Is the Go City Los Angeles Pass worth it? Go City Los Angeles Pass review 2024
The Go Los Angeles Pass is an interesting and exciting way to save money while visiting the biggest attractions in the city, but it’s not ideal for everyone. It covers 38 different attractions that are spread over a great distance within Southern California, and the first thing you might notice is that it does NOT cover Disneyland. However, it does cover almost everything else (including Universal Studios Hollywood), and visiting Disneyland on your own on another day is easy enough.
It’s easy to get confused when looking at the list of attractions on the Go Los Angeles Pass website, especially if you’ve spent little or no time in the area before. So as someone who grew up in Los Angeles and knows all of these places (plus the distances between), I’m going to help you decide whether this pass is good value for you or not. The Los Angeles attractions are very spread out so planning ahead is critical. Starting with an attraction pass can be great if you have your itinerary figured out in advance, so that’s what we will try to help you with here. Attraction discounts are pretty rare on their own, so doing this bundle can definitely save money for those who do the research.
One of the most unusual and best features of the Go City Los Angeles Pass is that you DON’T have to use it on consecutive days. So if you are visiting Los Angeles for a week, you can buy a 3-Day Pass and go to the beach or go to Disneyland in between the days you use the pass.
2024 prices for the all-inclusive Go City Los Angeles Pass
2-day
- Adult (13+): $264
- Child (3-12): $234
3-day
- Adult (13+): $309
- Child (3-12): $289
4-day
- Adult (13+): $379
- Child (3-12): $344
5-day
- Adult (13+): $409
- Child (3-12): $379
7-day
- Adult (13+): $464
- Child (3-12): $434
Where to buy the Go Los Angeles Pass with our EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT
Look for “Have a promo code?” on the Review Your Order page and use the code ‘GO5POT’ for the exclusive Price Of Travel 5% discount. The 5% discount is valid on sale prices, so you save even more.
>>>Buy the Go Los Angeles Pass at an ADDITIONAL 5% off using this link and the promo code GO5POT
Important: You don't have to use the All-Inclusive Pass on consecutive days
With nearly all other attraction passes, the clock starts ticking on the first day you use the pass and it keeps going until the end of the period you paid for, so a “3-day pass” is only valid for 72 consecutive hours. But with the Go City Los Angeles Pass you get a full TWO WEEKS to use the days you paid for. This is a HUGE benefit since so many of the best attractions are theme parks and not only do you want to spend all day at each of those, but you probably don’t want to do them on back-to-back days either.
So if you are visiting Los Angeles and San Diego for 7 days or longer, which is obviously very common, you can buy a 3-Day Pass and go to Universal Studios on Monday, and Knotts Berry Farm on Wednesday and then LEGO Land on California Friday or Saturday. Those would cost $347 if you paid for each of them, while the Go City Los Angeles Pass for 3 days is only $309, and really $289 if you use our discount. It’s basically like paying for two theme parks and getting almost an extra one free, and you don’t have to rush.
Top sights and attractions included in the Go Los Angeles Pass
Universal Studios Hollywood – $129.00
A premium attraction available for those who purchase a 3, 4, 5, or 7-day Go Los Angeles Pass, the Universal Studios Hollywood attraction is a fantastic choice for those who would like to go behind the scenes. This attraction offers guests the chance to go on different tours exploring real life film sets. If you love Harry Potter, you’ll love visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Madame Tussauds Hollywood Tickets – $32.99
An unusual attraction that features your favorite celebrities in wax form, Madame Tussauds Hollywood is a great visit for those who like something a little bit different. Located inside, this wax museum features 100 different singers and actors in several different rooms. There are interactive exhibits all along the way so it’s a lot more than just walking past various wax statues. Honestly, I used to think these places were silly until I visited one and they are MUCH more interesting and impressive than I was expecting. Also, you can see the whole place in about an hour if you like. If you paid full price you might take your time more, but if you get in free with the Go City Los Angeles Pass you might hurry through a bit and then move on to the next attraction.
Warner Brothers Studio Tour Hollywood– $70.00
While it’s much smaller and a bit less famous than Universal Studios, the Warner Brothers Studio Tour is also very worthwhile. This one doesn’t have thrill rides either, but it does have a really good guided tour of the backlot along with the chance to visit the sets of Friends and the Big Bang Theory, among others. If you only have time for one studio tour, Universal has more to offer, but this is great if you only have the shorter passes and you really want to see what actual film sets and locations look like up close.
