Book your tickets as early as possible. Tickets are available approximately 3 months in advance. All tours have been sold out, for a number of days, both times we've visited.
Book an early time slot. This will enable you to tour the island before it gets really busy. Plus, the ferry takes approximately 20 minutes, both ways, and you can easily spend 2-3 hours touring. So an early start means you can get back to the mainland around lunchtime.
Although you can take your own picnics, which can only be consumed in the picnic section of the docking area, no food is sold on the island.
Bottled water is available to purchase from the bookstores, or you can bring your own.
Wear good walking shoes. There is a lot of walking to be done, up and down hill, and some of the terrain is very uneven.
Buy the $1 guide (available at the dockside on the island), it has a handy map and makes a nice, cheap momento!
When you arrive on Alcatraz, stand to the right side of the crowd that gathers to listen to the National Parks employee speech, to ensure you are one of the first visitors to reach the Cellhouse for the audio tour.
If you are able to, leave a long gap between the people starting the tour before you press play on your headphones. Everyone tours at the same speed, so if you are in a large group with others, you will struggle to get near certain information boards, cells etc. If you find yourself caught in a large group, press pause for a while before continuing the tour.
Arrive at the dock, to catch the ferry back to the mainland, at least 15 minutes before the ferry is due to depart.
