Dr. Adrián de Silva Razo
Board certified
Certificate 4/3819/22 · valid to 2027-03-11
Los Angeles, California to Tijuana
Tijuana specialists, coming from Los Angeles
Most patients from LA drive down, park in San Ysidro and walk across. For surgery under sedation, plan an overnight rather than driving back the same day.
Distance
About 140 miles to San Ysidro
Travel time
2.5 to 3.5 hours, longer in peak traffic
Coming back
Add the northbound pedestrian wait on top of the drive home.
Distances and times are approximate and change with traffic and with the wait at the crossing. Check the CBP border wait times page on the morning you travel.
Tijuana specialists with certification you can check
Dr. Agustín Rivera Rodríguez
Board certified
Certificate 3434 · valid to 2028-09-06
Dr. Alberto E. Pérez Bañuelos
Board certified
Certificate 1904 · valid to 2031-04-09
Dr. Alejandro Elias Escobedo
Board certified
Certificate 4/1531/24 · valid to 2029-11-08
Planning the trip
The thing people underestimate isn't the price, it's the recovery stay. A surgical trip isn't a day trip: budget for the nights your surgeon requires in the area afterwards, plus the interval before you can fly. Ask for both in writing, and read how the crossing works before your first one.
Questions patients actually ask
How long does it take to get to a Tijuana specialist from Los Angeles?
About 140 miles to San Ysidro. 2.5 to 3.5 hours, longer in peak traffic. Most patients from LA drive down, park in San Ysidro and walk across. For surgery under sedation, plan an overnight rather than driving back the same day.
Do I need a passport?
To come back into the United States, yes. A US passport, passport card, or an enhanced driver's licence from a state that issues them. Walking into Mexico is easy; the document you need is for the return leg.
How long is the wait coming back?
Add the northbound pedestrian wait on top of the drive home. Pedestrian and vehicle lanes move at completely different speeds, which is why most patients park on the US side and walk.
Can I drive home the same day after treatment?
After a consultation, yes. After surgery, no: you will need someone else to drive, and most of the procedures people cross for require staying in the area for a recovery period before it's safe to travel at all. Get that interval from the surgeon before you book anything.