Drove down spontaneously with two amigos for a quick turnaroundbof bar crawls and street food Thanksgiving eve. We left LA county around 9pm and hit the border at San Ysidro around 11: 45pm. Traffic on the 605 and 5 south was light and fast. Parked in San Ysidro near McDonsld's & Jack in the Box for $8.00. We walked across the border and it was smooth no hassle experience. Caught a taxi for $10.00 to Zona Norte and did a righteous 4 hit bar crawl that included some awesome Tijuaba street tacos at the intersection of Calle Coahuila and Calle Ninos Heroes for Tacos de Danny. It's a stone's throw away and south of the infamous Hong Kong bar( ya' know it's reputation...wink wink lol!)....anyway..hoochie eye candy aside, the multiple bottles of cerveza, tequila and rum called for refreshment and sustenance. I ordered two big meaty ass delicious tacos de asada and one al pastor...both with everything...which for me were marinated red onions( cebollas), pico de gallo, red and green chile salsa and fresh raw radishes. The tacos were hefty, wrapped in thick corn tortillas...magnificent blend of fiery chiles, bitter, sour and slightly sweet impressive servings of freshly grilled meats( asada y al pastor)...I squeezed copious amounts of lemon y lime for the finish....I was in taco heaven. Sabroso, delicioso, mucho carne y caliente! Just the thing to fill my belly sfter a night of libations and live bsnda music!!! Totally excellent and only $7.00 for four tacos( they give USA based King Taco a serious run for the $$ money!! read more

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The city of Tijuana has a mixed reputation, depending on who you ask. Back home, it is often labeled as the most dangerous city on the world. I disagree with this, and this is coming from a guy who's travelled extensively and also deployed as part of the US armed services. Your experience in TJ will basically be determines on what you look for while coming here. If you're looking for the nicer part of town, then Zona Rio and the area around the Hipodromo is your best bet. My all-time favorite place in which to spend the night is Hotel Lucerna and K-Tower. Recently, I've discovered hotel Quartz, which is another upscale option. For more information on those hotels, check out my reviews for them. As far as nightclubs go, I recommend Bosse and El Alebrije. They are upscale, exclusive, and are frequented by well-established locals. In my opinion, this is the only place to party well in Tijuana. The tourist area is mainly Zona Centro along Avenida Revolucion. The area is so-so, but largely safe as long as you don't look for trouble. There are plenty of mom and pops eateries and coffee shops along this street. Most of the action is between Calle 1a (first street) on the north, and Calle 9a (ninth street) on the south. First street northward, I strongly recommend you do not walk around, as Zona Norte (northern zone) is one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in TJ. Sitting within Zona Norte is the red light district along Calle Coahuila. There is a small stretch of this street that is heavily patrolled, and safe. If you decide to venture here, do not trust anyone if they try to lure you outside of this area. Do not get drunk in this area, unless you are with people that you trust very well. And if the police here do pull you over, don't give them any grief, it won't go well for you. They will likely try to get a bribe from you. Just pay then the $30-$40, and be on your way. If you carry any more cash than that, hide it elsewhere (i.e. in your shoe, or a hidden compartment in your car). The most common reason that I've been pulled over was due to my tinted windows, so if you have dark windows on your car, keep this in mind. On a lighter note, Playas de Tijuana is a nice place to check out. There is a boardwalk that starts at the Faro de Tijuana (the lighthouse of Tijuana), and heads southward. There are restaurants and miscellaneous stores along the way, as well as private residences and places that you can rent through Booking or AirBnb. The area is so-so, but I've never encountered problems in this part of TJ. All in all, Tijuana is a fun place to go. I've never had issues here, and I've made tons of memories. I've also made tons of friends here. If you decide to come here to party or for a weekend excursion, just practice common sense and don't look for trouble. And don't make acqward questions, especially about la mafia (the cartels). Those people won't mess with you as long as you don't mess with them. Stay safe and have fun in Baja. Cheers! read more