Aquarium of the Pacific – $44.95
Located on Long Beach, the Aquarium of the Pacific lets you explore exhibits that showcase the wildlife of Southern California and Baja as well as the Northern Pacific and the Tropical Pacific. Great for both adults and children, this highly rated attraction lets you get face to face with birds, ocean predators and much more. Long Beach is a bit of a drive from Hollywood and there can be traffic to contend with so it’s probably best to plan this one for shortly after they open or later in the afternoon.
Hop-on, Hop-off Big Bus 1-Day Classic Tour– $54.00
Including BOTH the Hollywood route and the Beach route, this hop-on, hop-off bus tour is the best way to see the main sights in the Los Angeles area for those who don’t want to drive everywhere and fight for parking. It’s a great tour although it’s usually best to start in the late morning and finish by mid afternoon to avoid the worst of the traffic.
Knott’s Berry Farm Ticket – $99.00
Known as America’s first theme park, Knott’s Berry Farm is fun for the whole family with rides, dining options, shopping options and none other than the famed boysenberry. The Knott’s Berry Farm Marketplace is also on-site and a great way to discover new boysenberry treats, great for both for you and gifts for others. As far as the rides are concerned, you’ll find plenty to choose from, including those suitable for little kids, those geared toward the whole family and some fun water rides that are perfect for those hot Southern California days.
Whale Watch By Newport Landing Tickets – $56.50
If you love sea life, you’ll love the Whale Watch By Newport Landing attraction. While enjoying the comfort of a 65-foot double-deck ship you’ll get the exciting chance to view, up-close and personal, both whales and dolphins, in an experience like no other. Want the chance to view a 90-foot blue whale or a pod of beautiful and playful dolphins? With over 30 years of experience, your chances of seeing one or the other are pretty high. This one isn’t very close to Hollywood or Downtown Los Angeles as it’s well down into Orange County, but on the other hand, Newport Beach is a lovely attraction unto itself. It’s best to do this one first thing in the morning or last in the day because it’s a longer drive from Hollywood although it’s not that far from Long Beach or Knotts Berry Farm.
LEGOLAND California – $119.00
With more than 60 rides, attractions and shows throughout the park, LEGOLAND is a dream for many, both kids and adults alike. Currently, guests can also see a show of THE LEGO MOVIE in 4D. If you choose to, there is also the LEGOLAND Hotel that you can stay in and you don’t want to miss the LEGOLAND water park! Make sure to take note that LEGOLAND is only open daily during Spring Break, summer and certain holidays. The rest of the year, you’ll find the park closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. LEGOLAND is in Carlsbad, which is most of the way to San Diego. This is an amazing place for young ones, but getting there and back will take a full day including many hours in the park.
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There are over 35 different attractions to choose from with each offering something unique and fun. However, those listed above are some of most popular and highly rated attractions with pass holders and those who live in the area.
Is the Go City Los Angeles Pass a good deal? Here's the short answer
If you are visiting Los Angeles and intend to visit at least two theme parks as well as a studio tour and perhaps another big attraction or two, then you almost certainly will save money with a Go City Los Angeles Pass. If you can get a pass at a discount, it’s obviously an even better deal. But, trying to see too many of these things on a short trip would probably be a mistake.
A day that you visit a major theme park is a full sightseeing day, so you shouldn’t assume that you’ll be able to see something else that day. The good news is that (unlike other passes and passes) you get a full two weeks to use the 2 to 7 days you purchase on the pass. In other words, if you visit Universal Studios on a 3-day Pass, you can spend all day Monday there, then relax at the beach on Tuesday, and start using the pass again on Wednesday. This feature makes it far more useful than if it were only usable on consecutive days like most other passes insist.
The Go City Los Angeles Pass covers 38 attractions, but only these big ones matter
The way the Go Los Angeles Pass is priced, you really need to plan to visit one major attraction such as a theme park, or two secondary attractions such as a studio tour, each day in order for it to be good value. A full 16 of the 38 included attractions cost less than $30 each for adults, so it’s really only on the 7-Day Pass that it would make sense to visit those cheaper ones.
Los Angeles is so huge and spread-out that even visiting 3 things in one day is a challenge. So you can literally just forget about all the cheaper attractions that are included, because racing between them to try to get your money’s worth out of a pass would ruin your trip.
