Chicago CityPASS vs Go City: which pass wins?
Both operators cut your ticket bill by 30–50%, but they work in completely different ways, and the wrong pick means paying for attractions you never reach — or missing the one place you most wanted to see. This guide breaks down every pass each operator sells, what's included, what it costs, and exactly which one wins for your trip.
At a glance
Chicago's top attractions are not cheap. An observation deck, an aquarium, a museum, and an architecture cruise bought one at a time will run a family well over $100 per person. A sightseeing pass is how you cut that bill, but only if you buy the right pass for the way you actually travel.
(A note before we start: a third pass, the Sightseeing Pass, exited the Chicago market in 2025 and its passes are no longer honored. If you land on an old page promoting it, disregard it — the real choice today is CityPASS vs Go City.)
The quick answer
If you don't want the full breakdown, here's the short version:
- Chicago CityPASS is the best value for most first-time visitors who want the marquee icons — the Shedd Aquarium and Skydeck are built in, and it pays for itself in about three attractions.
- Go City Explorer is best for selective travelers who want to pick a handful of attractions (including Go City exclusives like the Big Bus tour and Flyover Chicago) and take up to 30 days to use them.
- Go City All-Inclusive is best for fast movers who can genuinely visit three or more paid attractions per day across consecutive days.
- Buy no pass at all if your trip is only one or two paid attractions — individual tickets win.
The single most important factor isn't price; it's your attraction list. A couple of headline attractions are exclusive to one operator, and if one of them is a must-do, that decides everything. More on that below.
Worth adding to your itinerary
Other experiences you might enjoy
Whichever pass you land on, a few Chicago experiences are worth booking around it: the Shoreline architecture river cruise, Skydeck Chicago at the Willis Tower, the 360 CHICAGO observation deck, a Big Bus hop-on hop-off tour of the Loop, Shedd Aquarium, and the Art Institute of Chicago. The options below can help you fill out the rest of your itinerary.
CityPASS
Chicago CityPASS: the curated bundle
CityPASS is the "greatest hits" pass. Instead of a giant marketplace, it offers a tight, high-value set of Chicago's best-known attractions. It comes in two versions.
Chicago CityPASS (5 attractions)
The flagship product bundles five attractions and advertises savings of up to 44% versus buying each at the gate — a typical five-stop run at the box office runs around $240 per adult. It's valid 9 consecutive days from first use, and it's delivered as a mobile ticket through the My CityPASS app.
Two attractions are fixed (everyone gets them):
- Shedd Aquarium — general admission plus extras like the 4-D Experience and seasonal exhibits.
- Skydeck Chicago (Willis Tower) — importantly, this is Expedited Entry, which skips the standby elevator line and includes The Ledge glass boxes on the 103rd floor.
Then you choose 3 of these 6:
- Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture River Tour — see our full architecture boat tour guide for what to expect.
- Field Museum
- 360 CHICAGO Observation Deck (Fast Pass entry)
- Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
- Art Institute of Chicago (Fast Pass admission)
- Adler Planetarium
Current pricing: $134 adult (12+) / $109 child (3–11).
Chicago C3 (choose any 3 of 9)
C3 is the flexible little sibling: no mandatory attractions, just pick any 3 from a 9-attraction menu — the same six choice attractions above, plus Shedd, Skydeck, and one exclusive: the Centennial Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier (not available on the full CityPASS). It's also valid 9 consecutive days. Pricing: $109 adult / $79 child, with advertised savings around 29%.
C3 is the smart pick if you want the Shedd but not the Skydeck, or you're on a shorter trip and only have time for three big stops. Check live CityPASS availability above.
Go City
Go City: the marketplace
Go City is the "build your own" operator, with 35-plus Chicago attractions and three different products.
Go City All-Inclusive Pass
This is a time-based pass: visit as many of Go City's attractions as you can within a set number of consecutive calendar days (1, 2, 3, and 5-day options are standard). It advertises up to 50% savings. A 1-day adult is around $104; 2-day around $169; 3-day around $189–$219; 5-day approaches $229. Children run roughly 30–40% less.
The catch is right there in "consecutive": the clock runs on calendar days whether you sightsee or not, so a rest day or a rained-out afternoon eats into value. This pass rewards a packed schedule — see the full Go City All-Inclusive verdict for who it's worth it for.
Go City Explorer Pass
This is the pick-a-number pass: choose 2 to 7 attractions from around 35 options and use them over 30 days. It starts around $78 for 2 attractions and scales up per additional choice — a 5-attraction Explorer runs roughly $159, where the per-attraction cost drops enough that the math gets genuinely good.
Two things to know: the Explorer pass is valid 30 days from first use (Go City cut this from 60 days for passes bought after April 2025, so ignore any blog still saying "60 days"), and — critically — the Shedd Aquarium is not on the Explorer Pass. Travelers are still turned away at the Shedd door for this reason. If the aquarium is on your list, you need CityPASS, C3, or Go City's All-Inclusive instead.
Go City Essentials Pass
The budget entry point: 3 attractions for around $99 adult / $69 child from a shorter top-tier shortlist, valid 30 days. Good if you're doing exactly three big sights and they're on the list; otherwise the Explorer or C3 gives you more to choose from.
The real deciding factor
What's exclusive to each pass
Prices and savings percentages are close enough that they rarely decide the question. Attraction exclusivity does. Here's what's only on one operator:
Only on CityPASS / C3 (not Go City):
- Art Institute of Chicago — for many art lovers, this alone settles it.
- Centennial Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier — C3 only.
On CityPASS/C3 and Go City All-Inclusive — but not Go City Explorer or Essentials:
- Shedd Aquarium — the most common source of pass regret. Double-check this one.
