Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Alcatraz and Hearst Castle tours

47 replies

Dancergirl · 21/07/2016 18:36

We are off to California in 3 weeks and want to pre-book tours for Alcatraz and Hearst Castle.

Both offer evening tours which might be nice (and a bit cooler), what are the pros and cons of daytime versus evening?

At HC there seem to be a number of different tours, any recommendations please?

OP posts:

LyndaNotLinda · 22/07/2016 11:33

It really would be worth getting up early if you're staying in SF. The audiotour is amazing.

I don't remember the differences between the different Heart Castle tours but the sunsets along there are glorious so it would be nice to go as the sun is going down. Your 9 year old may enjoy the bling - it's hugely OTT.

BikeRunSki · 22/07/2016 11:34

I loved Alcatraz!!! we did the audio tour, booked from the hotel in SF a day or 2 before hand. However, we went a fortnight after 9/11 and the US was empty.

TheNaze73 · 22/07/2016 11:36

From memory, I booked Alcatraz about 6 weeks in advance from the uk. Some hotels though, can sort you out tickets whilst you're out there but, you'll pay a premium for it. Worth every penny.

BikeRunSki · 22/07/2016 11:40

Try looking at 3rd party your providers or ticket resellers like Expedia. I've had a google om "Book Alcatraz tour" and there are lots of third party providers with varying availability.
This is how we got Eiffle Tower tickets at short notice.

chemenger · 22/07/2016 11:55

We were in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago. Alcatraz is definitely worth doing, it was a highlight of our trip. The audio tour (which you just pick up a headset for when you arrive, it's included) is excellent and thought provoking. We also went to a talk by one of the Rangers about the escape of 1963 which was really interesting. I did book a few weeks ahead from the uk. I can't imagine it is ever too hot on Alcatraz, unless you stand in full sun, out of the wind, outside. In general it is quite cool in and around San Francisco, warmer in the sunny periods later in the day.
We messed up on Hearst Castle and did not book ahead, we would have had to wait 3 hours for a tour and couldn't be bothered. It is very hot around the visitor centre, because it's inland, You get a bus to the tours, which we thought looked very expensive ($25+ per person for part of the house).
I highly recommend the cable car museum and the Exploratorium in SF and Monterey aquarium. We went whale watching as well which was great, but take seasickness pills! We had San Francisco city passes (not sure of the exact name) which gave admission to lots of attractions, a boat ride and unlimited travel on public transport, they were good value. I'm suspicious of such things normally but we definitely got our money's worth out of them. We used Uber to get around as well which was really easy and reliable.

charleybarley · 22/07/2016 13:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

Dancergirl · 22/07/2016 17:19

Have spent hours online to no avail. Even the expensive combination tour tickets are sold out I had no idea we had to book this early in advance. We booked through Trailfinders, I even phoned them today to see if they could help but their tours are booked too. Slightly annoyed that they didn't advise us to book early when we booked the trip a few months ago. How are people supposed to know?

OP posts:

Original poster

Dancergirl · 22/07/2016 17:45

I think our only hope now is to queue at 5am for day tickets. That's true that will be manageable with the time difference...but a 2.5 hour queue with no guarantee.....!

OP posts:

SparklesandBangs · 22/07/2016 17:55

The Alcrataz tour is good but there is so much more to San Francisco that if you can't go it is really not the end of the world. I love SF!

With you family if you can all cycle then a trip across golden gate bridge and down to Sausalito for lunch then back across the bay by boat would be the first thing on my itinerary

Original poster

Dancergirl · 22/07/2016 18:38

The cycling sounds good but dd3 isn't experienced and had problems cycling in Amsterdam because it was so busy!

I know we'll have a fab time, have heard so many great things about SF but Alcatraz was on our must-do list!

OP posts:

Expatmomma · 23/07/2016 11:23

Try the official site ...acatrazcruises.

Although the monthly calendar is greyed out if you click on a day times of tours will appear. In late August there are still some tours with 90+ tickets available.

Original poster

Dancergirl · 23/07/2016 11:46

Thanks expat but we are only in SF between 8-12 August so it has to be then.

OP posts:

NicknameUsed · 23/07/2016 12:26

We went many years ago as part of a bus trip that we booked when we were there. This was pre internet though. The cold weather in SF took us by surprise though, even though it was the end of July, so take something warm to wear.

CointreauVersial · 24/07/2016 00:00

What a pain, Dancergirl. But as everyone has said, there is so much more to SF. Put it out of your mind and enjoy the city.

We are also in SF in August (arriving 12th); I wasn't bothered about Alcatraz, having been before, but the DCs were desperate to see it. Luckily I was forewarned, so we booked the moment the tickets were released (90 days ahead). We have chosen an evening trip so we could do other things during the day.

I'd forgotten it could get chilly - note to self - bring a cardi!

We have also booked Hearst Castle - again, I've been before, but it is fabulous.

Aftershock15 · 24/07/2016 00:18

We missed getting an Alcatraz trip when we went a few summers ago - I tried to book when I booked flights but it was too early and then I forgot until it was too late. We just did a general boat trip round the bay in the end and that gave us quite a bit of info and a full circle of Alcatraz but no landing.

Agree with others that it was much colder than we expected.

KatoPotato · 24/07/2016 00:34

I'm arriving in SF for two weeks on Thursday!

iknowimcoming · 24/07/2016 01:06

Just something to try, I have always found us hotels to be really amazing at concierge type stuff so if I were you I'd email your hotel and see if there's anything they can do to help you with tickets to Alcatraz, you might get lucky, worth a try.

Original poster

Dancergirl · 24/07/2016 10:54

coming have tried our hotel too, we really have explored every option! Concierge emailed me back to say booked up till end of August.

I think our only option now is to see if returns are available once we're out there. If not, it's disappointing but we'll still have a fab time.

OP posts:

GrumpyOldBag · 24/07/2016 11:01

We have done both & recommend both.

I think we just booked online a few days in advance - but it was not peak holiday season.

Hearst Castle was incredibly hot, but they spray water around to cool you off!

Don't bother going to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, it's really touristy & naff. But do try and get to the twice-weekly San Francisco Farmers Market near the Ferry Building which is amazing, great place to go for breakfast.

GrumpyOldBag · 24/07/2016 11:03

www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/farmers_market.php

chemenger · 24/07/2016 15:42

Canother thing we enjoyed in SF was the Wells Fargo Museum.

bruffin · 25/07/2016 21:36

Thanks for this thread, we dont get to San Francisco until 30th August to 3rd sept, looked online and have booked for the Behind the scenes tour on the 1st.

Flip

1 2