Today, I’m going to attempt to answer the question, is Tijuana worth visiting? based on my thoughts when visiting in 2024.
My friend and I recently took a trip to Valle de Guadalupe wine region and the easiest way to get there from Mexico City was by flying into Tijuana. My friend had heard through her co-workers who had recently visited that it was an up-and-coming city worth visiting so we decided to include it on our Baja itinerary.
Since we had heard good things, we ended up feeling underwhelmed by Tijuana. We didn’t feel especially safe there and didn’t find much charm about the place.
Is Tijuana worth visiting?
As you can probably already tell, I didn’t enjoy visiting Tijuana and, unless you have some special reason to go there, I don’t think it’s worth adding to your Mexico travel itinerary.
The reason I don’t think Tijuana is worth visiting is partly because there are SO many other fantastic destinations in Mexico that you could visit instead. This country is a wonderland from the historic towns of Central Mexico to the beautiful beaches, ancient ruins, vast canyons, and bustling megacities like CDMX.
And, contrary to small-minded beliefs usually fuelled by US media with specific agendas, most places in Mexico are safe to visit. As a solo blonde woman, I’ve traveled to countless places in Mexico with no problems.
But when it comes to Tijuana, I’m not a fan. It’s one of the worst places I’ve visited in Mexico based on safety, walkability, and general niceness.
What is Tijuana like?
The downtown area is known for bars, tourist shops, and, a surprising amount of pharmacies. Avenida Revolución is at the heart of the downtown. This is where we stayed and, to be honest, we didn’t feel that safe at night.
To be clear, nothing bad happened to us but the streets felt run-down and the bars seemed seedy with a predominantly male presence (both locals and male American tourists).
This wasn’t in the downtown but we drove by a bar on the way from the airport to the city with a neon sign saying ‘We have beautiful girls… and some ugly ones, too!’. As two young, progressive women, we didn’t get onto a good start with Tijuana.
There’s an upscale part of Tijuana called Zona Rio however this isn’t particularly interesting or charming; it’s more of a shiny, flashy neighborhood so didn’t win me over, particularly. Then, there are the beaches which we didn’t get around to visiting (but I do hear there are some nice ones).
Reasons I didn’t think Tijuana was worth visiting
Here’s why we didn’t love Tijuana and wouldn’t visit again.
Please note, that these are my personal opinions based on visiting as a woman. Plenty of people seem to like TJ so I am only speaking on behalf of myself.
Poor safety rating
When walking around downtown in the day in TJ, we didn’t feel unsafe per se… but I have felt more secure in almost every other Mexican city I have visited. With men (most with scary-looking dogs) giving us intense looks, we didn’t feel very comfortable.
We didn’t walk around at night but common sense tells us this is usually worse than during the day.
Statistically, Tijuana is one of the least safe cities in Mexico. The likelihood is that you’ll visit and be fine: we were. However, if you’re wondering whether Tijuana is worth visiting based on safety, just know that it does have high rates of most types of crime.
If it’s a safe Mexican city you’re after, you may wish to pick a different destination in Mexico like Mexico City, Guadalajara, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita, Merida, Puebla, San Cristobal de las Casas… and so many others!
Lack of decent budget accommodation (not solo travel friendly)
I do a lot of solo travel and hostels are usually my go-to. Wherever you go in the world, they’re usually similar with friendly staff to help you out, and the same clientele of young, progressive travelers who you can meet and explore with.
So, I booked the only hostel in Tijuana expecting a similar vibe to many of the other amazing hostels I’ve stayed at all over Mexico. However, Hotel Paris was a low-budget hotel with a floor at the top acting as a ‘hostel’.
After climbing several flights of stairs, we arrived at the ‘hostel’ where the door was hanging open with no lock or key… Not very secure! The dank corridor of beds was not appealing and we were the only women there. All the other guests were shifty-looking dudes.
In over 10 years of world travel, I’ve never walked out of a hostel before. We had to find somewhere else to stay at 11pm and pay twice for accommodation. I was glad I was with a friend rather than alone as I often am when traveling in Mexico because I’d have felt even less safe.
To summarise, Tijuana isn’t solo travel friendly due to its poor safety rating and lack of hostels. You need to get a hotel which is always more expensive for one.
Not walkable
Like some cities in the US, Tijuana is not especially walkable. The roads are huge and most of the Tijuana attractions are far apart meaning most people drive. Maybe you’re used to this, but personally, I really love cities where you can walk around at your leisure. So that was just another reason we didn’t love the vibe of TJ.
