I had only one day to spend in Tijuana and wanted to see as much as I could as efficiently as possible. Also, I was traveling alone and don't speak the language, so I figured being part of a tour would be my best bet.
Parking at and crossing the border was simple enough. My tour guide, Andres, greeted me at the other side and informed me I'd be the only person on his tour that day. I cringed a little as my expectations of having the safety net of a group were dashed. I was also afraid it would be awkward to be with alone with a stranger for 6+ hours.
Luckily, my fears dissipated quickly. Andres was so warm and friendly; he assured me I'd be safe and the day would be exciting. He was right! He was extremely knowledgeable about Tijuana and seemed to know his way around like the back of his hand. We ventured around downtown, strolled through markets, ate AMAZING tacos, tasted tequila, shopped and took lots of photos. Stops included a popular taco truck, a lovely park, the Tijuana history museum, Our Lady of Guadalupe cathedral, a bar for margaritas, and more.
The highlight of the tour was taking a bus out to Friendship Park where the border wall meets the ocean. The sight itself plus all the artwork along the border was fascinating. This is also the location where you must have you photo taken with the colorful "Tijuana" sign.
Oh, and the fish tacos. I will probably never eat another fish taco again because none will compared to the fish tacos I ate on this tour. DELICIOUS.
Anyway, if it wasn't obvious, I highly recommend this tour if you're wanting to explore Tijuana for the first time. I saw so much more than I expected to in just one day. I genuinely enjoyed Andres' company; the coversation was easy and he taught me so much about the city. I'm inspired to not only return to Tijuana one day but to visit the rest of the country as well. Until then, I'll drink from my souvenir bottle of tequila and dream about those fish tacos.