03 Aug 2025
This tour was such an amazing experience for me, and it was definitely worth the money! James, our driver, picked us up from the pick-up point on time, and told us stories of how the Golden Gate Bridge was built with on-screen animation inside the mini-bus. James ensured we all engaged as a group by asking us all where we came from. He parked up at the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, and waited for about 45 minutes for the group to walk across the structure. There was a lovely cafe at the drop-off point too. I got just over half-way across the bridge and turned back around. You could've definitely got farther though if you walked faster and did not stop for as many pictures as myself!
Then, James drove the group to the pier, where we departed the bus and queued up to get on the cruise over to Alcatraz. We probably queued for about 30 minutes. Once there, we opted for the audio tour around the prison to get the full information. I am a Criminology student so this was definitely an added bonus. At the end, I visited William Baker (the last living prisoner of Alcatraz) who was signing and selling his book in the gift shop.
Overall, this trip was definitely a once in a life-time experience, and my favourite part of travelling the West Coast last year! Thank you again to James, our lovely driver.