Tijuana.
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Overview

Tijuana is a city in Baja California, Mexico, just across the border from San Diego, California, United States. The city has grown from a small border town with a salacious reputation during the Prohibition Era in the United States into a large, modern city with a sizable middle class. Its proximity to the United States has made it a very popular tourist destination, especially for day-trippers from San Diego. Though still often considered an "edgy" city by Mexicans and foreigners alike, Tijuana has been undergoing a cultural revival, with thriving arts and culinary scenes revealed to those willing to peek beyond its rough veneer.

Understand

Tijuana has a population of over 1.6 million as of the 2024 census. Tijuana and its U.S. neighbor San Diego form the largest metropolitan area on the U.S.-Mexico border, with a population of 4.5 million.

Economically, a growing middle class disposable income has fueled Tijuana's transformation into a modern city with a vibrant culture, a characteristic that has attracted many national and international businesses, which had largely shunned the city before. Aside from the middle class, in Tijuana you can reasonably expect to find areas filled with wealthier people. Tijuana is a transit point for undocumented immigration into the United States, as well as a common destination for any illegal Mexican immigrants deported from the West Coast of the United States. As such, some areas are swollen with poor people with no roots in the city, who inhabit shantytowns. Apart from these poor migrants, Tijuana is one of the wealthiest cities in Mexico. Some (mainly residential) areas of the city reflect the significant number of wealthy people who inhabit the city.

Tijuana's growing reputation as a cosmopolitan city is justified. Not only is the city home to many people who have migrated from within Mexico, including some native Mexican Indians, but it boasts a significant number of Asian residents, as well as Americans (mostly people from neighboring San Diego who have been drawn to Tijuana by cheaper housing), and South Americans from Argentina and Uruguay, among others.

Frequent English-speaking visitors to Tijuana use the term "gringo-friendly" for a shop, bar, or restaurant in which a non-Spanish speaking customer will be at ease. A place is gringo-friendly if the staff there is accustomed to dealing with American tourists, if they speak English and have English-language menus. Places that are not gringo-friendly may require use of Spanish, and patience. Just because a place is not gringo-friendly does not imply that the people there will not be friendly or that tourists will not be welcome.

While the Mexican peso is the legal currency, U.S. Baja California observes daylight savings time (DST) just as California does.

Visitors can expect a warm climate for most of the year, with average temperatures during the daytime ranging from 68°F (20°C) in January, to 86°F (30°C) in August. The rainy season is short (and tame, with yearly averages close to only 10 inches/254 millimeters of rainfall), and encompasses late winter to early spring.

Talk

Spanish is the dominant language in Tijuana, as it is in much of Mexico. However, English is spoken by almost everybody in the city's tourist hot spots (such as Avenida Revolución), as well as by taxi drivers and the Americans who live in the city. Having someone with you who can speak Spanish will be helpful when going away from Avenida Revolución.

Although Tijuana is in Mexican territory, its cultural closeness to the United States, especially San Diego and Los Angeles, gives it an edge in the English language. This is because for many years (especially before the mid 1980s), there were virtually no national TV stations except for a local channel (XEWT 12) which broadcast only local programming and some news; locals who grew up in the 1970s and 80s were more attracted to American television such as PBS, NBC, CBS and ABC, where they got their language skills.

Get in

Most tourists enter Tijuana through the border crossing at San Ysidro in California, which is by some measures the busiest border crossing in the world. The crossing can be made by car, bus, or on foot.

Any visitor who plans to return to the United States must have a passport. A passport card or SENTRI card will work too for U.S. citizens.

Terminal Principal (Main Terminal) Sala A - Concourse A: American Eagle, Aeromexico/Aeromexico Connect, Hainan Airlines, Volaris Sala B - Concourse B: Viva Aerobus, Volaris, Mexicana de Aviacion Cross Border Xpress Terminal (CBX) is the second terminal just over the international border, in the American side, and is connected to the main terminal by a 120-m-long pedestrian bridge. Passengers check in for flights, complete US immigration and customs inspections in the CBX Terminal, and Mexican immigration and customs inspections in the main terminal. This also allows for vehicular access (for those who are picking up and dropping off travelers) and parking at the Tijuana airport from San Diego without driving across the border and then a long wait to return to the U.S. There are car rental desks, taxis, rideshare (Uber & Lyft) and CBX shuttle available. Mexicoach operates the shuttles to San Diego Santa Fe Station and San Ysidro Transit Center, while Limousines Express goes up to Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Sacramento, and El Paso (via Phoenix, Tucson, etc) from CBX on multiple routes.

