Crossing Borders: Tijuana Day Trip from San Diego
Recommended by 92% of travelers
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San Diego, USA
- 6 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Explore Tijuana, Mexico, without getting lost on this day trip from San Diego, a great choice for first-time visitors. Visit cultural attractions, sample authentic Mexican street food at a sidewalk taco stand, and do some shopping and sightseeing. Opt to walk or take public transportation and experience the city like a local. Your guide can suggest stops and adapt the itinerary to fit the needs of the group.
- Explore San Diego’s sister city, Tijuana, without getting lost with a guide
- See more of Tijuana in less time—ideal for first-time visitors
- A small group tour for a personalized experience
- Lunch and bottled water included on this San Diego tour
What's Included
- Food tasting
- Lunch
- Local guide
- Safety briefing and local customs orientation
- Walking tour of Tijuana's cultural sites
- Border crossing assistance
- Food and drinks
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 727 E San Ysidro Blvd, San Diego, CA 92173, USA
Front Doors of McDonald's *Border Regulations it may change the meeting point (customer will be advice)*
End point
- Retorno SentriRtno Sentri, Cuauhtemoc, 22010 Tijuana, B.C., Mexico
Just near to the Border in the Side of Mexico so you can just cross the Border to US.
Itinerary
Start this Tijuana full-day tour by meeting up with your guide and small group in San Diego. Your tour group is limited to just 12 people to provide an intimate journey through the city, which is ideal for first-time visitors who want to travel through Mexico safely with a guide.
Once you meet up, your guide helps your group with border crossing into Mexico before you set off exploring Tijuana by foot. During your full-day tour, do some sightseeing with your guide to see cultural attractions and learn about them, too. A traditional Mexican lunch, as well as food samples are included, so you can get a peek into the culinary side of the city.
This Tijuana experience ends once your guide gets you safely back across the border back into the US.
Once you meet up, your guide helps your group with border crossing into Mexico before you set off exploring Tijuana by foot. During your full-day tour, do some sightseeing with your guide to see cultural attractions and learn about them, too. A traditional Mexican lunch, as well as food samples are included, so you can get a peek into the culinary side of the city.
This Tijuana experience ends once your guide gets you safely back across the border back into the US.
Avenida Revolucion (Pass By)
El Popo Market (Pass By)
Tijuana Cultural Center (CECUT) (Pass By)
Tijuana Arch (Pass By)
US Border Crossing San Ysidro (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Passport is required
- Border Regulations it may change the meeting point (Customer will be advice)
- If you are US citizen and don't have a passport, Birth Certificate (Not Copy) and ID are required
- Delay time may occur on crossing an international border.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 576 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Joseph_C, Sep 2026
Unforgettable trip. Totally recommend. Carlos, the Tour Guide, was so knowledgeable and friendly. He's the best guide you can ask for.
JaLisa_J, Aug 2026
We had a fantastic experience with Tadeo as our tour guide to Tijuana! He was incredibly knowledgeable about the city, its history, and the local culture, and he shared so many interesting stories and insights throughout the tour.
What really stood out was how friendly, welcoming, and personable Tadeo was. He made us feel comfortable from the very beginning and created a fun, relaxed experience while still teaching us so much about Tijuana. His passion for the city really came through, and we came away with a much deeper appreciation for its history and character.
Highly recommend Tadeo to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, friendly, and engaging guide in Tijuana!
Heather_S, Aug 2026
Our guides were wonderful! Both of our guides were extremely kind. They showed us all the different areas and explained a lot about the culture. They even took us to a few places to try mexican cuisine.
Jamie_T, Aug 2026
Highly recommend! Felt safe the whole time, the guides were with us the whole time, the people of Tijuana were friendly, lunch was great, overall a great experience!
rupande_m, Aug 2026
Humberto was excellent. He’s very knowledgeable and did a great job explaining the history of Tijuana. I really enjoyed myself, it was a hot day but well worth it. Definitely recommend the tour.
