Covers the big American cities at night: monuments, skylines, night buses and how to get back to the hotel.
Updated
This page carries dated prices, start times or seasonal openings checked on the date above, and that window has now passed. Re-check the sources at the foot of the page before you book.
Go at night. If you only visit Alcatraz once, this is the version to book.
The day tour is fine. It's also crowded, and you walk the cellhouse with the audio guide in your ears and a lot of other people's elbows in your ribs. The night tour, according to the National Park Service, is limited to a few hundred visitors a night and adds things you can't get by day: talks by docents that change from night to night, and a demonstration of the cell doors closing. Then you ride back across the bay with the city lit up in front of you.
It costs $59.65 (€53) for an adult, against $47.95 (€43) for a day ticket.
There's only one way onto the island. The NPS names Alcatraz City Cruises as the only authorized ferry, from Pier 33, and every reseller is selling you a seat on that same boat in the end. That's why this page ranks one reseller product and then tells you, mostly, not to buy it.
At a glance
Official night access
Night Tour by Alcatraz City Cruises from Pier 33, Tuesday to Saturday on the summer schedule
Price
Adults $59.65 (€53), ages 12 to 17 $58.35 (€52), 62+ $55.25 (€49), 5 to 11 $34.85 (€31), under 5 free
Departures
5:55, 6:30 and 7:05 p.m. through November 1, 2026; winter times not yet posted
Where to buy
alcatrazcitycruises.com, the only NPS-authorized ferry
Skip
Reseller tickets and combos, unless the official date is sold out
Bring
A warm jacket: night lows near 55°F (13°C) in October, colder on the water
On this page
1 tour that passed our bar
Every tour we scored that includes this sight, in Night Score order. Night Score = 30% rating, 10% review count, 20% price per hour, 40% how much the night is the point. How we score
The only reseller ticket that cleared our bar, and it's here for one reason: the night visit itself scores a perfect 10 on after-dark. The rest is weak. A 4.4 from 217 reviews, a from-price of $86 (€77) that doesn't say whether it's the day or night rate, and a ticket that is non-refundable and can't be changed. The official adult night ticket is $59.65 (€53), and the official site refunds up to 72 hours before departure. Book this only if the official date you want is sold out. Arrive at Pier 33 30 minutes early.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%0.7
Review countData · 10%5.3
Price per hourData · 20%5.0
After darkEditors · 40%10.0
What it is: A reseller ticket (Alcatraz Company A Go) for the Alcatraz ferry from Pier 33 with the cellhouse audio tour, on which you can choose a night departure.
Good to know: Non-refundable and cannot be changed. The official night ticket from Alcatraz City Cruises costs $59.65 for an adult, so this costs more; only Alcatraz City Cruises runs the ferry. Arrive 30 minutes early.
After dark: The night ticket adds evening-only talks, the cell-door demonstration and normally closed areas, and a return across the bay with the city lit.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Reserve links go to GetYourGuide or Viator. Booking through them can earn us a commission at no cost to you; it never changes a score or a rank. How we make money
The official night tour: schedule and prices
Alcatraz City Cruises publishes its timetable as a PDF. The current summer schedule runs from March 8 to November 1, 2026, and on it the Night Tour runs Tuesday to Saturday, with departures at 5:55, 6:30 and 7:05 p.m. The return boats board first come, first served, and the latest return listed is 9:25 p.m.
So no Sunday or Monday night tours. Plan around that.
After November 1 we can't tell you. The winter night schedule wasn't posted on any official page we could read on October 26, 2026, and third-party guides disagree with each other about winter times and even which days it runs. If you're going between November and early March, check the times on alcatrazcitycruises.com when you book. Our researcher also found that the island closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
The prices come from the NPS fee table and include the ferry and the cellhouse audio tour:
Adults 18 and over: $59.65 (€53)
Ages 12 to 17: $58.35 (€52)
Seniors 62 and over: $55.25 (€49)
Ages 5 to 11: $34.85 (€31)
Under 5: free
America the Beautiful passes and NPS fee-free days don't cover the ferry ticket. Tickets go on sale 90 days ahead, per the official page our researcher read, and night tours sell out.
