Los Angeles City Pass: CityPASS vs Go City
Two passes, five products, one deciding factor. Here's which is worth buying for your trip.
Prices verified August 2026.
CityPASS for Universal-centred trips; Go City for everything else
If Universal Studios Hollywood is on your itinerary, CityPASS is the cleaner path — Go City only includes it on the All-Inclusive Plus, which starts at $244. If Universal isn't the priority, Go City wins on most itineraries, especially anything that includes Knott's Berry Farm or Warner Bros. Studio Tour. Neither pass makes sense if your trip is built around Disneyland, the Getty, or LACMA.
Prices verified August 2026Los Angeles has two city passes — CityPASS and Go City — and they're built around completely different assumptions about how you want to spend your time. CityPASS anchors everything around a studio visit: you pick Universal Studios Hollywood or Warner Bros. Studio Tour as the centrepiece, then add three attractions from a menu of six. Go City is a menu-first pass — choose from 10 to 34 attractions depending on the tier — but Universal Studios is locked behind the most expensive option, at a significant jump in price.
For most LA visitors, that single question — Universal Studios, yes or no — decides this comparison before you look at anything else.
What each pass costs
CityPASS Los Angeles
CityPASS in LA works differently from most cities in the programme. You must choose a studio anchor — that's the mandatory centrepiece — and then pick three more attractions from a choice of six. The anchor determines the price.
The WB Studio Tour bundle is $109 per adult — flat, no date dependency. It includes Warner Bros. Studio Tour and your three choices from: Madame Tussauds Hollywood, Starline Tours, LA Zoo, SoFi Stadium Tour, GRAMMY Museum, or the Natural History Museum. Gate value for the right combination runs to $213.65.
The Universal Studios bundle is listed from $157 but the price is date-dependent — live checkout showed $199 for a peak-season date. It covers Universal Studios Hollywood plus the same three-choice menu. You also have to commit to a visit date for Universal at the time of purchase, which the WB bundle doesn't require.
The both studios bundle — Universal and WB together, plus three choices — lists from $210 and verified at $252 for a peak-season date. Only worth it if you genuinely want both studios in the same trip.
All three bundles are valid for 9 consecutive days from first use. Unused passes are refundable within 365 days of purchase.
Go City Los Angeles
Go City offers three tiers, each with a different model. The Essentials pass is credit-based — pick 3, 4, or 5 attractions from a pool of 10, at $69, $84, or $99 per adult respectively. You have 30 days from first use to redeem your choices. The All-Inclusive pass is day-based — unlimited access to 34 attractions for $94 to $284 per adult depending on how many days you buy (1 through 7), with entry between 9am and 5:30pm each day. The All-Inclusive Plus adds Universal Studios Hollywood, San Diego Zoo, and LEGOLAND California to that same pool, from $244 for 2 days up to $434 for 7 days.
All Go City passes are refundable within 90 days of purchase if not yet activated. For a full breakdown of how the two programmes compare at the brand level, see Go City vs CityPASS.
What's included — and what isn't
The two passes share some overlap — Madame Tussauds Hollywood, the SoFi Stadium Tour, and the GRAMMY Museum appear on both. But they diverge on the attractions that matter most. Knott's Berry Farm and Warner Bros. Studio Tour are on the Go City All-Inclusive; neither is in CityPASS's choice pool at any price. The LA Zoo and Natural History Museum are CityPASS choices; they don't appear in the Go City Essentials pool.
What neither pass covers is worth knowing before you buy. The Getty Center is free to enter and draws over 1.3 million visitors a year — it's not on either pass. Griffith Observatory charges nothing to walk in (Go City covers a guided tour, not free entry). LACMA, Disneyland, and the Hollywood Bowl aren't on either pass. If those are the core of your LA trip, the maths on any multi-attraction pass don't work.
The Universal Studios question
Universal Studios Hollywood is where the two passes split most sharply. CityPASS includes it — that's the point of the Universal bundle. Go City's standard All-Inclusive doesn't include it at all. To get Universal through Go City, you need the All-Inclusive Plus, which starts at $244 for two days.
At the verified peak-season CityPASS price of $199, the gap between the two options is $45 per adult — Go City Plus is cheaper in absolute terms for a 2-day pass. But the Plus is a day-based unlimited pass. If your trip is centred on Universal and a few other stops rather than two full days of intensive sightseeing, you're paying for a product that doesn't match your trip shape. CityPASS's bundle — anchor plus three choices — is a better fit for that visitor.
For visitors doing 3–5 days of heavy sightseeing who want Universal plus Knott's Berry Farm, Warner Bros. Studio Tour, and a mix of tours, the All-Inclusive Plus makes more sense. At that point, Go City's unlimited daily model is doing real work rather than just unlocking one attraction.
Break-even by trip type
Universal-focused (2–4 days)
You want Universal Studios and a few more stops. CityPASS Universal bundle at $199 (verified peak-season) covers Universal plus three choices — pick SoFi Stadium ($56.65), Starline Tours ($49), and Madame Tussauds ($29) and your gate value is $289.60 against $199 paid. CityPASS wins here. Go City Plus at $244 is $45 more and built for a different kind of trip.
Flexible sightseeing without Universal (2–3 days)
You want Warner Bros. Studio Tour, Knott's Berry Farm, Madame Tussauds, and a bus tour. CityPASS structurally can't build this itinerary — Knott's doesn't appear in its choice pool at any price. Go City All-Inclusive at $124 for 2 days covers all four. This is the clearest Go City win in LA.
