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

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All Comments

  1. anne says:

    hi am going to la staying in garland hotel is it easy to get to universal sudios also want to do madam tussards hollywood wax museum walk of fame and knotts berry soak city or knotts berry farm would it be better to get hop on hop off bus and get 5 day pass go card or would it be cheaper to pay when i get there need help unsure best way as i cant afford to lose money

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Anne,

      The Garland Hotel is only a mile from Universal Studios, so you could actually walk there in about 20 minutes, but it’s up a hill so it’s better to drive or take a bus, taxi, or Uber.

      It sounds like you are doing enough of the included attractions that a Go Card will definitely be worth it. I’m not sure exactly what else you are asking, but I’m happy to help more if I can. Universal Studios alone pays for a good chunk of the cost of a Go Card, so it’s easy to get good value with the remaining attractions in your remaining days. Again, I’ll answer other questions if you have them. -Roger

  2. TJ says:

    Great! Thanks for the info and quick response Roger! Next summer can’t come soon enough

  3. TJ says:

    Thanks for the response Roger! But a couple more questions if you don’t mind. Instead of buying it online, I plan on going into one of the stores located on Katella Ave (per their website) when we get to LA.

    1. Will it be a physical Go Card buying it at the store?

    2. If it is a card instead of an electronic pass, does the cards specify which one is the adult card and which card is for my 11 y.o.? There are a couple of activities I am interested in doing but the rest of the family don’t want to do. I don’t want to get to the attraction and find out I picked up the wrong pass off the table.

    1. Roger Wade says:

      TJ,

      I’ve never actually used one, but I grew up in Los Angeles and have been to most of these things and have researched this a lot. According to a Japanese-language website, you do indeed get a physical card and it says “3-day Adult” on the example in the photo. It looks pretty well organized. -Roger

  4. TJ says:

    Hi Roger,

    Thank you for the write. I came across your article googling about the LA gocard i saw costco is selling. We are planning a 2 week trip to SoCal in June of next year. After a few days in Disneyland, we (wife and 2 kids 11 /16 y.o.) plan on hitting Knotts, Santa Monica and Universal. Hotels are fully covered using various points. But tickets alone to go to these three attractions will run me over $1K. Trying to minimize output of cash

    Our itinerary:
    Day 1 – 4 days at Disneyland.
    Day 5 – 6 Knotts Berry Farm water and amusement parks
    Day 7 Santa Monica Pier
    Day 8 Universal
    Remaining days visiting various places (maybe drive down to Vegas lol)

    Questions…
    1. If I buy now, is it only valid this year? Or is it good to use at any time?

    2. Is the gocard good for only 1 time entry to each of the major attractions?

    3. We are not interested in any of the studio tours, but contemplating 2 days visiting Universal for the rides. Do you recommend 2 days? Will my boys be able to hit all the rides (once or twice) when we are there from opening to closing?

    Your input is appreciated! Thanks.

    1. Roger Wade says:

      TJ,

      1. The Go Los Angeles Cards are valid up to one year after you purchase them, and you can return them for a full refund during that year if you don’t use them.

      2. Yes, you can only enter each attraction once.

      3. I haven’t been to Universal Studios in quite a few years, but from what I hear the lines for the rides are usually not insanely long like they are at some places. If you go on a weekday the lines are even shorter. I really think one day is best at Universal because they don’t have nearly as many rides as Disneyland, Knott’s, or Magic Mountain. Universal does have some rides, but everything is movie themed and they have various shows and tours rather than just rides. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger

  5. Aylin says:

    Hi Roger,
    We are planning a trip in Los Angeles for 4 days for Christmas time.

    We would like to see:
    Universal Studios,
    Madame Tussauds,
    Warner Bros. Studios,
    Hollywood Boulvard (Walk of Fame, China Theatre, Dolby Theatre ect), some of the beaches like Venice and Santa Monica.
    And a general city tour of Beverly Hills, Downtown ect.

    If you could help me with some clues about that time of year that would be great.
    Is it worth to have a Los Angeles Go Card for these places for 4 days?
    We are planning to stay in a hotel close to the lax airport. Isn’t it possible to use the public transport to go to these places from there?
    Thank you in advance.

    Aylin Palanduz

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Aylin,

      As of a few years ago I would have said it’s impossible to visit all of these places using public transportation, but now I think it actually is possible. It will be slower than driving a rented car, but if you are able to use Uber or Lyft for some of your connections it won’t be much slower. In other words, your hotel might only be on a slow bus line that takes 30 minutes to get to the metro system, so you could take an Uber or taxi and be there in 5 or 10 minutes. The LAX area isn’t very central, but I do think it could be done with some planning.

      The weather in LA is good or great almost every day of the year, so you should have a good time. You might get a rainy day if you are unlucky, but you might also get days around 27C/80F for most of your visit. It gets dark by 5pm in December and Universal and the other outdoor attractions close around that time or maybe 6pm, but the crowds are much smaller than in summer so you’ll be able to see and do more in a shorter time. It will probably be chilly and kind of windy on the beaches, even if it’s warmer inland.

