10 Best New Orleans City Pass Insights

New Orleans City Passes at a Glance (2026)

Before comparing prices, it helps to understand the structural type of each pass — because the break-even math is completely different. Go City sells an All-Inclusive (time-based: unlimited attractions per consecutive day) and an Explorer Pass (count-based: choose 2–7 attractions, valid 60 days). The Go City All-Inclusive vs Explorer breakdown explains the full mechanics. The Good Times Pass is a fixed-bundle: pick 6 from a pool, no daily clock, 10-day window. See the New Orleans city pass price guide for every tier.

Prices verified June 2026. Go City tier prices are approximate — check gocity.com for live rates.

Is Go City New Orleans Worth It? The Math (2026)

We priced the top Go City inclusions individually in June 2026 to find the real break-even. Here's a realistic 2-day first-timer itinerary using the Go City All-Inclusive Pass (~$119 adult):

The Go City Explorer Pass (choose 2–7 attractions, 60-day window) suits selective travelers who want to pre-commit to a short list without the daily-clock pressure. See the All-Inclusive vs Explorer comparison for the full side-by-side.

Is the Good Times Pass Worth It? The Math (2026)

The Good Times Pass costs $169 and lets you pick 4 from Pool A and 2 from Pool B. Here's what the highest-value 6-pick combination looks like priced individually:

Pool A picks (choose 4):

• National WWII Museum: $36
• Steamboat NATCHEZ: $44
• Gray Line Bayou & Swamp Tour: $55
• Audubon Zoo: $22

Pool B picks (choose 2):

• Ogden Museum of Southern Art: $15
• Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience: $15

À-la-carte total: $187 · Good Times Pass: $169 · You save: $18 (10%)

Verdict: Modest savings, but the 10-day flexibility is the real value. If you pick lower-priced Pool B venues (most are $10–$15), you may barely break even or save nothing. The pass makes sense if you genuinely want 4 big Pool A experiences like the WWII Museum + Steamboat NATCHEZ + a swamp tour + Audubon Zoo over a relaxed long-weekend trip. Skip it if you only want 2–3 attractions.

Check what's included in the New Orleans pass for the complete Pool A and Pool B lists updated for 2026.

Buy It If / Skip It If

Go City All-Inclusive — Buy it if:

• You're doing 3+ attractions per consecutive day (families, first-timers, power sightseers).
• You want skip-the-line at the WWII Museum and Steamboat NATCHEZ boarding.
• You want flexibility to browse the full 25+ option list and change plans on the fly.
• You're visiting for 2–3 days with a full itinerary already planned.

Go City All-Inclusive — Skip it if:

• You're a slow traveler who wants to linger over one museum and a long lunch.
• Your trip is 1 day and you only want 1–2 highlights — buy individual tickets.
• You're visiting primarily for food, music, and neighborhoods (pass doesn't cover bars or restaurants).

Good Times Pass — Buy it if:

• You want the 4 biggest Pool A hits (WWII Museum + Steamboat NATCHEZ + swamp tour + Audubon Zoo) spread over a relaxed 5–10 day trip.
• You hate the daily-clock pressure of an all-inclusive pass.
• You're on a fixed budget and want one upfront payment with no surprise add-ons.

Good Times Pass — Skip it if:

• You only want 2–3 attractions — individual tickets will cost less.
• You pick mostly Pool B venues (most are $10–$15 each; you won't break even).
• You want skip-the-line access — the Good Times Pass doesn't include it.

Go City New Orleans: What's Included in 2026

The Go City New Orleans All-Inclusive Pass covers 25+ experiences. Highlights we verified in June 2026:

• National WWII Museum — general campus admission (the 4D Beyond All Boundaries theater costs extra)
• Steamboat NATCHEZ daytime jazz cruise — the live-band Mississippi River cruise; dinner/buffet upgrade is extra
• Mardi Gras World with transportation from the French Quarter
• Ultimate Swamp Adventures tour — airboat through the bayou, transport included
• New Orleans School of Cooking demonstration class
• Vue Orleans observation deck — panoramic views from the Four Seasons tower
• City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus — useful for navigation on day one
• Gray Line city tours, ghost tours, and cemetery tours
• Multiple French Quarter walking tours (history, architecture, Garden District)

The pass does not cover: meals on the Steamboat NATCHEZ, the 4D theater at WWII Museum, or any upgrade experiences. Always check the Go City app for current inclusion status — the list changes periodically. For the complete 2026 checklist see what is included in the New Orleans pass.

Good Times Pass: Pool A & Pool B for 2026

The Good Times Pass (issued by New Orleans & Company via SmartVisit) lets you pick 4 from Pool A + 2 from Pool B, valid for 10 days after your first redemption. Days do not need to be consecutive.

Pool A (pick 4): National WWII Museum, Steamboat NATCHEZ, Audubon Zoo, Audubon Insectarium/Aquarium Combo, Gray Line Bayou & Swamp Tour, Gray Line City & Cemetery Tour, Gray Line Ghost & Spirits Tour, City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus, New Orleans School of Cooking, New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), Mardi Gras World, JAMNOLA, Backstreet Cultural Museum, City Park Botanical Gardens, Longue Vue Garden, Pirates of the Quarter Tour, Musee de fpc Tour.

Pool B (pick 2): Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, Gallier House Tour, Hermann-Grima House Tour, Historic New Orleans Collection Tour, Louisiana Children's Museum, City Putt Mini Golf, RTA 3-Day Jazzy Pass (transit).

Manage selections in the SmartVisit app. Book any capacity-limited experience (swamp tours, Steamboat NATCHEZ) as soon as you purchase — they sell out.

Which Pass for Which Traveler?

Understanding whether the New Orleans city pass is worth it comes down to your pace and flexibility needs:

• First-timer on 2–3 days, full schedule: Go City All-Inclusive 2-day or 3-day. Hit 3 attractions per day and you're well ahead.
• Family with young kids, 4–5 days: Go City 3-day or 5-day — kids' prices are lower and the Hop-On Hop-Off bus offsets taxi costs.
• Slow traveler, 5–10 days, wants 6 iconic sights: Good Times Pass. WWII Museum + Steamboat NATCHEZ + swamp tour + Audubon Zoo + two Pool B museums = you'll spend a day each and still be under budget.
• Single-day visitors or "mainly here for the food and music": Skip both. Buy WWII Museum ($36) and Steamboat NATCHEZ ($44) individually.
• Selective traveler, non-consecutive days: Go City Explorer Pass (choose 2–7, valid 60 days). See the Go City vs CityPASS guide for context on how the Explorer stacks up across operators.

Booking Tips: What to Know Before You Buy

• Reserve the Steamboat NATCHEZ immediately after purchase — the daytime jazz cruise is the most in-demand inclusion and sells out weeks ahead in spring and fall.
• Book the swamp tour early too. Gray Line and Ultimate Swamp Adventures have limited capacity; good slots go fast.
• WWII Museum: arrive at opening (9 AM). General admission is included, but the 4D theater (Beyond All Boundaries, ~$10 extra) books up. Buy that add-on separately at the door.
• Hop-On Hop-Off bus: use it on your first day to orient yourself. Last departures are typically around 5–6 PM — check the schedule so you're not stranded.
• Go City passes activate when you first scan. Don't scan in if you're only doing one quick stop — save your scan for a day you plan to do 3+ attractions.
• Good Times Pass: the 10-day window starts from first redemption, not purchase. Buy in advance; activate on your first sightseeing day.