Is The San Francisco CityPASS Worth It?

The San Francisco CityPASS is one of the three major attraction passes in the Golden City and we’ve personally used this pass ourselves. In this review, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about using a CityPASS in San Francisco including what we liked and didn’t like. This pass won’t be a fit for everyone, but it did save us money and we’ll show you how to make the most of it.

Disclaimer: We received San Francisco CityPASS and C3 Pass tickets in order to share our opinion about this product but this is not a sponsored post.

Our CityPASS Experience

We’ve used attraction passes in cities all around the world including this exact pass in San Francisco during fall 2022. CityPASS is a very popular company offering mainly US based options. We like their passes because they offer top attractions at a great price point.

Other reviews online often claim to have used this pass, but then source stock photos from various websites. So we found it extremely important to prove that we’ve actually used the pass and you’ll find our personal photos taken from every attraction we visited. This is our honest review after using both a C3 and CityPASS for San Francisco, California. Read more about us.

Why Consider A San Francisco CityPASS?

Using a CityPASS in San Francisco will give you immediate access to the top attractions including museums, landmarks, aquariums and special experiences. This is the main reason most people buy a pass. We always like to compare it to buying in bulk because the more attractions you purchase, the more you’ll save.

An attraction pass can be used by first time visitors, returning visitors or those who live in the city but have yet to experience any of the touristy things. For example, we used several of the New York passes when we lived in NYC because we wanted to see the best attractions at a slow pace.

The San Francisco CityPASS is an attraction based pass and this feature makes it unique. Your decision is much easier because you don’t have to choose between day or attraction based options offered by other companies. It’s preloaded with a certain number of attractions and you have 9 days to visit them once your pass is activated, but it doesn’t have to be consecutive days.

Here are the 2 official San Francisco pass options for this company (we’ve used both of them):

• San Francisco CityPASS
• San Francisco C3 Pass

The main difference between these two passes is the amount of attractions on each one. A San Francisco CityPASS has 4 attractions while the C3 Pass has 3 attractions. But you choose from a list of at least 7 attractions no matter which pass you purchase. You also have one year from the date of purchase to active your pass in San Francisco.

San Francisco CityPASS Attractions

Depending on which pass you buy, you’ll be able to visit 3 or 4 attractions from a list of 7 or 9 total attractions. The pass includes general admission to all of the attractions below, but you’ll have to pay extra for temporary exhibits.

With the CityPASS you can visit 4 attractions, but two of these are non-negotiable. Here’s the official list including what we decided to visit:

• California Academy of Sciences (visited)
• Blue & Gold Fleet San Francisco Bay Cruise (visited)

You can then choose 2 more attractions:

• Aquarium of the Bay (visited)
• Exploratorium (visited)
• San Francisco Zoo & Gardens
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (visited with C3)
• The Walt Disney Family Museum

With the C3 Pass in San Francisco you can freely choose from the attractions below in addition to the ones listed above without having to visit the aquarium or take a Bay cruise:

• Bay City Bike & Parkwide Bike Rentals (visited)
• de Young Museum + Legion of Honor (visited)

Now that you know what attractions are included on the pass, let’s take a closer look at each one individually:

1. California Academy Of Sciences

• Address: 55 Music Concourse Dr, San Francisco, CA 94118
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 9:30am – 5:00pm Monday to Saturday, 11:00am to 5:00pm Sunday
• Reservations: Not required, pass holders receive the next available time slot

Located in Golden Gate Park, the California Academy of Sciences gives you a lot of bang your buck. It’s home to an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest and natural history museum all wrapped into one massive complex. This is a great attraction for visitors of any age because there are so many fun exhibits.

We loved walking through the Osher Rainforest, a large four-story glass dome where birds and butterflies fly free. It took us about 4 hours to get through this museum including watching a show in the planetarium, which we highly recommend.

Travel Tip: The Planetarium is included in your ticket, but you must book in to watch a show. Reservations can be made online here. We enjoyed watching Living Worlds and it lasted about 30 minutes.

2. Blue And Gold Fleet San Francisco Bay Cruise

• Address: Pier 41, San Francisco, CA 94133
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: Typically 11:00am – 6:00pm (various cruises all day with varied hours)
• Reservations: Not required, present your pass at the PIER 39 box office to get a boarding pass

If you’ve never been sailing in the San Francisco Bay, a Blue and Gold Fleet cruise is a great option for you. This attraction includes a one hour narrated boat cruise while you sail under the Golden Gate Bridge, past Angel Island and eventually circle around Alcatraz.

