Public Transportation Options

Getting You Here To Alcatraz City Cruises
Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing is conveniently located along San Francisco’s northern waterfront promenade, otherwise known as The Embarcadero. Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing is near the intersections of Sansome Street and The Embarcadero, and Bay Street and The Embarcadero. There are many transportation options available from a variety of public and private transportation services, as well as walking, biking and driving.

Parking is limited and very expensive in the Fisherman’s Wharf area, especially during peak visitation months. We recommend you enhance your Alcatraz experience by being dropped off or taking one of the many public transit services that reach the Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing area. As a bonus, public transit may also be the least expensive way to reach Alcatraz Landing!

Privately-operated transportation services such as taxicabs, limousines, pedi-cabs and ride-sharing services such as Uber or Lyft, will provide direct service to Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing upon request. In ride-sharing apps, it is best to enter the physical address as Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing. For more detailed information about other transportation options visit SFMTA getting around. Be advised that prices may vary widely for these private services.

Please note: Piers along San Francisco’s waterfront are divided between odd and even numbered piers. All odd number piers are north of San Francisco’s famous Ferry Building, at the foot of Market Street, and all the even numbered piers are located south of the Ferry Building. Piers 30, 32 and 34 are miles away from the Alcatraz Island tour embarcation point of Pier 33.

Buses

San Francisco City Buses (MUNI)

The following SF Municipal Railway (MUNI) bus lines stop within three blocks of Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing:
F Line Historic Streetcar – use the Bay Street stop
#8 Bayshore – use  Kearny Street & North Point stop
#82X Levi Plaza Express – use Levi Plaza, Sansome & Filbert Street stop (runs morning and afternoon only, from CalTrain Station)

For information on MUNI schedules, fares and multi-day visitor passes, visit SFMTA, or call 415.673.6864.

AC Transit Buses AC Transit provides bus service from the East Bay to the TransBay Transit Center (200 Folsom Street) in San Francisco.  From there, connect to MUNI buses and streetcars. Visit AC Transit Maps or call 510.891.4700.

Golden Gate Transit Golden Gate Transit provides bus service between San Francisco, Marin, and Sonoma Counties. Visit GG Transit or call 415.455.2000.
SamTrans Buses SAMTRANS provides bus service between San Mateo County and the TransBay Transit Center (200 Folsom Street) in downtown San Francisco.  From there, connect to MUNI buses and streetcars. Visit SamTrans or call 510.817.1717.

Cable Cars

Cable Cars are a San Francisco institution, and two SF Municipal Railway (MUNI) cable car lines stop in the Fisherman’s Wharf area.Visitors should be aware that neither line stops at Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing.

 

The Powell-Mason cable car terminates at the corner of Bay & Taylor Streets, six blocks west of Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing.

The Powell-Hyde cable car terminates at Aquatic Park at the corner of Hyde & Beach Streets, eleven blocks from Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing.

Transfers are available from the cable cars for the historic F-line Streetcar.

For information on MUNI schedules, fares and multi-day visitor passes, visit SFMTA or call 415.673.6864.

Buses

E – Embarcadero streetcar line

Runs along The Embarcadero and provides direct service to Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing. Get off at the “Bay Street” stop, across from Pier 35 at the corner of The Embarcadero & Bay Streets and walk one block south.

Please note: E Line service ends at 7:00PM.

For more information visit SFMTA E-Line.

F – Market Street & Wharves streetcar line

Runs along The Embarcadero and provides direct service to Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing. Get off at the “Bay Street” stop, across from Pier 35 at the corner of The Embarcadero & Bay Streets and walk one block south.

For information on MUNI schedules, fares and multi-day visitor passes, visit SFMTA or call 415.673.6864.

Trains

BART

All BART trains (with the exception of the Richmond-Fremont Line) provide service to San Francisco. Trains stop at the Embarcadero Station across the plaza from the Ferry Building, where passengers can transfer to MUNI’s F & E Historic Streetcar lines or private transit service.For BART schedules and fares visit BART or call 510.465.2278.

CALTRAIN

CALTRAIN provides weekday and weekend train service from San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties to San Francisco. The downtown San Francisco CALTRAIN terminal is located at 700 4th Street near Townsend. From there, transfers can be made to MUNI buses and the E Historic Streetcar line.

 

For CALTRAIN schedules and fares visit CALTRAIN.

Walk To “The Rock” Dock

Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing is located on The Embarcadero in close proximity to Fisherman’s Wharf.

San Francisco is 49 square miles, 7 miles across with seven hills in between to provide spectacular views. The scenery, the architecture, and the neighborhoods give you a reason to walk and feel the energy of “The City” on your way to “The Rock”. Some routes can be strenuous with hills and steps, and others can be an easy stroll. Walk your entire route or use a combination of public transportation and your own feet.

Plan ahead, walking to and from key locations can take more time than you might expect. Below you will find the approximate times it will take to walk to Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing from some of the top destinations in San Francisco:

  • Union Square: 30-45 minutes
  • San Francisco Maritime Historic Park /Hyde Street Pier: 15-25 minutes
  • PIER 39: 5-10 minutes
  • Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 41: 7-12 minutes
  • Chinatown: 30-45 minutes
  • Embarcadero Station (BART, MUNI stops): 20-30 minutes
  • Ferry Building: 20-30 minutes

Other

Tip: A convenient way to organize your trip to Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing is to visit the 511 Take Transit Trip Planner. This site contains a wealth of links to local transit agencies, their services, fares, schedules, maps and related information. Type in your starting point, destination, and date you want to travel, and the Trip Planner will provide step-by-step directions on how to reach Alcatraz Landing via public transportation.