Los Angeles International Airport is the next nearest airport for a wider range of international flights to various cities around the world. If going towards the Los Angeles metropolitan area the bus, train (from downtown San Diego) or rental car is usually more economical than flying unless you are continuing to another destination from San Diego via Los Angeles on a single ticket. This airport serves as a transit point for travelers wishing to proceed further into Mexico from Southern California and from Las Vegas on a domestic flight.

Buses depart regularly from the airport to San Diego, Los Angeles, Mexicali, Tecate, Ensenada, Rosarito and the nearby areas in Baja California Norte and Southern California on both sides of the border. The airport bus station is next to the terminal building (right turn when coming out of the arrivals doors), behind an Oxxo store, and is served by ABC, Greyhound - Cruceros USA, Autobus ACN, Rapid Connections Llc and International Bus Lines. See By bus in the below for a list of additional bus companies (with links to their websites) serving Tijuana including the airport.

You can take an authorized taxi cab, sedan or van, at the airport with "Transportes Terrestres" and "Taxis TAAG" . Buy a ticket in one of the booths at the exit of the airport. US dollars will be accepted.

You can take also public transportation from Tijuana Airport to city downtown and the United States-Mexico border. Go outside the airport and take the blue and white Mirador-Centro-Zona Rio-Aeropuerto-Otay bus, heading west from the other side of the marked intersection with the traffic lights. The bus passes through “Centro” (downtown) and “Plaza Rio” (shopping mall & surrounding areas) so be sure they are listed on or above the windshield in the list of places the bus passes through or ask the driver before getting on. US dollars will be accepted. From downtown (Av. Revolucion area), buses to the airport leave along 2nd street (Calle Benito Juarez). The trip to the airport takes under 30 minutes. These blue and white buses have 'Aeropuerto' written on the windshield. As in many Latin American cities, buses need to be 'flagged down' to stop. Take care - the local bus system in Tijuana can be confusing [when coming from the US - e.g. no posted route maps, no schedules and sometimes the bus stop is not marked at all], and there's a lot of different bus lines leaving from this spot, so plan some extra time.

San Diego International Airport is 25 miles (41 km) north of the international border and can be used as a transit point for travelers wishing to visit Tijuana or proceed further into Mexico. UC San Diego Blue Line transfer to the trolley at the Santa Fe Station or American Plaza (across the street) to the end of the line in San Ysidro. Trip is about 45 minutes from the Santa Fe Station or American Plaza to San Ysidro station. Walk Across the border and take a taxi to the airport, Zona Rio, downtown Tijuana (Centro) or anywhere in Tijuana from the Mexican side of the border (See below under On foot). Cheaper to take the white & orange "Libre" taxis or the La Linea-Centro bus than the solid yellow taxis. CBX Shuttle Likewise take the CBX Shuttle from the Santa Fe Station in downtown San Diego and San Ysidro to the CBX Terminal next to Tijuana Airport. Only ticketed passengers flying into or out of Tijuana are allowed to cross through here.

From U.S. to Mexico While in the San Diego area, take Interstate 5 (I-5) or I-805 to south. Either park at the border and continue on foot or drive into Mexico. Driving from the US to Mexico often requires no stopping, but inspections driving south have become more frequent as authorities attempt to stop firearms trafficking into Mexico, resulting in long wait times during periods of heavy traffic. However, driving from Mexico to the United States will result in a long wait, even more so during evening rush hour or on holiday weekends.

If you are driving to Mexico, obtaining Mexican insurance with legal defense coverage is highly recommended, and can be bought immediately before crossing the border, or even online before your trip.

When coming into the U.S., the Otay Mesa and Tecate border crossings, also nearby, may sometimes be less congested. Getting to the Otay crossing can be a little scary (not good for Gringos at night) and the border agents here don't seem as pleasant as the ones at the San Ysidro crossing.