On board, you’ll find both indoor and outdoor seating with audio tours available in nine languages. It’s often very windy in the bay so we highly recommend you bring a jacket even on warm summer days. We started sitting outside, but then eventually sat inside after getting our photos because it was pretty chilly in October.

READ: Best viewpoints for the Golden Gate Bridge

3. Aquarium Of The Bay

• Address: Pier 39 Embarcadero at Beach St, San Francisco, CA 94133
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 10:00am – 5:00pm
• Reservations: Not required, present your pass at the main entrance

The Aquarium of the Bay is a public aquarium located at Pier 39 and it’s home to more than 24,000 marine animals. It’s focused on local aquatic animals from the San Francisco Bay and the nearby Sierra Nevada area which we think makes it worth visiting.

You can expect to see sharks, octopus, jellyfish, otters, starfish and plenty of colorful fish. If you’re visiting with kids, don’t miss the various touch pools and large shark tunnel (pictured above). It took us about 1.5 hours to visit, but if you want to see any of the scheduled presentations or interactive exhibits, you should plan for extra time.

Travel Tip: Your ticket to the aquarium allows you return privileges all day so make a day of it. We also love visiting the sea lions on PIER 39, but be warned they are very smelly.

4. Exploratorium

• Address: Pier 15 Embarcadero at Green St, San Francisco, CA 94111
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 10:00am – 5:00pm Tuesday to Saturday, 12:00pm – 5:00pm Sunday, closed Mondays
• Reservations: Not required, present your pass to receive an admission ticket

Founded by Frank Oppenheimer in 1969, the Exploratorium is a one of a kind public learning laboratory. It features six indoor exhibits with a few outdoor galleries showcasing science, technology and human perception. If you’re 18 years or older, you can check out the after dark Thursday nights.

We only planned to spend 2 hours at the Exploratorium, but we ended up staying for 5 because we were having so much fun. Visitors of any age will love this museum and we highly recommend it. If you plan to visit, be sure to read our detailed guide below.

READ: How to visit the Exploratorium in San Francisco

5. San Francisco Zoo And Garden

• Address: Sloat Blvd and Upper Great Hwy, San Francisco, CA 94132
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 10:00am – 5:00pm daily
• Reservations: Not required, skip the main ticket line and present your pass at the gatehouse

Located directly on the Pacific Coast, the San Francisco Zoo is an urban oasis with over 2,000 exotic, endangered, and rescued animals. There is also a beautiful garden filled with native and foreign plants. You can expect to see giraffes, zebras, grizzly bears, penguins, gorillas and farm animals. Visit the official website to see a list of exhibits and scheduled events.

READ: Drive the famous Pacific Coast Highway

6. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

• Address: 151 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94103
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 10:00am – 5:00pm Friday to Tuesday, 12:00pm – 8:00pm Thursday, closed Wednesdays
• Reservations: Not required, present your pass to the ticket deck on the 2nd floor

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art. It’s the first museum on the west coast devoted entirely to 20th century art. There are 7 floors of exhibits so you should plan to spend 2-3 hours in the museum. Prior to COVID public tours were available, but unfortunately they are still paused for the time being.

One thing we really liked about visiting the SFMOMA was that it wasn’t overly crowded like museums in New York City. It’s a very large space and you can easily get away from the crowds. We also stopped in the cafe on floor 5 to enjoy the city skyline and large sculptures in the garden.

Travel Tip: Children 18 an under will receive free entry.

7. The Walt Disney Family Museum

• Address: 104 Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94129
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 10:00am – 5:30pm Thursday to Monday
• Reservations: Not required, present your pass for the next available time slot

If you’re a Disney lover, this attraction was made for you! The Walt Disney Family Museum features the life and legacy of Walt Disney through interactive galleries with films, artifacts, models and music. Interestingly, the main museum is housed in an old army barrack which is now a California Historical Landmark.

Sadly this is one museum we missed because we visited other attractions, but it’s on our bucket list for next time. Previous visitors often leave rave reviews about how well this museum is put together and they often spend 4-6 hours inside. You can also visit the official website for more information and virtual tours.

Travel Tip: Children 5 and under will receive free admission, but it’s closed Tuesday and Wednesday so plan accordingly.

