Go City vs CityPASS San Francisco: Which Pass Wins in 2026?

2026 San Francisco Pass Comparison Table

All prices verified June 2026 from the official Go City and CityPASS websites. Adult prices shown; child rates in each section below.

Alcatraz is not on any pass. The Alcatraz Island ferry (operated by Alcatraz City Cruises) costs approximately $44–$47 per adult including the audio tour. Book at least 2–3 weeks in advance — it sells out, and no pass can help you if you have not reserved your slot.

What Each Pass Includes — and What It Does Not

Go City All-Inclusive San Francisco

The Go City All-Inclusive is a time-based unlimited pass: choose 1, 2, 3, or 5 consecutive days, and visit as many of the 23 included attractions as you want while the pass is active. The 1-day adult rate is $109; multi-day pricing is available on the Go City website via the duration selector. The 23 attractions span transport (Big Bus hop-on hop-off, GoCar tours, cable car day pass), nature (California Academy of Sciences), water (Bridge-to-Bridge Cruise on Red and White Fleet), culture (de Young Museum, Legion of Honor, Asian Art Museum), and active experiences (Golden Gate Bridge bike tour, electric bike rental).

What is NOT included: Alcatraz (no pass covers it), SFMOMA, Aquarium of the Bay, Exploratorium, San Francisco Zoo, and the Walt Disney Family Museum are all absent from the Go City All-Inclusive roster. The CityPASS attractions and the Go City attractions are almost entirely different menus — which is one reason comparing the two operators requires care. Also excluded: any Broadway-style shows, restaurant experiences, and premium event tickets.

Go City Explorer San Francisco

The Explorer works differently from the All-Inclusive. You choose a fixed number of attraction entries — 2 to 5 — and use them at any pace within 30 days of your first use. The 2-choice adult rate is $89; 3, 4, and 5-choice rates are available on the Go City site. The attraction menu is the same 23-option list as the All-Inclusive, so you can target the most expensive entries: California Academy of Sciences (up to $59 value) or a Big Bus 1-day tour (up to $66 value) combine for more than $89 à la carte on just 2 entries — that is where the Explorer earns its keep.

What is NOT included: Same exclusions as the All-Inclusive above. The Explorer shares the same 23-attraction list, so SFMOMA, Exploratorium, and Alcatraz are not available via either Go City product.

Go City Essentials San Francisco

The Essentials pass is Go City's smallest, cheapest tier: $74 adult / $54 child, pick 3 of 9 curated activities, valid 30 days. The 9 options overlap partially with the full Explorer menu. Worth considering if the three activities you want happen to be on the Essentials list — it undercuts the Explorer's 2-choice starting price of $89 while offering you 3 entries. Check the Essentials list carefully before buying, because the selection is narrower than the Explorer or All-Inclusive.

San Francisco CityPASS

The San Francisco CityPASS is a fixed bundle: $89.95 adult ($69.95 child ages 4–11), 9 consecutive days from first use. Two attractions are mandatory — California Academy of Sciences and the Blue & Gold Fleet San Francisco Bay Cruise — and you choose 2 more from a list of 6: Exploratorium, Aquarium of the Bay, San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, SFMOMA, The Walt Disney Family Museum, and de Young Museum + Legion of Honor. Four attractions total, one price, no decision fatigue after you make your two choices.

The CityPASS valid-for-9-days window is the most flexible window in the market: you can use it across a full week without any daily density requirement. There is no skip-the-line queue in the traditional sense — the pass provides advance reservation access, which achieves a similar time-saving result at attractions that require pre-booking.

What is NOT included: Alcatraz (as with every pass), Go City's Big Bus tours, GoCar, bike experiences, and the cable car day pass. The two pass ecosystems are almost entirely complementary — Go City covers transport and outdoor experiences, CityPASS covers science, art, and nature museums. If your San Francisco list mixes both, buying one pass and paying individually for the other operator's top pick is often the right call.

San Francisco C3 by CityPASS

The C3 is CityPASS's flexible three-attraction product: $81.95 adult ($64.95 child), choose any 3 of 9, valid 9 consecutive days. The 9 options are the same list as the full CityPASS (minus the mandatory-2 structure): California Academy of Sciences, Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise, Exploratorium, Aquarium of the Bay, San Francisco Zoo, SFMOMA, The Walt Disney Family Museum, Bay City Bike & Parkwide Bike Rentals, and de Young + Legion of Honor. The C3 adds Bay City Bike Rentals as an option not available on the full CityPASS, giving it one more active-experience entry point.

What is NOT included: Same as the full CityPASS — Alcatraz, Go City transport/tour products, and anything outside the 9-option menu.

San Francisco Attraction Prices À La Carte (2026 Baseline)

These are the individual ticket prices we verified in June 2026. Pass math only makes sense against real standalone prices — these are the numbers that determine whether any pass saves you money.

Free attractions worth planning around: Golden Gate Park (free entry; Cal Academy inside it costs extra), Fisherman's Wharf waterfront, Coit Tower exterior, the Ferry Building, Dolores Park, and the classic cable car photo spots. A well-planned San Francisco trip mixes a handful of paid highlights with a generous dose of free outdoor scenery.

