Alcatraz Prison

From 1934 to 1963, Alcatraz was known as a terrifying prison with terrifyingly cold isolation. This is the place where America's most dangerous criminals were held, such as Al Capone, George Kelly "Machine Gun" and Alvin Karpis "Crowd." Anyone who comes to San Francisco will head to Alcatraz Island to discover what was once the notorious prison and where the first lighthouse was located on the West Coast of the United States.

Guests can visit Alcatraz prison at many different times, from morning to evening. There are many different trains throughout the day, most departing 30 minutes apart, at Port 33. Going from Port 33 to the island will take about 20 minutes.

Even in summer, at the port, on the ship and on the island, it will still be windy and cold, visitors should bring a cold jacket just in case.

The port of San Francisco often has a lot of fog in the morning, creating more "air" for the island. In addition, many tourists choose to take the afternoon and evening trips because they can see the sun set over the port and the Golden Gate Bridge. The lighthouse area on the west side of the island is also an ideal place to watch the sunset and take beautiful pictures.

Tours in the afternoon - evening will be a bit more expensive than the earlier morning tours. Some nighttime tours will be guided by park rangers, and visitors may have the opportunity to visit some areas of the island that are not open during the day. However, there are also sightseeing areas that are only open during the day and close when the sun goes down.

Upon entering the island, visitors will be briefly introduced by a ranger to Alcatraz prison and guided to the main prison area. While you wait for your guide, you can check the bulletin board at the pier for more on Guided Day Tours. Depending on the day, tours will vary with the opportunity to visit areas not normally open to the public. All tours on the island are completely free with a duration of up to 45 minutes, depending on the tour.

Included in the ticket price is a tour guide tape. Tapes and headphones will be provided to visitors at the prison's entry point. The tape will guide you through the main prison area on a predetermined route, through the narration of the former guards and prisoners here. The tour is designed as a compelling narrative, providing visitors with an insight into the lives of both staff and convicts on the island, and also infamous past escape attempts. Visitors can tour the prison sites at their own pace.

The tour will be more suitable for children under the age of 20.

Tours around the prison can take as little as 3-4 hours.

Note: Visitors should not bring bags that are too big, or bulky items because they have to walk a lot and there will be no place to keep bags on the island or at port 33.

Alcatraz Island is considered a National Park, so among the many cruise lines that provide cruise services around the island, only ONE company has a license to go to the island: ALCATRAZ CRUISES company . Ships depart at Port 33, near Fisherman's Wharf.

As this is a Hot tourist spot of the city, visitors are advised to book tickets a few days in advance to ensure tickets. Visitors can book tickets and find out more information at the company's official website: http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/