10 Best Things To Do In Tijuana

Are you looking for things to do in Tijuana?

Located in the state of Baja California, Tijuana is a city that is also part of the San Diego–Tijuana transborder urban clusters. It is the second-largest city in Mexico and the center of Mexico’s sixth-largest metropolitan area.

Avenida Revolución, Tijuana’s popular and bustling main street, is lined with souvenir shops and bars. This area is home to some of Mexico’s best-known landmarks, such as the Jai Alai Frontón palace and the Centro Cultural Tijuana.

More than anything, Tijuana is known for its racetracks and bullfighting, which make it a popular tourist destination. The city was also the infamous stop for Americans looking for tequila and other items that were illegal in the United States during the Prohibition era.

Today, however, tourists are rarely the target of any illegal activity that may still exist in Tijuana, but travelers should exercise caution nonetheless, as nothing is perfect. When staying in the tourist areas, it is almost a certainty that everything will go as planned.

Indeed, if you want to truly understand Mexico and see all that it has to offer, you’d be remiss if you didn’t stop by Tijuana, one of the country’s most popular cities.

Looking forward to your Mexico adventure that includes Tijuana? To help you make the most of your visit, we have compiled the best things to do in Tijuana. Enjoy!

10 Best Things To Do In Tijuana

1. Visit the Iconic Tijuana Cultural Center

The desert sand-colored Tijuana Cultural Center is one of the best places to visit in Tijuana because of its distinctive spherical shape. One of a few National Council for Culture and the Arts-affiliated institutions in Mexico, it houses numerous exhibits at the Museum of the Californias.

The center also has an IMAX dome, an aquarium, and a Performance Hall where visitors can learn about the history of Baja California.

Located in Zona Rio, just five minutes from the U.S. border, the Tijuana Cultural Center opened in the 1980s and has since become one of the city’s icons.

Artists and artisans from both national and international backgrounds are invited to participate in cultural events held at the Cultural Center. Films are shown in the center’s own Cineteca Tijuana, a popular meeting place for directors, screenwriters, and actors alike.

2. Discover the Museo De Las Californias

Tijuana Cultural Center’s central building houses an exhibition that is open year-round to give visitors an authentic taste of life in California.

In this museum, you can learn about the California peninsula’s human and natural history. As you progress through prehistoric times, the Jesuits, War of Independence, and Revolution will all play a role in your journey.

Here, you’ll see reproductions of the rock paintings found in the Sierra de San Francisco as well as dioramas of the Cochim and Yuman native groups.

Additionally, you’ll find folk art, relics from the old Desert Line railroad, replicas of pre-Hispanic settlements, examples of New Spanish metalwork, and a large-scale replica of a Spanish carrack on display.

3. Spend an afternoon in Casa de la Cultura

Casa de la Cultura has been designated as one of Tijuana’s cultural landmarks and is protected by the federal government of Mexico.

In 2014, the state-designated it as a cultural heritage site. In 2018, a program sponsored by Mexico‘s National Institute of Fine Arts supported Casa de la Cultura as one of the city’s first cultural institutions.

Among the many amenities at Casad e la Cultura are a theatre, the Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez Library, the Benjamin Serrano Gallery, a Literary Cafe, and numerous spaces for workshops and exhibitions of all kinds. Dance, hip hop, language, green cuisine, and more have all been featured in previous workshops.

4. Feel Like A Kid Again at El Trompo

Tijuana’s Science and Technology Museum is a great option for families with young children who are visiting the city.

Here, kids and kids-at-heart can take part in wacky experiments, reasoning, and creativity tests and learn about scientific concepts like electricity, weather, the human body, and biodiversity. With six different halls (or salas), each exhibit is explained by an El Trompo staff.

A hot among locals and tourists alike is the Sala Experimenta, which has stations for children as young as six years old. This area has activities that require kids to solve problems and exert some physical effort, such as building their own house, meeting farm animals, or steering their boats.

5. Discover Playas de Tijuana

While most visitors to Tijuana skip Playas in favor of the city’s bustling downtown, this is an excellent opportunity to see another side of northern Baja.