If the pedestrian line returning to the U.S. is long, it may be faster (in some cases) to take advantage of the numerous van and bus lines that cross the border. Generally, the closer the vehicle is to the front of the line, the more they will charge.

The San Ysidro border crossing is undergoing major changes to expand northbound lanes into the southbound lanes. These changes, along with augmentations to U.S. & Mexican border inspection stations, resulted in the removal of a pedestrian bridge over the American inspection station for those entering Mexico by crossing the freeway from the trolley station. If you're driving to Tijuana you go up to the border like you used to and make a sharp detour west (to the right) and then south (to the left) into the expansive Mexican customs & inspection station. Once past the inspection station there's an exit for direct access to Hwy 1D immediately to the right to continue west towards the beaches and south to Ensenada along Hwy 1/1D, to bypass the local streets of Tijuana.

Most rental cars rented from either side of the border cannot be driven across the international border without the written consent of the car rental company and usually for an extra charge if they do allow their cars to be driven across the border.

Wait time Entering from the American side you should expect a wait of 15 minutes on a good day to more than one hour on a bad day. You may be singled out for an inspection or waved on.

Wait time Readers have stated times ranging from 30 minutes to over 5 hours in the normal lanes. These west-most lanes are the largest set, occupying the most lanes at the Port of Entry. Accessing many of the other lanes is often a complex procedure, and streets names are reportedly difficult to see.

Sentri lanes The Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) lanes are the most exclusive means of entering the U.S. These are the east-most lanes at the Port of Entry, with access limited to Boulevard Padre Francisco Kino, which becomes the Linea Sentri.

Fast Pass Lane People travelling between the U.S. and Mexico may use the Fast Pass. Businesses in Tijuana buy them to give to their customers. Mostly used for medical tourists, hence it mostly functions as a medical line. Make sure and take a taxi to figure out the driving route first. Tell him you want to see and learn the route to the fast pass gate. Get the drive down before you attempt it yourself. There is only one Fast-Pass entry and it's on a one-way street. It is always wonderful to legally "cut the line" at the border

If you stay at a nice hotel or eat at a nice restaurant, ask the owner for one of these.

Ready Lanes You can also use the Ready Lanes. These lanes are limited to the east side of the Port of Entry, between the Sentri and regular lanes. Entrance to the east side of the port of entry is limited to certain streets, Boulevard Alejandro von Humboldt being a common option, and are used for Returnees that have an RFID enabled travel card.

These cards include the U.S. Passport Card, the SENTRI card, newer iterations of the Legal Permanent Resident (Green) Card, newer iterations of US Visas, and newer iterations of the Border Crossing Card (BCC). At least a few of these cards are marked "Ready Lane" on the back.

Alternate routes You can also travel 30 minutes east to Tecate and try to cross there.

On foot Many people drive to the border, park on the US side, and walk across. Otherwise you can also walk from the light rail station.

As of the 2013 a bi-national effort between the United States & Mexico is underway to re-construct the border inspection stations on both sides in an effort to shorten wait times in crossing the border by widening and re-arranging the vehicular and pedestrian pathways. Therefore, everything in this section is in a state of flux and is subject to change:

From U.S. to Mexico San Ysidro to Zona Frontera From the last light rail station go towards the US Immigration/Customs station (where are others are entering from Mexico) and go left across an open plaza. Once past the US Immigration Customs station to the other side of the plaza take a right turn and follow everyone up the hill along a paved trail up a big gray gate with "Mexico" marked above. Cross through the one-way gate and into the building behind the gate. This is where you will need to purchase the FMN card and get your passport stamped if you are going further south from the border or staying longer than 72 hrs. Everyone must have passports ready as they are enforcing more closely than they used to in the past. Once past immigration and customs inspections you go out the opposite side of the building where the paved trail continue up the hill towards a side street called La Frontera. The paved trail ends at Av Frontera where there are lines of taxis (white & orange) and buses for the onward transport into town.

