Overview
San Ysidro is a community of San Diego, California. Although administratively part of the City of San Diego, San Ysidro is geographically separated from the rest of the city by the entities of Chula Vista and National City just to the north. San Ysidro is often cited as the world's busiest land border crossing, where U.S. Interstate 5 crosses into Tijuana, Mexico.
In addition to San Ysidro, the neighborhood close to the border crossing, this article includes adjacent neighborhoods in South San Diego: Otay Mesa area, Palm City, and the Tijuana River Valley.
3 sights · 1 places to eat · 3 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about San Ysidro
Smuggler's Gulch
A valley that used to be known for smuggling and unauthorized travel between the United States and Mexico. A large embankment had been built to block the valley at the border.
Border Field State Park
Mainly within Imperial Beach, but only accessible from San Ysidro. It includes the International Friendship Park, which is just inland from the place where the border meets the ocean. The road in the park is only open to…
Tijuana River Valley Regional Park
An 1800-acre San Diego County park along the Mexican border that includes a bird and butterfly garden and a sports complex.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Jan–Dec. Summer highs reach about 77°F; winter lows dip to about 50°F. Wettest: Feb and Jan. (climate data from nearby San Diego)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- SAN San Diego International Airport, San Diego — 13 mi away (major hub). Directions
- CLD McClellan-Palomar Airport, Carlsbad — 40 mi away. Directions
On the U.S. side, Interstate 5 (I-5) and I-805 connect San Ysidro to the communities to the north. You can drive to the border crossing and then continue driving through, or park at one of the lots and walk through. Parking at one of the lots costs about $4-9 a day. Traffic is pretty heavy coming up from Mexico.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Tijuana River Valley Regional Park, Smuggler's Gulch
- Lunch Ying Li Restaurant
- Afternoon Border Field State Park
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By car
On the U.S. side, Interstate 5 (I-5) and I-805 connect San Ysidro to the communities to the north. You can drive to the border crossing and then continue driving through, or park at one of the lots and walk through. Parking at one of the lots costs about $4-9 a day. Traffic is pretty heavy coming up from Mexico.
By train
The San Diego Trolley Blue Line service connects San Ysidro to Chula Vista, National City, and Downtown San Diego to the north. Standard one-way fares are $2.50, with day passes running at $6, as of July 2022. One-way tickets are not valid for transfers so day passes are required if you need to transfer to another bus or train to complete the journey.
By plane
By bus
The Long Distance Bus Station is located behind the McDonalds Building next to the SDMTS San Ysidro Transit Center. The ticket desks for some of the bus companies are at the end of the trolley tracks in the plaza while others are next to the bus bays behind the McDonald's building. From here buses go up to Sacramento, Los Angeles/Huntington Park and San Joaquin Valley in different routing combinations. Some diverge on a different route towards Las Vegas and the Inland Empire:
Go Autobus Coordinados de Nayrit (ACN)
Connects from their own bus station in Tijuana & from the Tijuana airport to Sacramento through San Ysidro, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Delano, Goshen, Fresno, Madera, Stockton, Lodi. Passengers transfer in Tijuana to continue further south into Mexico.
Place Rapid Connections LLC
Buses goes up to Sacramento via Los Angeles, San Fernando, Bakersfield, Fresno, Modesto, Stockton and several other places along SR-99; and down to Tijuana via Santa Ana and San Ysidro.
Go Tres Estrellas de Oro (TEO)
See By bus under Get in in the Tijuana and San Diego articles for a list of additional bus companies serving the area.
See
See Smuggler's Gulch
A valley that used to be known for smuggling and unauthorized travel between the United States and Mexico. A large embankment had been built to block the valley at the border.
See Border Field State Park
Mainly within Imperial Beach, but only accessible from San Ysidro. It includes the International Friendship Park, which is just inland from the place where the border meets the ocean. The road in the park is only open to vehicles on weekends when there is no flooding, but the park is still open when the gates are closed.
Buy
Eat
Eat Ying Li Restaurant
Chinese food.
Sleep
Stay Tijuana River Valley Regional Park Campground
County campground (newest of 9 county campgrounds). Has hiking trails, popular with people who ride horses, connects to state park. Airplanes and helicopters fly overhead during the day. Dogs and horses allowed. Dogs aren't allowed on the state park trails, but horses are. As of 2022, the campground is in full sun, but young trees have been planted. Reservations: +1 858-565-3600, +1-877-565-3600.
Go next
Nearby
Chula Vista
City / town · 43 listings · 3 mi away
Imperial Beach
City / town · 11 listings · 3 mi away
National City
City / town · 13 listings · 7 mi away
Coronado
City / town · 30 listings · 10 mi away
La Mesa
City / town · 10 listings · 13 mi away
El Cajon
City / town · 17 listings · 16 mi away
Poway
City / town · 4 listings · 26 mi away
Del Mar
City / town · 13 listings · 29 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.