We took the 1-hour ride, which was more than enough for us. It was a good experience. You don't need to go to the ticket window; just go straight to the line for the boat, and they will already have your name. The boat goes right under the bridge, turns around, and goes to Alcatraz.
This was such a great experience! We were only in town for 2 days and wanted to see the city quickly so we decided to book a 4-hour tour. It was raining and the directions were hard to read but we still had a great time!