8. Rent A Bike

• Address: 2661 Taylor St, San Francisco, CA 94133
• Location: Various locations
• Hours: Depends on location
• Reservations: Not required, present your ticket at one of the pick up locations

A CityPASS C3 ticket will include one full day of bike rentals including a city comfort bike, helmet, lock and map. But you can upgrade to an electric bike for an extra charge. With your pass, you can rent a bike from either Bay City Bike or Parkwide Bike Rentals. We chose Bay City Bike because the pick up locations were closer to our accommodation.

For our trip, we decided to bike over the Golden Gate Bride and then into Golden Gate Park. However, one of our bikes got a flat tire and we had to wait about an hour for someone to come replace our bike. They did it quickly, but we lost a little bit of time in our San Francisco itinerary. For another option, you can bike to Sausalito and then return via ferry.

Travel Tip: It was frustrating losing time waiting for our bike to be repaired even though we didn’t have to wait too long. So if you decide to rent a bike, make a back up plan and manage your expectations if something goes wrong.

9. de Young Museum + Legion of Honor

• Address: 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr, San Francisco, CA 94118
• Location: Golden Gate Park or Lincoln Park
• Hours: 9:30am – 5:15pm Tuesday to Sunday
• Reservations: Not required, present your pass at the admissions desk

This C3 pass attraction option is a two for one deal with entry into both the de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor. The de Young Museum is located in Golden Gate Park while the Legion of Honor is nestled within Lincoln Park. Just to be clear, these museums are found within two different areas of San Francisco, but a CityPASS includes admission into either museum or you can visit both on the same day.

Both the de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor are fine arts museums and they are well known for being the most beautiful museums in San Francisco. The de Young Museum showcases art from the 17th century through today including pieces from the Americas, Oceania and Africa. And the Legion of Honor displays European art spanning through the Renaissance to the 19th Century with works from Monet, Van Gogh, El Greco and Rembrandt.

Travel Tip: General admission to both museums is free the first Tuesday of every month. If you plan to visit both on one day, you probably won’t have time for other attractions unless you rush through the museums.

READ: Tips for visiting the SF Japanese Tea Garden

How Much Does The San Francisco CityPASS Cost?

Our experience with CityPASS has shown us these passes are often very cost effective so we’ll show you how much they cost including how much you can save with each pass.

Here are the prices you’d pay if visiting each attraction individually using same day box office prices for adults:

• California Academy of Sciences – $44.95 (weekend morning visit)
• Blue & Gold Fleet SF Bay Cruise – $39.00
• Aquarium of the Bay – $35.00
• Exploratorium – $39.95
• San Francisco Zoo & Gardens – $31.00 (weekend visit)
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art – $30.00
• The Walt Disney Family Museum – $25.00

And here are the prices for additional attractions on the C3 pass:

• Bay City Bike or Parkwide Bike Rental – $32.00 / day
• de Young Museum + Legion of Honor – $20.00 + $20.00

San Francisco CityPASS example:

The San Francisco CityPASS is currently priced at $87 for adults and $67 for children (4-11).

And here’s how we used it:

California Academy of Sciences ($44.95) + Blue & Gold Fleet SF Bay Cruise ($39.00) + Exploratorium ($39.95) + Aquarium of the Bay ($35.00) = $158.90

• Attraction price (no CityPASS) = $158.90
• CityPASS price = $87.00
• Savings = $71.90

You’ll save 45% on the top 4 attractions!

>> Buy a San Francisco CityPASS here

San Francisco C3 Pass example:

The San Francisco C3 Pass is currently priced at $79 for adults and $62 for children (4-11).

And here’s how we used it:

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art ($30.00) + Bay City Bike Bike Rental ($32.00) + de Young Museum ($20.00) = $82.00

• Attraction price (no CityPASS) = $82.00
• C3 Pass price = $79.00
• Savings = $3.00

>> Buy a San Francisco C3 Pass here

Travel Tip: You can maximize the C3 Pass by visiting both the de Young Museum and Legion of Honor which we didn’t do. But overall, we think the savings are better with the SFO CityPASS compared to the C3 pass.

Does This Pass Include Alcatraz?

Unfortunately, the San Francisco CityPASS and C3 Pass does not include a tour of Alcatraz. City Experiences are the official provider of Alcatraz Island Tour tickets. The best way to book Alcatraz tickets is directly with City Experiences on the official website.

But before you book a tour, be sure to read our extremely popular Alcatraz Tour Review. We’ve taken both a day and night tour at Alcatraz so we’ll tell you everything you need to know.

