VISITING ALCATRAZ TOUR SF- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Alcatraz Combo Tours Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Thank you for your interest in Alcatraz Tours Inc. We appreciateyour interest in our business. Please find more answers to frequent questions under each tour page you are interested in on our website. Below you find a brief sum up of only some of these top questions to keep things simpleand brief.
Q. Do you provide a complimentary pick up at our hotel?
A.Yes, we provide complimentary pickups in San Francisco and in Sausalito.
Q. What’s is the best combination tour you recommend with Alcatraz Island?
A-We recommend one of these three private custom combo tours with Alcatraz Island:
Muir Woods redwoods and Alcatraz Island combo tour. Learn more>>
San Francisco city private tour and Alcatraz prison combo tour. Learn more>>
Silicon Valley and Alcatraz combo tour. Learn more>>
Seaplane and Alcatraz combo adventure. Learn more>>
Horseback ride and Alcatraz combo tour. . Learn more>>
UC Berkley campus walking tour and Alcatraz. Learn more>>
and Alcatraz combo tour. Learn more>>
Napa Valley Wine Country and Alcatraz combo tour. Learn more>>
Alcatraz combined with a tour of the JellyBelly Factory or with Budweiser Brewery Experience. Learn more>>
Alcatraz Night Tour Learn more>>
Ferry Cruise tourS around Alcatraz. Learn more>>
We may offer Silicon Valley and Alcatraz combo tours in the future as well.
Q. Do you offer half-day and full day trips?
Yes, we do offer both half-day and full day private custom tours. Our San Francisco full day tour is very popular. Yes, we do. Learn more>>
Q. What is your reservation and cancellation policy
A.Please click on this link to read more about our reservation, refund and cancellation policy. Learn more>>
Q. Are you a pet-friendly tour company?
A.Unfortunately, pets are not allowed in our vehicles out of respect for those who have allergies to pets. Smoking is not permitted in our vehicles either.
Q. Do we have to book our Alcatraz tour in advance?
Advance ticket sales are strongly recommended with 2 months booking in advance at least because Alcatraz tickets are always sold out in advance, the sooner your reserve your tour; the better to maximize your chances to visit Alcatraz Island and Prison, Learn more>>
Q. What to wear during Alcatraz excursion?
A.Please be prepared for cold weather, slippery roads and hiking trails, so have comfortable waterproof hiking shoes to walk on the snow, in winter and spring. This long day-tour can be challenging for kids and seniors in winter.
Q. Do you offer guided tours in foreign languages?
A.Guided tours in foreign languages are optional and can be subject to extra fees to cover tour guides or freelancers we may hire to honor your tour in the required language. All reservations are based on availability. However, we often offer complimentary guided tours in French, German and Spanish. Learn more>>
Q. Is Alcatraz Cellhouse Audio tour is available in other languages?
A- Alcatraz cellhouse audio self-guided is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Mandarin. It is also available in an English Braille version. It is included when you purchase your ferry tickets and our combo tours. Learn more>>
Q. How long is the trip to Alcatraz?
You can stay on Alcatraz as long as you like but allow at least 2 ½ to 3 hours for sailing to the island, taking the cellhouse audio tour, exploring the rest of the island and its historic exhibits, and returning to the mainland.Learn more>>
Q. What is the gratuity chart for tipping in the United States?
A.Gratuity: 15 to 20% gratuity is required and customary in the USA. Generally, a tip may vary between 15% to 20% of the total purchase amount, or it can be a flat amount that is near the appropriate percent. It really depends upon the situation.
Q. Why my reservation was declined and what to happens next?
A.When a reservation is declined by client’s own bank, this is often due to a mismatch between customer’s bank information (such as the name on the credit card, card number, expiration date, CVV, zip/postal code or billing address). If any one of these verification factors don’t match the information you provided on our website, comparing to the bank information when placed your order, your transaction is automatically declined by your own bank to protect your bank information from fraud. Sometimes, transactions are also declined due to insufficient funds as well. Your tour(s) will not be confirmed until your new transaction is approved by your own bank. We apologize for the inconvenience, but your own bank did so to prevent fraud and protect your credit card information. Learn more>>
Q. Do you guarantee my tour of Alcatraz when my transaction is approved on your website?
A- Approved transactions of Alcatraz tours on our website do no constitute a guarantee of Alcatraz tours and tickets until Alcatraz official tickets providers approve it, which takes several weeks due to the increasing popularity of Alcatraz. Learn more>>
Q. How Alcatraz combo tours work?
A.The first part consists of conducting private your guided and custom tour of the required destination you booked from our website; you can choose between our Muir Woods park of redwoods combined with Alcatraz, Napa Valley wine country combined with Alcatraz or San Francisco city tour combined with Alcatraz prison tour.
