Is the Los Angeles CityPASS Worth It in 2026? (Honest Review & Cost Breakdown)

The City of Angels. Tinseltown. Hollywood. La-La Land. However you refer to it, Los Angeles’ reputation as a major city precedes it. The rich slate of studio tours, theme parks, museums, and experiences attracts tens of millions of visitors each year, making it one of the most common places on any bucket list. 

As current LA residents, my husband and I have been trying to cross tourist attractions off our LA bucket list. As a result, we’ve been visiting some of the most popular tourist destinations in LA on our days off. 

While on this local tourism quest, we had the opportunity to try out CityPASS, a ticketing platform that offers multi-experience passes for some of the most popular cities across the US. Whether you’re an LA local, a greater California resident, or an LA tourist, there’s a good chance one of CityPASS’s featured attractions is on your list to visit. 

In this article, I’ll give you the lowdown on whether or not CityPASS is worth it in 2026, including an honest review of my experience.

Exploring Los Angeles Attractions: Is the CityPASS Right for You?

Disclaimer: I received my CityPASS complimentary in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are 100% my own, and CityPASS did not review this blog post before publication. 

What is the Los Angeles CityPASS? 

CityPASS is a retailer that streamlines ticket buying for Los Angeles attractions by offering a single ticket redeemable for multiple experiences. In addition to simplifying ticket buying, the program offers a “bundle and save” model, passing along those savings directly to the customer. 

What does the Los Angeles CityPASS include?

CityPASS includes admission to a specified number of attractions on a single ticket. The passes are sold in bundles, including:

• Universal Studios Hollywood + 3 Attractions

• Warner Bros. Studio Tour + 3 Attractions

• Universal Studios Hollywood + Warner Bros. Studio Tour + 3 Attractions

The additional attractions include: 

• Starline Tours

• Madame Tussauds Hollywood

• GRAMMY Museum

• Natural History Museum of Los Angeles

• La Brea Tar Pits and Museum 

• SoFi Stadium Tour

How much does a Los Angeles CityPASS Cost?

CityPASS ranges in price based on the bundled ticket purchase. Current CityPASS pricing is pictured below:

Ticket prices for Los Angeles CityPASS in May 2026

Of course, the actual percentage savings value will range based on the attractions you select. For example, if you select the three lowest value attractions on the highest cost ticket, the Universal + Warner Bros + 3 Attractions pass, your savings would be $80.50, 27.6% off the original individual ticket value. While that percentage is less than the advertised “up to 44% off," it’s still a massive discount, especially when multiplied across a family of travelers. 

How to use a Los Angeles CityPASS? 

Once the CityPASS is purchased, your tickets are accessible on a link within your confirmation email. From there, the tickets can be accessed via the CityPASS mobile app or your phone’s web browser. I opted to add my tickets to my Apple Wallet, which enabled a helpful, location-sensitive shortcut on my iPhone’s Home Screen while I was nearby each attraction. 

For some attractions, such as Universal Studios Hollywood and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, advance reservations are required. These reservations can easily be made via the CityPASS web browser or app after ticket purchase. I was able to secure reservations for the Warner Bros. Studio Tour the day before our planned visit, but if you’re visiting during peak holiday or summer travel seasons, you may want to book reservations sooner. 

To activate your CityPASS, you simply use your ticket at your first planned location. To redeem tickets, you must stand in ticketing lines at the respective attraction and let the ticketing agent know you have a CityPASS. The agent will scan your CityPASS and provide you a paper ticket or entry pass required to enter the location. 

Once you’ve scanned your first CityPASS, the remaining location allocations on your ticket must be used within nine days. 

My Los Angeles CityPASS Review & Experience

Once my CityPASS was secured, I did some quick research to plan our visits, stacking attractions in close proximity into single days. As LA locals, we decided on the following attractions:

• Warner Bros. Studio Tour - I hadn’t done the tour in over 10 years, so I was excited to see how (or if!) it had changed

• Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens - I’m a certified zoo lover and haven’t been to the LA Zoo yet

• GRAMMY Museum - Another first for me, and it felt like something a Swiftie might enjoy

• Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County - Yet another first for us, and a location not on my radar at all 

  
  

Stop 1: Warner Bros. Studio Tour with CityPASS

We focused our first day in the greater Burbank area, starting our morning at Warner Bros. Studio Tour. We arrived and, after a bit of confusion on how to redeem our CityPASS, began our tour at 9 am. As previously mentioned, CityPASS needs to be exchanged for physical tickets at each location by visiting the ticketing desk at each respective location. 

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour includes a one-hour guided tour through the studio lot on a tricked-out golf cart, followed by an hour of self-guided tour across two museum locations. If you’re visiting for the first time, you may want to allot up to two hours for the self-guided experiences, especially if you are a fan of DC Comics or Harry Potter, as there are plenty of interactive experiences around those properties. 

