10 Essential Tips: Do City Passes Include Transport?

Transport Inclusions by Pass — 2026 Comparison

We priced all major US passes as of June 2026. "HOHO" = hop-on-hop-off sightseeing bus (private, tourist route). "Public transit" = city subway/bus/rail. Buy links go to the official pass sites.

Prices verified June 2026 on official pass sites. Adult prices shown. Child pricing varies — see each city pass page for full child rates.

Worth-It Math: Do the Transport Savings Actually Add Up?

Since no major pass covers the city subway, you need to factor transit costs into your total trip budget separately. Here is what that looks like in practice with 2026 prices.

New York City (5 nights, 2 adults)

The MTA charges $2.90/ride in 2026 via OMNY (tap your contactless card — no MetroCard needed). If you take 4 rides/day for 5 days, that is $116 for two adults on transit alone. A 7-day unlimited MetroCard costs $34/person — so two adults spend $68 total. At that pace, the unlimited card saves $48 over individual OMNY taps. No attraction pass covers any of this.

Now layer in the New York CityPASS® ($164/adult): the five included attractions — Empire State Building ($44), 9/11 Memorial Museum ($33), American Museum of Natural History ($28), Top of the Rock ($40), and Statue of Liberty ferry ($37) — total $182 à la carte. The CityPASS saves you roughly $18/adult on attractions, or $36 for two. Add your $68 MetroCard cost and your total out-of-pocket for two people is $232 in attractions + $68 transit = $300 vs $428 à la carte + transit. The pass still wins — but the transit cost is real and needs its own budget line.

San Francisco (3 nights, 2 adults)

A single cable car ride is $9.00/person in 2026. Ride it twice each way to Fisherman's Wharf and that is $36 for two people — more than a 1-day Muni Passport ($26/adult). The 1-day Muni Passport covers unlimited cable cars, streetcars, and buses. For a 3-day trip: two adults × 3 Muni day passes = $156. The San Francisco CityPASS ($99/adult) covers five attractions worth roughly $180 à la carte — saving about $81 per person on entries. Budget the Muni Passport separately; it does not overlap with CityPASS at all.

Chicago (2 nights, 2 adults)

Chicago CTA single rides cost $2.50 via Ventra app. An unlimited 1-day CTA pass is $5.00. For a focused 2-day trip with ~6 rides/day: individual taps = $30 for two people, vs 2-day unlimited ($10/person = $20 for two). Savings: $10 — minor compared to the $238 you save on attraction admissions with a CityPASS.

Buy It If / Skip It If

Buy a city pass (Go City or CityPASS) if:

• You plan to visit 3+ paid attractions in one city — the math works in your favor.
• You want the convenience of one digital pass covering entry (skip the door queue).
• You are visiting NYC, Chicago, or Boston where CityPASS saves 40%+ on the core 5 attractions.
• You choose the Go City All-Inclusive and want the HOHO bus bundled in — it is a genuine transport win for first-timers who want an orientation loop.

Skip (or supplement) if:

• You mainly want to get around the city cheaply — no attraction pass covers the subway or bus. Budget transit separately.
• You are doing fewer than 3 paid attractions — individual tickets almost always win. Read are city passes worth it for the break-even calculator.
• You are visiting San Francisco and only care about cable cars and streetcars — the SF Muni Passport ($26/day) is the product you want, not CityPASS.
• You want a flexible itinerary in a city with only one pass option — the Go City Explorer (choose-N, 60-day window) is usually the better pick over the time-based All-Inclusive. See Go City All-Inclusive vs Explorer.

City-by-City Transit Guide: What to Budget Alongside Your Pass

New York City

None of the NYC passes — Go City, CityPASS, New York CityPASS — cover the MTA subway or buses. Pay with a contactless card via OMNY at $2.90/ride, or load an OMNY weekly unlimited ($34) if you will ride more than 12 times. The Go City All-Inclusive includes a Big Bus 1-day HOHO tour, which loops Midtown landmarks — useful on day 1 for orientation, but not useful for getting to Brooklyn or uptown museums on a schedule. See the New York Pass review for full inclusions.

San Francisco

Neither Go City nor CityPASS includes Muni, BART, or cable cars. Cable cars cost $9.00/ride in 2026 — one of the most expensive single transit fares in the US. Buy the Muni Visitor Passport ($26/day or $54/3-day) from SFMTA separately. It covers all Muni bus, streetcar, and cable car rides. BART (regional rail to the airport and East Bay) is a separate fare system entirely and is not covered by any tourist pass. See the San Francisco city pass comparison for full worth-it math.

Chicago

Neither Chicago CityPASS nor Go City Chicago covers the CTA L-train or city buses. Buy a CTA Ventra card and load a 1-day ($5) or 3-day ($15) unlimited pass. The Go City All-Inclusive includes a Big Bus Chicago HOHO tour. For Chicago CityPASS, every included attraction (Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Skydeck, etc.) is reachable by the L — the Green Line stops near the Museum Campus. Budget $10–$15 in CTA fares per person for a 2-day trip.

Boston

No Boston pass covers the MBTA subway (the T) or bus. A single T ride is $2.40 with a CharlieCard. A 1-day LinkPass is $11/person. The Go City All-Inclusive Boston includes a Big Bus HOHO tour. Most Freedom Trail sites are walkable — many visitors to Boston spend very little on transit if staying near downtown.

Las Vegas

Go City Las Vegas (All-Inclusive and Explorer) does not include the Las Vegas Monorail or the DEUCE bus on the Strip. The Monorail charges $6/ride or $15/day. Most Vegas attractions served by the pass are on or near the Strip — walkable or Uber-accessible. Transit is rarely the deciding factor in the Vegas pass calculation. Check the Las Vegas city pass comparison for current Go City pricing.

Hop-On-Hop-Off vs. City Transit: What Is the Difference?

This is the single most common source of confusion in reader questions. Here is the distinction spelled out plainly:

• City transit (MTA subway, CTA L-train, Muni bus, MBTA T) = the public network run by a government agency. Covers the whole city on a timed schedule. Never included in attraction passes.
• Hop-on-hop-off (HOHO) bus = a private sightseeing bus run by companies like Big Bus Tours or City Sightseeing. Loops tourist landmarks, typically every 30–60 minutes. Included in Go City All-Inclusive passes in several cities. Useful for orientation and for slow sightseeing — not useful for getting between a hotel in Midtown and a museum in Brooklyn on a schedule.

When a pass listing says "transportation included," it almost always means the HOHO bus — not the city subway or bus network. Always confirm which type is meant before buying. Our how city passes work guide covers this in more detail.