Alcatraz vs Palace of Fine Arts: which should you do first?

If you only have time for one, do Palace of Fine Arts first. Its top ten experiences average an Outty Ranking of 87 against 76 for Alcatraz, and it has 138 ranked ways to see it versus 97. Alcatraz is the cheaper entry at $39, so it is the better pick on a tight budget. With a full day in San Francisco, pair them: plan Palace of Fine Arts in the morning, as it is the shorter visit on average.

Ranked experiences at Alcatraz start from $39 and at Palace of Fine Arts from $67 per person. Palace of Fine Arts can also be visited for free; paid options add guides, skip-the-line access or transport.

Experiences at Alcatraz run 8.8 hours on average and at Palace of Fine Arts 4.2 hours, so both fit in one day in San Francisco with a break in between.

Yes. Book the longer visit for the morning when crowds are lighter, and keep the afternoon for the other. 75% of Alcatraz options and 100% of Palace of Fine Arts options offer free cancellation, which makes it easy to adjust.

For Alcatraz: Golden Gate Bridge Muir Woods Sausalito with Optional Alcatraz (Outty Ranking 94, from $119). For Palace of Fine Arts: Golden Gate Bridge Muir Woods Sausalito with Optional Alcatraz (Outty Ranking 94, from $119).