San Francisco sightseeing passes: worth it or not, by the numbers
We compare 6 passes for San Francisco, from USD 74 to USD 199 for one adult. We set each one against the gate prices of 14 attractions, read on their own pages in October 2026.
For our 5 first visit picks over 3 days, San Francisco CityPASS + Alcatraz comes out ahead: it saves USD 98 (28% of the gate total) for 2 adults.
Our 5 first visit picks
- Alcatraz Day Tour
- Cable car single ride
- California Academy of Sciences
- Blue & Gold Fleet San Francisco Bay Cruise
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
2 adults, 3 days at a packed pace: USD 349.90 at the gate.
San Francisco CityPASS + Alcatraz comes first
Ranked 1 of 6 for this plan
Pass USD 233.90 still at the gate USD 18
USD 98 less than the gate, 28% of the gate total, for this plan
Prices checked October 2026. Every pass on this plan: the plans table.
- Passes
- 6
- One adult pays
- USD 74 to USD 199
- Attractions priced
- 14
- Prices checked
- October 2026
The 6 San Francisco passes at a glance
Adult and child prices for one person, in USD, from each seller's page in October 2026. The last column counts the attractions each pass includes that carry a published gate price in our data.
| Pass | Type | Options | Adult | Child | Priced attractions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco CityPASS | Choice of attractions | 4 picks, valid 9 days | USD 89.95 | USD 69.95, child 4 to 11 | 6 of 6 |
| San Francisco C3 | Choice of attractions | 3 picks, valid 9 days | USD 81.95 | USD 64.95, child 4 to 11 | 6 of 6 |
| San Francisco CityPASS + Alcatraz | Choice of attractions | 3 picks, valid 9 days | USD 114.95 | USD 84.95, child 5 to 11 | 7 of 7 |
| Go City San Francisco Essentials Pass | Choice of attractions | 3 picks, valid 30 days | USD 74 | USD 54, child 3 to 12 | 6 of 6 |
| Go City San Francisco Explorer Pass | Choice of attractions | 2 to 5 picks, valid 30 days | USD 89 to USD 149 | USD 69 to USD 109, child 3 to 12 | 10 of 10 |
| Go City San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass | All-inclusive by days | Valid 1 to 5 days | USD 109 to USD 199 | USD 89 to USD 159, child 3 to 12 | 10 of 10 |
Every pass against three plans
The same group for each plan: 2 adults, no children, a packed pace of up to 4 visits a day. The engine picks the option of each pass that fits, then sets it against the gate total. Rows follow the 5 things result: verdict first, then the saving.
2 things
Alcatraz Day Tour and Cable car single ride. 2 adults, 3 days at a packed pace. At the gate: USD 113.90 for the group.
5 things
Alcatraz Day Tour, Cable car single ride, California Academy of Sciences, Blue & Gold Fleet San Francisco Bay Cruise and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. 2 adults, 3 days at a packed pace. At the gate: USD 349.90 for the group.
Everything: 14 things
Alcatraz Day Tour, Cable car single ride, California Academy of Sciences, Blue & Gold Fleet San Francisco Bay Cruise, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Alcatraz Night Tour, Big Bus San Francisco Discover Ticket, Red and White Fleet Bridge to Bridge Cruise, Red and White Fleet Golden Gate Bay Cruise, San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, Aquarium of the Bay, The Walt Disney Family Museum, USS Pampanito and Muir Woods National Monument. 2 adults, 4 days at a packed pace. At the gate: USD 1,020.36 for the group.
| Pass | 2 things | 5 things | Everything: 14 things |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco CityPASS + Alcatraz | Skip itUSD 138 moreAlcatraz plus 3 choices | Worth itsaves USD 98Alcatraz plus 3 choices | Close callsaves USD 102Alcatraz plus 3 choices |
| San Francisco C3 | Skip itUSD 167.90 more3 attractions | Worth itsaves USD 68.103 attractions | Close callsaves USD 72.103 attractions |
| San Francisco CityPASS | Skip itUSD 183.90 more4 attractions | Worth itsaves USD 52.104 attractions | Worth itsaves USD 117.064 attractions |
| Go City San Francisco Explorer Pass | Skip itUSD 160 more2 attractions | Close callUSD 20 more2 attractions | Worth itsaves USD 150.205 attractions |
| Go City San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass | Skip itUSD 200 more1 day | Skip itUSD 42 more1 day | Worth itsaves USD 359.163 days |
| Go City San Francisco Essentials Pass | Skip itUSD 148 more3 attractions | Skip itUSD 88 more3 attractions | Close callsaves USD 54.963 attractions |
Prices checked October 2026. US gate prices are before sales tax. Worth The Pass compares published prices on the date shown. Passes change what they include; check the seller's page before you buy.
4 pairs of passes side by side
Pairs a visitor is likely to weigh against each other, each against the same plans and with both inclusion lists in one table.
- San Francisco CityPASS vs Go City San Francisco Explorer Pass5 priced on both
- San Francisco CityPASS vs San Francisco CityPASS + Alcatraz6 priced on both
- San Francisco C3 vs Go City San Francisco Essentials Pass4 priced on both
- San Francisco CityPASS vs San Francisco C36 priced on both
Your own San Francisco plan
Our 5 first visit picks are ticked to start: our choice for a first visit, not a visitor ranking. Change the ticks, the days, the adults and each child's age, and every pass gets its own verdict for the things you ticked.