Full-day attractions
Theme parks
- Universal Studios Hollywood: $129.00
- LEGOLAND® California: $119.00
- Knott’s Berry Farm: $99.00
- San Diego Zoo: $72.00
- Hop-on, Hop-off bus tour: $54.00 (Hollywood Loop Route and Beach Loop Route)
Each of the above theme parks should be a full day, except the bus tours, which can easily be combined with other included attractions.
Also note that LEGOLAND is about 100 miles (160 km) south of Los Angeles, and it takes about 2 hours to get there by car, or longer if traffic is heavy.
Half-day attractions
Specific tours
- Hollywood Sign Tour: $55.00
- Beverly Hills Bike Tour: $55.00
Other tours
- Guided Pier Fishing in Santa Monica or Venice: $90.00
- Whale watching: $56.50
Other major attractions
- Aquarium of the Pacific: $44.95
- Madame Tussaud’s Hollywood: $32.99
The La Brea Tar Pits are now included with the Go City Los Angeles Card, and they only cost $15 for adults and $7 for kids, so they probably wouldn’t be a good use of time anyway. And just between you and me, they are kind of boring unless you are a major dinosaur enthusiast.
So will a Go City Los Angeles Pass save you money?
Again, the best way to look at it is to forget the cheaper attractions the pass covers, and evaluate it just based on the attractions listed above. Also, keep in mind that you can use these passes on non-consecutive days, so you could skip days in between to just relax or see other sights, or even go to Disneyland.
It’s easy to do the math this way. The most popular version of the Go Los Angeles Pass is the 3-day version, which is also the shortest one that includes Universal Studios. So you could go to Universal Studios on one day, and to Knott’s Berry Farm on another day, and do a Hollywood tour and a movie studio tour on a third day. On an itinerary like this, you will definitely save money with the pass, and even more money if you buy it with one of the frequent discounts that are offered.
How NOT to try to use a Go Los Angeles Pass
Until you’ve actually visited Los Angeles, it’s impossible to imagine just how spread out it is. There is no other city like it on the planet. For this reason, it’s important to pace yourself properly. In New York City or London or Paris, it’s possible to visit 3 or even 4 attractions in one day because so many of them are only a few minutes apart on foot. But in Los Angeles, nothing is close.
So if you are a cheapskate like myself you might think you’ll get the most use out of a pass by buying one for a limited number of days and trying to jam as many sights into those days as possible. But if you tried it, you’d almost certainly regret it.
Also keep in mind that all the theme parks offer unlimited rides and shows once you are inside, so if you leave after half a day, you are missing out on some fun. All of them are large enough that it would take several days in order to ride all the rides and see all the shows.
Build your own custom Go Los Angeles Pass
An interesting feature with this pass is that they allow you to actually choose your own group of the 38 attractions and pay only for those. You can even choose just a single attraction (except Universal Studios) and pay only for that. They guarantee that you’ll save money off the normal admission price, although they don’t publish their own prices for the custom passes.
Most people will probably get the best value out of the normal pass, but it could be worth looking into the custom pricing plan to see if it’s an even better deal. It’s also important to consider that you might not want to rush from one attraction to another for your whole stay. You can tour the Hollywood Hills or Griffith Park for free, and even do a Hollywood Hills hike while you are at it.
Where do you purchase your Go Los Angeles Pass
If you think the Go Los Angeles Pass is a good choice for you and your group, you can buy one from the link below. You can also choose instant delivery of a pass that you can print out, or store on a smart phone in their app, so delivery is instant and free.
Look for “Have a promo code?” on the Review Your Order page and use the code ‘GO5POT’ for the exclusive Price Of Travel 5% discount. The 5% discount is valid on sale prices, so you save even more.
>>>Buy the Go Los Angeles Pass at an ADDITIONAL 5% off using this link and the promo code GO5POT
Similar Go Passes to consider
Photo credits: Universal Studios by benontherun.com on Flickr, Magic Mountain and Knott’s Berry Farm by Edward Beavers on Flickr
Hi…. we are planning to come to LA in Nov..
Planning to get the 3 day card.
1 day universal.
2nd day morning,
At abt 9/10am whale watching,
Then join the studio tour in the afternoon & try to enter
6 flags by 5pm so that we can stay abt 8 to 9pm..
Is this a feasible plan??
