Philadelphia City Pass: Is It Worth It?
Three passes, one city — CityPASS vs Go City Explorer vs All-Inclusive, with the maths done for you.
Prices verified July 2026.
Go City Explorer wins for most visitors — CityPASS earns its place on refund terms and simplicity
At every comparable tier, the Go City Explorer Pass is cheaper than CityPASS and draws from a pool three times larger — including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which CityPASS doesn't cover. CityPASS makes sense if you're booking well in advance and want the 365-day cancellation safety net, or if your itinerary is built entirely around its 10-attraction pool and the Museum of Art isn't a priority.
Prices verified July 2026Philadelphia has three pass options — CityPASS, the Go City Explorer Pass, and the Go City All-Inclusive Pass — and at first glance they look almost identical. The same attractions, similar prices, competing claims of 50%+ savings. But one decision separates most visitors cleanly: do you want to visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art?
The Museum of Art ($30 at the door) is on Go City. It is not on CityPASS. For many visitors, that single fact ends the comparison before the maths even starts. The Rocky steps are one of the most photographed spots in the city, and the permanent collection — Cézanne, Matisse, Duchamp — is genuinely worth a half-day. If it's on your list, Go City is the only pass that covers it.
What each pass includes
Philadelphia CityPASS ($66–$98 adult) lets you choose 3, 4, or 5 attractions from a curated pool of 10. The pool is well-chosen — The Franklin Institute, Adventure Aquarium, Eastern State Penitentiary, Battleship New Jersey, Barnes Foundation, and five others. All 10 are legitimate top-tier Philadelphia attractions with no padding. Valid 9 days from first use. Refund within 365 days of purchase.
Go City Explorer Pass ($59–$104 adult) lets you choose 3, 4, 5, or 7 attractions from a pool of 35. It includes everything in the CityPASS pool plus 25 more: the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Longwood Gardens ($35), Otherworld Philadelphia ($40), and a range of walking tours, ghost tours, food tours, and smaller cultural venues. Valid 30 days from first use. Refund within 90 days of purchase.
Go City All-Inclusive Pass ($59–$129 adult) gives unlimited access to the same 35 attractions over 1, 2, 3, or 5 consecutive calendar days. This model only beats the Explorer Pass when you're doing 4 or more attractions per day — at a more relaxed pace, Explorer's credit model serves you better.
The structural point worth stating plainly: CityPASS has no exclusive attractions. Every option in the CityPASS pool is also available on Go City. CityPASS wins on price efficiency within its 10-attraction pool and on refund flexibility — not on unique access.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art gap
Most Philadelphia pass comparisons bury this or miss it entirely. The Museum of Art ($30 at the door) is Go City's clearest differentiator in this city. CityPASS doesn't include it, and that omission shapes every itinerary that features it.
Longwood Gardens ($35, about 30 miles outside the city in Kennett Square) is the other Go City exclusive worth flagging. It's a legitimate half-day trip and one of the country's premier botanical gardens. It adds real value to a 4- or 5-choice Explorer Pass if you're considering a day outside the city centre. CityPASS doesn't cover it.
On the tour side, Go City includes the Revolution and Founding Fathers Tour ($44), the Ghost Tour of Philadelphia ($28), the Dark Philly Adult Night Tour ($48), and a Food and Cheesesteak Tour ($35) — none of which are on CityPASS. If your Philadelphia trip has an experiential or culinary thread running through it, Go City is the only pass that speaks to that.
Break-even and savings — the real numbers
At the 3-attraction tier, Go City Explorer ($59) is $7 cheaper than CityPASS C3 ($66) for the same number of attractions — and pulls from a pool of 35 vs 10. The CityPASS pricing only pulls ahead in specific scenarios: if your entire shortlist is within its 10-attraction pool and you want the maximum refund window.
The attraction that anchors both passes is the Adventure Aquarium. CityPASS lists it at $58.63 (including NJ sales tax), which is the top of its dynamic pricing range — the live price fluctuates between $33 and $58. If you're booking when it's priced at $33, the advertised savings figures on CityPASS overstate your actual break-even. Check the live checkout price before relying on the "save up to 54%" headline.
A realistic 4-attraction Philadelphia itinerary — Franklin Institute ($29), Eastern State Penitentiary ($23), Philadelphia Museum of Art ($30), Adventure Aquarium ($58 at peak pricing) — totals $140 individually. Go City Explorer 4-choice at $74 saves $66, or 47%. CityPASS C4 at $84 can't replicate this itinerary because it doesn't cover the Museum of Art — you'd need to substitute another attraction from its pool, changing the comparison entirely.