Pedwest to El Chaparral This side is closest to the parking lot for visitors taking a day trip to Tijuana and the Premium outlet mall at the opposite side of the I-5 freeway from the San Ysidro trolley station. In the Mexican side it is closer to downtown Tijuana than from San Ysidro. From Camino de la Plaza go south along the left side Virginia Ave which is a bus transit center for SDMTS buses and taxis picking up others arriving from Mexico. Go towards the US Immigration/Customs station and through a gate next to the building (right side) marked with "TO MEXICO". Going alongside the building you can still turn back to the U.S. if necessary but once past the one way turnstile you cannot turn back into the USA. Continue along the pathway to the Mexican immigration and customs station at the left which is also the same inspection station for vehicular traffic going into Mexico. Once past the Mexican immigration & customs inspection you come out into an open plaza. The path ramps up into the continuous pedestrian bridge where you will see people walking towards the USA towards the right. There are barricades set up in the middle bridge to separate traffic going towards Mexico and towards. Go left and eventually the bridge ramps down and the path continues out through the last one way revolving gates which goes into a parking lot located behind or next the Plaza Viva Mall.

From Mexico to U.S. There are two pedestrian entrances to the U.S. on both sides of the freeway. A walkway and inspection station on the west side of the freeway connects Plaza Viva in Tijuana to Virginia St next to the Las Americas Outlet Mall in San Ysidro.

The other sidewalk is along the east side of the freeway. To get there go up alongside La Frontera from the big roundabout with La Amistad (there's a bunch of Pharmacies and doctors/dentists clinics around there) and after crossing over the freeway there's a pedestrian walkway winding down into the side of the freeway where the line forms (or used to) to walk into the U.S. Once past the one way gate across the border the line snakes to the right into the old customs house (built in 1933) where pedestrians complete U.S. immigrations and customs inspection. From the old customs house there's another trail that goes alongside a construction site, where the larger inspection station used to be. This trail leads into the front of the retail buildings facing the San Ysidro trolley station.

The other pathway begins in a smaller plaza and parking lot from behind (north of) the expansive Plaza Viva at Calle Larroque and Pastor Ramos. This pathway ramps up to a bridge which goes alongside the El Chaparral inspection station (for vehicles crossing into Mexico) and then ramps down in circular structure on the other end. Pedestrians walk across the gate and into the building on the other side for U.S. immigration and customs inspection. Upon completion of the inspection you come out to the Virginia Ave Transit Center where you can catch a bus, taxi or be picked up by a private vehicle. From here, the 906 bus goes north to the Iris Ave trolley station while the 907 bus goes east to the San Ysidro trolley station. Likewise you can go right along the main road (Camino de la Plaza) which crosses over the freeway towards San Ysidro Blvd (0.6 mi or 1 km). Before the road crosses over the freeway there's another pedestrian walkway to the right that crosses over the freeway on a separate bridge and directly into the San Ysidro Transit Center for the trolley ride up to San Diego.

From behind the McDonald's building facing the San Ysidro trolley station there is an intercity bus station for an onward bus north to Los Angeles, Huntington Beach, El Monte, Bakersfield, Fresno, Stockton, Sacramento and anywhere in between in the San Joaquins. From the east side of the trolley station follow everyone to the side street (Rail Ave) between McDonald's & Mercado Internacional to the lot or cul de sac behind the buildings. Everyone will be going right to cross back to Mexico, but once behind the buildings the bus loading platforms are immediately to the left.

By bus See main article Bus travel in Mexico.

Buses from here go as far north as Sacramento (via San Ysidro, Santa Ana, Huntington Park, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, Stockton etc along Hwy 99/I-5) and Salt Lake City (via San Bernardino, Riverside, Las Vegas along I-15) and as far east as El Paso (via Yuma, Phoenix, Tucson, Las Cruces) in the U.S. and as far south as Mexico City (via Mexicali, Hermosillo, Culiacán, Mazatlan, Guadalajara, Tepic, etc along Hwy 2 & 15) and as far east as Monterrey in Mexico. They're most ideal for travel in the surrounding regions of southern California and the northwestern Mexican states of Baja California Norte and Sonora. Anywhere beyond in Mexico and the U.S., it will become more economical to fly from San Diego to the U.S. and from Tijuana to Mexico instead. Buses cross the border through San Ysidro/El Chaparral (I-5/MX Hwy 1/1D) and have their own lanes to bypass the long (vehicular) lines in both directions:

