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
Thanks! Actually I’m building my own card, because I will be only here fot 2 days, so I´m considering the Madame Tussauds since you say is nice for kids to visit, I have an 8 years old boy.
Thank you for your article Roger, eventhough you wrote it few years ago, is still helpfull information for the visitors, I was very skeptical about believing this is for real, so with this information I don’t have a doubt about it, I want to do Universal Studios and the trolley tour, do you have any idea if the pass is valid all days? because I wanna go to de US on friday.
Leslie,
I’m glad you find this helpful. And we actually update these articles at least twice a year, so it really should be current.
Universal Studios used to only be valid on weekdays (including Friday) until a few months ago, but they opened it up and it’s valid all days. Of course you have to buy a 3-day or longer pass to get Universal included. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hello Roger,
Ive got the 3 day LA Go Card. Im going to be doing Universal one day, knotts berry farm another day and on the 3rd day the warner brothers tour. I was wondering what were the other best near by attractions to do after the warner tour? I have a 12 year old son and a 9 year old son.
Devina,
There are no other included attractions that are very close to Warner Brothers Studio, and almost no attractions in general. Fortunately, Burbank is only 15 to 30 minutes from the center of Hollywood, depending on traffic of course. I haven’t done all of those attractions that are clustered together near Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, but my favorite is Madame Tussauds. I was skeptical of these places before I first visited one, but they are amazingly well done and very entertaining for an hour or two. From there you are within a short walk of several other attractions including the Hollywood Museum and the Chinese Theater guided tour. You should have enough time to do at least two things after the Warner Brothers Tour, as long as you do that one as early in the day as possible.
The kids will enjoy Madame Tussauds. They have many sports stars and even interactive displays that are really impressive. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger! Could you please tell me the difference between the LA Go Card and the Hollywood Go Card? I’m from So-Cal but have been away for sometime for Military reasons so I’m just now finding out about these cards and they seem AWESOME! I’m a little confused though because as I browse through our military listing of discounts for attractions, they offer a Los Angeles Go Card and a Hollywood Go Card. I’m googling both cards but it seems that the LA Go Card covers much of Hollywood attractions as well…is there a “major” difference between the 2 cards because I’m trying to decipher if I should purchase a Hollywood Go Card or just a LA Go Card (which seems to pretty much cover Hollywood attractions as well). Please advise. Thank you in advance!
Liz,
I’m aware of a Hollywood Explorer Pass, but not a Hollywood Go Card. In the case of the Hollywood Explorer Pass it gets you into Madame Tussauds, the Guinness World Records Museum, and then two tours out of a choice of 4. All of those are located in Hollywood, and if those are the only places you want to visit then it really is a big money saver.
The Go Los Angeles Card covers all of those things but also several expensive theme parks (Magic Mountain, Knott’s Berry Farm, LegoLand, and Universal Studios on 3-day and up passes). It’s much more expensive so it’s really only good value if you are going to use it for at least one or two of those expensive theme parks. So they are quite different. Let me know if you have a more specific question, of if I am looking at the wrong thing. -Roger
Roger…. is the paramount studio tour still included in the card? Please advise … thank you
Dermot,
I’ve been following this for a few years now and I don’t recall ever seeing the Paramount Tour being included. It’s always been Universal, Warner Brothers, and Sony. Hopefully those will be suitable. -Roger
thank you Roger I appreciate you getting back to me.
Hi Roger
This seems like a stupid question but I have been looking into the Go card for 3 days. And its confusing me. Do I pay the $205 and then pay absolutely nothing at the gates? Is there any hidden charges with this card? Could you please give me as much information on this as possible please.
Hayley,
It does sound a little too good to be true in places, but yes, that’s how it works. You still have to pay for parking, of course, and things like that. But admission is included without paying anything extra. For some of the tours you have to make a reservation, but it’s still included. Have a great trip. -Roger
Hello! Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge! I was wondering if you could give me some advice. My family has never been to the LA area and we are planning a trip this August. Originally, I was planning to go to Universal for one day and then commute to San Diego to go to the zoo, however after finding out about the go card I am thinking it might be cheaper and easier to stay in the LA area and do the attractions nearby. We have a 10 and 12 year old who are at the age where they love rides. If I purchased the 3 day pass would it be worth it and realistic to do Day 1 Universal, Day 2 warner bro tour and Madame Tussaud’s, Day 3 knotts berry farm? Also, if we are staying near universal would knots berry be a really far drive? And lastly are you able to suggest affordable family hotels in a safe area? Thank you so much again! I have found more answers on your site than anywhere!
