How to get Alcatraz tickets before they sell out
The 90-day window, and why it matters
Official Alcatraz tickets go on sale 90 days in advance through Alcatraz City Cruises, online or by phone at (415) 981-7625. For a quiet Tuesday in February, that window is generous. For a Saturday in July it is not: summer weekends and holiday periods sell out weeks ahead, and I’ve watched plenty of visitors discover this on the sidewalk at Pier 33, holding a phone that says sold out for the next three weekends. The island sits inside the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the National Park Service caps daily visitors, so nobody can conjure more ferry seats.
My rule after a decade of walking groups down the Embarcadero: if your San Francisco dates are fixed, book Alcatraz before you book dinner reservations. Day tickets cost $47.95 and the night tour $59.65 at official prices; the full breakdown is on the cost page.
The street-vendor warning
Around Fisherman’s Wharf you will meet people selling “Alcatraz tickets” from clipboards and folding tables. The NPS is blunt about this and so am I: street vendors do not sell genuine Alcatraz tickets. At best you’re buying a bay cruise that sails past the island without landing. Alcatraz City Cruises is the only company authorized to put passengers on the dock. If a ticket doesn’t ultimately come from them, you are not getting off the boat.
The sold-out playbook
When the official calendar shows nothing for your dates, this is the part that saves the trip. Tour packages hold their own allocations of genuine ferry tickets, so a date that shows sold out officially is often still bookable inside a bundle. The options I compare on the tours page run $48 to $159: the $78 app package is the one most people book, the $95 ticket adds a night-ferry option, and the combos fold in a bay cruise, a 72-hour bus pass or a Muir Woods day trip. Most cancel free up to 24 hours out, so booking one as insurance costs nothing if official tickets later reappear.
If booking through a third party makes you uneasy, that instinct is healthy — it’s the same one that keeps you away from the clipboard sellers. The difference is what arrives: these packages deliver a genuine Alcatraz City Cruises ferry ticket, not a look-alike. Gretchen, a US reviewer, admitted she was “hesitant about unofficial vendor” bookings and found the trip exceeded her expectations. Verify what the ticket contains, then relax.
Check the official calendar first, every time. If your date is there at $47.95, take it. The packages earn their keep on the dates that calendar has already given up on, and on the extras — not as a first resort.
Book a date that still has seats
The widget below shows live availability for the app package, the most-booked ticket I list. Once you’re booked, read up on getting to Pier 33 — the ferry will not wait for you.
Frequently asked questions
Can you walk up and buy Alcatraz tickets on the day?
I wouldn’t plan on it. Tickets open 90 days ahead and summer weekends sell out weeks in advance, so on busy days there is simply nothing left at the Pier 33 window. Outside peak season you might get lucky, but a gamble with one ferry operator is a bad gamble. Book ahead, or use a package with availability — see what each option costs.
What should I do if Alcatraz tickets are sold out for my dates?
Check the bundled packages before you give up. They carry their own allocations of genuine Alcatraz City Cruises ferry tickets, so sold-out official dates are often still bookable at $78 to $159 — compare them on the tours page. Most have free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
How far in advance do Alcatraz tickets sell out?
Summer weekends and holiday periods sell out weeks ahead; quiet winter weekdays may still have seats close to the day. The night tour has fewer departures, so it goes early too — I compare the two in day vs night.
Are tickets sold near Fisherman’s Wharf genuine?
No. Street vendors around the Wharf do not sell genuine Alcatraz tickets; only Alcatraz City Cruises lands passengers on the island. Book direct or through a package that bundles the real ferry crossing.