Name: Alcatraz + Big Bus City Tour | San Francisco Sightseeing | Big Bus Tours
Brand: Big Bus Tours
Rating: 4.0 (5579 reviews)

Highlights

Hop on with Big Bus Tours San Francisco for a once-round panoramic bus tour of the city, then hop off and board the boat to Alcatraz for a tour of San Francisco's infamous island penitentiary.

Explore Alcatraz

Discover the world's most infamous prison.

Also known as 'The Rock', the federal prison once established on Alcatraz Island is synonymous with notorious bank robbers and murderers like Al Capone, 'Machine Gun' Kelly, and the 'Birdman of Alcatraz', Robert Stroud. Now empty, and managed by the National Park Service, you can hop on a ferry to visit Alcatraz for yourself. Once you arrive, you'll have hours to explore the infamous facility with a personal audioguide. Learn about the lives of prisoners and guards alike, inspect the cells, and take in magnificent views of surrounding San Francisco Bay.

Alcatraz Need-to-Know

Important information about visiting Alcatraz.

This ticket includes admission to Alcatraz and return ferry transfers from Pier 33. After booking, please email [email protected] with your booking reference, preferred Alcatraz tour date, lead guest name, and names for all other guests included in the booking (and ages if they are under 18). This must be confirmed at least 11 days in advance of your visit. Same-day bookings are not available. Please redeem your e-tickets at our 99 Jefferson St Information Center the day before (or up until 10:00am the day of) your Alcatraz visit. Photo ID is required for each adult in the group over the age of 18. Alcatraz tour times are considered confirmed tickets once a time has been allocated and cannot be changed. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]

Pre-recorded Commentary

Available in 10 languages.

Pre-recorded commentary is available in 10 languages on all Red Route buses via complimentary headphones that you can keep when you hop off the bus. Languages featured include English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Cantonese.

Panoramic City Tour

Board our open-top bus for a once-round, panoramic tour of San Francisco!

This ticket includes a panoramic, once-round pass for our San Francisco bus tours. Simply board the bus, sit back and relax from our top deck - our tour passes all the famous sights of San Francisco, and includes a spectacular return journey over the Golden Gate Bridge! Please note that you will not be able to use this ticket to hop on and hop off the bus tour.

Free Mobile App

Now with live bus arrival times!

Download our free mobile app for the perfect pocket companion to your sightseeing adventure. Our live bus arrival times feature lets you spend a little longer sipping that latte, browsing at the museum or taking that all-important selfie, so you can simply arrive 5 minutes early at the bus stop. In addition to live bus arrival times, you'll also get detailed maps and route information, live bus tracking, walking directions, facts about famous landmarks and attractions, ticket offers and more. Save memory-making minutes on your city adventure with Big Bus Tours.

Check Service

Plan ahead for your tour with our service updates

Visit our Service Information Page for up-to-date information about our current service.

Flexible Ticket

If your circumstances change and you need to amend your ticket, we’ll need to know at least 72 hours before your tour.

The quickest way to make changes to your booking is by downloading the Big Bus Tours app and chatting with our friendly Customer Service team.

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Our San Francisco Sightseeing Routes

One of the undeniable highlights of our San Francisco Bus Tour is the journey across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, with top-deck views across the bay. However, with its diverse neighborhoods, lively entertainment hub and bustling shopping district, there are so many other great areas of the Golden City to explore. Hop on with us to discover the best of San Francisco.