How to Spend 24 Hours in Tijuana, Mexico
Tacky souvenir shops; donkeys painted as zebras; a seedy, often dangerous nightlife: these are just a few of the things that once made Tijuana unappealing to travellers. However, with craft breweries and hip coffee shops popping up around every corner, world-class Mexican cuisine on offer and an emerging urban art scene, Tijuana might just be back on the map.
Try the world’s first ever Caesar salad
That’s right—the famous Caesar salad was in fact invented in Tijuana during the 1920s prohibition era. Caesar’s Restaurant—an elegant dining room filled with sepia photographs, dark wood decor and black and white tiles—still uses the same simple recipe (consisting of cos lettuce, parmesan, olive oil, egg yolks and lemon juice) created by its founder Caesar Cardini almost 90 years ago. The pièce de résistance? The waiters prepare and serve the delicious salad right at your table.
Caesar’s, Avenida Revolución 1059, Zona Centro, Tijuana, Mexico, +52 664 685 1927
Like any major town in Mexico, at the heart of Tijuana lies a bustling food market. At Mercado El Popo you’ll find hundreds of waist-high wicker baskets filled with dried Mexican chilis, as well as cheeses, exotic fruits and home-made sweet treats. This is a great place to learn about local produce, shoot some great photographs and stock up on fresh (and very cheap) goodies.
Enjoy the best breakfast of your life at Telefonica Gastro Park
A park filled with six to eight food trucks ranging from Japanese and Italian to Mexican and Argentinian, Telefonica Gastro Park is leading Tijuana’s cultural revival. This open-air space decorated with colourful fairy lights and big wooden benches made for sharing has a cool, laid-back festival feel. Don’t miss La Carmelita’s insane breakfasts, which feature perfectly cooked eggs served on crispy totopos (home-made nacho chips) and topped with refried beans, jalapeño, coriander, red onions and a sprinkling of cheese.
Explore up-and-coming Avenida Revolución
Avenida Revolución is where all the stereotypical Tijuana action happens: you’ve got rows of tacky souvenir shops, cheap drink deals and, of course, the odd donkey disguised as a zebra ready to pose for photos with tourists, a tradition that started in Tijuana over 100 years ago. However, Tijuana’s busiest street is changing. In between the craziness, you’ll find little gems like Container Coffee Roaster (which roasts Mexican coffee beans just behind the counter) and Azteca Craft Brewing leading Tijuana’s uber-cool transformation.
Check out the street murals in Pasaje Rodríguez
Pasaje Rodríguez, an alley filled with coffee shops, Oaxacan food stalls and tiny craft shops, is testament to Tijuana’s growing urban art scene. The walls here are covered with brightly coloured graffiti murals, many of which powerfully comment on current political and human rights issues; a must-see while in Tijuana.
Get involved in Tijuana’s craft beer scene
Following in the tracks of its brewing neighbour San Diego, Tijuana is slowly establishing itself as a big player in the craft beer scene. While many breweries in the city serve the ever-popular hoppy IPAs, they’re also experimenting with their own ingredients and techniques to create beers with a true Mexican flare. To get involved, head to Plaza Fiesta, where, in place of seedy nightclubs, you’ll now find a cluster of top-class brewery tasting rooms.
Eat a lot of street tacos
Tijuana is considered by many to be one of the taco meccas of the world. Put it this way: visitors cross the border just to have lunch in the city. If you only do one thing in Tijuana, head to a street called Las Ahumaderas (also known as ‘Taco Alley’) and fill yourself silly with any of the taco street stalls there. They won’t disappoint.
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.
Culture Trip Spring Sale
Save up to $1,100 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.
- Post ID: 2104570
- Sponsored? No
- View Payload