Love me some Tijuana! Don't drink the water tho. But the food, BEST tacos, Menudo, Birria anywhere! Look I know TJ has it's issues with crime & dirty areas like La Revolution which is their skid row. But what city doesn't have it's issues. TJ also has it's beautiful areas too & fantastic restaurants & taco shops & some real kind good hearted people. It's good to go during the week to eat & visit because Saturday & Sundays can be a bit crowded. And I'll be honest, the driving here is crazy, it's like NASCAR drivers on Meth! So if your an aggressive good driver you good if not use Uber or a Taxi or come with fam or friends who drive here that's what I do just buy them tacos :) Honking here is a norm so don't get scared or mad, no road rage here just honking & be-careful & keep it moving. Like I was saying best tacos are here, El Francs, Taconazo, the real Tacos El Gordo are some of the great taco shops you'll find here. Restaurants like El Rodeo & Cafe La Especial are great. The customer service in most of the restaurants here are amazing & the prices are so affordable it's crazy & portions are big so make sure to tip good don't be a Nalga hole. Concerts here are also very affordable & the Caliente stadium is great for concerts, the prices of beer there are insanely low, love it! Party scene here is great of course, Pulgas is a good little club, best strip club Hong Kong, I hear the girls there are beautiful & they do more than strip if you got some extra pesos, so I heard, my Tata told me... Over all I love Tijuana & it's food, people & love shopping there & the vibe there. But if your scared & judgmental & like wack Mexican food & strippers that don't put out than TJ ain't for you & don't go to TJ & be negative & whine & complain we don't need your kind there. As for me, I'll be back for sure, I just won't drink the water. See you soon TIJUAS! read more

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The Revolution is the questionable seedy part like the part of Hollywood Blvd is at night. I don't go there anymore, but was always careful when I was younger & surrounded by a lot of people. As anywhere right?! Don't let the poverty, the dirty parts, etc. get in the way of thoughts on it as a whole. Tijuana has a lot of working class families, people with heart and even though they drive like sh#% our there, they are more respectful with manners than some people from the states. There's also lot of new buildings & renovations going on. Key interests, the food, the party scene, the beaches, the shops (& most of the stores we have), horseback riding on the beaches, the easy to buy prescription drugs in the US w/out a prescription, (but they're asking for one on certain drugs these days- just have their Drs give you one. Lots of cheaper items to purchase out there, but you can't come back w/certain items (look at restrictions), cost of living is a lot cheaper, but most people work in San Diego - a lot of time traveling daily. I can't believe how many jiggly girl nudie joints that have/are popping out there - just like the states Too much to see, so little time. Beautiful sites, buildings, art, etc, just open your mind & heart , you'll see a lot. And if your a people watcher & photographer, your in for a treat. Tijuana's not for for everyone, but those who seek adventure, value people and the little things in life that make you happy. Drive cautiously - it's an experience Lol. Make sure to have the Real ID & passport. PS, don't drink the water!! read more

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What a great experience coming to this city across the border from San Diego! We had a great day trip here during our broader trip to San Diego. In the morning we ubered to the border then walked across the border into Tijuana and ubered to the Tijuana Museum and walked to Downtown then back to the border and ubered back to San Diego! People are concerned about safety and security here, but in the day time I felt no concern about my safety, especially in the touristy areas you'd tend to visit. Surprisingly, people do not speak English as well as you'd think for a city bordering directly with the US. But it's manageable, as people are used to interacting with tourists, so locals are friendly and are trying to be friendly where possible! It was an enjoyable experience to see the culture of this city, even though it's probably Americanized and gentrified compared to other Mexican cities because of it's location. We were able to explore, look at some local shops, bakeries and restaurants a bit outside of Downtown which was nice. Once you get into Downtown it is definitely a lot more touristy. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of poverty here. As you cross the border and you walk along the main paths to/from Downtown, you will see a lot of people begging and trying to sell small toys to you to get by. read more

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Tijuana is awesome..... those who criticize it Im guessing go to revolution (the skid row of tijuana) most likely they are looking to get drunk do drugs and screw hookers..... you can easily find that on revolution. But let's be clear that's not tijuana, tijuana has great museums, great hotels great parks(recreational/water) and great food. I visit there as often as possible with my family and never get tired of it. My kids love it.. my wife feared for her life every second we were there our first time but now she wants to move there lol. I guess the over amplified terror news will do that to you. I really recommend coming here sticking to yelp and staying off of revolution. Hit the beaches enjoy the people and culture. Don't forget people make a day in pay what you usually tip at a burger joint in the USA so they will definitely work hard (be pushy) So please Be respectful and patient and everything should be fine and dandy. read more