Circle Alcatraz Island and uncover its most daring stories, all from the deck of your cruise.

The Escape from the Rock Cruise sails the San Francisco Bay for 90 minutes, offering close-up views of Alcatraz from every angle. As you pass around “The Rock,” a multilingual audio guide shares true stories of escape attempts, prison life, and the people who tried to outsmart the Bay.

You won’t go ashore; this is a no-landing experience that lets you take in Alcatraz’s history and views entirely from the water.

How’s it different from the Alcatraz tour?

Features	Escape from the Rock cruise	Alcatraz day tour	Alcatraz night tour
Access	Stays on the water–circles the island; no landing.	Lands on the island for a self-guided audio tour.	Lands on the island for a ranger-led tour, followed by a self-guided audio tour.
Duration	90 minutes	2–3 hours	2–3 hours
Timings	Saturday–Sunday at 12pm	Daily, first departure at 8:20am. Timings vary seasonally.	Tuesday–Saturday, first departure at 5:55pm. Timings vary seasonally.
Focus	Escape stories + Bay views	History, outdoor landmarks, and exhibits.	History, access to exclusive areas, a ranger-led tour, and exhibits.
Format	Multilingual audio-guided boat cruise	Round-trip ferry ride and multilingual audio guide visit	Round-trip ferry ride, ranger-led walking tour, and multilingual audio guide visit
Flexibility	Single departure; only weekends.	Multiple departures; daily	Limited departures (1–3); Tuesday–Saturday

What to expect

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Depart from Pier 39

Set sail from San Francisco’s waterfront, with open views of the city skyline and the Bay Bridge behind you. Find a seat on the deck or inside the cabin as the audio narration begins, introducing Alcatraz’s history and early days as a prison.

Circle Alcatraz Island

Cruise slowly around the island for rare, up-close views of Alcatraz from every angle. As you pass the old lighthouse and Cellhouse walls, you’ll hear stories of real escape attempts told through your onboard audio guide.

Sail under the Golden Bridge

Continue past Alcatraz toward the Pacific, gliding directly beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Hit pause on the audio narration here to enjoy the views before looping back toward the city

Return past Angel Island

On your way back, the route passes Angel Island and the northern Bay. The skyline comes into view again, and the narration closes with reflections on the Bay’s history and the myths that still surround Alcatraz today.

Plan your visit

Alcatraz Island with historic prison buildings in San Francisco Bay, California.

Timings: Weekend (Saturday–Sunday) departures at 12pm.
Location: Departures are from Pier 39, San Francisco.
Arrival: Arrive at least 30 minutes before departure time.
Duration: 90 minutes
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Route: Pier 39–San Francisco Bay–Alcatraz Island–Golden Gate Bridge–Angel Island State Park–Return to Pier 39
Audio guide: Spanish, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Traditional Chinese
Good to know: Carry a WiFi-enabled device and headphones to access the audio guide.

Frequently asked questions about the Escape from the Rock cruise

While it largely follows the same route as other SF Bay cruises , the Escape from the Rock cruise additionally does multiple loops around Alcatraz, as you listen to audio stories of the island’s history and its famous inmates.

More reads

Night tours

Plan your visit

Facts

Sail around Alcatraz Island, listening to chilling audio tales of attempted escapes. No landing, only legends from the Bay.

Everything you get: A 90-minute boat cruise featuring close-up views of Alcatraz from every angle, with a route that also passes under the Golden Gate Bridge and by Angel Island. Real stories of escape attempts and prison life are shared through a free multilingual audio guide available on your Wi-Fi-enabled device.
Why choose this: Most tours take you past the island or drop you off—but this one circles it entirely, offering rare, full-perimeter views. You'll hear dramatic escape stories and prison lore as you cruise the Bay, giving you the depth of a visit with the freedom of staying on the water.

Inclusions #

90-min cruise
San Francisco Bay views
Alcatraz Island views
Audio guide in nine languages: English, Spanish, Mandarin, Italian, French, Japanese, Korean, German & Taiwanese.

Exclusions #

Hotel pick-up and drop-offs
Live guide
Food and drinks (available for purchase)
Stop at Alcatraz Island

Entry to Alcatraz is not included (it doesn't stop at the island).
Carry a fully-charged Wi-Fi-enabled device, and your earphones to listen to the audio tour.
The cruise may get interrupted due to bad weather conditions. Check at the ticket office on the scheduled day.
The cruise is wheelchair accessible, except for the upper viewing decks.
Pets, including service animals, are welcome onboard. They are wholly the owner’s responsibility.
Food and beverages are available for purchase onboard.

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

Sail around Alcatraz Island, listening to chilling audio tales of attempted escapes. No landing, only legends from the Bay.

Everything you get: A 90-minute boat cruise featuring close-up views of Alcatraz from every angle, with a route that also passes under the Golden Gate Bridge and by Angel Island. Real stories of escape attempts and prison life are shared through a free multilingual audio guide available on your Wi-Fi-enabled device.
Why choose this: Most tours take you past the island or drop you off—but this one circles it entirely, offering rare, full-perimeter views. You'll hear dramatic escape stories and prison lore as you cruise the Bay, giving you the depth of a visit with the freedom of staying on the water.

Inclusions #

90-min cruise
San Francisco Bay views
Alcatraz Island views
Audio guide in nine languages: English, Spanish, Mandarin, Italian, French, Japanese, Korean, German & Taiwanese.

Exclusions #

Hotel pick-up and drop-offs
Live guide
Food and drinks (available for purchase)
Stop at Alcatraz Island

Entry to Alcatraz is not included (it doesn't stop at the island).
Carry a fully-charged Wi-Fi-enabled device, and your earphones to listen to the audio tour.
The cruise may get interrupted due to bad weather conditions. Check at the ticket office on the scheduled day.
The cruise is wheelchair accessible, except for the upper viewing decks.
Pets, including service animals, are welcome onboard. They are wholly the owner’s responsibility.
Food and beverages are available for purchase onboard.

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

Sightseeing Cruises