10 Benefits of the Go City San Francisco Discount Attractions Pass

Go City San Francisco is one of the best ways to save money on San Francisco attractions. Mostly purchased by tourists, the Go City San Francisco sightseeing pass is also an excellent buy for residents who want to spend more time exploring San Francisco.

In this post, I’ll share some answers to questions I frequently get about this San Francisco pass. I will also go over the various pass options, how to use Go City San Francisco and the benefits that extend beyond the savings.

We can help you save on tickets, tours, and hotels. If you purchase through some of the links below, we may be compensated. Thank you for supporting our small business! Our editorial guidelines.

---

FAQs About Go City San Francisco

Before I dig into the discounts and incredible savings you’ll get when you use Go City San Francisco, let’s discuss the full details of what it is and how it works.

What Is Go City San Francisco?

Go City San Francisco is a single, multi-attraction San Francisco sightseeing pass that will help you save money when purchasing combined admission to the city’s most popular attractions, tours, and museums. It used to be called a Go San Francisco Card.

Bike tours, walking tours, Big Bus hop-on hop-off bus tours, theme park admission, San Francisco bay cruise, bike rentals to bike across the Golden Gate bridge — this pass lets you explore San Francisco to its fullest!

The average city San Francisco pass savings range from 21% to 23% off of gate prices, so you can enjoy admission to included attractions at a discount.

What Is a Go City Sightseeing Pass?

Go City sightseeing passes are discounted attractions passes that are available in cities worldwide, including Go Los Angeles, Go San Diego, and many others.

With two different types of Go City sightseeing passes, you are offered flexibility, time and cost savings while exploring these cities. This way, you can see what you want to see and do what you want to do. Go City San Francisco pass options currently include an All-Inclusive pass and an Explorer pass.

How Does Go City San Francisco work?

What type of traveler are you? Do you plan things in advance and have a good idea of what you want to see? If so, an Explorer pass is the perfect option if you plan to create your itinerary in advance and know where you’re going. 

Do you like to wing it, or do you want to do and see it all? Then the San Francisco All-Inclusive pass is your ticket into any of the 25+ eligible attractions, ensuring you don’t miss anything.

Most attractions are available on a walk-up basis but check for the select few that require advanced reservations. 

Either way, choose the right pass, download it onto your mobile device, and get ready to take the city by storm.

What Are Go City San Francisco Passes Used For?

Go City San Francisco’s pass is one of the best ways to explore San Francisco. You can gain access to discounted attraction tickets to more than 25 destinations in San Francisco, including San Francisco Zoo, Exploratorium, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA), Aquarium of the Bay, and others.

The more you do with your Go City San Francisco pass, the more you’ll save!

Do Go City San Francisco Passes Expire?

The All-Inclusive Go City for San Francisco can be purchased in 1,2,3, and 5-day increments. The pass is activated at the first attraction and is good for the consecutive number of days purchased.

Once you’ve activated your Go San Francisco pass, you can’t make changes to your passes or deduct cash from it. They are non-transferable and can not be resold.

What Is a San Francisco Explorer Pass?

A San Francisco Explorer pass is a type of San Francisco pass. This is where you choose a 2, 3, 4, or 5-choice pass that allows you to visit 2, 3, 4, or 5 qualifying attractions up to 60 days from first use.

A benefit to the San Francisco Explorer pass is that you don’t have to choose your attractions in advance (except for a few attractions that require advanced reservations). This flexibility allows travelers to decide on a whim which qualifying attractions to use the pass for.

Purchase and receive instant delivery to your email or phone via the app. You’ll receive easy-to-follow instructions with your confirmation.

---

The Top 10 Reasons to Invest in a Go City San Francisco Pass

1. Save Up to 60% on San Francisco Attractions

The best reason to buy Go San Francisco is to save money with discounted admission off of gate prices. Remember, how much you save using Go San Francisco will depend on what type of pass you choose and what attractions you decide to visit.

Based on my research, the typical savings range from 20-55%. Of course, that depends on the type of pass chosen.

It is difficult to get a significant discount without this sightseeing pass — especially for those who are avid sightseers or have long San Francisco vacations planned.

Get a better idea of how people save using Go San Francisco by checking out their sample itineraries.

2. All Major San Francisco Attractions Participate

Everything I would classify as a major San Francisco attraction can be visited using Go San Francisco (the full list is below), including the Exploratorium, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMa), San Francisco Zoo, Walt Disney Family Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, the hop on hop off Big Bus tour, and other things to do in San Francisco.