Gals,
The San Pedro whale watching is close enough that it could work in the morning. Then as long as you can make it to one of the studio tours (Warner Brothers or Sony Pictures) at one of the scheduled times, you could make it to Six Flags in the evening. The main challenge will be that traffic to Six Flags is bad starting in the late afternoon every day. So if you go to the Warner Brothers Tour, which is halfway to Six Flags, it would be easier. But it could still take over an hour to get to Six Flags at that hour. So it’s not an ideal itinerary, but it could be done. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger,
We are doing a 2 week roadtrip through California, Arizona and Utah in May 2017 and found out about the Go LA Card a couple of days ago.
Your post was very helpfull and we are taking a 3-day pass and will use most of your 3 day itinerary.
Thank you so much for your information.
Greetings,
Wilgert
The Netherlands
Hi Roger,
Thank you for providing such valuable information on the Go Card. I’ll be visiting for a week and will probably buy the 3 or 5 day pass. Plus, I’ll rent a car and map every location to be as time efficient as possible.
Question: Is there some catch to this pass? I’m looking at the cost of admission for some of these places and the pass (even for 3 days) is only $199 per person. Are there any charges on top of admission into the gate? Or am I really getting all these tours and boats rides for the price of the pass?
Your help is greatly appreciated!
Kelly,
From everything I’ve heard, there are no other charges aside from what is on the website, and it’s all legit. I know what you mean about it seeming a bit too good to be true, but it’s the real deal. The included attractions know that they can draw extra people with passes like this, and in most cases there is no extra cost to them. For example, on weekdays, Universal Studios Hollywood never gets overly crowded, so by being part of the Go Card they accept a lower payment from the card company and the visitors go on weekdays rather than the too-crowded weekends.
These kinds of cards operate in nearly every tourist city in the US and around the world, so the business model works for both sides. And to be perfectly honest, the average person buying a card or pass usually won’t be able to go to all of the places they hope they could. This way, the card and the attractions guarantee a reduced amount up front, and in the end it makes them more money than if they weren’t involved at all.
And again, many of the attractions have no additional marginal cost per extra visitor because they rarely sell out. So many people go to a place like Madame Tussauds when they wouldn’t have gone otherwise. And Madame Tussauds gets some money for each person who uses the card, and some of those people buy a t-shirt or lunch, so they are better off.
Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger, my family (2 adults and 2 children) will be going to LA in Feb 2017 and I’ve been so overwhelmed with information available on the Internet. We will be staying in LA for 5days and after spending months on our itinerary, I only came across this today and it’s been the most helpful. Thank you so much!
Kaye,
Thank you for taking the time to comment. And let me know if you have any other questions. As I grew up in Los Angeles and am still very proud of it, I’m happy to try to help. -Roger
Roger, great info. Can you purchase the additional front of the line access ticket at Universal Studios if I buy the inclusive Go Card?
Thanks, Ann
Ann,
I believe you can buy the Front of Line access as an add-on once you get to the park, but I’m not 100% sure. You might want to call Universal to check for sure. Have a great trip. -Roger
Hi Roger,
Thanks for your earlier response…..just one more question! Do the LA GoCard attractions include front of line access or are they just general admission tickets?
Marianna
Marianna,
Only a few of the included attractions allow you to skip the main ticket line, but fortunately that isn’t really a big issue at most places. The theme parks and those sorts of attractions have many ticket windows in order to process everyone quickly, so you shouldn’t have to wait more than maybe 10 minutes at almost any of them. Have a great trip. -Roger
Hi Roger,
We are heading to LA in Sept and will be there for 9 nights. Im looking at gstting a 3 day gocard and want to do universal studios, knotts berry and warner bros / madame tassauds / and either hoho tour or santa monica pier. Can u tell me if it is better to purchase the card online from here in australia or purchase it when we get there? Also what time does universal studios close, and as we are staying in anaheim for the whole time is public transport into downtown la easy enough to navigate? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Marianna,
You’ll want to buy the Go Los Angeles Card online, as it’s not available any other way. Fortunately, unlike many other passes and city cards, you can download your pass to your smartphone and use it that way, so you don’t need anything shipped to you.
Universal Studios closes at different times on different days, and it’s sort of unpredictable. Check the website for hours and you can plan on one of the later days (9pm to 11pm) if you need to.
