San Francisco Pass: Save up to 50% – Includes Big Bus Tours

San Francisco’s hills and scattered sights can make a first visit feel like a transport puzzle. This pass pairs a one-day Big Bus ticket with admission to a broad mix of museums, cruises, tours, and other attractions, so you can build a sightseeing plan around the places you actually want to see.

I like the freedom to mix big-ticket stops, such as the California Academy of Sciences, with a bay cruise or a bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge. I also like that the pass lives on your phone, with no voucher exchange required. The catch: the menu changes, some activities need advance reservations, and a pass is only a bargain if you plan to use it.

The quick take

• Big Bus is included for one day. Use it to get a broad view of the city and choose stops for further exploring.
• The pass covers 25-plus attractions and tours. Options range from science and art museums to bay cruises and family activities.
• Bike hire gives you a different way to see the city. The included rental is for the day, with a suggested route over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and Tiburon.
• Choose a pass for 1, 2, 3, or 5 days. You can visit multiple attractions per day, but each attraction is limited to one visit per day.
• Check the app and reserve ahead. Listed activities and operating hours can change, and some popular tours require reservations.
• The price is $104 per person. Your value depends on how many included experiences you can fit into your chosen pass period.

A pass for seeing more than the waterfront

The San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass is a sightseeing bundle from Go City. It combines admission to more than 25 attractions and tours with a one-day ticket for the Big Bus hop-on hop-off service and an all-day bike rental. You choose a validity period of 1, 2, 3, or 5 days, then activate the pass when you first use it.

That format suits a city break with a full schedule. A museum visit, a cruise, and a guided walk can all fit into the same day if their hours and locations cooperate. You are not buying a fixed tour with one start time and a guide leading the group from stop to stop. You are buying a set of admissions and deciding how to use them.

The attractions span several parts of the Bay Area, not just central San Francisco. That variety is useful, but it means the pass works best with a map and a plan. A waterpark in Concord, the USS Hornet in Alameda, and museums around the city do not make natural add-ons to a packed day at Fisherman’s Wharf.

Work out the value before you pay

At $104 per person, the pass can be good value for a visitor who wants several paid attractions in a short visit. The strongest plan is usually not to chase every item on the list. Pick a few experiences you already want, check their separate admission prices, and see how the total compares with the pass.

The Big Bus day ticket can make the pass more useful on your first day. It gives you a way to survey major sights, from Fisherman’s Wharf toward the Golden Gate Bridge, and hop off at stops that interest you. Just do not assume the bus is available every day of a multi-day pass. The included ticket is described as a one-day ticket, and a pass holder has reported confusion about being able to use the bus again. Confirm the current terms before planning around repeat rides.

A practical target is to use the pass for a few substantial activities each day, rather than treating it as an excuse to sprint between attractions. One visitor’s three-day plan included six attractions, while others have found that careful planning helped them save money. Those are useful reminders, not a promise of savings: your result depends on the activities you choose, how much time you have, and whether everything is open.

The Big Bus is a useful first-day overview

The hop-on hop-off bus is a sensible way to start if you have not yet found your bearings. Its Classic Tour covers major sights and lets you get off to explore, then continue when you are ready. The route is especially helpful for joining far-flung highlights without first working out every public transport connection.

Give the bus enough time. A delayed bus or a long wait can eat into a tightly scheduled day, and hopping off at every stop may leave too little time for the attractions themselves. I would use it to see the city and reach one or two chosen places, not as a promise that you can cover the whole city at your own pace without delays.

The bus also has an important limitation: the pass includes one day, not unlimited bus use throughout a multi-day pass. Check the rules in the app before you activate it, and make that day count.

Bay cruises bring the skyline into focus

Two included cruise choices offer different ways to see the water and landmarks. The Red and White Fleet Bridge to Bridge Cruise lasts about two hours and passes sights such as Alcatraz Island, Coit Tower, the Ferry Building, the Transamerica Pyramid, Salesforce Tower, and the Palace of Fine Arts. Its audio tour is available in 16 languages and covers the bridges, the bay’s geology, earthquakes, architecture, and Native American culture.

