‘Go Select’ discount pass for tourist attractions arrives in Los Angeles [Updated]

Smart Destinations, which offers sightseeing passes in several destinations, this week launched its “Go Select” pass in Los Angeles. Both visitors and locals can save money with the pass when they visit two or more attractions in the Southern California area.

The deal: Go Select lets you choose your own attraction itinerary or opt for preselected themed packages with titles such as “Kid Friendly” and “Hollywood Stars.” After purchase, you receive an email with a QR code (similar to a bar code but it also works with smart phones) and a guidebook for your attractions in a PDF file.

Cecilia Dahl, president of Smart Destinations, recommends printing out the bar code and taking it with you to be scanned for entrance. Or you can bring your smart phone. If the bar code is not displayed properly on your phone, there’s a pin code underneath it that the attraction can use to admit you, she added.

Dahl said discounts go up based on the number of attractions and that travelers can sometimes save up to 36%. “Most attractions don’t require reservations,” she said. “If you can’t get a reservation, we will refund unused attractions up to a year.”

Go Select passes are available in Boston, Chicago, New York, San Diego, San Francisco and the Hawaiian island of Oahu. One pass can include attractions in multiple cities. Go Select is scheduled to arrive July 19 in the Blue Ridge Mountains and July 26 in Orlando, Fla.

[For the record at 10:50 a.m., June 23: An earlier version of this post said Go Select would arrive June 28 in Seattle. The company now says Go Select will not debut in Seattle on that date and that no new date has been set.]

When: You have up to a year from the date of purchase to use the pass. Each pass is good for 30 days after you first use it.

Tested: I priced out a couple of passes.

One of them, for one adult and one child under 12, included entry to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens and the Red Line Hollywood Behind-the-Scenes Tour (reservation required). The pass cost $118.11, a savings of nearly $40 off paying for admissions separately.

The second pass, for two adults for the Los Angeles Zoo and the Warner Brothers VIP Studio Tour (reservation required), cost $82.76, a savings of more than $40 off paying for admissions separately.

Caveat: Some attractions may offer their own deals that, effectively, reduce your savings with the pass. So check for any special promotions before buying the pass.

Contact: Smart Destinations, (800) 887-9103.