Go City: Los Angeles Explorer Pass – Choose any 2, 3, 4, 5 or 7 Attractions

The best thing about the Los Angeles Explorer Pass is choice. You can spend your pass on a Warner Bros. Studio Tour, a Hollywood Sign hike, a bike ride in Santa Monica, a museum visit, or a harbor-side look at USS Iowa. You choose the mix, not Go City.

I especially like two parts: the pass stays valid for 30 days after first use, and the Warner Bros., Dolby Theatre, and Madame Tussauds combination is easy to use when reservations are handled ahead of time. The main catch is timing. Los Angeles is spread out, many activities start late, and the Big Bus can take 45 minutes or more between stops.

Key points at a glance

• Choose two to seven attractions: Pick the pass size that matches your plans instead of paying for a fixed sightseeing package.
• Warner Bros. needs advance planning: The studio tour is one of the strongest choices, but reservations are required.
• A full day on Big Bus covers two loops: The Hollywood Loop runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., while the Beach Loop runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• The pass lasts up to 30 days: You do not need to cram every attraction into one weekend.
• There is plenty for families: The Aquarium of the Pacific, Los Angeles Zoo, California Science Center, and Natural History Museum all offer a change from movie-themed sights.
• Use your phone carefully: The pass works as a mobile ticket, but a printed QR code is a smart backup if your phone is lost or the barcode fails.

How the Los Angeles pass really works

You buy a pass for two, three, four, five, or seven attractions. The $109 per-person price makes sense only if you choose activities that would otherwise cost a good deal on their own. Go City says savings can reach 45 percent compared with separate admission, but your actual value depends on the attractions you select.

The pass activates when you first use it. From that point, it remains valid for 30 days. That is a useful setup for a longer Los Angeles visit, since you can spread out Hollywood, the coast, Long Beach, and downtown instead of racing from one side of the city to the other.

Your phone displays the digital pass, and the included guide or Go City app gives current opening times and reservation instructions. The attraction list can change, so check the app close to your visit. Food, drinks, and parking are not included.

Hollywood’s strongest three picks

If you want a simple Hollywood plan, combine Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, TCL Chinese Theatres, and Madame Tussauds Hollywood.

Warner Bros. is the most substantial choice. Over about three hours, an expert guide takes you behind the scenes at a working studio and explains how films and television productions are made. This is not a quick photo stop. It uses a large part of your day, and you must reserve a time in advance.

Madame Tussauds takes about two hours. You can see wax figures of movie stars, directors, and pop performers, along with the Marvel Super Heroes 4D exhibit. It is playful rather than scholarly, and it works well when you want an easy indoor stop on Hollywood Boulevard.

At TCL Chinese Theatres, you choose between a 30-minute guided tour and a movie with a drink. The guided option gives you access to a famous red-carpet venue and its connection to major Hollywood premieres. The short tour fits neatly between other Hollywood activities.

The Dolby Theatre guided tour also lasts about 30 minutes. It focuses on the home of the Academy Awards ceremonies and gives you a look at the theater’s polished public spaces. Reservations are required, so do not assume you can simply turn up.

A good Hollywood day could include Warner Bros. in the morning, then Madame Tussauds and either the Chinese Theatre or Dolby Theatre later. Check the exact times first. Attractions may not open early, and squeezing too many into one day is where the pass becomes frustrating.

Seeing Los Angeles from a bus

The Big Bus Tours Los Angeles ticket gives you one day on two loops. The Hollywood Loop runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Beach Loop runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This is useful for getting an overview of a sprawling city. You can see the Hollywood area and reach the coast without planning every turn yourself. The separate Celebrity Homes and Lifestyle Tour uses a minibus with a retractable glass roof and lasts about two hours. Its focus is the homes and daily world of Hollywood’s wealthy and famous.

The limitation is speed. Buses may arrive only about every 45 minutes, and a ride between places can take 45 minutes or longer. You cannot treat this like a rapid shuttle between tightly packed sights. If you schedule Warner Bros., Dolby Theatre, and a bus loop on the same day, leave plenty of space.

I would use Big Bus as a sightseeing day, not as the backbone of a packed itinerary. Stay on the loops, enjoy the city views, and accept that Los Angeles traffic sets the pace.

