Tampa Bay’s beautiful weather and waterfront location attract millions of visitors to Florida’s scenic Gulf coast each year. With numerous things to see and do here, many visitors look for an efficient, cost-effective way to organize their Tampa Bay sightseeing experience. The Tampa Bay CityPASS lets you pay one discounted price for admission to five of the area’s top attractions. A Tampa Bay CityPASS has an impressive 53% savings off the cost of standard admission.
Your Tampa Bay CityPASS serves as your ticket to several of the city’s most popular attractions, including Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and the Florida Aquarium. It also covers your admission to ZooTampa at Lowry Park and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, while letting you pick between visiting the Museum of Science & Industry or going on a Tropic Boats tour. Your Tampa Bay CityPASS is valid for nine consecutive days from the time you initially use it at whichever attraction you decide to visit first.
Included Tampa Bay Attractions
- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
- The Florida Aquarium
- ZooTampa at Lowry Park
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium
- Museum of Science & Industry OR Tropic Boats tour
What’s Good about the Tampa Bay CityPASS?
If you plan to visit several of the city’s most popular attractions while in town, the Tampa Bay CityPASS will save you a nice chunk of change. If you were to visit five of these attractions on your own, paying out of pocket for individual tickets at each attraction, one adult alone could upwards of $275 on admission fees. Now compare that to the $129 price of an adult Tampa Bay CityPASS. That’s some 53% cheaper, a remarkable savings of almost $145 on just one pass.
A CityPASS makes seeing Tampa Bay a breeze—it’s that convenient. Because you purchase the CityPASS in advance, you won’t have to pay anything out of pocket at each attraction, which provides you cost certainty. And since your one Tampa Bay CityPASS is accepted at five different attractions, you no longer need to worry about carrying around five different tickets or standing in five different admission lines. You just get your Tampa Bay CityPASS scanned at each attraction’s gates and set off having fun in hardly any time at all.
Your Tampa Bay CityPASS not only grants you entry at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, arguably the area’s single most popular attraction, but that Busch Gardens ticket comes with zero restrictions or exceptions. This means your CityPASS is good for all shows, exhibits, and rides to be found at Busch Gardens, no extra out-of-pocket costs necessary—which is not always the case at similar big-name theme parks.
What Could Get Better?
Tampa Bay CityPASS lacks the sort of flexibility you’ll find with many other CityPASS products or travel passes. That’s because four of the five attractions you can visit with a Tampa Bay CityPASS are pre-set: you must use your Tampa Bay CityPASS at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, the Florida Aquarium, ZooTampa at Lowry Park, and Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The only choice of attractions available to you as a Tampa Bay CityPASS holder is between the Tropics Boat Tours Dolphin or Sunset Cruise and the Museum of Science & Industry. Not every customer will find this off-putting, but some may find it stifling to have everything planned out for you in advance.
The Tampa Bay CityPASS is also very heavy on water-centric sites and outdoor activities. Of course, these sorts of attractions are central to the appeal of a place like Tampa Bay, and many visitors will want to see each and every one of these exciting destinations. However, several of Tampa Bay’s popular museum attractions like the Glazer Children’s Museum, the Henry B. Plant Museum, and the Tampa Bay History Center are missing from this CityPASS.
Get Your Money’s Worth with Tampa Bay CityPASS
In order to truly get your money’s worth with a Tampa Bay CityPASS, there are a few common-sense rules worth following. First, always be sure to actually use your Tampa Bay CityPASS at five different attractions. Second, start your days as early as possible—try and arrive at your day’s first attraction right when it opens. That way, you’ll be able to see and do as many rides, shows, and exhibits as feasible. Third, when considering whether to use your Tampa Bay CityPASS on the Museum of Science & Industry or a Tropics Boats tour or cruise, opt for the boat tour. It costs substantially more than admission to the Museum of Science & Industry, thereby stretching your dollars all that much more.
Your Tampa Bay CityPASS also entitles you to several additional offers and upgrades. These include 10% off all-day dining at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, 10% off the Wild Dolphins Cruise at the Florida Aquarium, and $5 off your purchase of $30 or more at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium retail store, to name just a few. Check out the official Tampa Bay CityPASS website for the most up-to-date listings of these sorts of deals and perks.
Tampa Bay CityPASS Insider Tips
If you opt to use your Tampa Bay CityPASS on a Tropics Boat tour, you’ll be required to make an advance reservation. The sooner you book your spot on whichever tour or cruise you want to go on, the better. The Dolphin Exploration Tour, the Sunset Celebration Cruise, and the Happy Hour Dolphin Exploration Tour—the three options available to you as a CityPASS holder—each last about two hours.
Furthermore, even if your child is young enough to receive a free ticket from Tropic Boat Tours, you still must make a reservation for them. You won’t need to pay anything extra when doing so, but it is a necessary step to take.
As you’re preparing a budget for your Tampa Bay adventure, don’t forget that even though your admission to some of the city’s top attractions will be covered with a Tampa Bay CityPASS, parking won’t be included. At an attraction like Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, parking alone can run upwards of $30, so that’s something to keep in mind as you plan.
Tampa Bay CityPASS Coupon Codes
There are no current coupons for Tampa Bay CityPASS. Check back again as we are constantly updating the site with new coupons.
Where to Buy a Tampa Bay CityPASS
The card is available at many outlets. You can buy it at Expedia, Orbitz or Travelocity or you can buy it once you get to Tampa Bay but these are not great options as you may pay more. The best place the buy the card is at the CityPASS website. Buy with confidence from the official site.