The Blue & Gold Fleet Escape from the Rock is a 90-minute trip under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz. Its focus is the island’s notorious escape attempts and the harshness of prison life. If you prefer a more general bay outing, the separate one-hour San Francisco Bay Cruise sails under the Golden Gate Bridge and offers views of Alcatraz, sea lions, and seals.

These cruises are not interchangeable in feel. Choose Bridge to Bridge for a wider overview and a longer audio-guided outing; choose Escape from the Rock for an Alcatraz-centered story. Check schedules and reservation instructions in the app before setting your day around a departure.

Bike the bridge, then take in Sausalito

The included all-day comfort bike rental from Blazing Saddles gives you a full day to explore on two wheels. A suggested route starts in Fisherman’s Wharf and follows the National Park bike path through the Marina, Crissy Field, and the Presidio, then crosses the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and Tiburon. Those waterfront stretches and the bridge crossing make this one of the pass’s most distinctive options.

You can spend time in the seaside towns, browse shops and galleries, or stop for a meal with views back toward San Francisco. The supplied route information says you can take the bike on the ferry when you are ready to return. The rental includes access to a free mobile app with route tips and suggestions.

Allow most of the day, rather than squeezing the ride between two museums. The pass description gives the rental a six-hour duration, and the route includes a bridge crossing and time in two towns. Before setting off, check the rental instructions, route details, and any current ferry arrangements.

Museums for science, art, and family time

The California Academy of Sciences is a substantial stop, with an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum, and education and research programs under one roof. Plan around three hours at minimum, and more if your family likes to linger. Its range makes it an easy choice when you want one indoor attraction that serves several interests.

At the Exploratorium, more than 650 interactive exhibits invite you to touch, tinker, and test ideas connected with science and art. The listed visit time is about 90 minutes, though curious children and adults can easily want longer. Its hands-on format makes it a different sort of museum day from a quiet gallery visit.

Art lovers can choose between the de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor, with the pass listing both under one admission option. The de Young sits in Golden Gate Park and displays fine art across paintings, sculpture, and other forms. Its observation tower is worth remembering if you want a view over the surrounding park. Allow around three hours for the museum.

SFMOMA focuses on modern and contemporary art, with works that include artists such as Paul Klee and Alexander Calder. The listed visit time is two hours. If you have time for only one art museum, choose based on the collection you most want to see rather than trying to fit both museums into the same rushed afternoon.

The Asian Art Museum presents more than 17,000 works spanning 6,000 years, including sculpture, paintings, textiles, and furniture. Its two-hour suggested visit gives you room to explore a broad collection without turning the museum into an all-day commitment.

The Walt Disney Family Museum uses galleries, video screens, early drawings, films, music, and an intricate Disneyland model to trace Disney’s life and work. The exhibits include narration in Walt Disney’s own voice, a personal touch that distinguishes this from a general animation display. Set aside around two hours.

For a lighter family outing, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Bay Area has 10 play areas, including MINILAND, a 4D cinema, and Ninjago Training Camp. It is an indoor playground rather than a traditional museum, and the listed visit time is about 90 minutes.

Aquarium, zoo, and a little history

Aquarium of the Bay focuses on marine life from San Francisco Bay. You can walk through clear tunnels, see sevengill sharks and other animals, and explore exhibits called Discover the Bay, Go With the Flow, and Under the Bay. Shows and feedings offer a chance to hear from staff about the animals and conservation. Plan for about an hour.

The San Francisco Zoo and Gardens is home to more than 2,000 animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. Its three-hour suggested visit makes it a larger outing than the aquarium. Check the current hours before you go, as opening schedules can affect how well it fits into your pass.