What neither pass covers
Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell Pavilion, and the wider Independence National Historical Park are all free, managed by the National Park Service. They're among the most-searched attractions in the city, and neither pass touches them — because you don't need a pass. All you need is a timed-entry reservation for Independence Hall, which is free to book on recreation.gov.
This matters for break-even planning. Many first-time Philadelphia visitors will spend a full day or more in the historic district without paying a single admission fee. If your trip is heavy on the free historic core — Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Elfreth's Alley, Christ Church — and light on paid attractions, the case for any pass weakens. A visitor doing the historic district plus one paid museum is unlikely to break even on either pass.
Reading Terminal Market is free to enter. The Benjamin Franklin Museum is $10 and not on either pass. The Mural Arts Philadelphia tours are on Go City but not CityPASS. Philadelphia has enough free and low-cost content to fill two or three days without touching a paid attraction — worth mapping your itinerary before assuming a pass makes sense.
Who should buy which pass
Buy Go City Explorer if the Philadelphia Museum of Art is on your list, you want access to Longwood Gardens or the walking and food tours, or you're planning 4–7 attractions across a relaxed multi-day trip. At every comparable tier, Go City Explorer is cheaper than CityPASS with a larger pool.
Buy Go City All-Inclusive if you're visiting for 2–3 consecutive days and confident you can do 4 or more attractions per day. The 2-day pass at $89 works out to roughly $22 per attraction across 4 attractions per day — solid value. The 1-day All-Inclusive at $59 only beats the 3-choice Explorer ($59) if you're doing 4+ attractions that day; otherwise you're paying the same for less flexibility.
Buy CityPASS if you're booking well in advance and want the most flexible cancellation terms (365 days vs 90 days), or your itinerary is built entirely around its 10-attraction pool with no interest in the Museum of Art or tours.
Skip all passes if your trip is centred on the free historic district — Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Old City — with just one or two paid attractions on the side. Individual tickets will cost less than any pass tier.
Is there a Philadelphia CityPASS?
Yes. Philadelphia CityPASS lets you choose 3, 4, or 5 attractions from a pool of 10 options including The Franklin Institute, Adventure Aquarium, and Eastern State Penitentiary. Prices start at $66 for adults (3 attractions). It's different from Go City — CityPASS gives you a smaller curated pool with no daily pressure, valid over 9 days.
Does Go City Philadelphia include the Philadelphia Museum of Art?
Yes — and this is one of Go City's meaningful advantages over CityPASS in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Museum of Art ($30 individually) is on the Go City pool but not on CityPASS. If the museum is on your list, Go City is the only pass that covers it.
Is Independence Hall included in any Philadelphia pass?
No. Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the wider Independence National Historical Park are all free and managed by the National Park Service. Neither CityPASS nor Go City includes them, and you don't need a pass to visit — just a timed-entry reservation for Independence Hall, which is free.
What's the difference between the Go City Explorer Pass and the All-Inclusive Pass in Philadelphia?
Explorer Pass: you pick a fixed number of attractions (3, 4, 5, or 7) from the 35-attraction pool, valid over 30 days. All-Inclusive Pass: unlimited access to all 35 attractions within a set number of consecutive days (1, 2, 3, or 5). Both start at $59 for 3 choices or 1 day respectively. Explorer suits a relaxed multi-day trip; All-Inclusive suits visitors planning to pack in as many attractions as possible per day.
Which Philadelphia pass has the best refund policy?
CityPASS offers refunds up to 365 days from purchase on unused passes — the most flexible policy of the three options. Go City (both Explorer and All-Inclusive) offers refunds within 90 days for unactivated passes. If you're booking months in advance and your plans might change, CityPASS carries materially less risk.
Does either pass cover transportation in Philadelphia?
Go City includes the Big Bus Philadelphia Hop-On Hop-Off tour and the Philly PHLASH Downtown Loop 1-Day Pass in its pool — neither is public transit, but both help with getting between major attractions. CityPASS also includes Big Bus as a pool option. Neither pass includes SEPTA subway or bus access.
Is the Philadelphia city pass worth it?
It depends on which pass and which attractions. At the 3-attraction level, Go City Explorer ($59) is cheaper than CityPASS C3 ($66) and draws from a larger pool. If your top priorities include the Philadelphia Museum of Art or tours, Go City is the only option. If you want the most generous refund terms and your itinerary sticks to the core 10 CityPASS attractions, CityPASS C4 or C5 delivers strong per-attraction value.