Worth-It Math: Does the Pass Actually Save You Money?

We ran the numbers on the most common San Francisco itinerary scenarios. The verdict: San Francisco passes can save meaningful money, but only if your planned attractions align with the pass's menu. The two operators cover almost entirely different sets of attractions, so picking the wrong pass is easy.

Scenario 1 — Go City Explorer 2-choice at $89

California Academy of Sciences ($59, anytime ticket) + Big Bus 1-day tour ($66) = $125 à la carte vs $89 Explorer — saving of $36. That is a straightforward 29% saving on two of San Francisco's most expensive individual tickets. The Explorer pays off clearly here. Alternatively: Cal Academy ($59) + Golden Gate Bridge Bike Tour ($65) = $124 à la carte vs $89 — saving of $35. The Go City Explorer 2-choice wins decisively when you pick the two highest-value inclusions on its 23-attraction menu.

Scenario 2 — San Francisco CityPASS at $89.95

Cal Academy ($59) + Blue & Gold Fleet Cruise ($39) + Exploratorium ($39.95) + SFMOMA ($30) = $167.95 à la carte vs $89.95 pass — saving of $78. That is genuine, substantial value. The CityPASS math works convincingly when you want all four attractions. But here is the honest caveat: if you skip any of the four — a foggy Saturday when the cruise feels less appealing, or SFMOMA on a day you run out of time — the value shrinks rapidly. Skip two of the four and you are paying $89.95 for roughly $98 in à-la-carte value. Still a saving, but not a dramatic one.

Scenario 3 — San Francisco C3 at $81.95 (choose 3)

Best 3-choice combination for raw value: Cal Academy ($59) + Exploratorium ($39.95) + Blue & Gold Fleet Cruise ($39) = $137.95 à la carte vs $81.95 C3 — saving of $56. Strong. If you want Cal Academy and two other major museums or experiences on the CityPASS list, the C3 at $81.95 is the most cost-efficient choice in the San Francisco pass market for a 3-attraction visit. It undercuts the Go City Explorer 2-choice price by $7 while giving you one extra attraction entry.

Scenario 4 — Go City All-Inclusive 1-day at $109

To break even on a 1-day All-Inclusive at $109, you need $109 in à-la-carte tickets in a single calendar day. That is achievable: Cal Academy ($59) + Big Bus ($66) alone = $125, clearing break-even at two stops. Add a Bridge-to-Bridge Cruise ($48) and your à-la-carte total hits $173 for three activities — a $64 saving on the 1-day pass. The All-Inclusive rewards an aggressive, activity-dense single day. It loses money if you spend the afternoon walking around the Embarcadero or sitting in Dolores Park — both free.

For multi-day visits, the All-Inclusive is available in 2, 3, and 5-day durations; pricing for those tiers is shown on the Go City website when you select a duration. The per-day cost decreases as you add days, but the density requirement per day increases in importance: a 3-day All-Inclusive only wins if you visit 3–4 attractions per day across all three days.

When to skip every pass

If your San Francisco list is: Alcatraz + one museum + one outdoor activity, buy individual tickets. Alcatraz ($44–47) is not on any pass. If the second item is the Exploratorium ($39.95) and the third is a free walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, you are spending $84–$87 on two paid entries. The Go City Explorer 2-choice at $89 covers two non-Alcatraz inclusions, and the C3 at $81.95 starts at three. But if one of your two paid stops is Alcatraz, no pass covers it — buy both individually and skip the pass entirely.

Who Should Pick Which San Francisco Pass

First-timer, 3–5 days, want to see a lot

Go City Explorer 3 or 4-choice. You get 30 days to use your entries, no daily density requirement, and you can cherry-pick the highest-value entries from the 23-attraction menu: California Academy of Sciences, a Big Bus day, a Golden Gate bike tour, and a bay cruise. That combination covers the classic SF day-trip circuit. Buy on the Go City website and check the current 3-choice and 4-choice prices — they sit between the 2-choice $89 and 5-choice ceiling. Add a separate Alcatraz booking the moment you decide on travel dates.

Museum and nature lover

San Francisco CityPASS at $89.95. The CityPASS covers the city's two best science institutions — California Academy of Sciences and your choice of Exploratorium or Aquarium of the Bay — plus the bay cruise and one more pick from art or nature (de Young, SFMOMA, SF Zoo, Walt Disney Family Museum). If your ideal San Francisco day is a museum morning and a scenic afternoon, the CityPASS delivers it at a better price than buying individually. It is also the most comprehensive overview of all San Francisco pass options for this traveler type.

Selective visitor, 2–3 specific sights

San Francisco C3 by CityPASS at $81.95. Choose your three attractions from the 9-option menu at purchase — or, since the C3 does not require you to name them upfront, decide on arrival. The 9-day window is pressure-free for a 2–3 day trip. The C3 wins on price versus Go City Explorer if your top choices are all on the CityPASS list (Cal Academy, Exploratorium, SFMOMA, Zoo, Bay Cruise, Aquarium, de Young, Walt Disney Family Museum, Bay City Bike). It loses if you want Big Bus tours, GoCar, or bridge bike tours — those are Go City-only inclusions.