At Fisherman’s Wharf, the USS Pampanito offers a close look inside a World War II submarine. A pre-recorded headset tour guides you through living quarters, torpedo areas, and other compartments, helping you picture the cramped conditions aboard. The visit is listed at about 90 minutes.

The USS Hornet Museum takes you aboard an aircraft carrier with a long naval record, including service in World War II and the recovery of Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 astronauts. Exhibits include a TBM Avenger, an F14 Tomcat, and Apollo artifacts. Allow about two hours, and remember that it is in Alameda, so you will need to plan your transport there.

The Beat Museum explores the writers and cultural movement associated with the Beat Generation. It connects the movement with Allen Ginsberg’s first reading of Howl at the Six Gallery in 1955. Give it about 90 minutes if literary history is on your list.

Tours and smaller attractions

The Fisherman’s Wharf walking tour lasts an hour and focuses on the neighborhood’s history, including the Gold Rush and earthquakes. Reservations are required, so check availability early rather than assuming you can join on the day.

The Murder, Mayhem and Music walk explores the darker side of Haight Street, including stories about notorious criminals and haunted locations. It lasts about two hours and also requires advance reservation. This is a guided walking tour, so its value depends on your interest in true crime and local stories.

The Flyer is a 10-minute flying-theater ride that simulates soaring over San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, and Redwood National Park. It is a short activity, useful as a quick break or an add-on near other attractions.

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord is a seasonal waterpark, with slides and other water attractions. It is outside San Francisco, so factor in the separate journey and check whether it is open during your visit. The pass also lists activities and attractions beyond these examples, but the current app is the best place to confirm what is available.

Make the mobile pass work for you

After purchase, save the pass to your phone and show it for entry at participating attractions. The pass is described as available immediately, with no voucher redemption needed. A digital guide and the Go City app provide attraction details, opening times, and access instructions.

Still, check the instructions before leaving your hotel. Some activities require advance reservations, and the lineup and hours can change. Pass holders have also run into problems with invalid or unclear tickets at individual attractions, so keep the pass accessible, confirm that each attraction accepts it on your chosen date, and allow time to ask for help if something does not scan correctly.

The pass does not include food or drinks unless an attraction specifies otherwise, and it does not cover transport between attractions unless stated. Factor in local travel costs, particularly for places outside the city, and do not assume every stop sits near a Big Bus route.

The pass is listed as non-refundable and cannot be changed after purchase. That makes checking the dates, activity availability, and booking requirements especially important before you buy.

Should you book the San Francisco Pass?

Book it if you want to see several paid attractions, value the Big Bus as a first-day overview, and are happy to plan ahead. The best fit is a first-time visitor, a family or group with a clear list of must-sees, or an active visitor who will make good use of a cruise, museum, or bike day.

Skip it if you prefer a slow schedule, only want one or two attractions, or need guaranteed access to a particular activity that you have not confirmed. At $104, the pass can offer strong value, but the winning plan is a realistic one: check the current lineup, reserve required activities, and choose a pass length that matches the number of full sightseeing days you truly have.

FAQ

How long can I use the San Francisco Pass?

You can choose a 1-, 2-, 3-, or 5-day pass. The pass is intended for use during the selected period, starting when you first use it.

What is included with the pass?

It includes digital admission to more than 25 attractions and tours, plus a digital guide with attraction information and instructions. The listed options include a one-day Big Bus ticket and an all-day bike rental.

Do I need to exchange a voucher?

No voucher redemption is required according to the pass information. Save the digital pass to your mobile phone for entry.

Can I visit more than one attraction in a day?

Yes. You can visit as many participating attractions as you like in a day, but you can visit each attraction only once per day.

Do I need to reserve attractions in advance?

Some popular activities require advance reservations. Check the Go City app or digital guide for the current instructions and reserve early where required.

Are food and transport included?

Food and drinks are not included unless an attraction specifically says otherwise. Transport to and from attractions is also not included unless stated.

Is the pass refundable?

No. The stated policy is that the pass is non-refundable and cannot be changed.