meeting_point: San Francisco, California description: ##Quick Details - Meeting Point/Time: Your Downtown San Francisco Hotel/10am- Duration 7.5 hours- City Tour End Point/Time: Pier 33 Alcatraz ferry landing/2:15pm- Alcatraz Ferry Times Depart 2:45pm, return approximately 5:30pm- Group Size: 12 passengers maximum- Includes Professional guide, Custom open-sided touring van, Warm blankets and jackets for foggy days, Ferry tickets to go on Alcatraz island and in the prison, Cellhouse audio tour "doing time"- Excludes* Gratuity for guide, Price of lunch, return transportation to hotel What Makes this Tour Special? One Tour Per Day Your group has the guide’s full attention and energy. This ensures a relaxed, unrushed experience tailored to your interests. Book Direct for free cancellation up to 24-hours in advance, the guaranteed lowest price, and no hidden fees. Included same-day Alcatraz ferry Skip the hassle of separate bookings—your ticket is included, so you can enjoy a seamless transition from city tour to island exploration. Flexible Itinerary, Driven by You The day unfolds around what your group finds most exciting. You can explore streets, neighborhoods, or quirky corners that interest you most. Small, friendly groups You’ll feel like you’re exploring the city with friends, not strangers. The tour pace allows time to linger, ask questions, and share laughs together. Guide with humor & insider knowledge You’ll hear stories that make the city come alive and laugh along the way. The guide’s local tips help you see San Francisco like a native. What to Know Before you Go *If you are staying outside downtown SF, we can arrange a mutually convenient pickup point. *Exact pickup time depends on where you and other guests are staying on the day. **I will drop you at Pier 33 at 2:15 in time to board the 2:45pm ferry out to the island. Ferries return every 30 minutes and you can choose whichever one works for you, but most guests take the 5:15pm ferry and return to shore by 5:30. I do one tour per day for just twelve guests. Each day is fun, friendly, and never quite the same. But it sells out fast. Alcatraz Tickets sell out well in advance. I may have tickets when other vendors do not. The weather in SF is mild, but can be highly variable. Dress in layers and bring your sense of adventure! We will make a brief stop where your group can get lunch during the tour. The price of food is not included. FAQ: Do You Provide Transport Back to Our Hotel After Alcatraz? I will drop you off at Pier 33 near Fisherman’s Wharf to take the boat out to Alcatraz where you can visit at your leisure, returning on any of the boats running every 30-minutes. When you return to Pier 33, Fisherman’s Wharf area hotels are a short walk away as is Pier 39. There are many transportation options to make your way back to other hotel districts. Fogcutter Tours will not be waiting at the pier for transportation. Please let me know if you would like a dinner recommendation or directions back to where you are staying! FAQ: How Long Does the Alcatraz Part Take? I will drop you off after your city tour in time for the 2:45pm ferry out to Alcatraz. Most guests take three hours total to visit the island and are back on shore by 5:45. Return ferries depart the island every 30 minutes, and you can take which ever you like to return later or a little earlier. FAQ: Do We Go on Alcatraz Island and in the Prison? Yes! The included tickets to Alcatraz include ferry passage to the island, full access to to the exterior parts of the island, full access to the interior of the prison cell house, and the award-winning audio tour of the cell house called “doing time”. FAQ: What Sites Do We See? Will We Stop and Get Out? We will always stop and get out of the van at the Golden Gate Bridge and at a city skyline view point like Tank Hill or Alamo Square. Beyond that, I like to drive through some historic neighborhoods like Chinatown, North Beach (Little Italy), the Haight-Ashbury, Pacific Heights and the Mission. We will stop and hop out of the van for short walks in these neighborhoods if there is time and interest. If there is time and guest interest, I also like to stop at some special "secret" spots. These include the Fortune Cookie Factory in Chinatown, the the Moraga Street mosaic-tiled stairs in the Sunset, the Seward Slides in Eureka Valley, the Balmy Alley murals in the Mission, inside Fort Point under the Golden Gate Bridge or abandoned fortifications around the Marin Headlands above the Golden Gate Bridge. If there is time and guest interest, I like to drive down Vermont Street, the "real crookedest street" in the City, or down a section of 22nd street that is the steepest in the City. There is no food on Alcatraz, so I also make a stop where folks on the tour can buy some lunch. Most frequently, this is in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, which has a full service market/deli, excellent pizza slice shop, a burger place, excellent coffee, San Francisco’s only Muffaletta shop, and more!