I'm looking at booking a combination city/ alcatraz day tour with the alcatraz part of the tour being 2 hours. Is 2 hours long enough to casually look around the island or will it be a bit rush rush trying to fit everything in and enjoy myself at the same time?

I found 17 years too long

We found that long enough for all members of our family - including my husband who likes to read and ponder everything at every museum and site we visit.

I just got back from SF. We were on the 9:30 boat and back in SF by 12:00. This was more than enough time to 1) see the intro movie; 2) do the complete audio tour which is excellent; 3) have some extra time to wander about the recreation yard, other parts of the island not on the audio tour, including the gift shop.

Frankly, I've been to SF many times and was not looking forward to Alcatraz (went because my wife wanted to go) and was surprised at how much I enjoyed the trip.

Two hours is just right. Wear sneakers and bring a sweater or windbreaker no matter what the temp is in the actual city. Same thing for walking the GG bridge. Have fun.

IMHO 2 to 2 1/2 hours is enough for the whole trip start to finish. If it's nice day you may want tp pack a box lunch and sit outside on the island to eat - it's a fantastic site in the bay and offers an incredible view of the skyline and the GG bridge. As others have mentioned, be sure to get the audio tour and be prepared to have a pleasant surprise - it's way more interesting than many folks might think.

Thankyou for the responses