Short trip, a few specific stops
You're in LA for two days and want three things — say, Madame Tussauds, the SoFi Stadium tour, and the Hollywood Sign walk. Go City Essentials at $69 covers all three from its 10-attraction pool. CityPASS requires a studio anchor regardless, so the cheapest entry is the WB bundle at $109 — $40 more for a studio tour you didn't want. Essentials wins here by structure, not just price.
Who should buy which pass
Buy the CityPASS Universal bundle if Universal Studios Hollywood is the reason you're in LA. It's the most direct, price-efficient way to include it — just be aware the price varies by date and you'll need to commit to a visit date at purchase.
Buy Go City All-Inclusive if Universal isn't on the list and you're planning 2–3 full days of sightseeing. The combination of Warner Bros. Studio Tour, Knott's Berry Farm, Madame Tussauds, and the Big Bus tours is a solid LA itinerary that CityPASS can't match. The 2-day tier at $124 is the sweet spot for most visitors.
Buy Go City Essentials if you have three to five specific stops in mind, none of them Universal, and you want flexibility without a studio anchor attached. At $69 for three choices, it's the lowest-cost entry point on either pass — verify your attractions are in the 10-attraction Essentials pool before buying.
Skip both passes if your trip is built around Disneyland, the Getty, Griffith Observatory, LACMA, or the beach. None of those are on either pass, and a trip heavy on free attractions won't recover the pass cost. City pass vs individual tickets has the break-even framework if you want to check your specific list.
Visiting both Los Angeles and San Diego?
No single pass covers both cities — Go City sells separate Los Angeles and San Diego products and they don't combine. If you're splitting time between the two, buy independently: your LA pass and SD pass activate separately, each on first use, with separate validity windows. See the San Diego city pass guide for how the CityPASS packages work there.
Things to check before booking
The CityPASS Universal bundle locks you into a specific visit date for Universal Studios at the moment of purchase. If your plans are flexible or you're booking far in advance, the WB bundle at $109 flat avoids this entirely.
The Go City All-Inclusive has a 9am–5:30pm entry window every day. Late check-ins and slow-start mornings eat into the value. It also counts each calendar day — not a 24-hour period — so an afternoon activation burns a full day.
Several attractions require advance reservations even with a pass. Warner Bros. Studio Tour, Madame Tussauds Hollywood, and Starline Tours all require booking before you arrive. Walking up without a reservation can mean denied entry.
The Go City All-Inclusive Plus includes San Diego Zoo and LEGOLAND California, which it markets as LA attractions. Both are in San Diego — roughly 2 to 2.5 hours south by car. They're genuine options for a longer California trip, not practical day additions for a standard 3–5 day LA visit. Don't let them justify an upgrade to the Plus on their own.
Los Angeles is a car city, and several Go City inclusions reflect that. Knott's Berry Farm is in Buena Park — 35 miles from Hollywood, roughly an hour each way in traffic. The Aquarium of the Pacific is in Long Beach, 25 miles south. Visitors without a car, or those on a short 2–3 day trip, should mentally subtract these from the All-Inclusive pool before evaluating whether it makes sense. The Essentials pool of 10 attractions is more centrally accessible by rideshare, but still requires planning — not everything is walkable from a single hotel base. CityPASS adds a $2 processing fee per ticket at checkout.
Does either pass include Disneyland?
Neither CityPASS nor Go City Los Angeles covers Disneyland or Disney California Adventure. Disneyland is approximately 35 miles from central LA and is sold separately through Disney's own ticketing.
Is Universal Studios Hollywood included in Go City?
Only in the Go City All-Inclusive Plus pass, which starts at $244 per adult for 2 days. The standard All-Inclusive pass and the Essentials pass do not include Universal. CityPASS includes Universal in its $157 adult bundle.
Do I need to pre-book attractions with either pass?
Yes, for several of the higher-demand attractions. With CityPASS, the Universal bundle requires you to select a date at purchase. With either pass, Warner Bros. Studio Tour and Madame Tussauds Hollywood require advance reservations through the respective attraction or app.
Can I use the Go City pass across multiple days?
The Essentials pass gives you 30 days from first use to visit your chosen attractions at any pace. The All-Inclusive and All-Inclusive Plus require you to visit on consecutive calendar days (1–7) within a 14-day window after activation, with entry between 9am and 5:30pm.
What is the CityPASS refund policy vs Go City's?
CityPASS offers a 365-day refund window on unused passes — one of the most generous in the industry. Go City offers a 90-day refund window for non-activated passes. If you are booking a trip more than 90 days out and plans might change, CityPASS's refund terms are a meaningful advantage.
Is the San Diego Zoo really part of the LA Go City pass?
It is included in the All-Inclusive Plus pass, but the San Diego Zoo is located in San Diego — roughly 2 to 2.5 hours south of central Los Angeles by car. It is not a practical day-trip inclusion for most LA visitors unless they are specifically planning a San Diego excursion as part of a longer trip.
Which pass is better for families with young children?
It depends on whether Universal Studios is the priority. For families with Universal as the main goal, CityPASS at $157 per adult includes it more cleanly than paying $244+ per adult for the Go City Plus. For families skipping Universal, the Go City All-Inclusive covers Knott's Berry Farm, the Aquarium of the Pacific, and Madame Tussauds — a solid family lineup without the premium price. Note that Warner Bros. Studio Tour does not admit children under 5.