      Based on the things on your list, it looks like you’d just about break even with a Go Los Angeles Card, or you’d already be saving money if you do the hop-on, hop-off bus tour. And you should also have two half days free still, so you could do another attraction or two and save even more. There are several interesting ones all within a short walk of each other near Madame Tussauds, so it works out well if you’ve got half a day to spend there. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger

  6. Jennifer says:

    Hi Roger,

    I am doing the two day pass. I want to visit some tours and cruises for the first day. How do you pre-book the cruises? Do you just go on their website and call the number?

    Thank you!
    Jennifer

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Jennifer,

      For each of the attractions on the Go Los Angles Card website it should have instructions for how to book under the tab that says “Details.” For example for the Harbor Cruise or Whale Watch in Long Beach it says:
      —-
      Reservations
      Confirmed reservations must be made by calling (562) 432-4900 or emailing [email protected]. Walk-ups will be allowed, availability permitting.
      —-
      So it looks like it should be easy as long as you plan in advance, and you might even be able to walk up if you show up on a whim. I’d do reservations for sure though. Have a great trip. -Roger

  7. Scott Webb says:

    Hi Roger,
    Lovin all the information and your valuable insights.

    We are coming from Australia in 2.5 weeks for 12 days. We have booked a 3 day park hopper disney pass and a 7 day LA GO card.
    We also have a car for the whole time.
    My wife and I have been to the US about 20 years ago but it will be a first time trip for our 4 girls (19,17,16 & 9 (turning 10 on our last day there))
    Our current itinerary is
    Monday – Arrive & shopping
    Tuesday – Disneyland
    Wednesday Disneyland
    Thursday Disneyland (magic morning)
    Friday Knott’s Berry Farm & Soak city
    Saturday Warner Bros Tour (10am), go karting, Madam Tussauds,walk of fame
    Sunday Legoland (Early morning start)
    Monday Hollywood homes tour, grammy museum, LA Dogers baseball game
    Tueday universal Studios
    Wednesday Hop on Hop of tour, Santa Monica, Beach day, Shopping
    Thursday Six flags magic mountain
    Friday Catchup on anything we want – fly home at 10pm

    We have tried to pace our selves and leave some down time whilst getting the most from our 7 day card.
    Can you offer any suggestions/changes?
    Thanks,
    Scott

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Scott,

      Actually, your itinerary looks really well planned and I don’t have any suggestions or changes. Your idea of going to Legoland on Sunday is a fantastic one, especially with the early start, because that is the only day that you’ll probably have very little traffic on that long journey. And it doesn’t look like you are trying to pack too many things into any of your days. That’s one advantage of a 7-day card, so you can pace yourself nicely like this. Let me know if you have any questions. -Roger

  8. Randy says:

    Hi Roger (and Planka)

    This is a follow-up to our trip in May. We did indeed buy and successfully use a 4-day Go Los Angeles Card from Costco in Canada. Everything worked out great!

    This is the itinerary that we accomplished…

    THURSDAY
    Sony Pictures Studio Tour (traveled there directly from LAX)

    FRIDAY
    Universal Studios (AMAZING!)

    SATURDAY
    Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour – Yellow Route from Santa Monica pier
    (spent the afternoon in Beverly Hills)
    Pacific Park – Santa Monica Pier

    SUNDAY
    Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
    Hollywood Museum
    Hollywood Movie Star Homes Tour
    Madame Tussauds Hollywood
    TCL Chinese Theater tour

    Note that this was all done using public transportation. Other than uber from the airport, our entire trip was subway, light rail or bus to all attractions (from the downtown core).

    There were a few other things that we wanted to squeeze in, but they either closed early (eg. the Santa Monica aquarium) or we couldn’t make the 5 pm cut-off time. For Madame Tussauds, we were able to get our tickets in the early afternoon, go on the Movie Star Homes Tour, and return to the museum later that evening.

    Thank you Roger and all other contributors for your guidance and advice. We had a great (and exhausting) first trip to LA! — Randy

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Randy,

      That sounds great and I’m glad you were able to pack so many things in. It’s also very interesting to know that you were able to do so much of it using public transportation. Thanks for taking the time to report back. -Roger

  9. Planka says:

    Hi Roger. Great post and very helpful. I read Randy’s comments from March 24 2017 and he says something very interesting. Costco are offering what appears to be a 4-day Go Los Angeles Card for the same price as the normal 3-day card. I am trying to confirm with Costco that this is the same card but I was wondering if you know anything about it? Thanks again, great read.

    1. Roger Wade says:

      Planka,

      I’m not familiar with the Costco deal, but it sounds like something they’d offer. They don’t normally offer anything at full price, and if it’s a Go Los Angeles Card it sounds like a great deal. Best of luck with it. -Roger

  10. JAVIER VARGAS says:

    Hi,Roger,
    greetings from Bogota/Colombia
    Thank you so much for the article, it was very helpful, you share a lot of information on the comments, thanks again, amazing job.