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
Great site, good to get advice from a local! I’ll be in LA between Christmas and New Year, we want to see Universal (one day), the Hollywood sign and Hollywood area. It looks like with the Go pass, the HoHo is only good for one day, is that enough ?
Sue,
Yes, I think one day on the hop-on, hop-off bus is enough. My advice is to get on it and probably stay on a whole loop. The tours are interesting, but they usually don’t work too well as transportation between attractions because they can be a bit slow. If you wan to hop off again at one of the next couple stops, it can work well, but if the stop you want to get off at is 6 or 7 stops away it can be frustrating to have to wait for all the stops in the middle. Also, at some stops not many people get off so there are not always good seats for those who get on there.
I’ve taken dozens of HOHO tours and I’m always glad I did them, and also glad that it’s over so I can move around freely (with Uber or a rental car or on foot or whatever). Best of luck. -Roger
Just want to thank you for all the infomation! This is by far the best resource on this topic. I’m about to go purchase now lol
Hiya
Am wondering if one day is enough at Universal Studios in very early September – or should I get a two day Universal pass and not do the Go pass.
Will have two teenage boys with me. Also is a 5 day park hopper enough time to do Disneyland and California Adventure ?
Will also do hop on hop off bus / walk of fame / Madame Tussaud’s/ Santa Monica pier . Anything we should definitely not miss doing ? Boys want to do San Diego zoo but not sure as won’t have a car – public transport / taxis only – and I hear it’s a distance away .
Thanks heaps
Rebecca
Becs,
It’s tough to be sure of some of these answers. I grew up a few miles from Disneyland so I went a few times each year and one day in the park was always exhausting to me, even in my youth. The same was true with all of the other theme parks, so I’m really only used to going one day and cramming in as much fun as possible. But I know that many people do enjoy spending multiple days in each park. Personally, I think if you have limited time in the Los Angeles area that I’d try to do Universal in one long day. They have a few rides, but it’s mostly shows and you’ll be able to see the ones that look most interesting on your first day.
Spending multiple days in Disney or Magic Mountain is a bit different because those are mostly rides and it can be fun to ride the best ones over and over.
I think your plan looks quite good. There are quite a few included attractions within walking distance of Madame Tussauds, so if you time it right it’s usually possible to hit quite a few things there in a short time. You should be able to get around pretty easily with Ubers or Lyfts and maybe a bit of public transportation.
The San Diego Zoo is the best zoo on the west coast, but it’s about 100 miles away and those freeways often have traffic in both directions. If you had a car it would be easy enough to get down there and come back, but without a car I don’t think it would be worth the effort. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger
very informative information. thanks Roger for your time and all the feedback’s
Hi Roger,
Thanks very much for your positive feedback, I’ve been trying to do as much homework before our trip as possible. I do have one LA related question I’ll try out with you! We have ordered snow ski gear from the US before, as it’s much more price competitive, while we are there we hoped to check out some ski shops, so is there any ski shops you know off and recommend in LA? I appreciate winter sports is not really something that anyone relate’s LA too!
Regards, Paula
Hi Roger,
Your feedback on the Go LA card is great. I’ve been reading all the comments. We have purchased a 7-day pass, for 2x adults and 2x children. We are travelling from NZ, so will be using public transport/Uber. I’m making the most of the 2 week period of use, and using Day 1 at the San Diego Zoo, then we are going to Disneyland for 6 days, then heading over to Hollywood to stay at the Orchid Suites. My other days planned is this;
Day 2 – Madam Tussaud’s and Hollywood Star Homes Tour
Day 3 – Dolby Theatre, Hollywood Museum and possibly get to the LA Zoo
Day 4 – Universal Studios
Day 5 – Walking Tour to Hollywood Sign/Observatory, Warner Bro’s Studio Tour
Day 6 – Science Centre, Natural History Museum and possibly Grammy Museum
Day 7 – Santa Monica Pier , Aquarium and Bike Hire
Following day we have to relax before flying out in the evening.
I would like to reserve some of the activities before leaving NZ, do you know if I request a reservation earlier whether this will activate my card? Appreciate also if you would recommended anything in particular I may of missed, we can doing whale watching in NZ easy enough 🙂
Thanks, Paula
Paula,
This sounds like an amazing trip and I’m very impressed by your itinerary. I’ve used many of these city cards and they always activate when you use them to enter the first attraction, so it seems pretty much impossible that reserving a time would start it. Obviously you’d reserve a time for when you’ll actually be in Los Angeles, and I’m sure this is a common thing for people to make reservations well before using the card, so you should be fine.
Your list of activities each day looks very realistic. Sometimes people try to schedule something else on the same day they go to Universal, and that rarely works because most people prefer to stay at Universal the whole day, but it looks like you’ve got your things all grouped together in a very efficient way that you won’t even be spending too much time in freeway traffic. In other words, very well done. I’ll be happy to try to answer questions if you have them. -Roger
Hi Roger
May i know celebrity tour is include in GO LA card??