ABC (Autotransportes de Baja California). Major bus line for the Baja California Peninsula from Tijuana down to Los Cabos and down to Pto Penasco. They also operate the Peninsula Ejecutivo, Mexicoach (Tijuana-Rosarito) and the Suburbaja (Tijuana-Tecate) brands. The Mexicoach shuttle between San Ysidro and Zona Centro/Zona Rio is now operated by Tourismo Express See below:

Grupo Estrella Blanca (White Star). They operate the Aguacaliente, Elite, TNS (Transportes Norte de Sonora), Chihuahuanese , Pacifico, TF (Transporte Frontera) and the Estrella Blanca bus lines. As the largest bus company they serve much of the northern & northwestern part of the country such as Aguascaliente, Baja California Norte, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, Distrito Federal (DF), Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora and Zacatecas states, up to the US border.

ETN (Enlances Terrestre Nacionales), Turistar Lujo. They offer a 'deluxe' or 'executive' class seating with 2 seats on one side of the aisle and one on the opposite side with more leg room and an ability to recline into a lying position. They go to Aguascaliente, Baja California Norte, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Mexico City DF, Michocoan, Morelos, Nayrit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca (coast), Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Veracruz (Poza Rica, Tuxpan) and Zacatecas states

Greyhound & Cruceros-USA. Greyhound goes from Tijuana to Los Angeles via San Diego & San Ysidro. Passengers transfer buses in Los Angeles or San Diego to get to additional cities in the U.S.

The below are some of the bus companies operating out of their own terminals next to the main bus station along Ing. Juan Ojeda Robles west of Carretera Tijuana-Tecate (Hwy 2) in Col. Guadalupe Victoria in the SE part of town. Some of the same companies also operate buses from the airport bus station. Others are located in Zona Rio or Zona Centro. Buses crossing the border cross at San Ysidro/El Chaparral with an extra stop in San Ysidro going north, behind the adjacent building northeast of the border inspection station to wait for people continuing north as they complete immigration & customs inspections and to pick up new passengers. See the addresses in the below listings and in their websites as to where they go to in Tijuana:

Get around

Cabs are abundant throughout the city. If you are walking into Tijuana via the San Ysidro border crossing, you will be immediately confronted with a massive array of yellow cabs waiting to take you into downtown.

Throughout the city, cab drivers stand on the sidewalks and solicit customers. It is almost impossible to avoid them, so finding a cab should never be a problem. Taxi Libre, white with red stripe, cabs have meters and are cheaper than yellow cabs, though you might have to remind the driver to use the meter.

Be aware that when taking a Yellow Cab to a specific location, the drivers may tell you that the restaurant or bar you asked for is closed, and conveniently offer an alternative. This is almost always untrue, and the taxi driver is attempting to divert you to a business where he will receive a commission for delivering passengers. The driver may alternately tell you that "company rules" say that all rides to a given area can only take passengers to certain businesses, to achieve the same result. Taxi Libre drivers do not engage in this practice, as they are independent contractors, and do not have the commission structure that Yellow Cabs do.

A commuter railway system is under construction, it's expected to open in 2024.

See

Avenida Revolucion in the Zona Centro - the main tourist area Bullfights - Tijuana has one bullring, which is open during the summer months, and has bullfights most Sundays. It is in the Playas de Tijuana, adjacent to the US border. It is the only seaside bullring in the world. The older and more historic bullring near the city center has been partially demolished by the owner of the property in the past year, citing failed business practices of the bullring. However, there is a strong movement within the city to designate this site a historical monument, rebuild the bullring and have it serve as a municipal arena. Official bullring schedules and pricing are available at plazamonumental.com. Tijuana Cultural Center (CECUT) El Popo Market

Do

Tijuana is on the ocean, but is not known for its beaches, for boating, or as a seaside resort. Ensenada is further down the coast but easily accessible by car or bus.