Highlights along the guided portion of the tour included a look inside the soundstage where filming for Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage takes place, along with New York Street and the Friends water fountain. With active productions on the lot, the stops on the tour can vary significantly. For example, we weren’t able to visit the Gilmore Girls Stars Hollow set during our tour due to active filming. During the self-guided tour at the museum locations, highlights for me included the Batmobile displays featuring screen-used vehicles and an interactive sorting hat from Harry Potter (The hat claimed I’m a Hufflepuff… Pottermore begs to differ). 

If you’ve never experienced a Hollywood studio before, I absolutely recommend Warner Bros. I believe it to be the most comprehensive Studio tour in Los Angeles, and I find it to be more realistic than the “theme park ride” version of a Studio tour at Universal Studios Hollywood. 

Checking out the Friends Couch at Warner Bros. with CityPass

Warner Bros. historic theater on tour with CityPass

Getting sorted into my Hogwarts House at Warner Bros. with CityPass

Stop 2: Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens with CityPASS

We drove from the Warner Bros. Studio Tour directly to the LA Zoo (approx. 15 min drive) to redeem our second experience on our CityPASS. When we arrived around 12 pm, there was a long line to exchange our CityPASS for tickets. Once exchanged, we entered the zoo with no problems and hit the ground running, working our way clockwise around the zoo to visit all of the animals. We were able to complete our lap, including a brief stop for snacks, by the zoo’s 5 pm closing time. That said, if you’re visiting with kids or want to enjoy the zoo at a more leisurely pace, I’d recommend dedicating a full day to the zoo alone.

Visiting the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens with CityPASS

Highlights for me included the chimpanzees and orangutans, both of which had adorable babies. The wombat’s enclosure simulating nighttime in the outback and the up close view of the giraffes rounded out my favorite animals. 

Unfortunately, several of our favorite animals (like the tiger) seemed to be “hiding,” and there were some animals (like the gorillas) that were off exhibit during our visit in mid April 2026. We also very recently visited the San Diego Zoo (another CityPASS location on its San Diego ticket). Simply put, the San Diego Zoo is a world-class attraction that makes the LA Zoo feel a bit disappointing. If you have kids, I think the zoo is a great option on CityPASS, but if you’re an adult, I think CityPASS offers some better experiences in Los Angeles. 

One of too many closed exhibit signs at the Los Angeles Zoo in April 2026

Stop 3: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County with CityPASS

A few days after our Studio Tour and zoo day, we visited the Natural History Museum. For me, this was the unexpected highlight of the entire CityPASS. The museum is located in Exposition Park near the USC campus. We arrived right as the museum opened at 9:30 am, waiting a few minutes in line for the paid parking lot. 

The museum boasts a robust collection of dioramas, prehistoric animal skeletons, and, of course, dinosaur exhibits. The dinosaur collection was the standout, rivaled only by the Field Museum in Chicago (another CityPASS destination). My favorite dinosaur display was three T. rex skeletons of various ages positioned next to one another, displaying the size and development of the animal. I also took particular interest in the  “Becoming Los Angeles” exhibit, which details how people and their interactions with the environment shaped the city of Los Angeles. 

We ended up spending three hours at the museum at a brisk pace. For history aficionados, this museum could easily take five or six hours to fully enjoy. Families will find the museum engaging for the little ones, especially in the Dinosaur Hall. That said, three hours will satiate any kid’s appetite for museums like this. 

I think the Natural History Museum is an unexpectedly incredible experience that most travelers will enjoy. It’s a great CityPASS option for extremely hot summer days or an unexpected rainy winter day. While there are similar museums in other locations across the US, I do feel this one is worth a visit. 

Triple T. Rex at the LA Natural History Museum with CityPASS

Frolicking at the LA Natural History Museum with CityPASS

Exploring the collections at the LA Natural History Museum with CityPASS

Stop 4: GRAMMY Museum with CityPASS

We wrapped up our CityPASS experience with a stop at the GRAMMY Museum located in the LA Live district of Downtown LA. There are plenty of paid parking garages in the area, though you may have to walk a half mile or so from the parking location to the museum itself. This was the easiest check-in location of any of our CityPASS stops, with no line and a quick check-in process. 

The museum is spread across five floors, although the fifth floor is a lounge and restaurant. I’d recommend starting on the fourth floor and working your way down. Highlights of the museum included an interactive exhibit on the innovation of audio from the late 1800s to today, informative displays about different genres of music, and clothing items worn by music icons like Michael Jackson, Selena, and Taylor Swift. 

We were a bit disappointed in the volume of artifacts, especially when compared to other notable museums like the Academy of Motion Pictures Museum (not included in CityPASS). We moved through this museum at a leisurely pace and finished within two hours of our arrival. If you plan to visit the GRAMMY Museum, consider pairing it with another activity during the day. The Natural History Museum is the closest CityPASS activity to the GRAMMY Museum. 