Mint,
Yes, a 2-hour “Hollywood Movie Star Homes Tour” is included with all Go Los Angeles cards. -Roger
my family including our 17 and 10yo boys are planning 5 days in los angeles and i am considering the go card and could use some advice. we arrive around 730am and dont check into our place til around 3/4pm so thought we would drive to santa monica first.
we definately plan to spend a day at universal and id love to include pictures around melrose of murals..maybe the museum of illusion, long beach, venice beach and hollywood wax/downtown. id like at least some relaxation on a beach even a half day. id be open to a tour or tv taping if time allows. im worried about traffic and best times to travel and structure our visit. id love any insight on how to best structure between these places and using the go card..also how do i use them for cruises and tours do i mention the card ahead when scheduling?
Sheila,
Yes, traffic in Los Angeles is always something to consider, but generally it moves pretty well from about 9am until about 3pm and then starts slowing down through 7pm or so in those areas. It’s always a bit of a crap shoot though, as one stalled car can create a ripple effect that slows everyone down for an hour or more. My best advise is to try to plan most or all of your driving for that period between 9am and 3pm. From LAX to Santa Monica leaving at 8:30am or so should be pretty easy because those freeways move pretty well.
I’m happy to give you more specific advice if you are wondering about which order to do things in. Generally speaking, the key to getting the best use out of these Go Cards is to try to arrive at the more popular attractions right around when they open in the morning. You can usually get right in and also park pretty close. I’m sure you’ll have a great trip and feel free to ask more specific questions if you have them. -Roger
Hi Roger, just want to say thanks for all the great advice you’ve given, it has been really helpful. My girlfriend and I are planning a vacation to California on September 25th 2018. We are staying there for 5 days and I wanted to get your opinion on our plan. Maybe you can help us figure out which destinations are closer to each other so we can plan it more effectively. So to start, I’ve seen someone mention the 4-day pass at Costco so we will be purchasing that and using uber as transportation.
We come into Los Angeles at 12:30 and Plan on checking in and leaving our hotel around 2 o’clock. We will be staying at the Dream Hollywood hotel, it’s fairly close to some sightseeing attractions so its a plus.
TUESDAY (DAY ONE)
– Santa Monica pier rides & games
– Santa Monica aquarium
– Perrys bike rental.
Is it possible to do all of that in one day?
WEDNESDAY (DAY TWO)
-UNIVERSAL ALL DAY !
Do you know which rides are the most popular?
THURSDAY (DAY THREE)
– OUE Skyspace
– California Science Center
– Hollywood Stars
– Hop on and off tour
– TLC theatre
– Madame Tussaud
– Dolby theatre
Would u recommend any other pretty cool places we can visit along the way? Do you think that’s possible to fit all of that together?
FRIDAY (DAY FOUR)
On our fourth day, we pack our bags and visit San Diego, where we would be staying at the Hard Rock hotel. That morning we would like to visit the San Diego Zoo. Now is there a difference between the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego safari zoo? If so does our pass cover the safari? We would really love to go there instead of the zoo. would be better off purchasing the three day pass instead? Also one more thing! We want to bike our way to the Hollywood sign, I believe the pass is covered by the Hollywood bike tour, should we squeeze that in? Thanks for all your feedback and support!
Nathalie,
I’ll try to help if I can. You will be able to spend time on the pier and see the aquarium in an hour or two, and I think a bike rental for 2 or 3 more hours should be enough so I think that day works well as long as you get there around when you are planning.
I don’t know which Universal Studios rides are most popular, though I’m sure there are blogs and it with all that information.
I think Thursday looks like a busy day already and I don’t have anything to add. In fact, since most of those are close together I would make sure you are doing the ones that interest you most before the others because you might run out of time or energy. And if you do the bus tour it’s best to start as early as possible because traffic tends to get worse as the day goes on. They are both included in the Go San Diego Card, but the Los Angeles Card only gets you into the zoo. Your hotel is much, much closer to the zoo as well, and even an Uber would be pretty expensive to the Safari Park so I think the zoo is a better choice.
The Hollywood sign hike and bike is new and I don’t know much about it. But it looks pretty cool so hopefully you have time. I didn’t know you could bike to the sign, and the car traffic up that hill has gotten terrible so I hope it is a good experience. -Roger
The San Diego Zoo is close to downtown San Diego and the ocean, while the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is about 50 km away and it’s inland. They are run by the same people, but require separate admission
Hello Roger,
I’m a little upset that I am just finding out about this card just 3 days before my trip. But I am also happy that I saw this before I left to go to LA.
I will be going to LA on Thursday with my daughter and 3 grandson’s ages 7, 2, and 2 months. We will be there from Thursday afternoon until Sunday evening. I was thinking of get either the 2 or 3 day card.
But my thing is my son’s both work for Universal Studio’s and can get 30% off tickets so I want to know would that be worth it or should I just purchase the 3 pass. Which way would it make much of a difference.
I want to get the best I can for a great experience for my family so you help is greatly appreciated. Also where is the best place for me to purchase this cards in LA or online?
Thank you, again in advance for any help you can give me.
Stasea S.
Stasea,
The benefit of the 3-day Pass seems to be mostly in the free ticket to Universal, so it may not be worth it for you. Most people spend the entire day in Universal and even if you leave by 5pm or so you’ll be tired and there aren’t too many other things you can do. So it’s really a matter of adding up the price of a 3-day pass and comparing it to a 2-day pass with a 30% discount on Universal admission. You are getting the same thing in both cases, so I’d do whichever is cheaper. Have a great trip. -Roger