US city passes explained: Go City, CityPASS or single tickets

The short answer

A city pass is a right to choose from someone else's list within a time limit. It is not an itinerary, it does not take you anywhere, and on its own it does not prove a saving. XTOUR has not compared pass prices with single tickets for any US city, so this guide makes no saving claim. What it does is explain the rules, which are where most pass mistakes happen.

XTOUR lists three pass families for the United States: Go City passes for 13 destinations, CityPASS for six, and The New York Pass, which Go City runs. Each city guide linked below compares that city's passes in detail. This page explains how the models work across all of them.

Go City's three pass types

Go City describes its passes in the same three ways from city to city. Its Las Vegas page puts it most plainly: choose three attractions, choose the number of attractions you would like to visit, or choose your duration.[7] Its New York page describes the same trio as Essentials, Explorer and All-Inclusive.[1]

Essentials counts a small, fixed number of attractions. In Las Vegas and Los Angeles, SkyGate's listings describe three attractions, each visited once, within 30 days of activation.[12][8] Some cities add a structure on top. Orlando's Essentials makes you choose one top attraction, LEGOLAND Florida Resort or Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, plus two from a second list.[19] New York's Essential fixes one observation deck plus two other choices, within 30 consecutive days.[4] San Antonio's Essentials requires one pick from a featured tier of SeaWorld San Antonio, Aquatica or a Natural Bridge Caverns package, while its Highlights pass lets you pick any three.[22][21]

Explorer counts a number of choices you buy in advance. You buy a number of attractions, from two up to ten in New York and up to seven in Las Vegas, and use them within 30 consecutive days of first use. That is how SkyGate describes the New York and Las Vegas Explorer passes.[9][3] The window suits a long stay at an easy pace; the fixed count suits a known shortlist.

All-Inclusive counts days, and here the cities differ. Go City describes this type as choosing a duration and visiting as many of the included attractions as you like.[1] How a "day" works depends on the city's listing:

• Consecutive calendar days. SkyGate says The New York Pass runs for the selected number of consecutive calendar days once activated, regardless of the time of day.[2] The Chicago and New Orleans All-Inclusive listings say the same.[20][15] In Las Vegas the All-Inclusive days run back to back.[10]
• Non-consecutive days within a window. SkyGate's Los Angeles All-Inclusive and All-Inclusive Plus listings sell multi-day options as non-consecutive days within 14 days of first use.[14][13] Orlando's All-Inclusive is sold the same way: two, three or five non-consecutive days within 14 days.[18]

The practical difference is large. With consecutive calendar days, a pass started at 3 PM has used a whole day; SkyGate's New Orleans listing says exactly that a pass day counts as a calendar day.[20] With non-consecutive days, you can leave rest days or a theme-park day off the pass without wasting it.

CityPASS: a small set, used within nine days

CityPASS works differently. Each city pass covers a small set number of attractions, fixed, chosen or a mix of both, used within nine days of the first visit; the number depends on the city and the option. CityPASS's Atlanta page says you choose five of six attractions, valid for nine days from the first attraction visit.[23] In Chicago, CityPASS fixes Shedd Aquarium and Skydeck Chicago and lets you choose three more from six.[16] In Seattle, SkyGate's option fixes the Space Needle and the Seattle Aquarium plus three from five, and CityPASS says its Space Needle entry is one daytime and one nighttime visit within 24 hours.[25][24] San Francisco's CityPASS is smaller: SkyGate's option fixes the California Academy of Sciences and a Blue & Gold Fleet bay cruise and adds two choices, four attractions in all, valid for nine days.[26] San Diego's is built around its theme parks, with SeaWorld San Diego, LEGOLAND California or both plus three choices, valid for nine consecutive days.[27]

Two things to know about CityPASS. First, reservations: CityPASS said on its New York page that most attractions require advance reservations, and its Chicago page that several attractions need reservations through the My CityPASS app.[17][6] Second, the product description can differ between seller and maker. In New York, SkyGate's listing describes two fixed attractions plus three choices, while CityPASS's own page described a choice of five from ten with none fixed.[5][6] Check the version you are buying before you plan around a particular venue.

Rules that catch people out

• The list is not yours to fix. SkyGate's Go City listings say included attractions are subject to change and point to the Go City app for the current list.[19][8] Check the app on the day you buy, not a blog post from last year.
• Each attraction usually counts once. SkyGate's Essentials listings in Las Vegas and Los Angeles allow one visit per attraction.[12][8]
• Pass entry can be narrower than the venue's own ticket. SkyGate's Las Vegas Essentials listing names a daytime High Roller ticket and a single FlyOver ride, for example.[8] The Las Vegas city passes compared guide sets the pass entries against the single tickets.
• The headline venue may be on one tier only. In Los Angeles, Universal Studios Hollywood appears on the All-Inclusive Plus list, not the standard All-Inclusive, according to Go City's own page.[11] In Orlando, SkyGate's All-Inclusive list names both LEGOLAND and Kennedy Space Center; check the Go City app before assuming another tier includes them.[18]

How to choose

XTOUR's reading of the rules above:

• One or two venues: start with the single tickets, and compare them with a two-choice Explorer option where one exists.
• A known shortlist over a week or more: an Explorer pass sized to the shortlist, if every venue on it is on the current list.
• Two or three full sightseeing days in a row: an All-Inclusive pass in a consecutive-day city, started early in the morning.
• A mixed trip with rest days or a theme park: in Los Angeles and Orlando, the non-consecutive All-Inclusive options fit that pattern.
• Four or five headline attractions in nine days: CityPASS, after confirming which attractions are fixed and reserving those that need it.

Whatever you choose, price the same venues as single tickets on your dates before you decide.

City guides

Each city guide explains its passes in full, with the venue tickets beside them:

• New York City passes compared
• Los Angeles city passes compared
• Las Vegas city passes compared
• Chicago museums and city passes
• Orlando passes, ICON Park and indoor attractions
• San Diego passes, museums and the bay
• San Francisco museums and city passes
• Miami passes and sightseeing
• Oahu passes, parks and Diamond Head
• Boston attractions, cruises and passes
• Philadelphia passes and sightseeing
• New Orleans attraction passes
• San Antonio attraction passes
• Atlanta attractions and civil rights history
• Seattle attractions and tours