2h9dcjcsg6, Aug 2026
The description is misleading when they say the pickup location is in the San Ysidro, CA. When we arrived at the pickup location we were texted and told to walk across the Mexican border. We had to walk across the U.S./Mexico border to meet the tour guide and walk back over (stood in long line for over an hour) to get back to the U.S.A. Tour guide was nice and knowledgeable. I don’t blame him for us being misled therefore I gave 3 stars. But it was very startling to find out you are required to walk across the U.S./Mexico border with no idea what’s going to happen once you cross when you already feel misled is not a good feeling.
Michael_N, Aug 2026
Carlos is a rockstar! My husband, daughter (14), and I ended up with a personal tour. Carlos knew all the history and took his time showing us around. For lunchtime, he took us to an amazing restaurant where we enjoyed delicious quesadillas and tamales.
He was a huge help with translating and showing us the best places for pictures and souvenirs.
We would definitely book this trip again!
Lisa_G, Aug 2026
Our tour guide Alma was great! She really made the tour. Alma was extremely knowledgeable and took us to fun places and kept us safe and our entire group had a great time. The meeting point at the beginning of the tour was problematic. I don’t believe they ever expected to pick us up on the USA side. There was some confusion at the beginning. The communication was delayed d/t last minute staffing changes, we were told. But once we crossed into Mexico and met up with our guide Alma, things went much better. Going back across to the USA was also a concern. The huge waiting lines in the sun, for minimum 3 hours were worrisome. Be prepared to shell out $10-$20 USD to get on a bus that shortens the time to 1.5 hours. But at least we were sitting in an air conditioned bus. All in all, we would recommend this trip. The hassles were worth it. I just wish we were more aware of the crossing issues beforehand. We all agreed, Alma was the reason we would do it again!
meesha_r, Aug 2026
The tour was great. We had Alma as our guide and she was helpful and very knowledgeable. Would highly recommend.
Tammy_B, Aug 2026
The tour was amazing. We were taken through the markets tequila tastings and lunch. Carlos was our guide and he was fantastic!! So much fun!
humera_p, Aug 2026
Crossing from San Diego to Tijuana, Mexico was an amazing experience! Carols was extremely professional, attentive and very kind. He was very knowledgeable of the city, sites and happenings. We
Would provide more than 5 *s if we could! You def should make the trip from San Diego to Tijuana, Mexico if you can!!!
Trece_G, Aug 2026
Awesome, informative, safe, and well-organized. Tabitha made Tijuana unforgettable! A must see experience
Suzanne_C, Jul 2026
We enjoyed the trip it was a good way to experience Tijuana. Our guide Tadeo was very informative. The crossing into Mexico was very easy but the return took 3 hours. It is not suitable for people who can’t stand for a long period. Also an umbrella is advisable for standing in the queue.
Lisa_S, Jul 2026
My husband and I had the best time in Tijuana with Carlos as our guide! We enjoyed learning about some of the history and visiting some of the iconic sights around Avenida Revolución. There were many photo ops, as well as a delicious lunch and other food and tequila sampling. Carlos is the perfect tour guide!
Bibi_P, Jul 2026
Our guide Humberto was very knowledgeable, kind, patient, helpful.
Totally pleased with the entire experience, and would highly recommend to anyone seeking a safe, interesting, and informative experience in Tijuana.
derrica_D, Jun 2026
Great day! The guides were knowledgeable and friendly. It was a safe environment and worth the money. 12,000 steps
asmjmillersbcglobaln, Jun 2026
They used public transportation. Very poor history of the places we went, which wasn’t much. Just walked mostly. Most of tour time was going to/thru and back again through Border customs. Do not recommend.
Beverly_S, Jun 2026
Best tour ever! Humberto was an excellent guide. It was clear he was an expert of not only Tijuana but of the culture, history, government, and economics of Mexico. Our small group allowed us to be flexible and allowed Humberto to ensure everyone was able to see and experience what they came for. He was able to accommodate unscheduled stops such as, stopping at a local cigar shop to watch a cigar roller and find Cuban cigars. Humberto made sure everyone was safe (which was never a concern), feed with amazing food options, and that bathrooms and beverages were available. He made sure we made it safely into Mexico and back across the border. He was available to assist with any issues until we made it across. Our small group got 4x more in value than what we paid for. I scheduled a number of tours over the last month while traveling in Europe, I had a work meeting in San Diego and this one (in comparison to the many in Europe) was the most affordable, most interesting, most fun, and most educational.
