Best Philadelphia City Pass: 9 Things to Know Before You Buy

Philadelphia Passes at a Glance (2026)

Before getting into the math, it helps to understand what structural type each pass is — because the break-even calculation is completely different between a time-based unlimited pass and a count-based bundle.

Go City prices reflect typical 2026 rates; check gocity.com for live pricing as they use dynamic rates by date.

Worth-It Math: Philadelphia CityPASS (C5, $89)

We priced the CityPASS eligible attractions at standard 2026 gate prices to find the real savings. Here is the best-case scenario — five of the most expensive inclusions:

Verdict: genuine savings. Swap Adventure Aquarium for the Philadelphia Museum of Art ($30) and the total changes only marginally — still roughly $56 saved. If instead you pick five of the cheaper inclusions (e.g. four sites averaging $19 each), savings drop to around $7–$10. The math works best when you anchor on the Zoo, the Aquarium, and the Franklin Institute.

The C3 at $66 and C4 at $79 are structurally similar — C3 saves around $21 on three big-ticket sites. If you know you only want three museums, C3 is a clean buy.

Worth-It Math: Go City Philadelphia

Go City's Explorer Pass (choose 5, ~$99) competes directly with CityPASS C5. With five of the same high-ticket inclusions, your à-la-carte total is the same $145, saving you $46 — about $10 less than CityPASS C5 for an identical set. The Explorer Pass wins on flexibility: you get 60 days to use it instead of 9, and you can swap in any of 30+ options including walking tours and smaller experiences not on the CityPASS list.

The All-Inclusive Pass is a different calculation. At $89 for a 2-day pass, you need to visit at least 3 attractions per day (roughly $45/day in gate value per day) to beat paying individually. That is doable for a motivated tourist hitting the Franklin Institute in the morning, Eastern State in the afternoon, and the Aquarium the next day — but it does not leave room for slow, wandering days. If you hit only two sites per day, you lose money on the All-Inclusive.

Go City also includes experiences CityPASS does not, like the Philadelphia Ghost Tour and the Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off tour. Those are mid-price (~$30–$40 each) and can tip the Explorer math favorably if they interest you.

How the Philadelphia CityPASS Works

CityPASS sells a fixed bundle — you pick your tier (C3, C4, or C5), then choose which sites you want from an approved list of about ten top-tier attractions. The pass activates the first time you scan in, and you have 9 consecutive days from that point to complete your visits. The full 2026 attraction menu includes:

• Philadelphia Zoo ($29 gate)
• Adventure Aquarium ($39 gate)
• The Franklin Institute ($29 gate)
• Eastern State Penitentiary ($21 gate)
• Museum of the American Revolution ($27 gate)
• Philadelphia Museum of Art ($30 gate)
• Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
• Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial
• National Constitution Center
• Barnes Foundation
• Big Bus Company / Philadelphia Trolley Works hop-on hop-off tour

Everything is digital — scan from your phone at the gate. Most venues let you go straight to the entry queue without stopping at the box office, which is a real time-saver during peak weekends. Some sites, particularly the Museum of the American Revolution, recommend booking a timed-entry slot in advance even with a pass. Check each venue's website after purchase.

The full 2026 price breakdown for Philadelphia CityPASS covers child rates and seasonal pricing.

Go City Philadelphia: Three Products, Not One

Go City is widely misunderstood because they sell three structurally different products under one brand. Confusing them leads to buying the wrong pass for your trip:

• All-Inclusive Pass — time-based, unlimited attractions for 1–5 consecutive days. Pays off only if you do 3+ attractions per day. Best for high-energy tourists who want to maximize every hour.
• Explorer Pass — count-based, choose 2–7 attractions, valid 60 days from first use. Works like CityPASS C-series but with 30+ options. Best for selective travelers or those staying long-term.
• Essentials Pass — a smaller curated bundle, newer product. Not available in all cities; check Go City's site for Philadelphia availability.

Go City's list of 30+ Philadelphia inclusions covers everything on the CityPASS list plus extras: ghost tours, trolley tours, the Polish American Cultural Center, the National Liberty Museum, and several walking history tours. You can see the full list at what is included in the Philadelphia pass.

Manage everything through the Go City app, which shows real-time attraction hours and handles digital redemption. Download it before you arrive — a handful of venues still require you to show the app at a specific desk rather than the main gate.

Buy It If / Skip It If

This is the verdict no official pass site will give you, because they cannot tell you to skip their product. We can.

Buy CityPASS C5 ($89) if:

• You want to visit 4–5 of the major museums and the Zoo in a single trip
• You are visiting for 2–4 days and want a simple, curated list
• You are traveling with kids (the Zoo + Aquarium + Franklin Institute combination is genuinely worth it)
• You want the highest per-attraction savings on the biggest sites

Buy Go City Explorer (5 attractions, ~$99) if:

• You want flexibility to mix museums with walking tours or the Big Bus
• You are visiting over multiple separate weekends (60-day window)
• You are a repeat Philadelphia visitor who has already done the big museums
• Ghost tours or specialty historical tours are on your list

Buy Go City All-Inclusive (2-day, ~$89) if:

• You can commit to visiting at least 3 attractions per day, back to back
• You are a high-energy tourist who wants to see as much as possible in 48 hours
• You are comfortable rushing between sites with minimal downtime

Skip all passes and buy individual tickets if:

• You only plan to visit 1–2 attractions — the math does not work
• Your main Philadelphia stops are Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell — both are free
• You want a slow, wandering trip with spontaneous detours — passes create pressure to "get your money's worth"
• You are visiting primarily for food, neighborhoods, or nightlife rather than museums

What Philadelphia Passes Do NOT Cover

Neither CityPASS nor Go City includes Philadelphia's most visited attractions — because they are free. Independence Hall tours are ticketed through the National Park Service (free, timed entry required), and the Liberty Bell Center has no admission charge. The Reading Terminal Market, South Street, and most of the historic district are completely open to anyone.

Special exhibitions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art often carry a surcharge even if you have a pass for general admission. The Franklin Institute similarly charges separately for IMAX films. Eastern State Penitentiary's "Terror Behind the Walls" Halloween event is a separate paid ticket. Always read the fine print on each attraction page before assuming everything is included.

The Adventure Aquarium in Camden requires crossing the Delaware River — either by PATCO Speedline (paid, ~$2.50) or by car. It is worth the trip but factor in travel time and the bridge fare.

Where to Buy and When

Buy CityPASS directly at citypass.com/philadelphia — the official site has the widest availability and you get the digital pass immediately. Third-party resellers (GetYourGuide, Viator, Groupon) occasionally offer marginal discounts but add a processing delay. CityPASS does not publish official discount codes; ignore "coupon" sites.

Buy Go City directly at gocity.com. They run seasonal sales — Black Friday and shoulder-season promotions regularly knock 10–15% off. GetYourGuide also sells the All-Inclusive pass, sometimes at a discount relative to the Go City site. Compare both before checkout.

Both passes are non-activated until you scan in for the first time, so you can buy well in advance. Passes expire 12 months from purchase if never activated.