This post provides details about the various discount pass options in San Diego. These services provide discounts on dozens of popular activities and attractions throughout the city.
- Before You Buy
- All-Inclusive
- Set Number of Attractions
- Prepackaged
- Combo Packages
- Things to Do in San Diego
Before You Buy
If you’re confused about how to use a tourist discount pass, this section will help to explain the ins and outs of each service listed in our post. There are multiple different types of passes, and we will cover each of them below.
All-Inclusive
This is one of the most popular types of tourist pass across the world, likely due in part to the fact that it gives you power over how much money you can save.
While other passes usually have a built-in limit to how many discounts you can enjoy, an all-inclusive pass permits access to every activity or attraction included for a period of 1 to 7 days.
What this means is that the only limit to the size of your discount is the amount of time you have to use the pass. If you really wanted to, you could limit the amount of time you spend at each attraction to get as much of a discount as possible out of the service.
Of course, if you prefer a more relaxed experience, you might want to consider another type of pass, as they are usually valid for between 9 - 60 days!
Currently, Go City offers the only all-inclusive pass in San Diego, and it includes over 50 different activities. Depending on how you use the service, you could easily save 50% off or more.
Set Number of Attractions
If you’d rather know exactly how much money you’re going to save and pay for only the activities you want, this pass allows you to choose between 2, 3, 4, 5, or 7 different attractions.
While you still have control over which activities you choose, the amount you save will depend entirely on the actual value of the services you pick from their list of over 40 options.
That might sound like a negative, but depending on how you use this type of pass, you could actually save more than 70% off everything included.
One of the nicest things about this type of pass is that it’s valid for 60 days, so it’s a good option for both tourists and locals.
It should be noted that this pass does not provide access to some of the more popular theme parks in San Diego, so it might not be a good choice for anyone planning to visit SeaWorld of LEGOLAND.
However, if you’re planning to enjoy multiple tours or visit locations like the San Diego Zoo, this is definitely one of the better passes on our list.
Prepackaged
This isn’t all that different from a pass that provides access to a set number of attractions. The only major difference is that it limits the amount of attractions included to just 4 choices, and one of the tickets you choose has to be either SeaWorld or LEGOLAND.
Of course, if you were planning to visit one of those theme parks in the first place, that’s not exactly a problem!
Prepackaged passes last for a total of 9 days, giving you plenty of time to enjoy all 4 activities you choose.
Although the amount you can save is capped at approximately 42%, the included services are pretty popular, so this might be a good option for anyone with limited time for tours and theme parks.
All-Inclusive Passes
This section details each all-inclusive pass available in San Diego, including information about how it works, which attractions are included, and how much money you can save. Currently, there is only one all-inclusive pass in the area and it’s offered by Go City.
Go City San Diego Pass
This is the main all-inclusive pass offered in San Diego, and it includes access to dozens of popular attractions and activities for one low cost. This pass is available for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 7 days at a time. Depending on how you use the service, you could save 50% off or more!
The Go City San Diego Pass is offered via an app that you can download onto any smartphone. All you have to do is pull up the app and show the provided QR code at each location you want to visit. Some activities may require advance reservation.
Non-activated passes are valid for 2 years from the date of purchase, so you can get your pass while it’s on sale and use it whenever you have the chance!
Here are some of the most popular activities included with this tourist discount pass:
- SeaWorld
- LEGOLAND
- Belmont Park
- Sesame Place
- San Diego Zoo
- Petco Park Tour
- Knott’s Berry Farm
- San Diego City Tour
- SEA LIFE Aquarium
- Fleet Science Center
- Speed Boat Adventure
- Whale Watching Cruise
- San Diego Harbor Cruise
- San Diego Museum of Art
- San Diego Air & Space Museum
- And more!
There are currently more than 50 attractions included with this pass, and the value of each activity ranges from $5 - $125, so it’ll be important to consider how you use the service. Alternatively, you can choose to pay for only the activities you want with the Go City Explorer Pass!
Prices
- 1-Day Pass: $119/Adults | $109/Children
- 2-Day Pass: $179/Adults | $169/Children
- Price per Day: $89.50/Adults | $84.50/Children
- 3-Day Pass: $229/Adults | $219/Children
- Price per Day: $76.33/Adults | $73/Children
- 4-Day Pass: $279/Adults | $269/Children
- Price per Day: $69.75/Adults | $67.25/Children
- 5-Day Pass: $319/Adults | $309/Children
- Price per Day: $63.80/Adults | $61.80/Children
- 7-Day Pass: $359/Adults | $349/Children
- Price per Day: $51.29/Adults | $49.86/Children
Purchase the Go City San Diego Pass or learn more.
