Alcatraz & Pier 33 Car Service

Private chauffeur for your visit to Alcatraz Island, timed to the ferry. The Alcatraz boat leaves only from Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing on the Embarcadero — not Pier 39, the most common mix-up — and there is no parking at the pier. So we deliver you right to Pier 33 in time to board, collect you the moment the ferry returns, and fold the island into a full San Francisco day or an SFO transfer. You buy the ferry ticket directly from the official operator (they sell out — book ahead), and we handle everything on land. Professional chauffeurs since 1986. CPUC TCP# 9225. No surge pricing.

Plan an Alcatraz Day +1-650-876-1777
Pier 33
the only Alcatraz ferry dock
No parking
at the pier — we drop you at the gate
Book ahead
ferry tickets sell out
40 yrs
driving San Francisco since 1986

The Easy Way to Do Alcatraz

Alcatraz is unforgettable — but the logistics on the city side trip up a lot of visitors: the wrong pier, no place to park, and a ferry that leaves exactly on time whether you have made it or not. A private car removes all of that so the day is just the island and the bay.

Pier 33, not Pier 39

Every Alcatraz ferry leaves from Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing on the Embarcadero. Pier 39 — a short walk away — is the marketplace, and heading there by mistake is the single most common way people miss their boat. We take you to the right dock.

No parking at the pier

There is no lot at Pier 33; the nearest garage is blocks away and fills on busy days. We set you down right at the entrance, so you are not circling the Embarcadero with a ferry to catch.

The ferry leaves on schedule

Boats run about every half hour and do not wait. We plan for traffic and get you there with time for the security check and the boarding line — roughly 30 minutes ahead.

We are there on your return

The visit runs about two and a half to three hours round-trip. Rather than hunt for a ride back at a crowded pier, your car is waiting to carry on with the day or head for the airport.

How It Works

1. You book the ferry

Reserve your Alcatraz ticket in advance directly from the official operator, City Experiences, at cityexperiences.com. Summer and night tours sell out weeks ahead.

2. We time the pickup

Tell us your boarding time and pickup point — any hotel, home, or SFO/OAK arrival — and we build the drive to land you at Pier 33 with margin.

3. Straight to Pier 33

We drop you right at Alcatraz Landing, not a garage blocks away — through the city, no parking, no wrong-pier detour.

4. We meet the boat

When the ferry returns, your car is there — on to the Wharf, a city tour, dinner, or the airport.

Flat and hourly private rates, quoted up front with no surge pricing. The Alcatraz ferry ticket is a separate charge booked directly with the operator — we are your car and your timing, not a ticket reseller.

Make a San Francisco Day of It

Pier 33 sits at the northern edge of the city’s best sightseeing, so Alcatraz slots naturally into a wider San Francisco day — with the car carrying you between stops.

Fisherman’s Wharf

Minutes from Pier 33 — the sea lions at Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square, and the crab stands. Stay at the Argonaut right on the Wharf.

A city highlights loop

Lombard Street, Coit Tower, the Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate Park — a full San Francisco tour around your Alcatraz window.

The Golden Gate & Marin

Cross the bridge to the Marin Headlands overlooks or Sausalito for the afternoon.

Cruise & pier transfers

Sailing from the city? We also serve the Pier 27 cruise terminal next door.

Airport on either end

A morning on Alcatraz then straight to SFO — flight tracking and meet-and-greet, all in one booking.

Custom Bay Area tours

Alcatraz folds into a wider Bay Area tour — the city, the coast, or wine country — all with one chauffeur.

About Alcatraz Island

“The Rock” has had many lives. In 1854 it received the first lighthouse on the West Coast; by the Civil War it was a fortified Army post, and then a military prison. In 1934 it became the federal government’s maximum-security penitentiary — the end of the line for the system’s most difficult inmates, among them Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Robert Stroud, the “Birdman of Alcatraz.” Its cold currents and swirling tides were meant to make escape impossible; the 1962 disappearance of Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers, who left dummy heads in their bunks and were never found, remains one of the country’s most famous unsolved cases.

The prison closed in 1963. In 1969 the island was occupied for nineteen months by a group of Native American activists, “Indians of All Tribes,” in a protest that helped galvanize the modern Native American rights movement — a story the island now tells alongside its prison history. Today Alcatraz is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and its award-winning cellhouse audio tour, narrated by former officers and inmates, is consistently rated one of the finest experiences of its kind anywhere. It draws well over a million visitors a year — which is exactly why the tickets sell out and the timing matters.

Alcatraz Car Service — Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the ferry leave, and can you take me?

Only from Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing on the Embarcadero — not Pier 39 (a common mix-up). We drive you straight to Pier 33 in time to board; there is no parking at the pier, so a drop-off is the easy way in, and we meet you on your return.

Do you sell Alcatraz tickets?

No — we provide the car and the timing. Tickets are sold only by the official operator, City Experiences (cityexperiences.com), and they sell out, so book yours ahead. We build your pickup around your boarding time.

How early should I arrive at Pier 33?

About 30 minutes before your ferry, for the security check and boarding line. Boats run roughly every half hour and leave on schedule. The full round-trip visit is about 2.5–3 hours.

Combine with Fisherman’s Wharf or a city tour?

Yes — Pier 33 is minutes from the Wharf, North Beach, and the Embarcadero. We fold in the Wharf, Lombard Street, the Palace of Fine Arts, or a full city loop, and it pairs neatly with an SFO arrival or departure.

What will I see on the island?

The West Coast’s first lighthouse, the 1934–63 federal penitentiary (Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, the Birdman, the unsolved 1962 escape), and the story of the 1969–71 Native American occupation — all on the acclaimed cellhouse audio tour, with unmatched bay views.

Cost and vehicles?

Flat or hourly private rate, up front, no surge. Black SUV or sedan for a couple; Suburban or Sprinter for families and groups. The ferry ticket is separate, booked with the operator. Call +1-650-876-1777 or use Get a Quote.

Alcatraz, without the pier-side stress

Right dock, no parking hunt, on time for the boat, and a car waiting when you step off — folded into your city day or airport transfer. Flat & hourly rates, no surge. Since 1986.

Plan an Alcatraz Day +1-650-876-1777

Related San Francisco Pages

San FranciscoFisherman’s WharfPier 27 Cruise TerminalMarin HeadlandsSausalitoMuir WoodsBay Area ToursSFO Airport

All 200+ LocationsThe Airport Commuter Standard⭐ Leave a ReviewSan FranciscoPier 27 CruiseSFO Airport+1-650-876-1777
For fastest response text us — include dates, times, passengers, bags, pickup/drop-off. Let us know how you found us and what you searched
Call (650) 876-1777 Text (650) 228-3590
Photo Credits & Image Attributions