Reasons you might think Tijuana is worth visiting
Although we didn’t love Tijuana, some people do seem to… Here are some things the city has going for it!
Craft beer
For a long time, you’d only think of Tecate or Corona in relation to Mexican beer. However, times are changing and Mexico is producing excellent craft beer. I really like beers from Baja Brewing Company (based south of TJ in La Paz).
Tijuana is becoming well-known for its brewery scene. These are cool venues to visit and try craft beers from IPAs to lagers. Some of the best craft beer breweries in Tijuana are Cervecería Insurgente, Cerveceria Norte, and Border Psycho.
Caesar salads
Never have I ever visited a city for a salad, but you can’t deny there’s some interesting food history here. The historic restaurant, Caesar’s, isn’t named after the salad but the other way around. The story goes that in 1924, a group arrived at the restaurant at the end of the day when it was out of ingredients.
The chef threw together everything he had left over: romaine lettuce, Parmesan, croutons, boiled egg, and Worcestershire sauce and – ta da! – the dish was created. His brother allegedly added anchovies at a later date.
To try the best Caesar salad in TJ, the obvious place to go is the OG restaurant, Caesar’s in the downtown.
Nightlife
This isn’t a new reason to visit Tijuana. It’s been known for decades as somewhere that under 21s from the US visit to party. Although that’s not the only demographic: you’ll also find foreigners and locals of all ages enjoying the nightlife.
Undeniably, there are loads of bars and cheap drink deals. Avenida Revolución is the center of the Tijuana nightlife district, then there’s open-air Plaza Fiesta, Zona Rio for an upscale bar experience, and Playas de Tijuana near the beach.
Affordability
If you’re coming from the US, you might find Tijuana is worth visiting because it’s affordable when it comes to accommodation, food, drinks, and activities.
Saying this, it’s not one of the cheapest places to visit in Mexico. Food prices are akin to upmarket areas of Mexico City like Roma and Condesa but without the charm of visiting these nice neighborhoods.
Food scene
Since this is Mexico, of course there’s good food in Tijuana! Plus, due to the slowly changing rep of TJ from an unsafe border town to a more up-and-coming city, there are creative restaurants with experimental cuisine popping up.
I wouldn’t plan a trip for the food alone but, if you’re visiting Tijuana anyway, you’re sure to find some good eats. Also, your money goes further than in the US.
Some of the best restaurants in Tijuana include Mision 19 by chef, Javier Plascencia. We also loved the breakfast burritos and coffee at Milo & Rocco Coffeehouse.
Accessibility to a fantastic wine region
You have to pass through (or at least go very close) to TJ to reach Valle de Guadalupe. The wine region is seriously worth visiting! It’s not just the wine that’s great but also the highly-rated restaurants with delicious food. The scenery in the wine region is gorgeous!
Another city that many travelers visit is Ensenada. Not to be negative, but we didn’t love this city, either… But we DID love the fish tacos and the OG margaritas at Hussongs where they were allegedly invented.
Tijuana is hardly out of the way so, if you’re curious about visiting, you can do so with minimal extra effort or cost.
However, that’s why we visited TJ and we still didn’t particularly like it. My friend and I discussed that if we ever visited the wine region again, we would probably get an Uber from the airport rather than staying in TJ again. It’s up to you which option you pick!
Overall verdict – is Tijuana a good place to visit?
Having visited Tijuana and given it lots of thought when writing this post, I’d say that Tijuana wasn’t worth visiting for two young women without a major interest in craft beer, cheap nightlife, or Caesar salads.
But, it depends on you. Male travelers (and couples including a man) will likely feel safer here than we did.
Overall, TJ may be worth visiting if you’re on the hunt for cheap nightlife and craft beer. If you’re going to the wine region, it could be worth a quick stop just to say you’ve been and to make your own mind up.
Tijuana wasn’t the city for me but that’s okay. You don’t have to like everywhere you go. I’m certainly not saying no one should ever go… Many people have enjoyable trips.
I repeatedly hear that Tijuana is up and coming, leaving its old reputation behind. I was hopeful to see evidence of that but we just didn’t. Maybe in a few years, it will be further along on its journey and I’ll give it another try… but, for now, I won’t be rushing back.
I hope this post has given you a better indication of what Tijuana is like & whether it’s worth visiting for you
Read my other Baja blogs:
- Things to do in Todos Santos
- The best restaurants in Todos Santos
- What to do in La Paz, Mexico
- Where to eat in La Paz
- Swimming with whale sharks in La Paz, Baja California
- Guide to visiting Valle de Guadalupe wine region