Mathew_P, Jun 2026
The meeting place to start the tour could be more explicit and say meet outside McDonalds rather than just the address.
Other than that a great experience with an excellent guide Carlos
Zoraida_M, Jun 2026
The experience was amazing. Marisol was an excellent tour guide. I would go take the tour again. I would have liked it to be longer and do more things.
Kariemah_G, Jun 2026
Tadeo was a wonderful guide. Be prepared for a long wait in the hot sun entering and exiting the country. Loved the tour.
Kariemah_G, Jun 2026
Our tour guide, Tadeo Calles, was wonderful! The trip was full of local eats and markets. We had a great time riding local transportation like natives. Be prepared to wait an hour getting into the country and an hour leaving!
Darrell_H, Jun 2026
The tour was exceptional and Carlos our tour guide was excellent. The coolest part of our tour was the tequila tastings
Jevons_L, May 2026
This was a good intro to Tijuana. Tabitha was a great guide with a great personality. The lunch place was decent. However, the cost is a bit high for what it is.
Sang_K, May 2026
🚨BOOK THIS TOUR WITHOUT HESITATION 🚨
I went to Tijuana and had an amazing opportunity to be taken on a tour by friendly Mexican tour guide called Tadeo. He took me around the market, the cathedral, a hidden Mexican restaurant tucked downstairs beneath a plaza, tequila tasting spots, and even to the top of a parking structure for one of the best views of the city.
The whole experience felt less like a tour and more like a good friend showing me all the secret places only he knows. I really appreciated his effort, genuine dedication, and passion for what he does.
The experience exceeded all my expectations, and I was honestly amazed. I highly recommend him to anyone wanting to experience the real side of Tijuana.
Diane_D, May 2026
Marisol was amazing. She explained all the points of interest. She is very knowledgeable and helpful.
Katie_K, May 2026
I would highly recommend the trip border crossing from San Diego to Tijuana. As someone who has never visited Mexico this gave us a great first taste of the country. We found border control to run smoothly and although longer on return was still under 2 hours. Our tour guide Tadeo was very informative and gave us a great tour of the city including taking some pictures that made our trip very memorable. We found Tijuana to be fun, safe and very tourist friendly was a very enjoyable trip :)
Amber_P, May 2026
Loved the tour guide but this tour is not worth it. First of all, the included lunch is 2 tacos and a fountain drink. I was expecting more of a food tour. Then it took HOURS to cross the border. The tour itself was 2 hours. The tour guide came to the US side, showed us the line and bounced. We waited by ourselves, something we could do without a tour. Then returning was the same. Why did I pay almost $100??? For 2 tacos and a fountain drink and for someone to show me what was essentially a mile of shops. There was also tequila tasting which I didn’t partake in. I didn’t get any tequila but there’s no refund options. All in all not worth it.
Christopher_R, May 2026
I had an awesome trip to Tijuana. The food was outstanding, and the tequila tasting was a highlight—really well done and a lot of fun. Our tour guide, Tadeo, was incredibly knowledgeable and did a great job showing us around and sharing insights about the city. Tijuana felt very safe and surprisingly clean throughout our visit.
One tip for anyone planning this trip: I highly suggest having Global Entry for the return to the U.S when crossing the border. If not, be prepared to stand in line for 2+ hours when crossing back. Overall, a fantastic experience and absolutely worth it!
Desiree_G, Apr 2026
This was the perfect introduction to Tijuana. Our guide Marisol was wonderful. We were escorted through border and then took a bus/van into the city where we did a walking tour, lunch at a great taco place, walked through open air markets, and to a tequila tasting and candy store to tastes candied orange peel and pineapple. Marisol was very knowledgeable and easy to hangout with. We felt safe and were taken to mom and pop stores that were very helpful in finding god souvenirs. I would recommend this tour for anyone checking out Tijuana for the first time.
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