How To Make Timed Reservations

At the time of writing, there are no attractions in San Francisco that require timed entry reservations. But if things change, it’s very easy to do this on the official CityPASS website. The ease of booking reservations is one of the reasons we like this company so much.

All you have to do is head over to the reservation page, input your pass numbers, find the attraction, hit the dark blue button that says ‘Reserve Time’ and select the time you would like to visit. A confirmation email with your reservation information will be sent to the same email you used to originally purchase CityPASS tickets.

Reservations work on a on a timed entry system meaning you won’t have to wait in lines at each attraction. All you’ll need to do is show your CityPASS for San Francisco along with your reservation confirmation.

Please keep in mind reservation requirements may change so always verify what’s required for each individual attraction prior to your trip.

How To Buy Your San Francisco CityPASS

Buying your San Francisco CityPASS is easy:

• Head to the official website
• Choose between a CityPASS or a C3 Pass
• Select the amount of adult or child passes
• Hit the big red button to add the passes to your cart
• Checkout and enjoy your fun filled trip to San Francisco

You can also purchase a pass from Get Your Guide. The prices are exactly the same as the official website and you can read the previous customer reviews.

Other Pass Options

Before we get to our conclusion, it’s worth mentioning there are two other San Francisco attraction passes. We’ve explained the differences in detail in our San Francisco Pass comparison, but we’ll cover the highlights quickly.

Besides the San Francisco CityPASS, there are 2 other SF attraction passes:

• San Francisco Sightseeing Pass
• Go City San Francisco

Let’s take a quick look at each option:

San Francisco Sightseeing Pass

We’ve used this pass in New York City and it’s a very popular option in cities around the US. You can choose either a day (DAY) or an attraction (FLEX) based option and prices go up incrementally the more you add. There are over 20 attractions included on both passes and this is the official website. Here are the 2 passes:

• SF Sightseeing DAY Pass – Best for visitors who want to see as much as possible
• SF Sightseeing FLEX Pass – Best for visitors who only want to see a few attractions

Go City San Francisco

We’ve used this pass in major cities around the world in Rome, London and Paris. It’s almost identical to the San Francisco Sightseeing Pass with a day (All-Inclusive) and attraction (Explorer) based option. It has a similar number of attractions included as the Sightseeing Pass and this is the official website. Here are the 2 options:

• Go City SF All-Inclusive Pass – Best for visitors who want to see a lot of attractions
• Go City SF Explorer Pass – Best for visitors who only want to visit a few attractions

So why choose the CityPASS over the competition?

Here are pros:

• CityPASS is often cheapest per attraction
• Ability to visit attractions over 9 days

Here are cons:

• Limited amount of attractions on the pass
• Have to visit California Academy of Sciences + Blue & Gold Fleet San Francisco Bay Cruise

The Morgan Conclusion

Now that you know how the pass works and what attractions are included, you’re probably wondering if the CityPASS in San Francisco is worth the hassle.

So after using the CityPASS in San Francisco ourselves, we saved over $142 and we think it’s completely worth it if you want to visit the top attractions! Keep in mind the pass is only valid for 9 days after visiting your first attraction, but this won’t be a problem for most visitors.

If you’re visiting with kids, you might need to do a little more research because some attractions such as the Aquarium of the Bay offer free entry for young children (typically under 2 or 3 years). But every attraction charges an admission fee for older children. Price out each pass depending on your child’s age similar to our example above because it might just be worth getting adult passes if they have free entry.

Personally, we think the San Francisco CityPASS is a much better value over the C3 Pass. It will save you more money and give you the most options. You can also visit the museums on the C3 pass for free on the first Tuesday if every month. It’s also important to note that the San Francisco CityPASS does not include the cable car ride or transportation, but you can use the bike rental on the C3 pass to explore the city for a day.

More From San Francisco

• Our 3 day San Francisco itinerary
• 40 best things to do in San Francisco
• How to see the Golden Gate Bridge
• Is the SF Exploratorium worth visiting?
• SF Japanese Tea Garden visitor guide
• Tips for visiting Coit Tower observation deck
• Which SF attraction pass should you buy?

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Want more California content? Head to our California Travel Guides to explore national parks, popular road trips and things to do in major cities of the sunshine state.

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We hope our San Francisco CityPASS review helps you decide if this is the attraction pass for you!

Please let us know if you have any questions about this pass or San Francisco in the comments below.

Happy Travels,

Mark and Kristen

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