Either currency is accepted generally and the toll stations are cash only. Visit the historical centers such as the Preparatoria Federal Lazaro Cardenas which is famous for being the central base of liquor contraband during the Al Capone days. Visit the world-famous Zona Norte "Red Light District". Tourists, American Military, and locals alike have been venturing to this area for decades. This is a dangerous area, relatively speaking, but is a large police presence. Visitors should take caution. Catch a professional baseball game between March and August each year. The Toros de Tijuana play their games at Estadio Chevron in Zona Rio, one of the largest and most lively stadiums in the Mexican League. Visit the Estadio Caliente for a Liga MX soccer match from the local team Xolos. The Liga MX is Mexico's top professional football league and they play two seasons annually, so you could catch a game almost any time of the year.

Buy

There are disappointingly few bargains to be had in Tijuana. Silver and leather products are allegedly cheaper than in the US. Souvenir shops abound. Many of the items sold in the souvenir shops are actually purchased in the San Diegan swap meets and brought into Mexico and resold to tourists.

Cuban cigars are mostly fake, with the majority being of Mexican origin with a "Cohiba" or "Montecristo" brand name added. However, La Casa Del Habano on Avenida Revolucion is a licensed dealer that sells genuine Cubans. Silver bracelets and necklaces are common, but may be fake. Don't pay more than four dollars for fake jewelry. Vanilla is a bargain. Mexican groceries try stores like Calimax or Comercial Mexicana and see numerous Mexican products not found in other places or Mexicanized version of American products. Hand made crafts and colorful blankets you can find in the small "mercados" or public markets spread along Ave. Revolucion. Be sure and bargain for good prices and deals.

Eat

Apart from the abundant, over-priced tourist traps, local cuisine ranges from world-class restaurants to locals-only eateries and street vendors selling tacos. Travellers' diarrhea is more of a risk at the cheaper establishments, but will probably not be a concern. In many sit down restaurants, musicians will wander in and play for tip. Many non-mariachi musicians are untalented and some work with pickpockets, so keep an eye out.

Also delicious are churros made by street vendors, and the "hot dog" imitations sold as well. Avoid vendors that are not being patronized by locals.

There are some local chains, such as Cafe Sanborns, that are more popular and interesting than the American ones.

Any cab driver can direct you to one of the many franchises of Bol Corona, a Tijuana establishment near the city centre. Bol Corona was founded in the 1930s and popularized the then little known "burrito" among the American tourists seeking haven from prohibition laws in the United States. Featuring inexpensive yet high quality Mexican cuisine, Bol Corona is a must.

There are many great restaurants in the city, ranging from Mexican to Asian food. The city is also full of sushi bars. Another favorite is Chinese food, and thanks to a large Chinese population in Baja, the locals tend to say that it's the best Chinese food in México or the region.

Drink

Tijuana has a very active craft brewing scene with a number of brewpubs and small artesanal breweries, most located downtown in the Zona Centro and Zona Rio areas. Beer drinkers are well-advised to visit the Cerveceria Tijuana and its brewpub at Blvd. Fundadores 2951. They brew and serve six different Eastern European-style lager beers, and have a reasonably-priced food menu. Their Morena is one of the best with a firm malty flavor. Also look for Cerveceria Insurgente, which has a light somewhat citric tasting with beer, Cerveceria Norte brews a flavorful dark porter, and Border Psycho Brewing is particularly memorable, if not for their malty smooth English brown ale, then for their lineup of tap handles made from dildos and other sex toys.

Of course, mainstream beers, tequila and mixed drinks are also available at numerous establishments in all parts of the city. There are also wine tasting rooms in the downtown areas featuring the outstanding wines from the Valle de Guadalupe wine country.

Sleep

If one doesn't mind splurging, there are a number luxury highrise hotels in Zona Rio which has become a "second downtown" and is the location for the Central Business District, upscale shopping, country club and city hall (palacio municipal).

For travellers with a smaller budget, Tijuana also has a few downtown hotels in a more seedier Zona Centro and the adjacent Zona Norte north of Calle 2a (Benito Juarez) which is Tijuana's red light district and even sketchier especially at night. Security in some of these places are not the greatest and pilfering of personal items left in guest rooms and valuables left with front desk by hotel staff are common.