The second part of your Alcatraz combo adventure will take you to legendary Island also known as the ‘The Rock’. Following your private tour, your personal tour guide will drive you to the Alcatraz Ferry building, a terminal for Alcatraz ferries that provide transfers from San Francisco Bay to Alcatraz and return. Learn more>>
Q. Why should you know when you visit Alcatraz Island?
A.-Alcatraz is a steep and hilly rock located in the heart of San Francisco Bay. You will have to walk uphill, downhill, upstairs and downstairs (no elevators available). The distance from Alcatraz Ferry dock to the prison is about a quarter mile each way.
-No minors under the age of 18 are allowed to visit Alcatraz without the accompaniment of their parents or adults at all times.
Carrying food and beverage: There is no food service available at Alcatraz. Eating is strictly prohibited on the dock area. You may enjoy a variety of snacks and foods on the ferries or simply have an early dinner
-No food, luggage, coolers, over-sized backpacks or packages are allowed on Alcatraz
Limited tickets available for visitors: Alcatraz tour tickets are sold out up to 10 weeks or more in advance during summers and holidays, but night tour tickets are extremely hard to get and are sold out as soon as they become available (in summer only). We recommend that you secure your Alcatraz tickets at your earliest by booking it on our website.
Q. What’s the best time of year to visit the island?
To avoid crowds, schedule your visit during the winter months of January through March. To experience the nicest weather, plan your Alcatraz visit for April-May or September-October. (Surprisingly, summer actually brings cold and foggy weather to the island.) Learn more>>
Q. What months are best for viewing nesting seabirds?
February through August. Nest building and egg laying occur in April and May, and chicks begin to hatch in mid-June. Learn more>>
Q. What water birds can I see on the island?
Western gulls are seen all over the island. Along the West Road, Brandt’s cormorants can easily be viewed. Snowy egrets and black crowned night herons can also be seen from the West Road. Pelagic Cormorants, pigeon guillemots, Canada geese, mallards and several species of songbirds are also seen on the island. Learn more>>
Q. How accessible is Alcatraz?
Much of Alcatraz is steep and hilly, so be prepared for walking long distances uphill. The distance from the dock to the prison at the top of the island is about 1/4 mile (.4 km) and the elevation change is 130 feet (40 meters). Visitors unable to make the climb up Alcatraz’s roads may take advantage of SEAT –Sustainable Easy Access Transport — an electric shuttle that meets each scheduled arrival at the Alcatraz dock and transports visitors requiring mobility assistance from the dock to the prison building. . Learn more>>
Q. How are Alcatraz Island Day and Night Tours different?
The day tours are more available as the night tours are extremely hard to get and not available in winter. Alcatraz night tour can be interesting for some visitors and too creepy for other tourists. Learn more>>
Q. Are minors under the age of 18 allowed to tour Alcatraz Island without the accompaniment of an adult?
No minors under the age of 18 are allowed to tour Alcatraz Island without the accompaniment of an adult. An adult must be with them at all times while on their tour of Alcatraz Island. Learn more>>
Q. Can I bring luggage/coolers/oversized backpacks or packages to Alcatraz Island?
No. Luggage, coolers, oversized backpacks or packages are not allowed on Alcatraz Island due to safety concerns. Learn more>>
Q. Why don’t you visit Lombard Street?
A.Yes, we do, unlike all large van and large commercialvehicles like bus tours, we are allowed to drive you on Lombard street as we operate by luxury 4×4 SUVs adopted to all San Francisco steep hills and narrow streets. Learn more>>
How safe is the seaplane or helicopter flight? Helicopter and Seaplane Adventures maintains one of the highest standards of safety in this industry and has a pristine safety record. Seaplanes themselves are extremely safe – as we like to say, “We have millions of square feet of runway everywhere in the San Francisco Bay!”
There is a patchy fog /clouds over the Golden Gate Bridge, will we still fly? Yes, fog is unpredictable and can be very tricky as it can come and go at any time in just minutes. We will try our very best to fly you over the bridge or alternate the flight route so that you can get the best view of the bridge possible.
Under what weather circumstances will my flight be canceled? All flights are subject to cancelation for severe weather conditions. This determination is made by the pilot up to 30 minutes prior the scheduled flight, but the portion and cost of this flight is refundable when it is cancelled by the pilot due to unforeseen weather conditions or reasons.<./p>
Why do you need the age and weight of each participant? All passenger weights are required as we do have a maximum weight limit based on the total weight of all participants for safety considerations. Pilots are also trained to load the aircraft safely based on weight distribution, so please be patient with where the pilot asks you to sit. Besides – everyone gets a window seat! For all misleading information regarding age and weight, the flight may be canceled and not refundable.
What age is considered a child? Anyone under the age of 12. Price for a child will only apply for children aged 3-11 years. Children under two years of age may sit in a parent’s lap and are free of charge. The pilot will provide noise cancelation headsets or earplugs but if you have your own, feel free to bring them on board.
Why do I need to sign a release waiver before boarding my flight? All passengers are required to sign a waiver before boarding their flight, this is the standard operating procedure as everywhere else.
