Alcatraz Ticket + Ferry with North Beach Walking Tour + Options
Description
Our North Beach Walking Tour begins at Washington Square Park, the city’s first public park, where you’ll learn the surprising role it played after the 1906 earthquake and fire. Admire the vintage lampposts and Coit Tower in the distance. Step inside Saints Peter and Paul Church to see its Italian marble altar and hear about its connection to Joe DiMaggio. You’ll also enjoy views of Lombard Street, the Golden Gate Bridge, and hidden gems your guide has in store for you as you walk the colorful streets of SF’s “Little Italy.” After a visit to Pier 39 — adorably overrun with sea lions — your guide will walk you to your cruise departing for Alcatraz. Once there, you can tour the prison with your included audio guide, admire the gardens, and visit the many exhibits. Return at your leisure. If you’ve selected one or both of our upgrades, there’s more fun in store. See it all from 150 feet up on the SkyStar Wheel or on the Blue & Gold Cruise for sweeping skyline and nature views.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Stroll through a central North Beach gathering place and learn how the park served as temporary housing after the 1906 earthquake and fire. Today, it offers open green space and classic views of the surrounding architecture.
Visit one of North Beach’s most recognizable landmarks and step inside to see its Italian marble altar and elegant interior. Hear stories of the church’s celebrity connections to Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe.
This North Beach institution has been making exceptional focaccia bread since 1911. With a simple recipe and creative flavors, it’s a neighborhood favorite, and locals know to get here early. Learn about a slice of SF’s “Little Italy” here — and go inside if it’s open!
Optional upgrade: Bay cruise. One-hour bay cruise to enjoy after your tour giving you great views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Your ticket is valid until the end of the year.
Take in an unexpected viewpoint of the famously crooked street, and learn why it was engineered this way in the early 1900s. Snap a photo of its tight curves and surrounding cityscape.
The pier is best known for the sea lions who enjoy basking in the sun on floating docks. Your guide will tell you why they’re here while you snap selfies with these adorable whiskered mammals.
Self-guided tour with audio guide. Enjoy a quick cruise over to the infamous island to see this former fort turned prison turned national park. Your ticket includes a self-guided visit to all the exhibits, gardens, and the cellhouse with an audio guide to provide a richer context to your tour.
Optional upgrade: SkyStar Wheel Enjoy a ride in your glass-enclosed gondola for sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay and the surrounding city from 150 feet in the air. Select the Skystar ticket option to enjoy this attraction any time after your tour.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Your ticket to Alcatraz is included with this tour, but the boat's departure time may vary.
- Legal names of everyone in the group need to be provided and to match photo ID for adults 18+ years, otherwise your reservation may be cancelled
- Multi-lingual audio guide available on Alcatraz Island. North Beach guided tour is in English only.
Reviews(232)
Absolutely wonderful tour with amazing tour guide! So interesting learning about some of the history of San Francisco! Also such ease to get the tickets and ferry to Alcatraz. Would 100% recommend!
Excellent tour,Amanda,was a brilliant and very knowledgeable tour guide,gave us loads of info, highly recommended
Fresh air …a passionate and knowledgeable tour guide AND a ticket to Alcatraz? Truly exceptional . I didn’t have a lot of free time in San Fran and wanted to maximize it. I was hoping to learn some history too / not just sightsee. This trip accomplished both. Amanda did a fantastic job ! I highly recommend. Then she walked me to the place to get the ferry to Alcatraz. A fabulous well spent morning !
Hi Laurie, Thank you for sharing your experience. We’re delighted to hear that the tour was able to make the most of your time in San Francisco while giving you a deeper understanding of the city's rich history. Amanda will be thrilled to know that her passion and knowledge helped create such a memorable experience for you. We're happy that the combination of the walking tour and your visit to Alcatraz made for a seamless and rewarding morning. It’s the kind of experience we hope every guest takes away with them. Thank you for your recommendation and for choosing to spend part of your visit with us. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future!
The tour was really interesting and the fact that the group was small made it even better. Our tour guide Amanda was helpful and happy to answer any questions. If you want to get to know San Francisco more (without hurting knees) you should go for it.
Hi, Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re really glad you enjoyed the tour with Amanda and appreciated the small group setting. It does make the experience feel more personal and relaxed. We’re so happy you found it worthwhile, and we hope to see you again on another tour soon!
Excellent walking tour of the North Beach area. Vicky was fantastic and extremely knowledgeable. Tour wasn’t rushed and there were plenty of photo opportunities along the way.
Hi Alicia, Thank you for the lovely review! We’re happy to hear you enjoyed exploring North Beach with Vicky. We hope the photos bring back great memories of your day!
Guide was very knowledgeable and polite and fun to be around. Excellent time walking around seeing the sights. Alcatraz tour was very interesting and seamless.
Hi there, Thank you for sharing such thoughtful feedback! We’re so pleased to hear your guide made the day enjoyable. Walking through the city and exploring Alcatraz creates such a memorable combination, and we’re glad everything flowed smoothly for your visit.
Vicky was a wonderful your guide. Friendly, knowledgeable, great tour. Highly recommend.
Wonderful! Jamie was very informative and easy to talk to.
Hi Billie, Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! We're glad to hear you had a wonderful time with Jamie. We hope to welcome you on another tour soon!
Leading up to the tour communication was beyond expectation! Then once we met our guide, we continued to be impressed. Amanda our guide was exceptionally knowledgeable and personable. Amanda answered all our questions and more! Well planned out, not rushed and it was just a fab experience. Highly recommend
Hi Cynthia, Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re so pleased to hear that this tour exceeded your expectations. It’s great to know that Amanda made such an impression with her knowledge and personable approach, and that she was able to answer all your questions along the way. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to have the pleasure of hosting you again in the future!
It was a lot of fun walking around learning about the city! We didn’t go over a lot of hills so it was a pretty easy walk. Our tour guide was great and she made me feel welcome while traveling by myself.