Only on Go City (not CityPASS):
- Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off tour
- Flyover Chicago
- Museum of Illusions
- Navy Pier rides, LEGOLAND Discovery Center, the Children's Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and dozens of walking, food, and boat tours.
On both operators: Skydeck, 360 CHICAGO, the Shoreline Architecture River Cruise, the Field Museum, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, and the Adler Planetarium.
The math
Price and break-even math
A pass only saves money once you've visited enough attractions to clear its price. Rough break-even points for 2026:
- CityPASS ($134): pays for itself after about 3 of its 5 attractions. A typical five-stop run (Shedd + Skydeck + architecture cruise + Field + Art Institute) costs noticeably more at the gate than the pass — and the pricier your choices, the bigger the saving.
- C3 ($109): best value when you pick three higher-priced attractions; a museum-only trio can occasionally cost about the same as gate tickets, so choose the expensive stuff.
- Go City Explorer ($78+): shines at the 5-choice tier (~$159), where the per-attraction cost drops and the skip-the-line value adds up. Pair the architecture cruise with observation decks and museums to maximize it.
- Go City All-Inclusive ($104+/day): needs 3+ paid attractions in a single day just to break even. Two-a-day and the math goes negative. The multi-day versions only work if you keep the pace up every day.
The honest takeaway: for a relaxed pace, a choose-your-number pass (CityPASS, C3, or Explorer) almost always beats the consecutive-day All-Inclusive. We work through three full examples with real box-office prices in our pass break-even math section.
Which pass should you buy?
Matching the pass to your travel style:
- First-time visitors doing the icons: CityPASS. The Shedd + Skydeck core plus three choices is the classic Chicago starter kit, at the biggest headline saving.
- Short trip (2–3 days), want the Shedd but not the tower: C3.
- Families with kids: usually CityPASS (the Shedd + Griffin MSI combo is superb and the 9-day window absorbs nap schedules and weather). Switch to Go City if your kids specifically want LEGOLAND, the Children's Museum, or Navy Pier rides.
- Museum and art lovers: CityPASS / C3, because the Art Institute is exclusive to them.
- Selective, slower-paced travelers: Go City Explorer — pick your handful, take 30 days.
- Fast movers cramming everything in: Go City All-Inclusive — but only if you'll truly hit 3+ paid stops a day.
- Budget travelers doing exactly three sights: Go City Essentials if the shortlist fits, otherwise C3.
- One or two attractions total: no pass — buy individual tickets.
Fine print and common mistakes
- Reserve early. Skydeck, the Shedd, 360 CHICAGO, and the architecture cruise all take (or require) advance reservations through the pass app. In summer, book your time slots the moment your pass is confirmed. The most common complaint about both passes is reservation friction, not value.
- The thrill add-ons aren't included. TILT at 360 CHICAGO is a paid extra on every pass (though holders usually get a small discount). Skydeck's Ledge, however, is part of standard admission — no upcharge.
- Watch the All-Inclusive clock. Its consecutive-day window doesn't pause for a down day.
- Mind the Explorer/Shedd gap. Worth repeating: the Shedd is not on the Explorer Pass.
- Look for promo codes. Both operators run seasonal discounts; the price you pay may be below list.
Included either way
The architecture cruise: included either way
Good news for the single most popular thing to do in Chicago — the architecture river cruise is included on both operators' passes (it's the Shoreline Sightseeing tour on CityPASS/C3 and every Go City tier). So the cruise itself won't decide your pass. If you want the deeper, docent-led Chicago Architecture Center version instead, note that it's not on any pass and must be booked separately. Either way, the cruise is one of the highest-value single inclusions on any Chicago pass — see our full architecture boat tour guide for operators, routes, and docks.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is Chicago CityPASS or Go City better value?
For most first-time visitors doing the classic icons, CityPASS edges it — the fixed Shedd Aquarium + Skydeck core carries a lot of value and it breaks even after about three of its five attractions. Go City wins on breadth and flexibility, especially if you want its exclusive attractions or a longer usage window.
What's the difference between the Go City passes?
The All-Inclusive lets you visit unlimited attractions within a set number of consecutive days, best for fast travelers. The Explorer lets you choose 2 to 7 attractions to use over 30 days, best for selective travelers. Essentials is a cheaper fixed 3-attraction bundle.
Which pass has the Art Institute of Chicago?
Only CityPASS and C3. It is not on any Go City pass. If the Art Institute is a must-do, choose CityPASS or C3.
Is the Shedd Aquarium on the Go City pass?
Only on the Go City All-Inclusive Pass — not the Explorer or Essentials. It's also on CityPASS and C3.
How long is each pass valid?
CityPASS and C3: 9 consecutive days from first use. Go City All-Inclusive: your chosen number of consecutive days. Go City Explorer and Essentials: 30 days from first use.
Do I need to reserve attractions in advance?
For the busiest ones (Skydeck, Shedd, 360 CHICAGO, the architecture cruise), yes — book through the pass app as early as you can, especially in summer.
Are the architecture cruise and observation decks on both passes?
Yes. Skydeck, 360 CHICAGO, and the Shoreline architecture cruise are on both operators, so they won't decide your choice.
Bottom line
Start with your must-do list, not the price
If it leans toward the classic icons and museums — especially the Shedd, Skydeck, or Art Institute — CityPASS or C3 is your pass. If it leans toward Go City exclusives or you want a relaxed, pick-your-own approach, go Go City Explorer. Only choose the All-Inclusive if you're a genuine three-plus-a-day sightseer.
Once you've picked, reserve your first attraction the moment you know your date — the top time slots go fast in peak season. Ready to plan the individual stops? Start with the architecture river cruise and the Willis Tower Skydeck, the two attractions almost everyone puts on their pass.