CREATE UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES ON THIS GUIDED EXPLORATION OF TIJUANA'S CENTRAL MARKET & VIBRANT STREET FOOD SCENE!
A curated exploration of Tijuana's famous street food scene and central produce market, this guided tasting tour will have you eating at some of the world's best taco stands, visiting locals-only food carts, and tasting some of Mexico's top craft brews. You'll start the day by exploring Tijuana's famed outdoor produce market where you'll learn the background and history of the ingredients that make up Mexico's vibrant culinary movement... and you'll end the day visiting an uber-hip gastro-park where some of Baja California's best young chefs prepare succulent bites served from highly-stylized food trucks. As you and your guide wind through Tijuana's barrios on this comprehensive culinary tour, you'll be walking (and tasting) right in the footsteps of Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, and Chef Rick Bayless. From TJ's best street food to Baja California's innovative farm-to-fork modern-Mexican cuisine, this foodie tour will stimulate your taste buds and inspire your imagination!
ONLY $99 - BOOK THIS TASTING TOUR NOW
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TASTE OF TIJUANA TOUR ITINERARY - FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH - PRESIDENT’S DAY WEEKEND
Booking Notes: This tasting tour is not well suited for strict vegetarians and is not advised for vegans; all itinerary times below except the start time are approximate, and vendors may be substituted based on their availability the day of your tour.
9:30-9:45am: Meet your bilingual culinary guide and driver at the designated meeting point on the U.S. side of the US-Mexico border in San Ysidro, California (the San Diego to Tijuana border crossing). Your guide will walk the group across the border, through Mexican Immigration and Customs, to our tour vehicle awaiting on the Mexico side. It's an easy drive to the meeting point, or take public transportation (San Diego Trolley), taxi, or Uber
9:45-10:15am: Cross the border on foot with your guide, through Mexican Immigration and Customs, to our tour vehicle waiting on the Mexico side
10:15-10:30am: Drive to our first stop at Tijuana's central produce market
10:30-12:00pm: 1st Stop: We'll lead you on a curated walking tour of Tijuana’s famed produce market, stopping in at various vendor stands to learn about the history and culture of Mexican cuisine by examining its wide range of unique and tasty ingredients. You'll make various stops to eat street-style birria tacos, the freshest tamales you've ever had, Sonoran-style carne asada tacos, fresh-cut fruit sprinkled with lime and dusted in chili powder, and drink an agua fresca or licuado, as we taste our way through this colorful market and its adjacent taco stands, some of the most famous in Mexico
12:00-12:30pm: Drive across town to our second stop at "taco alley"
12:30-1:00pm: 2nd Stop: Visit "taco alley," a favorite amongst locals where a row of neatly organized food stands offer up some of the best street-style tacos in Tijuana. You'll eat a freshly prepared "al pastor" taco, where the marinated pork is carved right from the hot spit into your hand-made tortilla that's still warm from the griddle (quesadillas are available for those who don't eat pork)
1:00-1:30pm: Drive to our final stop at Tijuana's uber-hip gastro park
1:30-2:30pm: 3rd Stop: Explore this eclectic collective of highly-stylized food trucks surrounding a Mexican microbrewery where you'll drink a Mexican craft beer on us (or a glass of Valle de Guadalupe wine for non-beer-drinkers); food at this stop is up to you and not included because most people are already stuffed by the time we arrive! But feel free to find a little more room in your belly for some of Tijuana's hottest young chefs, because they will certainly tease you and your taste buds with their innovative takes on Baja California's farm-to-fork modern-Mexican cuisine (this is our last stop, however, if you're having too much fun to end the day now, you may elect to stay a little longer and Uber or taxi back to border on your own - about 15-minutes by car)
2:30-3:00pm: Tummy full, and pleasantly buzzed, sit back and enjoy the colorful drive back to the U.S. border inspection station in Tijuana, Mexico (your guide will drop you off at the entry gate to the pedestrian border crossing where you will cross back to the U.S. on your own via foot) – END OF TOUR
3:00-3:30pm: After clearing U.S. immigration and customs, hail Uber or taxi, take Trolley, or walk back to your car parked in San Ysidro, CA (actual arrival time in San Ysidro is highly dependent on actual border wait time, which varies - BTK has no ability to affect actual border wait time, but participants with a valid U.S. Passport usually cross in about 10-15 minutes)
PRICE & BOOKING INFO
$99 per person - purchase now below. Space is limited. Inquire for group discount for six or more people. Price is per person. Book early to confirm your participation - our tours are reserved and confirmed on a first-paid basis, and often sell-out well in advance. When scheduling conflicts occur, priority is given to the customer who pays first. This particular culinary tour is designed for meat eaters, and is thus not advised for strict vegetarians or vegans. Our scheduled group tours are not appropriate for bachelor/bachelorette parties - please book a private tasting tour for your wedding celebration group. BTK tours are 100% non-smoking/non-vaping. Tours run rain or shine. Must be 18+ years old to participate - minors will not be allowed to participate. Participation requires valid passport and if applicable, a valid multiple-entry U.S. Visa or U.S. Resident Card. Consult our Payment Terms & Conditions before purchasing.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Guided foodie tour package includes all food and beverage as described in the itinerary above - you'll leave Tijuana stuffed! | Round-trip transportation in our well-appointed air-conditioned tour vehicle | Our bilingual culinary guides are knowledgable ambassadors of Northern Baja California's culinary scene | This particular culinary tour is designed for meat eaters, and is thus not advised for strict vegetarians or vegans | All itinerary times above except the start time are approximate, and vendors may be substituted based on their availability | Tour guide gratuity is not included
WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT THIS TOUR
Anthony Bourdain put Tijuana's street food scene on the culinary map, and this tour visits some of his favorite TJ bites. An abbreviated version of our world famous Tijuana Bites Tour, this shorter market and tasting tour is the best gastronomic introduction to Tijuana's famous culinary scene available for those on a tighter timetable and budget. And while this tour is timed perfectly for cruise ship passengers visiting the Port of San Diego, those with a little more time can opt to leisurely extend their experience on the last stop, soaking in more of Tijuana's uber-hip gastro park before hailing an easy Uber ride back to the border (if you don't have that kind of time, don't worry, your ride back to the border at 2:30pm is included). When it comes to laying claim to the best street tacos in Mexico, there's a heated rivalry between Mexico City and Tijuana... On this curated tasting tour, we'll make our case for why Tijuana wins that epicurean battle, hands down! So what are you waiting for?
TOUR DEPARTURE LOCATION & ADDITIONAL PICK-UPS
For participants joining this tour from the U.S., you'll meet your culinary guide on the U.S. side of the border at our designated border meeting point in San Ysidro, California (the San Diego to Tijuana border crossing). It's an easy drive to this border meeting point (with paid secure parking nearby), or take public transportation (San Diego Trolley), taxi, or Uber. Additional meeting point in Tijuana available for those staying in Tijuana.
TAKE NOTE BEFORE BOOKING & PAYING
This public group tour will run as scheduled when four or more paid participants are registered for the tour. While most of our tours sell out in advance and will run as scheduled, in the rare case that less than four paid participants register for the tour, we reserve the right to cancel your tour reservation with 72-hours written notice (via email), in which case we will issue a full refund of your tour fees. Every tour participant must be at least 18 years old and carry a valid passport. Everyone in your group must agree to and sign the Baja Test Kitchen Participation Agreement (release of liability) at least three (3) days prior to departure. Please read our FULL Payment Terms & Conditions and Tour Policies before purchasing this tour. Your payment for this tour constitutes your full acceptance of the Terms, Conditions, and Tour Policies found on the Baja Test Kitchen website. Once paid, there are no refunds for this public group tour and rescheduling is subject to the policies and provisions for rescheduling found in our Payment Terms & Conditions. Failure to arrive at the designated meeting point on time will constitute your cancellation without refund, credit, or rescheduling allowance. This tour is not available for bachelor or bachelorette parties; wedding celebration groups must make separate arrangements to reserve a private tour vehicle (additional conditions and costs apply to private tours).
BOOK THIS TASTING TOUR NOW
Before purchasing this tour, see important booking notes above.
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WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY…
TRIP ADVISOR CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR 2017 & 2018!
“BTK knew THE BEST places for tasty food and good brews. Taking care of the parking, ordering, paying and leaving us to simply enjoy the food and the locations we stopped at... knowledgeable about local history, the culinary history of the region, as well as being very friendly, I can’t recommend BTK tours enough!! Even if you think you know the area, they will have places that will blow your mind and their handling of all the unfun parts of travel (transportation, logistics, etc) is well worth the affordable price.”
James and his friends from Southern California called these Tacos de Birria “the best damned taco I’ve ever eaten!” Tijuana is the taco capitol of Mexico, so the only downside of booking this tour of Tijuana’s vibrant street food scene is that we might just ruin you for tacos north of the border!
“It was a marvelous 4-5 hours with a very knowledgeable tour guide about Mexican street food, especially the Baja region. We visited a number of food stands that offered a variety of soft and hard tacos from fish to pork to vegetarian that you wouldn’t easily find in the U.S. It is an easy way to discover Tijuana and enjoy Mexican hospitality!”
Tony’s wife, Monette, enjoying a succulent street taco that’s been prepared “dorado” style, grilled until crispy and charred. Your BTK gastroguide not only knows where to go, but what and how to order when you get there… so that just leaves the eating part to you!
GROUP QUOTE, COUPON OR GIFT CERTIFICATE REDEMPTION, JOIN WAITING LIST IF SOLD OUT, & MORE INFO REQUEST FORM...
Groups of 5 or less, please purchase this tasting tour above. If you have a coupon or gift certificate code, if you are a group of 6+ paying together on a single invoice, if this tour is sold out and you'd like to join the priority waiting list, or for more information about this group tasting tour on February 15th, 2019, please complete and submit the inquiry form below before making your purchase...