The Escape From The Rock Cruise
Alcatraz Island is a 22 acre island located in the middle of San Francisco, about 1.5 miles from the shore. The island first featured a lighthouse, and then later a military fortification and a military prison. From 1934 through 1963, Alcatraz was used by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to hold some of the country's most notorious criminals of the time such as Al Capone, Billy Cook the Killer, Clyde James, and others. During this time, the island became known as "The Rock". After the penitentiary closed in 1963, the island was abandoned until it became a national recreation area as well as a national landmark in 1976. Today, Alcatraz is among the most frequented tourist destinations in the city, with several sightseeing cruises and tours departing for the island from Fisherman's Wharf. On your trip to San Francisco, take some time to explore this notorious island for yourself with one of the exciting tour options available.
Escape from the Rock Cruise
The Escape from the Rock Cruise takes you on a memorable ninety minute cruise across the bay for an up-close look at Alcatraz. The tour boat will circle the island, giving you amazing views of The Rock from all angles. As the boat travels around the island, you can learn more about Alcatraz' colorful history and haunting tales of the treachery and mayhem that this island brings to mind through vivid narration. The narration includes accounts of the lives of some of the island's most famous criminals, as well as escape attempts and the brutal life the prisoners endured. The cruise also takes you under the famous Golden Gate Bridge, giving you breathtaking views of the bridge and the San Francisco coastline.
Double Decker All Loops and Alcatraz Hop On Hop Off Tour
The Double Decker All Loops and Alcatraz Hop On Hop Off Tour is the perfect way to visit Alcatraz and to explore the city's other famous sights all in one tour. This tour lets you explore the city's attractions at your own pace with a hop on hop off experience on a double decker bus. The bus will make stops at such famous San Francisco hot spots as Union Square, Chinatown, Haight Ashbury, Golden Gate Park, Ghirardelli Square, Palace of Fine Arts, Bay Bridge, and so many others. At each location, you can hop off the bus and explore the sights in more detail on your own, or continue on the tour. If you choose to hop off the bus, simply hop back on the next double decker bus making its way on the circuit when you are ready to continue on to the next stop on the tour. In addition to the double decker sightseeing tour, this sightseeing experience also includes a ferry ride across the bay to Alcatraz Island. At Alcatraz Island, you can explore the penitentiary in detail with an audio walking tour of the cell block, which features interviews of prisoners and guards.