Things to Consider
Go City frequently offers discounts on their tourist passes, bringing prices down by between 10% - 50% on average. If you time your purchase well, you should be able to save a lot of money by using this pass. Remember, non-activated passes are valid for up to 2 years!
While the price per day might seem high even at $51.29 for a 7-day pass, the reality is that this San Diego city pass includes access to almost a dozen activities that typically cost between $60-$120 each, so it’s not difficult to get a lot of value out of the service.
Here is an example of how you could save close to 50% using a 3-day pass for just 2 activities per day:
Day 1
- Whale Watching Cruise | $50
- SeaWorld | $99
Day 2
- Petco Park Tour | $28
- Sesame Place | $79.99
Day 3
- Knott’s Berry Farm | $99
- Knott’s Soak City Water Park | $60
Total Value: $415.99
Total Price: $229.00
Total Savings: $186.99 (45% off)
If you add on a few days, you’ll save even more per day and increase your chances of saving at least 50% off or more.
As you might have noticed, this pass focuses on a lot of popular family activities. If you’re planning to visit San Diego with your children, this pass will help ensure that the entire trip is tons of fun!
Set Number of Attractions Passes
This section provides information about the San Diego pass options that offer a set number of attractions, including details about how the pass works, what is included, and how much you can save on average. There is only one option at the moment, and it is the Explorer Pass.
Go City San Diego Explorer Pass
In addition to their all-inclusive pass, this company also offers a service that allows you to pay one flat price for 2, 3, 4, 5, or 7 popular attractions and activities in San Diego. The bigger the pass, the more money you’ll save per activity.
Much like their other tourist pass, this one is also offered through an app that you can download onto your smartphone for free. While some activities require advance reservations, you can access many of them simply by pulling them up on the Go City app.
The Go City San Diego Explorer Pass is active for a total of 60 days, giving you plenty of time to enjoy each of the activities you select. Just like their all-inclusive pass, all non-activated Explorer passes are valid for 2 years, so you don’t have to activate it the second you get it.
Here are some of the more notable attractions included with this service:
- Jet Ski Rental
- San Diego Zoo
- Petco Park Tour
- Belmont Park Pass
- San Diego City Tour
- Fleet Science Center
- Old Town Trolley Tour
- Whale Watching Cruise
- San Diego Harbor Cruise
- Birch Aquarium at Scripps
- Maritime Museum of San Diego
- San Diego Air & Space Museum
- San Diego Speed Boat Adventure
- And more!
The most notable attractions that they don’t carry over from their all-inclusive pass are SeaWorld, LEGOLAND, and Knott’s Berry Farm. That said, there’s still plenty of value on the Explorer Pass!
Prices
- 2 Choice Pass: $89/Adults | $65/Children
- Price per Choice: $44.50/Adults | $32.50/Children
- 3 Choice Pass: $109/Adults | $79/Children
- Price per Choice: $36.33/Adults | $26.33/Children
- 4 Choice Pass: $129/Adults | $104/Children
- Price per Choice: $32.25/Adults | $26/Children
- 5 Choice Pass: $139/Adults | $119/Children
- Price per Choice: $27.80/Adults | $23.80/Children
- 7 Choice Pass: $149/Adults | $129/Children
- Price per Choice: $21.29/Adults | $18.43/Children
Purchase the Go City San Diego Explorer Pass or learn more.
Things to Consider
Although most of the expensive activities you’ll find on their all-inclusive service are not available on the Explorer Pass, there are still nearly a dozen tours and attractions you can enjoy that have an average value of over $59 each.
At $21.29 per choice for the 7 choice pass, this means you can actually save over 70% off each activity if you choose only the most expensive options. Here’s an example of just how much money you can save:
- Choice 1: 2-Day Old Town Trolley Tour | $92
- Choice 2: San Diego Speed Boat Adventures | $89.45
- Choice 3: La Jolla 90-Minute Kayak Rental | $89
- Choice 4: San Diego Hiking Tour | $75
- Choice 5: San Diego Pier Fishing | $75
- Choice 6: San Diego City Tour | $69
- Choice 7: San Diego Zoo | $67
Total Value: $556.45
Total Price: $149.00
Total Savings: $407.45 (73% off)
As you can see, even though the Go City San Diego Explorer Pass doesn’t include as many of the theme parks as the all-inclusive alternative, you can actually save a lot more money on average with this service if you use it well.
