From San Diego: Tijuana Guided Day Trip With Lunch

Travel from San Diego to Tijuana on this guided 5 hour day trip. A guide leads the way, and lunch is included during the outing.

Overview

This day trip from BORDER TOURS takes you from a meeting point in San Ysidro, just north of the border, into Tijuana for a guided walk through the city center. A local guide leads the crossing on foot, then the route follows Avenida Revolucion, Tijuana's busy main street, past cantinas, dance clubs and galleries. Along the way the group stops at historic buildings and photo-worthy murals.

Lunch is part of the package: a taco meal with a drink, plus time to buy a craft beer tasting if you want it. The whole outing runs about five hours. Reviews repeatedly single out the guides as the strength of the tour, describing them as knowledgeable and friendly.

It suits first-time visitors who want a guided way to see Tijuana rather than figuring out the border crossing alone. You meet the guide at the front entrance of the McDonald's at 727 E San Ysidro Blvd, and transport on the Mexican side is included. Getting yourself to that meeting point is not.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet in San YsidroGather at the front entrance to McDonald's at 727 E San Ysidro Blvd, San Diego. Arrive with your passport ready.
2. Cross the borderWalk across with your guide at one of the busiest border crossings in the world, which serves more than 200,000 people crossing daily.
3. Guided walk, 10 minutesA short guided walk on the San Diego side of the itinerary as given in the listing, before continuing into Tijuana.
4. Tijuana walking tour, 2 hoursA guided walk along Avenida Revolucion past cantinas, galleries and historic buildings, with stops at murals for photos.
5. Taco lunchA Mexican lunch with a drink is included. A craft beer tasting is available at your own expense.
6. Return to pickup pointTransportation is provided for the return journey to San Diego, finishing at the pickup point.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will make the day smoother, from paperwork to footwear.

• Bring your passport. You cannot cross without it, and the listing lists it first among what to bring.
• Wear comfortable shoes. The core of the tour is a two-hour guided walk, plus a short walk at the start. Comfortable shoes and clothes are on the operator's what-to-bring list for good reason.
• Bring cash. Cash is on the bring list for extras like the optional craft beer tasting and guide tips. Additional drinks beyond the included lunch drink are not covered.
• Relaxed walking pace. The tour mixes walking with stops for food, photos and history, and one review mentions the guide gave the group time to do their own thing for a while. Comfortable shoes are the main requirement.
• Guides make the trip. Reviewers again and again praise the guides as knowledgeable, friendly and passionate about the city. Several said they would recommend the tour to others.
• Photo stops included. The walk pauses at murals and historic buildings for photos, as the listing describes. One reviewer also mentioned a guide obligingly taking photographs for the group.

Common issues. A few travellers said clearer, earlier communication about the meeting point and the border crossing process would help, so it pays to check the meeting details on the booking page before you go. One reviewer felt the quality of pickup and drop-off arrangements was weaker than the guiding itself. Note that transport to the meeting point in San Ysidro is not included, and alcohol and drugs are not allowed on the tour. Bare feet are also not permitted.

Common Questions