The bigger ticket: Behind the Scenes
If you really like this kind of thing, there's a longer option. The Behind the Scenes Tour costs $104.65 (€93) for adults, $97.25 (€87) for 62 and over and $100.35 (€90) for ages 12 to 17; younger children can't go. The NPS says it includes the Night Tour and to plan on four to five hours in total. On the summer schedule it also runs Tuesday to Saturday, leaving at 4:20 and 5:20 p.m.
It's nearly twice the price. For most people the plain night ticket is enough.
What you get at night that you don't by day
The official description lists ferry narration on the way out, the cellhouse audio tour, docent talks that change nightly and the cell-door demonstration. Alcatraz City Cruises' blog adds access to the prison hospital and solitary cells, which are normally closed.
Then there's the light. In October it's dark by 6:59 p.m., so a 5:55 p.m. boat lands you at dusk and the island goes dark while you're in the cellhouse. That's the trip you want.
Summer is different, and nobody selling tickets mentions it. In June it doesn't get dark until 9:04 p.m., and full dark is 9:43 p.m., after the last return boat listed. A June night tour is really an evening tour. You still get the talks and the smaller crowd. You won't get the cellhouse in the dark.
From March 8, when the summer schedule starts, it's dark by 7:42 p.m. That's the other good window: early spring or October.
How the tours compare with the official ticket
Badly. Every reseller we found charges more than the official price, and most of their tickets are non-refundable.
The one that ranks costs $86 (€77) against $59.65 (€53). That's about $26 (€24) more per adult for the same boat and the same audio tour. The combos are worse. Our researcher found one Viator Alcatraz night combo at 4.2, another at 3.9, and others at 3.7, 3.4 and 2.9; a GetYourGuide night tour with a bay cruise rates 4.5 there but 4.0 from nine reviews on Viator.
A reseller makes sense in one case: the official site is sold out for the only night you have. Even then, read the refund terms before you pay.
Getting there, what to wear, getting back
All tours leave from Pier 33, Alcatraz Landing, on the Embarcadero, a short walk from Fisherman's Wharf. The official site asks you to arrive 45 minutes before departure.
Wear a real jacket and shoes with grip. Night lows in San Francisco are about 55°F (13°C) in October and 50°F (10°C) in November, and the boat and the island are windier than the city. There's no luggage storage at Pier 33.
The 9:25 p.m. return gets you back to the Embarcadero well before BART's last trains, which leave around midnight. After that, Muni's Owl buses run every half hour between midnight and 5 a.m.
On the 2026 summer schedule (March 8 to November 1), Tuesday to Saturday, with departures at 5:55, 6:30 and 7:05 p.m. The winter schedule wasn't posted when we checked, so confirm on alcatrazcitycruises.com.
How much is the Alcatraz night tour?
$59.65 (€53) for adults, $58.35 (€52) for ages 12 to 17, $55.25 (€49) for 62 and over, $34.85 (€31) for ages 5 to 11, and free under 5, per the National Park Service. The ferry and audio tour are included.
Is the Alcatraz night tour better than the day tour?
Yes, I think so. It's smaller, it adds docent talks and the cell-door demonstration, and in spring and fall you see the island go dark. It costs $11.70 (€10.50) more than the adult day ticket.
How long is the Alcatraz night tour?
About two to three hours, according to the official page our researcher read. The Behind the Scenes Tour, which includes the night tour, takes four to five hours in total.
How far ahead should I book the Alcatraz night tour?
As early as you can. Tickets go on sale 90 days ahead and night tours sell out. The official site refunds cancellations made at least 72 hours before departure.
Further reading
Official sources
Alcatraz City Cruises: Schedule (PDF)– Summer schedule March 8 to November 1, 2026: Night Tour Tuesday to Saturday at 5:55, 6:30 and 7:05 p.m.; Behind the Scenes 4:20 and 5:20 p.m.; returns to 9:25 p.m., checked October 26, 2026
NPS: Alcatraz Island fees– Night, Day and Behind the Scenes prices; ferry by Alcatraz City Cruises; passes not valid, checked October 26, 2026
NPS: Alcatraz night tour page – Duration, visitor limit, inclusions, 90-day sale window and holiday closures, as read by our researcher on October 26, 2026; the page did not load when we rechecked
