At the start of the day you will be picked up in an air-conditioned mini-bus from your downtown San Francisco or Fisherman’s Wharf hotel by your driver/guide.
At around 09:00am you will cross the Golden Gate Bridge into the Marin Headlands and stop for a photo opportunity if the weather allows it. You will drive on to Muir Woods, a beautiful valley filled with coastal redwood trees, the tallest trees in the world. The entrance fee to the Muir Woods National Park is US$ 7 (payable direct).
Situated in an inaccessibly steep ravine, Muir Woods was spared from the chain-saws that destroyed similar woods elsewhere on the US west coast. The redwoods that grow in this nature reserve reach heights of over 250 feet (77 m). These ancient trees, many over 1000 years old, only thrive in Northern California and Oregon, sustained by the thick fog that blankets the west coast in the summer months.
Spend about an hour walking through the tranquil woods then drive come back over the Headlands and head north to the wine region. On the way, your knowledgeable driver/guide will tell you about the history of the Californian wine country.
You will tour the historic Sonoma Valley and Carneros Regions, and visit three wineries, spending 30 minutes to an hour at each winery, with free tastings, and usually five delicious wines at each one.
Wineries that may be visited on the tour are listed under Additional Information on this website. They range in size from small and homey to large and grand but all offer visual appeal, friendly atmosphere, attractive presentation, and good value.
At lunch time, you will visit the Sonoma Plaza, for complimentary cheese tasting, and the option of a gourmet deli, or a BBQ (payable direct).
On the way back to San Francisco you will drive through the little town of Sausalito, home of thousands of sailboats, hundreds of floating houses, and a beautiful view of the Bay and San Francisco. Finally, the guide will take you back to the Golden Gate and stop to let you take pictures high above the Bridge, if it was not possible to do so in the morning.
At the end of the day you will be dropped back at the point at which you were picked up.
You will be informed of the time of your departure to Alcatraz on when you are sent your confirmatory email. You should meet your Alcatraz tour at Radisson Fisherman's Wharf Hotel on 250 Beach Street. (This hotel is 10min walk from Alcatraz and located directly behind the Pier 39 parking lot) and ride the ferry across the Bay to Alcatraz Island.
Alcatraz has a checkered history, which makes it fascinating to visit. At various times it has served as a lighthouse, a fortress and an infamous prison. It is now part of a National Park.
The grim reputation of the island comes from its 29 years as a federal penitentiary. Isolated by cold and dangerous currents, it was pretty much escape-proof, although many prisoners tried. Notorious inmates included Al Capone and Robert Franklin Stroud, the ‘Birdman of Alcatraz’.
The ferry ride from San Francisco to Alcatraz takes approximately 10-15 minutes. There are no formal guided tours of Alcatraz as such – visiting the island is primarily a self-guided experience which you can do at your own pace. Once you arrive on the island, a brief presentation of the island's history and advice on touring the prison are given. You will enjoy a gripping audio presentation, ‘Doing Time: The Alcatraz Cellhouse Tour’, featuring recordings of former inmates, prison guards and prison wardens.
It takes roughly 2 to 2 ½ hours to do the full tour of Alcatraz (including the audio tour). Apart from the prison, other features of interest include the historic lighthouse, early fortifications and visible reminders of the American Indian occupation that began after the prison closed. You will also see stupendous panoramas of the coastline.
The Island, now cared for by the National Park Service, also boasts a rich wildlife including rare plants, marine animals and thousands of roosting and nesting sea birds (mostly western gulls, cormorants, and egrets).
No food service is available on Alcatraz, however there is a picnic area at the dock. Food, drinks and smoking are only allowed on the dock. (An exception is bottled water, available in the bookstore on the dock on Alcatraz.)
You can spend as long as you wish on the Island. Ferries back to San Francisco leave around every 30 minutes. Your tour ends back at Radisson Fisherman's Wharf Hotel.