Getting to the Hollywood Sign

The Hollywood Sign Tour takes about an hour and a half. You hike through the hills to a viewpoint with 360-degree views across Los Angeles and toward the ocean. A local guide adds stories about the sign and its part in the film industry.

This is a good pick if you want movement and scenery rather than another indoor attraction. It also gives you a different feel for Los Angeles, since you are looking across the city instead of simply passing its famous streets.

Reservations are required. Wear suitable walking shoes and allow time for the activity itself, not just the advertised 90 minutes. The tour description calls the hike gentle, but it still takes place in sunny hills, so plan around the weather and your own comfort.

Beach time by bike or skates

The pass includes several ways to see the coast under your own power.

At Perry’s Café and Beach Rentals in Santa Monica, you receive two hours of bike or skate rental. Helmets and maps are included. A lock requires a small deposit, and one lock can serve two bikes. You must make the rental at least one hour before closing.

Unlimited Biking offers a three-hour Santa Monica bike rental near the famous pier. It is designed for a leisurely ride through West Los Angeles and gives you more time than the Perry’s option.

Bikes and Hikes LA offers a self-guided Beverly Hills Bike Tour. You start any time between 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. and receive a helmet, safety vest, and GPS unit with a preloaded route and spoken English commentary. The route passes movie locations, celebrity homes, Beverly Hills sights, and Bel-Air.

The self-guided format is worth noting. You are not following a live guide, so the GPS does the directing. That gives you flexibility, but it also means the experience depends on your comfort with a scheduled route and recorded commentary.

These bike options are among the better uses of a pass for an active visit. You see neighborhoods at street level and avoid spending another half day inside a museum. Parking and getting to the rental locations remain your responsibility.

Long Beach and the harbor

The Aquarium of the Pacific takes about three hours and divides its exhibits by water region. You can compare Southern California and Baja environments with the colder Northern Pacific and tropical Pacific reefs.

It is a strong family choice, but it is also useful for adults who want a break from Hollywood. Reservations are required, and Long Beach is not next door to the main Hollywood sights. Treat it as part of a Long Beach day rather than an add-on between two Hollywood appointments.

The Battleship USS Iowa Museum takes about two hours. The ship is known as the Battleship of Presidents and is presented as the only battleship museum on the West Coast. Its appeal comes from the chance to walk through a real historic vessel rather than view naval objects behind glass.

The aquarium and USS Iowa give the pass a useful change of pace. Both require travel, so they are best for visitors with enough days to explore beyond central Hollywood.

Museums for science, music, and culture

The GRAMMY Museum covers four floors of exhibits and interactive displays about recording artists and the music business. Plan around two hours, and reserve ahead.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County takes you through dinosaur and mammal fossils, habitat displays, gems, minerals, and exhibits about biodiversity. The supplied time estimate is one hour, but you could easily give it longer if you enjoy museums.

The California Science Center includes a seven-story IMAX movie and general admission to the center when you keep your IMAX ticket. Its approximately 150 interactive exhibits include live animal encounters, digital displays, and science lessons aimed in part at families. Check the film schedule before going, since the movie selection changes.

The Holocaust Museum LA is smaller in scale and more reflective. Founded in 1961 by Holocaust survivors, it sits in Pan Pacific Park and takes about an hour. Reservation is required. This is a serious stop, not a filler attraction, and you should allow yourself time to take it in quietly.

For an adult cultural outing, the GRAMMY Museum and Holocaust Museum offer more substance than a quick celebrity photo stop. For families, the Science Center and Natural History Museum are likely easier fits.

Downtown food, architecture, and football

The Downtown LA Food and Culture Tour lasts about two hours and combines walking with food samples. You see City Hall, the Music Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and The Last Bookstore. Food stops include the Spring Arcade Building and Grand Central Market, where you can try different cuisines.

This is a useful introduction to downtown because it connects food with local history and gives you suggestions for further exploring. Reservations are required, and the tour works best when you arrive hungry enough to enjoy the tasting stops.

SoFi Stadium offers a two-hour behind-the-scenes tour. The experience includes access to parts of the stadium and a chance to test your football skills on the field. It is a specialized choice, especially appealing if you follow American football or want to see one of Los Angeles’s major sports venues.