3. The Go City San Francisco Pass Saves Time

With the Go San Francisco Pass, you typically won’t have to wait in a ticketing line when you visit an attraction. Some attractions offer priority entry for Go San Francisco pass holders.

Once you purchase Go San Francisco, the app (which is excellent for anyone who needs help getting around the city) or printed pass serves as your ticket. This can save you significant time at busy attractions.

4. There Are two Pass Options

An All-Inclusive Pass

This Go City option allows users to visit all the available 25+ San Francisco attractions at a reduced cost. The benefit of the All-Inclusive pass is the ability to make last-minute decisions about which attractions to visit (although select few attractions require advanced reservations).

Want to see and do it all? This is the pass for you. The All-Inclusive Go San Francisco pass is available in 1, 2, 3, and 5-day increments, but needs to be used on consecutive calendar days.

San Francisco Explorer Pass

If you have a plan or bucket list of attractions to cross off, consider the San Francisco Explorer pass.  By selecting a 2, 3, 4, or 5 attraction pass, this flexible pass can be used at any of the eligible Explorer pass attractions, saving you both time and money. 

It’s good for 60 days after the first attraction is visited and saves up to 59% off of gate prices.

5. It’s an Easy Gift

Do you have family and friends coming to San Francisco for a vacation? Consider gifting them a  Go San Francisco pass which can be delivered directly to your recipient via email.

With Go City sightseeing passes in seventeen cities, there’s a pass out there for even the hardest person to shop on your list.

6. You Get Instant Digital Delivery

It’s possible to buy an Explorer or All-Inclusive pass online and immediately print a pass to use or store your pass on the Go City app.

Having the app means your Go City San Francisco pass is at your fingertips at all times, so I highly recommend downloading the app.

7. Having the App Means Skipping the Line

If you print out your Go San Francisco voucher, you may need to take it to a ticket line to collect your actual paper pass. The app lets you skip this step at select attractions and allows you to go directly to turnstiles, where they will scan a QR code on your phone.

8. The App Gives Directions, Hours, and More

After registering your  Explorer or All-Inclusive passes on the app, you’ll get immediate access to directions, hours,  and even suggested itineraries to help fit in as many attractions as possible for making the most of your San Francisco visit.

9. Manage Multiple Passes from One Phone

It’s easy to manage multiple Go City sightseeing passes from the app by simply swiping between them. The app also allows you to contact customer service with one tap.

10. There Is a Risk-Free Guarantee

If you buy Go San Francisco and do not use it, you have 90 days from your purchase date to return any non-activated All-Inclusive or Explorer passes for a full refund.

You’ll also have two years from the purchase date to begin using any pass.

---

What Else You Should Know Before Buying Go City San Francisco

• Most San Francisco attractions do not charge admission for children under the age of 3. Children ages 3-12 enjoy a reduced Go San Francisco price.
• In most cases, you can visit each attraction once daily, but some are limited to once per pass. You will receive a guidebook that outlines these details.
• The San Francisco attraction pass is not valid on a 24-hour basis. That means if you visit an attraction at noon on Monday, the remainder of day 1 lasts until attractions close on Monday. Tuesday will be counted as day two.
• Always check the attraction websites for the most updated operating hours.

The most popular pass is the 3-day All-Inclusive. Most users visit 2-3 attractions per day with this option.

---

List of All-Inclusive Go City San Francisco Attractions

Included attractions are subject to change, but here’s what’s on the pass at the time of this writing.

• Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus San Francisco 1-day Classic TourTicket (Hop on at any stop!)
• Madame Tussauds San Francisco
• Golden Gate Bridge Bike Tour
• California Academy of Sciences
• The Flyer – San Francisco’s flying theater
• Aquarium of the Bay
• Tiled Steps Urban Hiking Tour
• Highlights of the Golden Gate Park Bike Tour
• Legoland Discovery Center
• Fisherman’s Wharf Walking Tour
• California’s Great America
• Escape from the Rock
• Exploratorium
• San Francisco  Bay Cruise
• One All-Day Comfort Bike Rental by Blazing Saddles
• San Francisco Zoo & Gardens San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
• Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
• USS Pampanito
• de Young Museum and Legion of Honor
• The Walt Disney Family Museum 
• Go Car San Francisco Tour (30-minute rental)
• Asian Art Museum
• U.S.S. HORNET Museum
• The Contemporary Jewish Museum
• California Historical Society
• The Beat Museum
• Golden Gate Park Bike Rental

Do You Have Questions About Go San Francisco?

Ask them here in the comments, and I can find out the answers for you. And if you’ve used the pass, please share your experiences.