In a nutshell
- In San Francisco there are three different city passes that can save you money, time, and long lines at the door.
- If you’re visiting San Francisco for the first time and want to explore at a relaxed pace, the San Francisco Explorer Pass by Go City is our top recommendation.
- Want to do power sightseeing from morning to night? Then the San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass is the one for you.
- The San Francisco CityPASS is a mini city pass — perfect if you only want to hit a handful of highlights and can’t decide which ones.
How does a San Francisco city pass work?
The San Francisco city passes all work in a similar way: you pay a set amount and then get free admission to attractions, museums, boat tours, and tours in San Francisco.
Time-based vs. attraction-based San Francisco passes
There are two different types of passes: time-based passes are typically valid for one to five days from first use, and during that time you can visit as many of the included attractions as you like.
Attraction-based passes are valid for much longer — for example, 60 days. In exchange, you can only visit a set number of attractions. You decide how many that is.
Our recommendation: The San Francisco card that's worth it
For first-time visitors: San Francisco Explorer Pass
The San Francisco Explorer Pass is the perfect choice if you’re visiting the city for the first time and want to stroll around town as well as hit the top highlights. During your stay, you can visit 2, 3, 4, or 5 attractions in San Francisco. You have 30 days from first use to do so.
Buy the San Francisco Explorer Pass online
For turbo sightseeing: San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass
The San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass is our pick if you want to do nothing but sightseeing from morning to night. You choose whether your pass is valid for 1, 2, 3, or 5 days. During that time, you can visit as many attractions as you like.
Buy the San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass online
For the undecided: San Francisco CityPASS
The San Francisco CityPASS is a mini pass. It includes only 4 attractions: admission to the California Academy of Sciences, a boat tour, and two attractions of your choice. It’s a great option if you can’t quite make up your mind about what to do in San Francisco.
Buy the San Francisco CityPASS online
The best San Francisco passes at a glance
In the table below, we’ve summarized all San Francisco passes so you can compare them directly with one another.
| San Francisco Explorer Pass | San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass | San Francisco CityPASS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Validity | 30 days | 1, 2, 3, or 5 days | 9 days |
| Included attractions | 2, 3, 4, or 5 attractions | 25 | 4 attractions |
| Price | from 64 USD | from 79 USD | 84 USD |
| Buy now | Buy now | Buy now |
Want to know exactly which attractions you can visit with which pass? The table gives you a full overview.
| San Francisco Explorer Pass | San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass | San Francisco CityPASS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcatraz | No | No | No |
| Ride around Alcatraz Island (no disembarkation) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Hop-on/Hop-off Bus | Yes | Yes | No |
| San Francisco Bay Cruise | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Aquarium of the Bay | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Academy of Sciences | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SF Museum of Modern Art | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Exploratorium | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Walt Disney Family Museum | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Madame Tussauds | Yes | Yes | No |
| San Francisco Zoo & Gardens | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| City Tours | Yes | Yes | No |
| Bike Rental | Yes | Yes | No |
| Buy now | Buy now | Buy now |
Explorer Pass by Go City: For first-time visitors
What does the Explorer Pass include?
- Attraction-based pass
- For 2, 3, 4, or 5 top attractions in San Francisco
- Includes more than 30 attractions in the city
- 24-hour hop-on/hop-off bus and a boat tour around Alcatraz Island
- Access to Madame Tussauds
- Great for families with kids — San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, Walt Disney Family Museum, and LEGOLAND® Discovery Center
- Additional discounts
How much does the Explorer Pass cost?
With the San Francisco Explorer Pass, you get access to more than 30 attractions in and around San Francisco.
| Adults | Children (3–12 years) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Attractions | 69 Dollar | 54 Dollar |
| 3 Attractions | 79 Dollar | 69 Dollar |
| 4 Attractions | 104 Dollar | 89 Dollar |
| 5 Attractions | 116 Dollar | 99 Dollar |
Pros & cons of the Explorer Pass
- You only pay for the attractions you actually want to see
- The pass is valid for 30 days — no time pressure
- After purchase, you receive your pass directly as a PDF on your phone
- For some attractions, you need to reserve a time slot in advance
- A visit to Alcatraz Island is not included in the Explorer Pass
- No public transportation included
Our verdict on the Explorer Pass
The Explorer Pass is the right choice if you’re visiting the city for the first time and just want to see the highlights.
You can choose between 2, 3, 4, or 5 top attractions. With the San Francisco Explorer Pass, you only pay for the number of places you actually want to visit.
This San Francisco attraction pass is especially worth it when you want to see spots that individually cost more than 25 euros.