There is a train from Anaheim to Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles, but the last one going in that direction leaves at 9:16am and then not another one until 4:39pm. The journey takes 48 minutes so it’s not bad. These are only commuter trains, unfortunately, so they only operate in the morning and then again in the afternoon. If that works for you, you’ll be fine. There are also buses and shuttle vans, although those can and usually do get caught in traffic. Most tourists drive, and it should be surprisingly easy if you want to give it a try. I’m from Los Angeles and I rented a car in downtown Melbourne to drive up to the Great Ocean Road and then down to the Blue Mountains and Sydney. Driving on the other side was a bit stressful at first, especially in downtown Melbourne, but then it got easy. Driving from Anaheim to Los Angeles will be even easier, as there are freeways everywhere and you can just pick a lane and stay in it. Let me know if you have any questions. -Roger
Hey!
I’ll be in L.A on December, I’m atying for 42 days…. the thing i that I’m 20 years old , I’ll be traveling alone and I don’t have enough money to rent a car and I don’t even have a drive license but I wanna go to the studios and things like that … what should I do?
Laura,
This is a tough one. I understand your situation. I grew up in LA and partly because all of the driving, I’ve lived in places where I don’t need a car for the last 13 years (currently in London). Los Angeles does have public buses, although those get caught up in traffic as well. And there is the subway system, which has been expanded again recently and is now somewhat useful to tourists.
I think my advice would be to find a hotel or hostel close to one of the subway stops. Hollywood is the most central location on the subway lines, as that will allow you to get Downtown, to Universal City, and to the West Side (Santa Monica, Westwood etc) all on the subway. Most of that was built since I last lived there 13 years ago (although I still visit often), and it looks like you can get around pretty efficiently on the subway now.
In some cases you’ll probably want to spring for an Uber to get to places that aren’t close to the subway line. They are fairly cheap in LA, and even if you end up taking 2 short Ubers per day and a daily subway pass, it’ll probably be cheaper than renting a car and paying for gas. And you’ll save $10 or $20 per day on parking as well. The only real downside is that it might take you an hour to reach something that could have been reached in 20 or 30 minutes by car. But again, you won’t have to worry about parking, so you’ll regain some of that time.
If you allow yourself, say, $30 per day on Ubers, you’ll be able to go to all of the main places between Santa Monica, Hollywood, Downtown, and the studio area in and near Burbank. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hello Roger
Sorry ihave another question; do you think legoland in just for kids? As i will be coming onlyme and my husband alne for our anniversary; we are in our late twenties. Legoland seems interesting but we are doubting that is maniky for kids
Thanks again for your help and support
Liza
Liza,
My understanding is that Legoland is most popular among families with younger children. People rave about it so I’m sure anyone would be able to appreciate what they’ve done there, but I don’t think I’d recommend it to people in their twenties. Also, it’s a LONG way south of every other attraction, actually closer to San Diego than Los Angeles, so it requires a long time on the road there and back. -Roger
Hello Roger
Actually i have the same thoughts of Min, please advise if i can do Madame Tussauds in the early morning before universal studios??
Also you think i can do both knotts berry farm and knott soak city water park on the same day??
And if you can also advise what can be done on the same day with warner bros studio and hop on hop off but not hollywood home tour?
Thanks in advance
I really appreciate your kind support for everyone
Lou,
It would be quite a busy day, but you could definitely do Madame Tussauds, which opens at 10am, in the morning, and then Universal Studios, which is open until 10pm or 11pm in summer, after that on the same day. Madame Tussauds is really impressive and fun, but you’ll have seen it all in 90 minutes or so. And Universal does have some rides, but it’s more of a park where you go see the stunt shows and so forth, and you can easily see all of those if you get there by 1pm.
And it would also be quite easy to do the 2 Knott’s parks on the same day, as long as you are going by August 18 or so, after which the Berry Farm cuts its opening hours back a bit. So if you are going before then, you could spend 2 or 3 hours in the morning in Soak City, and then change back into your normal clothes to go next door for the main park, and spend at least 6 or 7 hours there, which is enough time to ride all the rides.
With the Warner Brothers Studio Tour and HOHO Bus, you could also do the OUE Skyspace LA Observation Deck in Downtown LA, or the Sony Pictures Studio Tour (if you could get a reservation at the right time), and/or the Hollywood Museum, or even the mountain-bike rental in Santa Monica. Have a great trip. -Roger