Alcatraz Tours?

[2Xayear]

Planning to do Alcatraz when we stop in San Francisco next month. It seems that the Blue & Gold Fleet no longer has the Alcatraz contract to transport tourists out to the rock. (As of April 30th) Anyone hear who will be the replacement and how one gets tickets?

 

The National Parks Service has promised to keep me updated but with April 30th looming....no word from them as yet.

[2Xayear]

UPDATE:

 

The Blue & Gold Fleet has been granted an extension by the National Park Service, to continue offering tours to the Rock, until the end of May. After May 31st..no word on what will happen.

[Nauti-Lady]

I just bought tickets today for May 23rd at http://www.blueandgoldfleet.com/

[suziehmkr]

I can't imagine them not renewing their contract.... but I have seen stranger things happen. They have serviced the island and the rest of the bay for years, and they do a good job of it. Enjoy your visit. Alcatraz is an amazing site to visit and a great piece of history.

[chris sea]

We did that tour last year. We were told to order the tickets on line in advance as they sell out. We did the night tour to the Island. We really enjoyed it.

[suziehmkr]

Yes, this is VERY true - they do often sell out.... The night tour is next on our list...

[spookwife]

a NIGHT tour?! that place was eerie enough during the day...

[chris sea]

a NIGHT tour?! that place was eerie enough during the day...

 

It was really eerie, but very beautiful to see the lights of the city from the Island. It was also quite chilly. We went in May, actually the end of May.Our son went to school out in California and warned us to dress in layers for the boat trip.Even wore gloves.

[packed-n-ready]

Their contract was up on April 30, but it has been renewed and you can

now get your tickets again. We got them for May 23.

[envy4u]

We just ordered tickets online .

 

What does pick your tickets up at the will call mean ? Where is that ??

[chris sea]

We just ordered tickets online .

 

What does pick your tickets up at the will call mean ? Where is that ??

 

We ordered our tickets on line in advance and picked them up on the pier where the ferry is on the day of the tour.

 

Have fun:)

[phabric]

We plan to be in SF the second week of Sept and were planning on doing Alcatraz tour. Since reading about the night tour, we would be interested in that, can you give an idea of the difference between the day and night tour.

How far in advance did you get your tickets.

[chris sea]

We plan to be in SF the second week of Sept and were planning on doing Alcatraz tour. Since reading about the night tour, we would be interested in that, can you give an idea of the difference between the day and night tour.

How far in advance did you get your tickets.

 

We ordered our tickets I think two months in advance.

 

Our son went to law school in California. He did both the day and night tour. He said we should do the night because it was less crowded. And, the lights of the city were beautiful at night.

 

You get a headset when you enter and it guides you through the inside part of the tour. I think it was more eerie at night, because things seem scarier in the dark. A park ranger guides you around outside showing where the escape was.There is also a gift shop.

 

No matter when you choose to go, it was very interesting.

[phabric]

Thanks for the information.

[tclowe]

I just read in our local AAA news magazine that you can flash your AAA card at the ticket booth and get $4 off per adult ticket on the blue & gold fleet for 6 people.

[CurlyQgrL]

Hi,

 

Is the Red & White Fleet still running? We took a trip through them out to Angel Island....in the San Francisco Bay just past Alcatraz, private beach, hike around the island...great to take a picnic, and we took the boat over to Tiburon afterwards, walked around there, had dinner, and then another boat back to "The City"....great day....but brrrr... out on the boats....keep in mind when visiting San Francisco:

 

John Muir said, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco!"

 

Be sure to walk down to Pier 39...great food, shops, restaurants, something for everyone....or the opposite way for fresh shrimp/crab cocktail, clam chowder soup in a real San Francisco bread bowl...yum! Ghiradelli Square is nearby as well, more shopping....and from a couple of blocks up from Fisherman's Wharf you can catch a cable car to the downtown area....