Two Bit Circus provides a $30 credit, split between $15 for the arcade and midway and $15 for the bar, boxcar café, or games. The visit lasts about an hour. Since this is credit rather than unlimited admission, pay attention to how you spend it.

Celebrity tours after dark

Star Track Tours offers a 90-minute night tour from Hollywood Boulevard to Mulholland Drive. The route focuses on famous locations and celebrity homes, with the possibility of spotting a familiar face.

This is a light, entertainment-first outing. It gives you a different view of Hollywood after sunset, but you should not build your trip around seeing a celebrity. Reservations are required, and the tour occupies an evening that could otherwise be used for dinner or a show.

The Big Bus Celebrity Homes and Lifestyle Tour is the daytime alternative. Its retractable glass roof helps you look out at the large homes while the guide provides stories about Hollywood’s famous residents.

How to get real value from $109

Start by making a short list of the attractions you would pay for even without the pass. Warner Bros. Studio Tour, the Hollywood Sign Tour, Aquarium of the Pacific, or a major museum are sensible anchors. Then compare the combined individual prices with the pass price before buying.

The best value comes from using the pass for full tours and admission-based attractions, not choosing only short 30-minute theater tours. Dolby Theatre and TCL Chinese Theatres can still help complete a Hollywood day, but they are less likely to carry the financial value by themselves.

Do not assume you can complete seven activities quickly. Los Angeles traffic, reservation times, limited opening hours, and distance between districts all matter. The pass is most useful when you spread attractions across several days.

The 30-day validity helps. You could use one pass day for Hollywood, another for Santa Monica, another for Long Beach, and another for downtown museums. That pace is far more sensible than trying to cross the city repeatedly in one day.

Reservations, phone problems, and practical cautions

Warner Bros., Aquarium of the Pacific, Bikes and Hikes LA, the Hollywood Sign Tour, Star Track Tours, Dolby Theatre, GRAMMY Museum, the Downtown LA Food and Culture Tour, SoFi Stadium, and Holocaust Museum LA require reservations according to the current details provided. Check the Go City app before you set your daily schedule.

Keep the pass available offline if possible. A printed QR code is wise, since the pass can be difficult to use if your phone is lost. There have also been reports of a barcode failing at Big Bus and of an attraction being closed, so check the current operating status before leaving and contact Go City support promptly if a scan does not work.

The pass is non-refundable and cannot be changed after purchase. That makes advance checking especially important. Confirm hours, reservation rules, and the attraction list before you commit.

Who should buy it

I would consider this pass for a first visit with a clear plan to use several paid attractions. It suits families, movie fans, museum lovers, and active visitors who want to mix studio tours with bikes, beaches, and science centers.

I would be cautious if your schedule is short, your plans are loose, or you mainly want to ride the Big Bus between attractions. The city is too spread out for a rushed plan, and bus delays can erase the savings.

FAQ

How many attractions can I choose with the Los Angeles Explorer Pass?

You can choose a pass for two, three, four, five, or seven attractions.

How long is the pass valid?

The pass is valid for up to 30 days from the time you first use it.

Is the pass available on a phone?

Yes. It is a digital mobile pass that you display on your smartphone. A printed QR code is also a useful backup.

Do I need reservations?

Yes, several popular activities require advance reservations. The Go City app and digital guide provide the current instructions.

Does the pass include food, drinks, or parking?

No. Food, drinks, and parking fees are not included.

What does the Big Bus ticket include?

The pass includes a one-day Classic ticket for the Hollywood Loop and Beach Loop. The Hollywood Loop operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the Beach Loop operates from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Should you book the Los Angeles Explorer Pass?

Book it if you can name at least three substantial attractions you want, reserve the busiest ones early, and give yourself enough days to handle Los Angeles traffic. The strongest plan pairs Warner Bros. with a museum, a Hollywood tour, a beach bike rental, or the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Skip it if you want a spontaneous trip or expect the Big Bus to function as fast public transportation. At $109 per person, the pass can save money, but only with careful choices and realistic timing. Used as a flexible ticket bundle rather than a race through seven stops, it can be a practical way to see several sides of Los Angeles.