’ll take you through the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, where you can see some of San Francisco’s famous Victorian homes, known for their iconic architecture.
Stop #4 – Twin Peaks
Fog-permitting, the next stop on this tour gives you a birds-eye-view of the whole Bay Area from atop Twin Peaks. Here, you’ll get an amazing panoramic view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Tamalpais, Mount Diablo, the whole Bay and more from the viewpoint sitting 1,000 feet above sea level. To say it’s breathtaking would be an understatement!
Afternoon: Sail to Alcatraz Island for the Famous Prison Tour Official
Grab some lunch in Fisherman’s Wharf, then make your way to Pier 33 to board your ferry for the Alcatraz Island Prison Tour. The 15-minute sail has incredible views of the city skyline, Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, San Francisco Bay and Angel Island — have your camera ready!
On arrival to Alcatraz Island, pick up the Cellhouse Audio Tour included with the purchase of this San Francisco and Alcatraz tour package. Hear the voices of prisoners and guards describing their experiences at Alcatraz in English, Spanish, Japanese, French, Italian, German, Dutch or Mandarin.
After touring on Alcatraz Island to your heart’s content, take one of the returning ferries back to Pier 33. If you’ve worked up an appetite or thirst, there are plenty of Fisherman’s Wharf options before making your own way back to your hotel.
Things to Know About this Tour:
You must bring a government-issued photo ID to board the Alcatraz Ferry
Children under the age of 8 must have an appropriate child seat for the San Francisco bus tour.
Itinerary:
08:00 AM to 9:30 AM-Get Started at the Palace of Fine Arts
- Pickup at one of two convenient San Francisco locations
- Roll slowly past San Francisco’s popular Fisherman’s Wharf and through the Marina District while enjoying the views of Alcatraz Island
- ●Stop and explore picturesque Palace of Fine Arts
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM-Golden Gate Bridge and Land’s End
- Stop at a spectacular vista for photos of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge
- Stop at Land’s End for the Pacific Ocean coastline views
- Enjoy panoramic views of Sutro Baths and the Cliff House
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM – Golden Gate Park and Twin Peaks
- Drive through Golden Gate Park and Haight-Ashbury
- Stop at Twin Peaks to enjoy the 360 degree views of the whole Bay
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM-Mission District, Drop off
- Learn about Misión San Francisco de Asís, California’s oldest mission
- Photograph as you ride through Civic Center, Chinatown, and Union Square
- Depart the tour vehicle in a Fisherman’s Wharf where you can enjoy lunch(not included)
1:00 PM–5:00 PM-Alcatraz Island
- Pick up your tickets for Alcatraz at Pier 33
- Board your ferry for the Alcatraz Island tour
- Audio presentation “Doing Time: The Alcatraz Cellhouse Tour” featuring recordings of actual guards and inmates (foreign languages available)
- Free time to explore Alcatraz Island; take a return ferry to Pier 33
Highlights
- See San Francisco’s top attractions like the Haight-Ashbury, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Castro
- Make stops to photograph and experience the Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate Bridge, Land’s End, and Twin Peaks.
- Ferry to Alcatraz Island for the famous Official Alcatraz Tour
- Hear guided tour narration in your own language
- Begin with a pickup from two major San Francisco hotels
- Free cancellation for Alcatraz tickets with a 5-day notice
Included/Excluded
- Pick up at two San Francisco locations
- Local expert guide commentary in English
- Foreign language audios for the San Francisco City Tour available (specify at checkout)
- Ferry to Alcatraz and Official Alcatraz tour
- Meals or beverages
- Tour guide gratuity
Frequently asked questions
Easily the most comprehensive city tour of San Francisco, including visits to Marina District , Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate Park, Haight-Ashbury, Fisherman's Wharf, Land's End, Castro District, Union Square, Twin Peaks and , of course - The Golden Gate Bridge.
All tours of Alcatraz are operated by the National Park Service. While rangers are available for questions, the primary content of the tour is delivered through an audio guide available in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian , and Spanish languages.
You must present valid government - issued photo identification to pick up your tickets at Alcatraz Pier 33. A photocopy of a passport suffices as a valid photo identification.
The amount of time you can stay on ALcatraz Island is up to you. Return ferries to San Francisco leave the island about every 20 minutes. Most guests find that 2 hours is sufficient time to do the complete prison tour. The ferry between Alcatraz Island and San Francisco takes about 15 minutes.
Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing is fully accessible. Many areas on Alcatraz Island are also accessible with the use of the S.E.A.T ( SUstainable Easy Access Transport ) Tram .
First, the combo tour makes for an easy, seamless day in which we pick you up near your hotel and deliver you to Pier 33 to catch the ferry to Alcatraz. Also, our contract with the National Park Service allows us access to Alcatraz tickets only when they are part of a tour package.
We will manage the day so that you are at Pier 33 one half-hour prior to your departure time to check in. You must present valid government issued photo identification at the will call booth to collect your Alcatraz tickets.
Alcatraz tickets are 100% refundable with at least 10 days notice prior to departure.
When you arrive at Pier 33, there is a separate "Will Call" line for visitors to pick up prepaid tickets. Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your departure time to check in. You must present a valid government- issued photo ID or passport.
There are no dining options on the Island. Guests may bring bottled water to drink. Please plan accordingly and enjoy your lunch after the City Tour and before your Alcatraz experience.
8:30 AM at 478 Post Street S.F. (Union Square Area) 8:45 AM at 2805 Leavenworth Street SF (Fisherman's Wharf Area)
Full refund for cancellations made at least 48 hours prior to the tour. No refunds for cancellations made within 48 hours of the tour.
Tour's Location
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Activity Provider: Epic Sightseeing LLC , dba Extranomical Tours
Owner
Epic2024
Member Since 2024
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