*Disclosure: Consideration provided by brands mentioned in this post.*
San Francisco delights everyone that visits. The small city (just 49 square miles!) is full of things to do. So much so that planning a trip strike fear into your heart – you know something has to be left out and sometimes budget plays a big role in that decision. Our DIStracted writer, Renee shares why the San Francisco CityPASS is a must.
5 Reasons Why CityPASS is a MUST for San Francisco
We’ve been to San Francisco a few times (before I was a planner) and just flew by the seat of our pants. Now that I’m older and some might say a wee bit of a planning freak just showing up without a plan wasn’t going to fly. I had been researching ticketing options and stumbled upon CityPASS. Without a second thought I knew I was done planning. CityPASS is budget friendly and offers attractions for everyone – Win, win in my book!
What’s included with the San Francisco CityPASS
Each CityPASS booklet include one (1) day admission to each of the following attractions:
- Cable Car and Muni Bus Passport
- California Academy of Sciences
- Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise Adventure
- Aquarium of the Bay
- Exploratorium or de Young Museum
All that for just $89 per adult (12+) and $66 per child (5-11)!
DIStracted Tip: According to the CityPASS website children under 5 may be eligible for free or discounted admission to each of the attractions.
Getting around San Francisco
San Francisco is a great city to walk around, but the hills… Those can be joy killers, especially with kids. As parents we can hear it now “my legs hurt”, “I’m tired”, on and on it goes.
This is where the San Francisco CityPASS comes in super handy! Each CityPASS provides a three (3) day passport for the cable cars and Muni buses. So, you can travel all around the city with ease and never hear about tired legs.
Blue and Gold Bay Fleet Cruise Adventure
Included in with the San Francisco CityPASS is an one (1) hour Bay cruise that takes you around the bay giving magnificent views of the city and the Golden Gate Bridge.
We upgraded our ticket to the Escape the Rock cruise for just $5 per person. It added an extra 30 minute to our cruise and took us all around Alcatraz while the narrator told us about the history of the famous prison. Totally worth it!
Aquarium of the Bay
I love aquariums and have ever since I was young so anytime I get the chance to visit one I’m there. The Aquarium of the Bay didn’t disappoint.
I may have a small fear of sharks – ok, I am petrified of them, but my husband doesn’t share this fear so he was thrilled at the chance of touching them in the “Touch the Bay” section. I’m more of a fan of the cute furry river otters.
Exploratorium
With the San Francisco CityPASS you get the choice of either the Exploritorium or de Young Museum. We chose the Exploratorium and it was fantastic.
Filled with hands on exhibits that include he Exploratorium is definitely a hit with kids and adults. As we were walking around we heard the gasps of amazement from both young and old. And I will admit I was bummed that we didn’t have the littles with us as I know they would have had a blast.
My favorite part was the toilet bowl drinking fountain. While I couldn’t bring myself to drink from it a little boy had no problem running up and taking a big gulp. Would you drink from it?
California Academy of Science
Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to here, but I’ve heard some great things.
Here are some highlights directly from the CityPASS website:
- Dive into Steinhart Aquarium, one of the most biodiverse and interactive aquariums in the world, home to nearly 40,000 live animals.
- Listen to a symphony of croaking frogs and chirping birds in the lush, living 4-story rainforest.
- Experience the cosmos like never before on Morrison Planetarium’s 75-foot dome that seems to disappear when lit, creating a true-to-life recreation of luminous, faraway space and skies.
- Explore the wildest animal courtship and mating strategies in Animal Attraction.
- Trace the milestones of our species’ fascinating history by studying skull casts, interactive maps, and more in Human Odyssey.
The San Francisco CityPASS is cheap for what you get and more than worth the money!
Interested in other areas? CityPASS offers attraction booklets to many different cities around the US such as Chicago and New York City.
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