But the value isn’t just financial: with the San Francisco Explorer Pass, you can simply skip the line.
Please note: For some attractions, you need to reserve a time slot in advance. You’ll find all the details on the Go City website.
Also please note that using the hop-on/hop-off bus counts as a single attraction. So if you want to visit four attractions plus use the hop-on/hop-off bus, you’ll need to book the San Francisco Explorer Pass with five attractions.
Buy the San Francisco Explorer Pass by Go City online
San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass by Go City: For turbo sightseeing
What does the San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass include?
- Time-based pass
- Valid for 1, 2, 3, or 5 days
- More than 25 different attractions
- Access to the city’s top highlights
- Incl. 24-hour hop-on/hop-off bus and a boat tour through the Bay Area
- Walt Disney Family Museum and Madame Tussauds
- Additional discounts
How much does the San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass cost?
| Adults | Children (3–12 years) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Day Pass | 89 dollars | 69 dollars |
| 2-Day Pass | 129 dollars | 104 dollars |
| 3-Day Pass | 154 dollars | 124 dollars |
| 5-Day Pass | 189 dollars | 159 dollars |
Pros & cons of the San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass
- All of the city’s top attractions included
- Right after purchase, you receive your pass as a PDF on your smartphone
- Go City offers its own app that you can use to plan your San Francisco trip
- Full price applies from age 13
- For some attractions, a time slot must be reserved in advance
Our verdict on the San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass
This San Francisco pass is perfect for you if you love being out and about in the city from morning to evening and want to see as many must-sees as possible. The San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass covers all the major highlights of the city, except for a ticket to Alcatraz.
We think the pass is especially worth it with a usage period of three or five days.
If you’d like to visit pricier attractions, it can also pay off for a one- or two-day stay.
On the Go City website, you can browse all the included attractions and check the regular admission prices as well.
Please note: For some attractions, you need to reserve a time slot for your visit. You’ll find all the details on the Go City website or in the app.
Buy the San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass online
San Francisco CityPASS: For the undecided
The San Francisco CityPASS is the smallest pass in the city, but it can still be totally worth it if you like the included attractions.
What does the San Francisco CityPASS include?
7 attractions are included in the CityPASS, of which you can visit a total of 4.
Two of them are fixed; for the other two attractions, you have free choice:
- California Academy of Sciences
- Boat tour through the bay
- From the following attractions, you can choose two freely: Aquarium of the Bay, Exploratorium, SFMOMA, San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, The Walt Disney Family Museum
How much does the San Francisco CityPASS cost?
The San Francisco CityPASS pricing model is super simple — there are no tiered prices. You always pay 78 euros for the pass.
84 dollars
64 dollars
Pros & cons of the San Francisco CityPASS
- The pass is valid for nine days from first use — no time pressure
- After purchase, you receive your digital pass directly on your smartphone
- Admission to the city’s top attractions
- Only 4 attractions are included, 2 of which are fixed
- No hop-on/hop-off bus included
- Children pay full price from age 12
Our verdict on the San Francisco CityPASS
The San Francisco CityPASS is a solid pick if you only want to visit a few highlights in San Francisco. At just under 80 euros, each individual attraction works out to roughly 20 euros — which is genuinely good value per attraction.
It’s also a great option if you find it hard to decide what to see. Two attractions are already set, and you choose the others from a manageable pool of just five options.
That said: if the California Academy of Sciences and a boat tour in San Francisco don’t appeal to you, one of the other passes will be a better fit.
Buy the San Francisco CityPASS online
Frequently asked questions about San Francisco city cards
Do the city passes include public transportation?
None of the city passes include a ticket for public transportation. However, with the San Francisco Explorer Pass and the All-Inclusive Pass, you can use the hop-on/hop-off bus for one day.
You can find a lot more information about getting around on our San Francisco overview page in the public transportation section.
Are there discounts for children?
Yes, all city pass providers offer a discount for children. You can find the exact prices in the tables in the pass comparison.
How do I receive my pass after purchase?
All passes are sent to you as a PDF after purchase.
Go City also provides an app for trip planning. In the app, you can browse all included attractions, check opening hours and addresses, and see whether a time slot reservation is required.
Are the passes cheaper to buy on-site?
No — city passes are often actually cheaper online than on-site.
Can I visit the same attraction multiple times with the pass?
No, each attraction can only be visited once with the city pass.
Info: Our San Francisco pass comparison is updated regularly. That said, things can sometimes change without notice. It’s best to double-check the terms and included attractions before you make your final decision to purchase one of the passes. Thanks!
