Escape from the Rock! Cruise around Alcatraz
Description
Embark on a 90-minute cruise along the San Francisco waterfront, under the Golden Gate Bridge and past Angel Island State Park before circling Alcatraz Island for an in-depth view of the prison. Take in the sights and sounds of the island as you listen to ex-guards and former inmates tell their stories of murder, mayhem, and mobsters on an audio tour with historical photos via your smartphone, tablet or other WiFi-enabled device. This ticket allows you to skip the box office line and go straight to the gate.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This 1.5-hour 'Escape from the Rock' cruise departs from Pier 39.
It takes you under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz Island to see every angle of the former federal penitentiary, now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
En route, enjoy sightings of the city skyline and Angel Island.
View The Rock from the best view available on the water
Beautiful views from the water
Beautiful views from the water
Beautiful Views from the water
Beautiful views from the water
Iconic San Francisco landmark with a fresh perspective form the water
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Wheelchair accessible, only on first deck
- Children from 0 to 4 years old sail for free
- Times are subject to change without notice
Reviews(157)
Escape from the Rock was an incredible way to experience Alcatraz from the water. Cruising around the island gives you a whole new perspective—dramatic views of the prison, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the San Francisco skyline all at once. The narration was informative and captivating, sharing fascinating stories about Alcatraz’s history and legendary escape attempts. The atmosphere on the boat, especially with the wind and the sounds of the bay, made the experience feel immersive and exciting. A fun, memorable, and unique way to see Alcatraz—highly recommend.
Hi Maria, Thank you so much for your detailed review of this cruise. We're very happy that you enjoyed the experience. And we greatly appreciate the 5 Star review. Cheers!
This was a fantastic trip! Boat ride was comfortable and fun. Choices to sit inside or outside. We loved the narration throughout the trip. It was a great mix of stories about Alcatraz (from prisoners and guards-similar to one you get when you do the tour on Alcatraz) as well as information about the city and history of San Francisco and the bridge. I would highly recommend this trip.
Well said, thanks for the note.
Not to happy with the tour, maybe it was my mistake but we were looking for Alcatraz tour not around the island. I was ask to select the language and we choose Spanish and tour was in English.
Hi Ana. We apologize that you didn't realized that we do not land on the island. We do try to make that clear in the description. And as for the audio tour, when you select it on your mobile device, there are 9 different languages to choose from. It does start with English but a quick toggle will give you the choice of the others.
We really enjoyed the cruise around the San Francisco Bay. The narrative was great and it was fascinating to sail under the Golden Gate Bridge. Also, the narration was very detailed on the historical points about San Francisco, Angeles Island, the events which shaped the history of the Bay, and Alcatraz. I received a wealth of information. Great Tour. I would definitely recommend it to other visitors.
It cost $39 - San Francisco Bay Cruise. You can easily get the ticket a few minutes before departure. They offer to take a photo of you before you board. When you get off, you can buy it. Pleasant cruise. Audio recorded tour is useful but it's sometimes hard to hear and follow - it's on the loudspeaker. A transcript would be useful for people to follow. Good opportunity for photos. Can be windy and a hat and sunglassses are useful.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
The interviews with residents of the island, inmates, guards and such. Beautiful weather, nice boat.
Everything was fantastic, the weather was great, it was something wonderful for my family, the time on the boats was little, if you could stay longer, it would be great, their service is excellent, I recommend it to live new experiences with family or friends
Very comfy, efficient, and informative. We loved it, especially the painless booking and great staff. This is a great option for a short Bay cruise, thanks!
Very nice tour. Educational gives just enough information . Beautiful day.breeze was blowing enjoyable
Thanks! For a cruise that doesn't actually land on the island, we feel we do a pretty good job telling it's tall tales. Thanks for sharing.
Great cruise!! Viator should sen vouchers vía email and not sms. I had not roaming available and almost miss the cruise. Thanks God the lady at the ticket office was so helpful and finally was able to retrieve them.