San Francisco gate prices
Prices for one visitor from each attraction's own ticket page, in USD, checked October 2026. A price the page does not publish stays out of every total. US gate prices are before sales tax.
| Attraction | Adult | Child | In these passes | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Academy of SciencesFirst visit pick | USD 49 | USD 39, child 3 to 12; USD 45, youth 13 to 18; free under 3 | CityPASS, C3, CityPASS + Alcatraz, Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for California Academy of Sciences (opens in a new tab) |
| Alcatraz Day TourFirst visit pick | USD 47.95 | USD 29.15, child 5 to 11; USD 47.95, youth 12 to 17; free under 5 | CityPASS + Alcatraz | Tickets for Alcatraz Day Tour (opens in a new tab) |
| Blue & Gold Fleet San Francisco Bay CruiseFirst visit pick | USD 39 | USD 28, child 5 to 11; USD 33, youth 12 to 18; free under 5 | CityPASS, C3 and CityPASS + Alcatraz | Tickets for Blue & Gold Fleet San Francisco Bay Cruise (opens in a new tab) |
| San Francisco Museum of Modern ArtFirst visit pick | USD 30 | Free for every child, under 19 | CityPASS, C3, CityPASS + Alcatraz, Go City Essentials, Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (opens in a new tab) |
| Cable car single rideFirst visit pick | USD 9 | Free under 5; other child prices not published | Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for Cable car single ride (opens in a new tab) |
| Alcatraz Night Tour | USD 59.65 | USD 34.85, child 5 to 11; USD 58.35, youth 12 to 17; free under 5 | In no pass | Tickets for Alcatraz Night Tour (opens in a new tab) |
| Big Bus San Francisco Discover Ticket | USD 56.10from, online price | USD 47.60, child 3 to 12 | Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for Big Bus San Francisco Discover Ticket (opens in a new tab) |
| Red and White Fleet Bridge to Bridge Cruise | USD 48 | USD 36, child 5 to 17; free under 5 | Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for Red and White Fleet Bridge to Bridge Cruise (opens in a new tab) |
| Red and White Fleet Golden Gate Bay Cruise | USD 39 | USD 29, child 5 to 17; free under 5 | Go City Essentials, Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for Red and White Fleet Golden Gate Bay Cruise (opens in a new tab) |
| San Francisco Zoo & Gardens | USD 32 | USD 22, child 2 to 11; free under 2 | CityPASS, C3, CityPASS + Alcatraz, Go City Essentials, Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for San Francisco Zoo & Gardens (opens in a new tab) |
| Aquarium of the Bay | USD 30.48 | USD 22, child 4 to 12 | CityPASS, C3, CityPASS + Alcatraz, Go City Essentials, Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for Aquarium of the Bay (opens in a new tab) |
| The Walt Disney Family Museum | USD 30 | USD 15, child 6 to 17; free under 6 | CityPASS, C3, CityPASS + Alcatraz, Go City Essentials, Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for The Walt Disney Family Museum (opens in a new tab) |
| USS Pampanito | USD 25 | USD 15, child 5 to 13; free under 5 | Go City Essentials, Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for USS Pampanito (opens in a new tab) |
| Muir Woods National Monument | USD 15 | Child price not published | In no pass | Tickets for Muir Woods National Monument (opens in a new tab) |
Worth The Pass may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never changes the math or the ranking.
Questions about San Francisco passes
What is the cheapest sightseeing pass in San Francisco?
The lowest adult price among the 6 passes we compare is Go City San Francisco Essentials Pass at USD 74 for the 3 attractions option. The highest is Go City San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass at USD 199 for 5 days. Prices checked October 2026. A low price pays off only when the pass covers enough of your own plan.
Is a sightseeing pass worth it in San Francisco?
For Alcatraz Day Tour, Cable car single ride, California Academy of Sciences, Blue & Gold Fleet San Francisco Bay Cruise and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, with 2 adults, 3 days at a packed pace, the gate total is USD 349.90. 3 of 6 passes come out Worth it for this plan: San Francisco CityPASS + Alcatraz saves USD 98 (28% of the gate total), San Francisco C3 saves USD 68.10 (19% of the gate total) and San Francisco CityPASS saves USD 52.10 (14% of the gate total). A different list can change the answer, so tick your own in the calculator on this page.
Which San Francisco attractions are not in any pass?
Alcatraz Night Tour and Muir Woods National Monument are in none of the 6 passes we compare, so you pay at the gate whichever pass you buy. Adult gate prices: Alcatraz Night Tour USD 59.65 and Muir Woods National Monument USD 15.
Do San Francisco sightseeing passes have child prices?
All 6 passes publish a reduced price for children: San Francisco CityPASS (child 4 to 11), San Francisco C3 (child 4 to 11), San Francisco CityPASS + Alcatraz (child 5 to 11), Go City San Francisco Essentials Pass (child 3 to 12), Go City San Francisco Explorer Pass (child 3 to 12) and Go City San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass (child 3 to 12). Enter each child's age in the calculator to see the band that applies.
When were the San Francisco prices checked?
We read every San Francisco pass and gate price on the seller's and the attraction's own pages in October 2026: 6 passes and 14 attractions, from 22 source pages. Each price on this page is in USD.