Playas de Tijuana, Tijuana’s westernmost borough, is well worth a trip from the city’s “downtown.” Four miles of pedestrian bridges run from Azteca Park to the U.S. border.

Particularly noticeable about the area is how impossible it is to visit Tijuana and not be reminded of the current political situation between Mexico and the United States. The boardwalk here serves as a stark reminder.

Still, Playas Tijuana is a must-visit. Make sure you sample the food and drinks – from fish tacos to ceviche to tequila shots. Better yet, pick a lounger by the sea and watch the sunset as you enjoy your authentic Mexican snacks.

6. Stroll down Pasaje Rodriguez

Want to explore a diff side of downtown Tijuana? Spend an afternoon at the Pasaje Rodriguez Arte y Disenyo. This area was established in 2010, in a former run-down alleyway full of a jumble of curio shops and other quirky stores. It has since been revitalized with life after the buzz around it faded.

Today, cultural movements in Mexico City have been a major influence on the alleyway now known as PRAD.

You can now enjoy organic coffee in art cafes, visit a microbrewery, peruse a record store, or savor vegan food at the Pasaje Rodriguez. It’s one of the city’s hipper attractions and a fun place to check out.

7. Explore Avenida Revolucion

The storied Avenida Revolucion, once known as Tijuana’s “seedy” main thoroughfare, is now the epicenter of the city’s renaissance. The locals call it “La Revu,” and it’s filled with colour and gaudy history.

It’s a thriving neighborhood and along the city’s main thoroughfare, you’ll always find something interesting to look at, hear, smell or taste.

Avenida Revolucion is where Tijuana’s culinary revolution started. Visitors can find a wide variety of modern restaurants on either side of the street, serving up a wide range of cuisines from both local and international chefs.

You’ll also find a variety of artisanal shops. Check out local crafts, where stained glass and leather are among the popular choices, as are figurines and other collectibles. Regional products such as Talavera pottery, wood figurines from Oaxaca, and Yucatan textiles are also on display.

8. Step Back in Time at Plaza Santa Cecilia

Walking through Plaza Santa Cecilia is like reliving the past in Tijuana. The city’s First Street and La Revu intersected in this plaza, where Tijuana was born.

This part of Tijuana was not always a happy and welcoming environment like the rest of the city. It was once a haven for criminals. However, those days are now a thing of the past. Color, activity, art, and music fill the air in Plaza Santa Cecilia these days.

Since it is now a patchwork of outdoor markets, restaurants, and modern businesses like pharmacy and dental offices, it is difficult to imagine what Tijuana was like in the early days.

However, once you hear the brassy sound of mariachis and the fluttering flags overhead, you’ll be able to imagine how things were decades ago.

9. Shop at El Popo Market

Tijuana, like the rest of Mexico, thrives on its local markets. Mercado El Popo is one of the city’s most popular markets, and a good place to begin if you want to get a taste of authentic Tijuana.

From fresh cheeses and candy to dried chilies, soap, oils, and cinnamon, the downtown market’s stalls offer a wide variety of goods that you’ll most likely spend hours checking each shop.

Plus, El Popo is a great place to eat some of the best Mexican food in town or to pick up a few souvenirs. This market is also a great place to see locals from the countryside come into town to sell their goods.

10. Eat local food and Tequila in Tijuana

Tijuana is a great place to feast on fresh and flavorful Mexican food. It’s no exaggeration to say that this city is a foodie paradise.

Whatever your budget preference, there is something for a hungry foodie here – from high-end rooftop bars to street food vendors.

You won’t be disappointed, as all of these places serve some of the best Mexican food around. Visit the downtown area’s Collectivo Nueve Food Hall, which offers an avalanche of options, including Brasa Taqueria.

Meanwhile, trying tequila and mezcal in Tijuana will be one of your favorite things to do if you like alcohol in general. Tequila is one of the most widely available alcoholic beverages in Tijuana. Different bars here offer tequila in many brands, flavors, and are served in various ways.