Another 'must do' on the tourist list is a visit to Alcatraz, the famous prison island. There is an interesting history to the island which predates the prison, but thanks to movies such as Escape from Alcatraz (with Clint Eastwood) and The Rock (Sean Connery) that's what it's better known for. Alcatraz is now part of the National Parks remit and as such visits are by guided tours only. These operate three times daily - full details of times, prices, and the ability to prebook online can be found at the official Alcatraz cruise website. We took the night tour which departs at roughly 6:30pm and returns around 9pm. This is the longest of the available tours and allows you to see the island both during the day and at night. The guided tour was very informative and interesting and if you've seen the movies referenced above you'll recognise some of the locations in the films.
