Is The Seattle CityPASS Worth it?

The Seattle CityPASS is the major attraction pass in Washington’s capital city and we’ve personally used this pass ourselves. In this review, we’ll show you what to expect when using the pass in Seattle including how much you can save. This attraction pass won’t be a good fit for everyone, but for those who decide to use it, we’ll show you how to get the most for your money.

Disclaimer: We received Seattle CityPASS 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 Seattle during the fall of 2021. 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 a CityPASS for Seattle. Read more about us.

If you’re interested in this pass, you can also read our reviews for:

Denver CityPASS
San Francisco CityPASS
New York CityPASS

Why Consider A Seattle CityPASS?

Using a CityPASS in Seattle will instantly give you access to the top attractions including museums, cruises and observation decks. 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 is great for 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 attraction passes when we lived in NYC because we wanted to see the best attractions at a slow pace.

The Seattle 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 Seattle pass options for this company:

• Seattle CityPASS (we used this one)
• Seattle C3 Pass

The main difference between these two passes is the amount of attractions on each one. A Seattle CityPASS has 5 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 Seattle.

Seattle CityPASS Attractions

Depending on which pass you buy, you’ll be able to visit 3 or 5 attractions from a list of 7 or 10 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 5 attractions, but two of these are non-negotiable. Here’s the official list including what we decided to visit:

• Seattle Aquarium (visited)
• Space Needle (visited)

You can then choose 3 more attractions:

• Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour (visited)
• Chihuly Garden and Glass (visited)
• Museum of Pop Culture (visited)
• Woodland Park Zoo
• Pacific Science Center (new for 2024)

With the C3 Pass in Seattle you can freely choose from the attractions below in addition to the ones listed above without having to visit the Aquarium or Space Needle:

• The Museum of Flight
• Sky View Observatory
• Seattle Art Museum

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

1. Seattle Aquarium

• Address: 1483 Alaskan Way Pier 59, Seattle, WA 98101
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 9:30am – 6:00pm daily
• Reservations: Required

The Seattle Aquarium showcases marine life found throughout the Puget Sound and beyond. It’s the 9th largest aquarium in the US by attendance. We loved seeing the otters, fish, birds and various sea creatures. Another major highlight was the giant Pacific octopus named Kraken because he was very active when we visited (find him in the ‘Life of a Drifter’ exhibit).

Many of the animals at the aquarium were once injured, but now they have been rehabilitated so it’s a great cause to support when you’re in town. Having visited many aquariums around the world, we think the Seattle Aquarium is extremely well done and it’s fun for people of any age.

Travel Tip: Children 3 and under will receive free admission.

2. Space Needle

• Address: 400 Broad St, Seattle, WA 98109
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 8:00am – 12:00am daily
• Reservations: Required

Dominating the Seattle city skyline, the Space Needle is one of the most popular things to do in the city. Opened in 1962 and standing 605 feet tall, it’s one of the most recognizable buildings in the world. With your Seattle CityPASS, you’ll be able to visit the Space Needle two times in one day which a regular ticket doesn’t allow.

We visited earlier in the day and then came back at night to see the city light up at night. Unfortunately, it was a bit cloudy during both our visits, but it was still amazing to see the views over the Puget Sound from this high vantage point.

Travel Tip: The Space Needle is located near the Chihuly Gardens and Museum of Pop Culture so you can easily visit all 3 attractions in one day like we did. Children 4 and under will also receive free admission.

3. Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour

• Address: 1101 Alaskan Way Pier 55, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98101
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: Various 1 hour cruises throughout the day
• Reservations: Required

One of the best ways to see Seattle is from the water during this one hour live-narrated tour of the harbor. We loved this cruise because we learned interesting facts about the area while taking in views of the gorgeous Olympic Mountains and the busy shipping port.

On board, you’ll have access to a full service bar serving cocktails, wine, beer and snacks. You can also choose to sit either indoors or outdoors which came in handy because while we started outside, we went indoors part way through the cruise after we got cold.

Travel Tip: For the best views, sit on the city side which will be to your right as you face the front of the boat.

4. Chihuly Garden And Glass

• Address: 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: Typically 9:00am – 9:00pm with adjusted hours weekly (always verify online)
• Reservations: Required

The more time you spend in Seattle, the more you’ll hear about Dave Chihuly and his blown glass. So it’s only fitting that one of the most unique attractions in the city is the Chihuly Garden and Glass. It’s located in the center of town almost directly under the Space Needle and showcases glass works by Dale Chihuly.

We spent about 2.5 hours walking through the eight galleries and beautiful outside garden. If you’re traveling with kids, they’ll love watching the live glass blowing demonstrations, see the official times here.

Photography Tip: For those who love photography, you can capture a reflection of the Space Needle in several of the glass sculptures in the garden.