Active traveler wanting outdoor experiences

Go City Explorer 2-choice, targeting Golden Gate Bridge Bike Tour + Bridge-to-Bridge Bay Cruise. That combination — $65 + $48 = $113 à la carte — drops to $89 on the Explorer, saving $24 plus the convenience of booking both through one app. Alternatively the Go City All-Inclusive 1-day pass lets you add the Big Bus hop-on hop-off on the same day to stretch the value further. Outdoor and active experiences are almost entirely Go City territory — CityPASS does not offer bike tours, bus tours, or the Red and White Fleet cruise.

Family with children

San Francisco CityPASS. The child rate ($69.95, ages 4–11) means a family of two adults and two children pays $89.95 × 2 + $69.95 × 2 = $319.80 for four people covering four attractions. California Academy of Sciences is one of the best family attractions in the country — a planetarium, rainforest dome, and aquarium under one roof. At $59 individual adult admission at peak times, the Cal Academy alone covers more than half the family CityPASS cost per adult. The 9-day window also means no frantic day-of scheduling with kids.

Budget traveler or repeat visitor

Skip every pass. San Francisco's free attractions are genuinely spectacular: Golden Gate Park, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Embarcadero, Fisherman's Wharf, Crissy Field, and the views from Twin Peaks or Dolores Park. If you have done the museums before, a well-planned free day in SF is easy to fill. Buy Alcatraz ($44–$47) individually if it is your one must-do — it is not on any pass and it is worth every dollar on its own merits. For a comparison of how the San Francisco options sit within the broader US city pass landscape, see our best US city passes guide.

Go City vs CityPASS San Francisco — The Honest Verdict

These two operators cover almost entirely different San Francisco attractions. Framing this as a head-to-head is actually the wrong question for most visitors — you are not choosing between the same attraction covered by two different passes. You are choosing which type of experience you want to buy.

Go City wins when: Your list includes Big Bus tours, GoCar, bridge bike tours, or the Red and White Fleet Bridge-to-Bridge Cruise. These are Go City-only inclusions — no CityPASS product touches them. Go City also wins on the Explorer's 30-day validity (vs CityPASS's 9 days) and on maximum choice from 23 attractions.

CityPASS wins when: Your list is museum-heavy — California Academy of Sciences, Exploratorium, SFMOMA, SF Zoo. These are CityPASS-only inclusions at this price point. The C3 at $81.95 for three of these museums beats Go City pricing on the same set of attractions, and the full CityPASS at $89.95 for four is excellent value if you want all four.

The split play: If your list is Cal Academy (CityPASS) + Golden Gate Bike Tour (Go City only) + Alcatraz (no pass) — buy the Go City 2-choice Explorer for Cal Academy + Bike Tour ($89), book Alcatraz separately, and skip CityPASS. Do not buy two passes to cover three attractions; the combined cost will exceed individual pricing.

For a full breakdown of how Go City compares to CityPASS across all cities and products, see our Go City vs CityPASS operator guide. To understand the Go City model specifically — how All-Inclusive, Explorer, and Essentials differ — see our Go City All-Inclusive vs Explorer comparison.

Booking Tips and Gotchas for San Francisco Passes

Alcatraz: book this first, separately, weeks in advance. This is the single most important San Francisco ticketing rule. Alcatraz City Cruises sells out 2–4 weeks ahead during peak season (May–September). No pass — not Go City, not CityPASS, not any product on the market — covers it. Go to alcatrazcruises.com before you book anything else, confirm your date, and lock in the evening tour if daytime slots are gone (the sunset crossing and evening return is legitimately atmospheric).

California Academy of Sciences: Peak-season (summer, spring break, holiday weekends) admission is $55–$59 vs $49 off-peak. Both Go City and CityPASS cover the anytime ticket, so you are not paying the premium out of pocket — but you still need to reserve a timed entry slot through the pass platform. Reserve as soon as you activate the pass.

Buying online: Always buy Go City and CityPASS directly from the operator's website. Resellers like GetYourGuide and Viator occasionally carry the same passes at list price, sometimes with a minor convenience discount. Do not buy from hotel concierge desks or airport kiosks — they charge list price or above.

The Sightseeing Pass is gone. The operator (Sightseeing Pass LLC) filed for bankruptcy in mid-2025 and suspended operations. If you see articles or listings recommending the Sightseeing Day Pass or Sightseeing Flex Pass for San Francisco, those pages are outdated. The active market is Go City and CityPASS only.

Go City app vs CityPASS app: Both passes are fully digital. The Go City app handles activation, attraction selection, and skip-the-line QR codes. The My CityPASS app manages your CityPASS or C3 tickets and advance reservations. Download both before you land in San Francisco — airport WiFi is not the time to set up pass apps.