Danielle,
I’m happy to try to help with these things, especially as someone who grew up in Los Angeles and misses a lot about it. Your plan would definitely work with a 3-day Go Los Angeles Card. It’s wise to take a full day for Universal and also for Knott’s (or Six Flags Magic Mountain). On that middle day you will have time to do at least 3 things if you like. The Warner Brothers Tour takes about 3 hours (make an early reservation if possible) and it’s not far from Universal. Then you can drive into central Hollywood in the early afternoon. Madame Tussaud’s (MUCH more impressive than most people expect) will take maybe 60 to 90 minutes to explore. After that you’ll still have time for one more thing, and there are several interesting choices within walking distance of Madame Tussaud’s.
Depending on where you stay, there’s a good chance you’ll be closer to Six Flags Magic Mountain than to Knott’s Berry Farm. Magic Mountain is more known for roller coasters and thrill rides than Knott’s is, although both are great. Also, the morning traffic to Magic Mountain shouldn’t be bad, and the traffic on your way home is mostly in the other direction. For Knott’s the traffic will be fairly heavy in both directions. Still, either one would be great, and if it’s the only thing on your schedule for the day, the extra time in the car will quickly be forgotten compared to the experience itself.
As far as where to stay, I can’t suggest a specific hotel, but I can tell you that the Burbank area is safe, relatively affordable, and quite close to the places you are going. Anywhere near the Warner Brothers lot is safe and pretty nice, and the places in central Burbank a bit to the north are as well. As long as you avoid central or eastern Hollywood, you should be fine. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
Hello Roger,
First of all, thanks for the important information you share with us.
Do you know if I can use the 3-day Go Los Angeles Card to Universal Studios on weekends?
Karen,
I’m happy to help. This is interesting. The Universal Studios offer used to say “valid for a weekday admission” but now I don’t see that anywhere. This is a big issue so I just called them. They confirmed that as of two months ago, Universal is now valid on ANY day of the week for a 3-day or higher Go Los Angeles Card! This is very good news for all of us. Thanks for asking. -Roger
Hi Roger
My wife and I are going to LA this month for 10 days. One day is taken going to Disneyland which sadly isn’t included here. I’m a bit undecided whether to get us 3 day or 5 day passes. We will use one day for Universal. Other things we would do on the list are
-Warner Bros Studio Tour
-Rockin Hollywood Tours
-Hollywood Museum
-Hollywood Behind the Scenes Tour
-Sony Pictures Tours
-We’ll also stop by the Santa Monica Pier but not sure how many rides we’ll go on
-We are also planning to go to the Citadel Outlet mall and I’ve seen there are discounts with the card, but I don’t know if its a good use of a day
Do you think we will be able to fit in those things within 2 days or should we spring for the longer card? We have a hire car so won’t be relying on public transport
Thanks- Stuart
Stuart,
Yes, it’s a shame that Disney doesn’t participate in this card, but they don’t do any sort of promotions like this.
Actually, a couple of the things on your list are new to me, so it appears that they’ve just recently been added to the Go Card. And they look quite good as well. I’d say that if you can afford the 5-day card that it would be the better choice. The unfortunate thing about Los Angeles is that there is traffic all day to some degree, and it’s just about impossible to get from one place to another quickly. And when you add in parking and that sort of thing, it’ll take a minimum of 90 minutes between things except for the ones all close together in Hollywood.
Since the 5-day pass only costs a bit more and it brings the per-day price down quite a bit, I think you’ll easily get enough out of it to pay for itself. In other words, if you made it your life’s goal to fit all of those things into 2 days, you could potentially do it. But I don’t think they would be fun days really. The theme parks are best done as a full day, and most other things can be done 3 per day, but trying to do 4 things in one day would mean a mad rush and maybe not even getting to the last thing because you are stuck in traffic. I’m happy to help with more advice if you have any other questions. Have a great trip. -Roger