5. Museum Of Pop Culture (MoPOP)

• Address: 325 5th Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 10:00am – 5:00pm daily
• Reservations: Not required, present your pass at the east entrance at 5th Ave N and Harrison

The Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle presents one of the worlds most immersive pop culture experiences including iconic moments in TV, rock n roll and science fiction. We loved the exhibits featuring Lord of the Rings, Marvel superheroes and Star Trek.

But it also highlights Seattle icons such as Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix. It took us about 2 hours to explore this museum and you can visit the official website here to see the current exhibits.

6. Woodland Park Zoo

• Address: 5500 Phinney Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 9:00am – 6:00pm May to September, 9:30am – 4:00pm September to April
• Reservations: Recommended

The Woodland Park Zoo is a great option if you’re visiting Seattle with children. Spanning a whopping 92 acres with more than 900 animals, this zoo is home to several critically endangered animals from around the world. It’s located in downtown Seattle nestled within the Phinney Ridge neighborhood so it’s not near the other attractions on this list. Visit the official website for special events such as the Wild Lanterns display during the Christmas season.

Travel Tip: To avoid the crowds at the zoo, visit weekday afternoons after 1:00pm.

7. Pacific Science Center

• Address: 200 2nd Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 10:00am – 5:00pm daily
• Reservations: Not required, present your pass at the north entrance

The Pacific Science Center is the newest attraction on the Seattle CityPASS. It was not included on the pass when we visited in 2021, but we paid for our own admission because we love science! This is another great attraction for kids and we spent about 4 hours visiting the museum. There are numerous exhibits and while a few of them felt a little out date, we thought it was still worth visiting.

Travel Tip: Tickets for the Planetarium are free with general admission tickets to the museum. Fifty percent of the tickets are reservable for members while the other half are available on a first come first serve basis.

How Much Does The Seattle 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:

• Seattle Aquarium – $42.95 (Friday visit)
• Space Needle – $46.50 (afternoon visit)
• Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour – $45.38
• Chihuly Garden and Glass – $40.95
• Museum of Pop Culture – $34.00
• Woodland Park Zoo – $30.45 (Friday visit)
• Pacific Science Center – $32.20 (Friday afternoon visit)

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

• The Museum of Flight – $26.00
• Sky View Observatory – $25.00
• Seattle Art Museum – $29.99

Seattle CityPASS example:

The Seattle CityPASS is currently priced at $127 for adults and $97 for children (ages 5-12).

And here’s how we used it:

Seattle Aquarium ($42.95) + Space Needle ($46.50) + Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour ($45.38) + Chihuly Garden and Glass ($40.95) + Museum of Pop Culture ($34.00) = $209.78

• Attraction price (no cityPASS) = $209.78
• CityPASS price = $127.00
• Savings = $82.78

You’ll save 40% on the top 5 attractions!

>> Buy a Seattle CityPASS here

Travel Tip: Our calculation above only includes 1 visit to the Space Needle when in reality you actually get two! So if you calculated two visits ($72.00), you’d actually save $108.28 – this is a 52% savings!

Seattle C3 Pass example:

The Seattle C3 Pass is currently priced at $97 for adults and $76 for children (ages 5-12).

And here’s an example of how you can use it:

Seattle Aquarium ($42.95) + Space Needle ($46.50) + The Museum of Flight ($26.00) = $115.45

• Attraction price (no cityPASS) = $115.45
• CityPASS price = $97.00
• Savings = $18.45

You’ll save 16% on 3 attractions!

>> Buy a Seattle C3 Pass here

Travel Tip: While the C3 savings isn’t as much as a CityPASS, this pass is good for visitors who want to see lesser known attractions.

How To Make Timed Reservations

There are four attractions that require reservations including the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour and Chihuly Garden and Glass. But 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, 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 Seattle 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 Seattle CityPASS

Buying your Seattle 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 Seattle

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.

The Morgan Conclusion

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

So after using the CityPASS in Seattle ourselves, we saved over $160 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 have to do a little more research because each attraction offers 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.

The CityPASS for Seattle, Washington is great for first time visitors because you get the best attractions at a competitive price point. But this pass can also be used for locals who want to be a tourist in their own town. We used this pass when we temporarily lived in Seattle and really took our time at each attraction.

There are a few groups the CityPASS might not be the best option for including visitors not interested in the Space Needle and returning visitors who have already seen a lot of the top attractions. For travelers who only want to see a few attractions, a C3 Pass might not be worth it depending on what attractions you want to visit and it might be cheaper to pay out of pocket for these attractions individually.

More Attraction Pass Guides

• Our San Francisco CityPASS review
• What’s the best San Francisco pass?
• An honest Denver CityPASS review
• Our Seattle CityPASS review
• Paris attraction pass comparison
• Our review for NY CityPASS
• New York Sightseeing pass review
• What’s the best NYC attraction pass?

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Want more Washington content? Head to our Washington Travel Guides to explore National Parks, popular day hikes and best things to do around Seattle.

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We hope our Seattle CityPASS review helps you decide if this is the attractions pass for you!

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

Happy Travels,

Mark and Kristen

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