How to get fromCancun to Tijuana

What to expect when visiting Tijuana

Tijuana is Mexico’s most significant border city to the United States. It’s located in the Mexican state of Baja California, right next to the city of San Diego in the US.

The border crossing of San Ysidro is one of the most transited in the world. Many travellers going to the US prefer to fly into Tijuana and then cross the border by land because flying from Mexico to San Diego or Los Angeles directly is often 1,5 times as expensive.

The border crossing between Mexico and the USA isn’t the only reason people visit Tijuana. The city is a thriving cultural hub with a well-known and vibrant nightlife centred mainly in the downtown area around Avenida Revolucion. Or as Manu Chau would put it: Welcome to Tijuana, Tequila, sex and marijuana.

Tijuana also claims to be Latin America’s capital for craft beer and FYI, the place where Caesar salad originated.

1 way to get from Cancun to Tijuana

The flight is the only suitable way for travellers to cross the distance of 440 kilometers (273 miles) from Cancun to Tijuana. The journey takes around 5 hours 55 minutes and costs start from 2,010 MXN (€94).

Travelling from Cancun to Tijuana is quite a journey as you’re going from the eastern tip of Mexico to the most western part of the country. There are both direct and indirect flights and the travel time is around 6 hours for direct flights and 8 hours 15 minutes for indirect flights, inclusive of airport transfers.

Your departure airport is Cancun International Airport, located 30 km from Cancun city centre.

Tijuana’s airport is conveniently located next to the border with the United States and you can actually cross the border without leaving the airport. If you do want to visit Tijuana, the city centre is just 15 minutes away by car.

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

To get to Cancun Airport, you can use a taxi, a shared minivan, or the ADO buses departing from Cancun’s Central Bus Terminal. All options take about 30 minutes and drop you off at any of the airport terminals.

The bus offers the lowest fares from the city centre to Cancun Airport at 98 MXN (€4.60). You can book the tickets for ADO buses via ClickBus or directly at the bus station.

Alternatively, you can take a shared minivan for 155 MXN (€7.40) or a private transfer for 455 MXN (€21). Both can be conveniently booked beforehand through BookAway.

See our Cancun Airport page for a more extensive guide.

Three airlines fly direct flights from Cancun International Airport to Tijuana: Viva Aerobus, Volaris, and Hahn Air. Flight time is around 5 hours 10 minutes.

With limited availability for Cancun to Tijuana flights, tickets can be quite expensive. Prices for airline tickets start from 1,800 MXN (€84). Make sure to check Skyscanner for the cheapest flights!

Indirect Cancun to Tijuana flights are cheaper. These flights depart several times a day and make a short layover in either Mexico City, Guadalajara or Monterrey. The total travel time is around 7 hours 30 minutes, depending on the layover. The rates for indirect flights start at around 1,300 MXN (€61).

Viva Aerobus, Volaris and AeroMexico are the three airlines flying indirect and cheap flights from Cancun to Tijuana.

To get the best flight deals, it’s always recommended to plan and book ahead of time.

The arrival airport is Tijuana International Airport, situated on the northern side of Tijuana, next to the border with the United States. It takes around 15 minutes to get to the city centre by car/taxi.

Authorised taxi counters are located in the airport arrival hall and a taxi to the city centre will cost around 160 MXN (€7.50).

For cheaper rates, you can always book an Uber. They are available in Tijuana and a ride from the airport to the city centre starts from 110 MXN (€5.20). Both taxis and Uber are available 24/7.

Border crossing into the United States

If you want to travel into the United States, you can cross the border through CBX (Cross Border Express), which connects directly to Tijuana Airport and is located after the baggage claim.

To use CBX, you need to buy a special ticket through your airline for 400 MXN (€18.70), and you have two hours from the time of arrival to cross. Note that you must not exit the airport, or you will lose the right to use the CBX.

The paperwork takes around 15 minutes, significantly less than if you go through the San Ysidro crossing, where the waiting time is between 1-2 hours. As San Ysidro is the main crossing point where the rest of the travellers go, there are usually long lines and the vehicle inspection usually delays traffic.

After you pass through customs, you will arrive at the CBX bus terminal. There are different buses and shuttles departing constantly for cities in California like San Diego or Los Angeles.

Travelling this route round trip? You can also check out our guide for Tijuana to Cancun.