Taylor Swift's first GRAMMY at the GRAMMY Museum with CityPASS

Michael Jackson exhibit at the GRAMMY Museum with CityPASS

Checking in at the GRAMMY Museum with CityPASS

Pros & Cons of Los Angeles CityPASS

PROS of CityPASS:

Easy Booking and Billing

CityPASS is truly a “one-click” purchasing experience that condenses purchasing tickets from 4 locations into a single, easy-to-use platform.

Single Ticket Convince

No digging around your inbox for ticket confirmations. Everything is in one QR code on a single link in a single email. 

No App Needed

While CityPASS has an app, I was able to add my tickets to my Apple Wallet, reducing the need to find an app or log in and out of accounts every time I visited an attraction. 

Itinerary Flexibility 

Many of the activities do not require reservations, meaning it is easy to shift plans as a result of travel changes or inclement weather. 

Clear Cost Savings

You save money, simple as that! If you’re planning to visit more than one of these locations already, CityPASS is a no-brainer! 

CONS of CityPASS:

Print on Arrival Tickets

At all four locations that we visited, we needed to wait in line to change our CityPASS QR code for a ticket or wristband. While this wasn’t an issue in most places, we had some difficulty figuring out how to exchange tickets at the Warner Bros. Tour, and we did wait in a long line at the zoo to get the appropriate entry tickets. 

Limited Attractions

Not all must-see LA attractions are on CityPASS, with notable omissions including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and The Broad. Long Beach area attractions like The Aquarium of the Pacific and The Queen Mary are also missing from the lineup. Additionally, with a planned two-year closure of the La Brea Tar Pits planned for July 2026, there might be fewer attractions to select on CityPASS in the near future. 

Parking is not included at the various locations 

This is largely the case for tickets purchased directly through the retailers as well. Regardless, it's worth mentioning that we ended up spending $55 in parking across our various attractions. That said, using the Starline Tour as a CityPASS attraction could allow you to save on parking costs while seeing more of the city. CityPASS locations Warner Bros., Universal Studios, the La Brea Tar Pits, the GRAMMY Museum, and Madame Tussauds Hollywood are all located on the bus route. 

Who is LA CityPASS for? 

Los Angeles CityPASS works best for first-time LA visitors trying to maximize their time during a short trip to LA. If you’re a traveler who prioritizes museums and unique local experiences, most of the attractions offered by CityPASS will already be on your LA bucket list. 

The LA CityPASS is also great for people familiar with the greater Southern California area, looking to dive into more specific LA experiences. Visitors in town for events like the upcoming World Cup or LA 28 Olympics would benefit from CityPASS’s flexible scheduling and easy booking. Likewise, business travelers could use CityPASS for unique team outings or long-weekend itinerary additions while in town. 

As an LA local, CityPASS was perfect for checking a few touristy bucket list items off my list. It is also a convenient money saver for entertaining out-of-town guests. 

On the set of FRIENDS at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour with CityPASS

Sabrina Carpenter dresses at the GRAMMY Museum with CityPASS

Exploring Dinosaur Hall at the LA Natural History Museum with CityPASS

How to Structure a Los Angeles CityPASS Itinerary: Attractions for Every Traveler

If you’re planning to use CityPASS, I recommend spending at least three days in Los Angeles, ideally centering yourself in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, or the Universal City area for easy access to CityPASS destinations.

There are plenty of ways to stack attractions for every kind of Los Angeles visitor. Here’s how I’d recommend using your Los Angeles CityPASS:

For the Film Fan: 

Universal Studios

Warner Bros. Studio Tour

Starline Tours

Madame Tussauds Hollywood

GRAMMY Museum

For Family Fun:

Universal Studios Hollywood

Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 

Starline Tours

For the History Buff:

Warner Bros. Studio Tour

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles

La Brea Tar Pits and Museum 

GRAMMY Museum

For the Local:

Universal Studios

Warner Bros. Studio Tour

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles

La Brea Tar Pits and Museum 

SoFi Stadium Tour

So, is LA CityPASS Worth it or not? 

Simply put, a CityPASS will save you time and money. And that’s a value that I can’t argue against. 

If you’re visiting Los Angeles and hoping to see more than one of the destinations offered within the ticket, getting CityPASS is an absolute no-brainer. And if you're an LA first-timer, Universal Studios Hollywood and Warner Bros. Studio Tour are absolute must-do attractions, making CityPASS a necessity in my opinion. 

You can book directly with CityPASS at their website: https://www.citypass.com/los-angeles

Thanks again to CityPASS for hosting me on this experience. I will absolutely be looking to purchase CityPASS on future adventures in one of the 16 other destinations it offers. 

If you’re headed to Los Angeles, be sure to check out some more of my favorite nearby attractions in the blog posts below. 

Until next time, keep on exploring!