San Francisco’s iconic Alcatraz Island has been temporarily closed to visitors due to ongoing dock repairs, disrupting travel plans for hundreds of tourists and prompting a rush to reschedule tours ahead of the weekend.

Officials from the National Park Service confirmed that the historic site will remain shut for the rest of the week, with a planned reopening on Saturday if repair work proceeds as scheduled. The closure was first announced via an alert posted on the park’s website last Friday, advising visitors to modify their bookings.

Tourists with existing reservations have been encouraged to contact Alcatraz City Cruises directly to rearrange their trips. The ferry operator has been handling a surge of inquiries, though detailed information about the repair timeline remains limited.

As an alternative, the company is offering its Bay Discovery sightseeing cruise, a route that passes major landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito and Angel Island. While the substitute option provides a scenic experience of the bay, it does not include access to the former federal prison, one of the most visited attractions in the United States.

Despite the disruption, demand for Alcatraz tours remains strong. Tickets resume on Saturday, with most morning time slots already sold out, suggesting pent-up demand from both rescheduled visitors and new bookings.

The sudden closure has left some travelers scrambling. On Reddit, one visitor from the United Kingdom shared that they only discovered the cancellation on Monday morning while preparing for their first trip to San Francisco, raising concerns about whether rescheduling would be possible on short notice.

Authorities say updates on the reopening and any further changes will continue to be posted on the park’s official website. For now, visitors are advised to check the latest information frequently as repair work progresses and normal operations are gradually restored.