Even so, it’s important to note that a lot of the attractions included with this pass are between $5-$15, and you should not waste one of your choices on those options. We recommend keeping the price you’re paying per choice in mind, if only to ensure you only use the pass for activities that will save you at least a little money.
As with the other Go City San Diego Pass, this service includes a lot of family-friendly activities, so it’s perfect for anyone visiting with children. Since the pass is active for 60 days, it might also be a good choice for anyone living in the area!
Prepackaged Passes
The following section covers the only Prepackaged San Diego pass currently available, including information about how the service works, which tickets are included, and how much you can expect to save.
San Diego CityPASS
Like the Go City San Diego Explorer Pass, this service also allows you to pay one flat price for a set number of attractions. The main difference is that you don’t get to pick from a wide variety of activities, and there are only 4 options included per pass.
Thankfully, the attraction tickets included are actually quite popular, as the first choice will allow you to pick between either SeaWorld or LEGOLAND. In addition to guaranteed access to at least one major theme park, you’ll also be able to pick 3 extra attractions from the following list:
- San Diego Zoo
- San Diego Zoo: Safari Park
- USS Midway Museum
- San Diego Harbor Cruise
- Old Town Trolley Tours
- Birch Aquarium at Scripps
- Maritime Museum of San Diego
If you want to visit both SeaWorld and LEGOLAND, there is also a version of this pass which includes both theme parks for a slightly higher price.
Depending on how you use the pass, you could save up to 42% off all of the included activities. The San Diego CityPASS is valid for a total of 9 days, giving you plenty of time to enjoy each attraction at your own leisure.
Prices
- SeaWorld + 3 Attractions: $149/Adults | $129/Children
- LEGOLAND + 3 Attractions: $159/Adults | $139/Children
- SeaWorld and LEGOLAND + 3 Attractions: $209/Adults | $189/Children
Purchase the San Diego CityPASS or learn more.
Things to Consider
The prices of this discount service are comparable to both the 7 Choice Go City San Diego Explorer Pass and the 2-day all-inclusive pass.
While the Explorer Pass does not include either SeaWorld or LEGOLAND, it’s also worth noting that 2 days would not be enough time to enjoy all of these theme parks and other attractions.
If you’re interested in at least 4 of the activities included with the San Diego CityPASS, it’s fair to say that the 9 day period of validity makes this one of the easiest and least stressful tourist passes available.
Although you might not have time for every activity of interest included with either the Go City San Diego Pass or the Explorer Pass, chances are that 9 days will be more than enough time to comfortably enjoy each attraction at a leisurely pace.
As such, even though this pass only provides savings of up to 42% off, it’s still one of the best options for anyone who wants to have a relaxing and comfortable experience during their trip to San Diego.
Combo Packages
There are a number of different combo deals available in San Diego, many including admission to popular theme parks and other notable attractions throughout the city.
These services typically include 2 or more activities for one low price, which makes them an excellent option for anyone who doesn’t have the time or money to worry about efficiently using a discount pass.
Although savings aren’t usually astonishing, combo packages typically include discounts of 10% - 20% off on average.
Tiqets
This company offers a wide variety of combo packages that allow you to save 10% off or more on popular tours, theme parks, museums, and other notable attractions in San Diego.
San Diego Zoo: Safari Park + USS Midway Museum
- $90.31/Adults | $72.61/Children
- Purchase this combo package or learn more.
Old Town Trolley Bus Tour + USS Midway Museum
- $72.90/Adults | $47.70/Children
- Purchase this combo package or learn more.
USS Midway Museum + Maritime Museum of San Diego
- $41.40/Adults | $25.20/Children
- Purchase this combo package or learn more.
Fleet Science Center + USS Midway Museum
- $48.40/Adults | $36.05/Children
- Purchase this combo package or learn more.
San Diego Automotive Museum + GoCar Tour
- $74/Adults | $68.31/Children
- Purchase this combo package or learn more.
USS Midway Museum + GoCar Tour
- $84.93/Adults | $77.33/Children
- Purchase this combo package or learn more.
SeaWorld + USS Midway Museum
- $91.37/Adults | $83.77/Children
- Purchase this combo package or learn more.
