Everybody who I told “I’m going to Tijuana this weekend!” gave me that same look of “….are you pranking me?”
Tijuana has a bad wrap. Is it justified? Well, the Department of State does classify it as a Level 3 travel threat (out of just 4 levels, and 4 is North Korea). As big fans of walking over the border to Nogales, we wanted to find out for ourselves. And this is exactly where I would recommend starting your journey: LAZ Parking near the outlet mall in San Diego. PRO TIP: Download the SpotHero for a better rate and show your QR code.
WATCH: Walking to Tijuana: Original Caesar Salad, Sears, Cinepolis, and Farmacias
My friend & coworker Chuy is from Tijuana and now lives in the United States as a citizen, but he travels back often from his current home in So-Cal to see family. I knew he would be an excellent resource when I initially started broaching the idea of going over the border there and sure enough, he had a list of do’s and don’ts for us to have a great weekend. So, take the following safety tips from him:
Safety First
- Take taxis from reputable spots. The taxi lineup immediately over the border tends to be safe, and your hotel or restaurant are generally happy to help you order a safe cab. You could also ask your dependable driver for his name in number to see if you can text him later for a pickup. We ended up taking Ubers as the first taxi driver over the border got us to Hotel Caesars safely, but did rip us off on price. Rookie mistake on our part!
- Stay in the “bubble”. Chuy reiterated numerous times Tijuana is very safe if you stick to the tourist areas and nice neighborhoods. This feels like good advice for most cities.
- Don’t wear anything flashy. The less attention, the better. Leave your designer tote bag at home and limit the jewelry. Besides, walking over the border is a bit of hike so you want to be comfortable! We packed as bare bones as possible with just a backpack each with our overnight things so we weren’t bogged down.
- “Tijuana is safe during the day, not recommended at night.” Chuy did clarify in the area around Plaza Chapultepec and the Landmark, you can have an evening dinner and hang out for drinks after dark, but it’s still wise to wrap up before midnight. We went to a 7:10pm movie at Cinepolis Chapultepec and our walk back to the hotel at 9pm was not our favorite. We had walked the same path earlier in the daylight with no problems, but our walk home was lit by police lights and smoke shop neons turning on. It was interesting to see the pivot when the sun went down.
- If you want to get the caesar salad, go for lunch not dinner. The area of Revolucion near Hotel Caesars is unfortunately not a great pocket of town. Chuy advised it’s better to be there in the daytime and then head out of the area before it gets dark. We were there at 4pm and comfortably walked 15 minutes to Costco, but there were plenty of hourly hotel signs along the way if you catch my drift.
Generally, we felt safe in Tijuana, but most of our decision making was “better safe than sorry.” At no point did we test the limits to push an opportunity for something questionable. Around the beach and around Caesar’s, we could see the possibility of unsavory activity.
Madeline, I’m feeling safe, but what’s all this talk about a salad? Alright, let’s get into the list of..
Things to Do in Tijuana, Mexico
- Eat the original Caesar Salad at Hotel Caesar. I’m not saying we walked over the border JUST to get a salad, but it’s been on my bucket list for years. Did you know Tijuana is the home of the Caesar Salad? It was Caesar Cardellini’s response to feeding Americans going over the border to drink and party during prohibition.
- Shop at Costco. You might regret walking over the border at this point. There’s treasures to try from local beer brands to unique bakery items. Don’t skip the MINI DONAS. If you have any prescriptions that you need filled, take them with you because their pharmacy is also great.
- Make dinner reservations at an upscale restaurant. There are lots of gorgeous dining options, particularly at the malls, that would be hundreds of dollars back over the border in San Diego. These restaurants are still not cheap by Mexican standards, but I can’t imagine the price tag in a big U.S. city. We had two appetizers, two drinks, and split one of the best ribeyes I’ve ever had in my life at Animal for $107 USD. Not cheap, but affordable for the level of upscale. Chuy also recommends Cabana for seafood at Paseo Chapultepec,and Bodega 8 for a steak house option in a safe area.
- See a movie in Spanish at Cinepolis. When I studied abroad in Spain in 2016, I loved seeing movies in Spanish at the theater. It was a great local activity and even better practice. Kids movies are easier to follow and we thoroughly enjoyed watching Minions y Monstruos.
- Go shopping at Sears. Yes, Sears. It is alive and well in Tijuana! This Sears is a NICE department store and they carry some brands we don’t have in the United States. While the malls here are pretty nice, the clothes shopping is not very good in Tijuana in general. I was blown away at the lineup in this Sears. I bought two shirts and wore them both before we even went home. We were there 40 total hours.
- Visit the border wall. This one is controversial and not everyone’s cup of tea, but for a taboo tourist like me, it was interesting to see in person. I would recommend taking an Uber to the beach where the wall ends, and then leaving. It’s not a good area, I would not go at night, and there’s really nothing else to do right there.
- If needed (or wanted), visit a farmacia. There are pharmacies everywhere. We found that La Mas Barata was great and truly was…. “the most cheap”. We went to a couple with the intent to load up on a few RX of Amoxicillin because we both get chronic sinus infections when we travel. It was only $15 for a 5-day dose and for another $3 they wrote a paper prescription for it. Chuy has explained to me in the past that pharmacies in Mexico are not like the U.S.- they want to make money, not necessarily regulate.
- Hang out in the daytime at a brewery. We went to Norte Brewing near Hotel Caesars for a 5th floor view of Tijuana and Insurgente Brewing for another afternoon balcony hang. Be warned- the beer is not cheap in these places! Expect U.S. brewery prices, but it’s fun to hang out overlooking the city.
- PRO TIP: Use your Global Entry card to walk back. If you have global entry, take your physical card with your passport. There is a line just for Global Entry holders and we were the only ones in it. Getting from our Tijuana hotel to our parked car in San Diego, only took us 37 minutes. Granted, it was a Sunday at 8am so I would consider that in your planning, but for taking an Uber, doing immigration, and the long-ish walk back, that was pretty swift.
WATCH: Costco in Tijuana, Mexico: Mini Donas, Warm Milk, & Food Court Chamoy
Overall, we had a blast going to Tijuana and felt mostly safe. The border walk is the easiest way to go. If I lived in San Diego, I would day trip it once a month for Costco, the pharmacy, early dinner, and go home. PLEASE exercise caution as you would in most big cities and foreign countries and ENJOY your trip over the border! It is totally worth it!
Indiana Jane 