Byrge Family

Hi there - Alcatraz was awesome! Get your tickets on gov website. Who knows what you will get for all of those tour tickets offered. Some just take you around on a boat and you can not get off on the island. Show up for your tor 1.5 hours plus early. People run to the line to get on the boat soon as it opens for the perfect views on the boat and seats if you plan to sit. Map out where you will stand or sit prior to getting on so you won’t miss out on the ride over to the island. If you do miss out there’s always the ride back if you time getting back on right. The ticket includes an audio tour and it will guide you through the prison. What was cool though are all the places you can go that most did not even check out on this island. There were fantastic photo opportunities on the opposite side of this island that clearly are open to the public, and most do not take the time to look after their audio tour. Clear view of the Golden Gate Bridge, ships passing by, lots of beautiful birds, flowers etc I came home with some of the best photos from this island. The good news is that you are not restricted on when to leave. You can stay right up till closing if you want. Also, do not think this is a quick tour - if you have other places you have to be at… this tour took at least 2.5 to 3 hours comfortably … without rushing … there are 2 gift shops and don’t forget to ask questions to humans at the end … you might be surprised the many sell rooms that are not even mentioned in the tour that you might wanna know where they stayed and check it out. Do your research before you go. We enjoyed our time here and we learn a lot about Alcatraz Island.