Quito Travel Guide

Quito’s UNESCO-listed old town is a sight like none other. Distinctive green and gold domes, grey-faced churches with glittering baroque interiors, indigenous street sellers with stacks of avocados, cherries, mangoes and blueberries and endless buses spewing petrol fumes combine to make a heady cocktail. 

And that’s just the old town. The new town sprawls out for miles in either direction, with trendy bars clustered around La Floresta and touristy bars in Mariscal Sucre. The heights surrounding Quito, which start at a breathtaking 3000 metres above sea level, are topped with pines, eucalyptus trees and clouds that can descend into the city in an instant. Above all, on a rare clear day, snow-capped Cotopaxi volcano keeps a watchful eye on the city.

Top 10 Best Things To Do in Quito

1. Take the TeleferiQo and then hike to the summit of Rucu Pichincha
2. Climb the dizzying spires of Voto Nacional
3. Learn Spanish and chat with the locals
4. Try traditional Ecuadorian food at Casa Warmi or De La Llama
5. Learn about pre-Colombian culture at Casa Alabado
6. Watch the sunset with a wine in hand from Tandana
7. Walk the cobblestone streets of Guapulo and visit the church
8. Get a bird’s eye view of the Old Town from the Metropolitan Cultural Centre
9. Explore the cloud forests of nearby Mindo
10. Enjoy the glorious views of Quilotoa Lake

Best Things To Do in Quito’s Old Town

Independence Square (Plaza Grande)

There’s no better place to get a sense of the old town (centro historico) than the Plaza Grande. Always packed, this square is flanked by several important buildings including the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Archbishop’s Palace.

Metropolitan Cultural Centre

About a minute from the Plaza Grande, the Metropolitan Cultural Centre is well worth a visit. It’s free to enter and contains some small exhibitions as well as a handful of libraries. There’s even a restaurant (and the menu has a vegetarian section). But the real reason to visit the Metropolitan Cultural Centre is the access to the roof, which gives you excellent views of the Plaza Grande.

Pre-Colombian Art Museum (Casa Alabado)

Top pick! Anyone with an interest in Pre-Colombian art or Ecuador’s indigenous history shouldn’t miss this well-organised museum. The building, which is bigger than it looks from the outside, is itself a beautiful colonial artefact. It will take about thirty minutes to see everything on offer and entry is $6. 

La Ronda

One to avoid… La Ronda is a pedestrianised street lined with colonial houses that have been converted into restaurants, bars and souvenir shops. Sadly, La Ronda looked like it had seen better days when we visited and we wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to see it. On the plus side, it’s not far from the Pre-Colombian Art Museum and it connects nicely to Cumandá Urban Park.

Cumandá Urban Park

This impressive sports facility is built on the site of an old train terminal. There’s a gym here, as well as a number of swimming pools and areas for dance, exercise classes and self-defense. Best of all, everything is free to use! (Note that there’s a strict dress code to use the facilities! You must bring your ID or passport, as well as a bottle of water, a towel, and appropriate sportswear to use the gym).

Basilica of the National Vote (Basílica del Voto Nacional)

(Top pick!) If you can only see one thing in Quito, make it the Basilica del Voto Nacional. For $2, you can climb all of this church’s dizzying towers for wonderful views of the city. There are rickety wooden bridges between roof spaces and vertigo-inducing spiral staircases that I cannot imagine ever being okayed by health and safety in a European country. This is only an option for people unafraid of heights and in good physical condition. You should also try to go early-ish to beat the crowds.

Contemporary Art Centre of Quito

If you like contemporary art, don’t miss the exhibitions on display at this partially restored military hospital (just a five-minute walk from Voto Nacional). On the day we visited, there was a sustainable fair set up on site, as well as food trucks and free samples of passion fruit gin. Entrance is free, but bring ID so that you can use the lockers (backpacks are not allowed in the art centre).

Best Things To Do in Quito Outside of the Old Town

Ocho y Medio, La Floresta

This trendy independent cinema in Quito’s coolest neighbourhood, La Floresta, is a great place to watch arty movies. There’s a comfortable bar and cafe area which is a favourite meeting place for locals and expats at all hours of the day. You can check the film listings on their website’s calendar. Ocho y Medio is also just around the corner from Casi Warmi, one of our favourite restaurants in the capital.

National Museum of Ecuador

This free, three-storey museum contains a collection of exhibits on colonial Ecuador and its pre-Colombian past. Expect to see pre-Colombian figurines, pottery and a selection of pre-Colombian gold as well as colonial-era paintings and furniture.

Mindalae, Ethnohistoric & Crafts Museum of Ecuador

This museum in Mariscal Sucre exhibits objects made by local Ecuadorian people. You can see traditional clothing made by indigeinous people as well as wooden and ceramic figurines. They sell handicraft items as well. Tickets are $4 per person. The museum is fairly small and you could see all the exhibits in under an hour.

The Botanical Garden (Jardin Botanico)

Located in the Parque Carolina, Quito’s botanical garden contains plants from all over Ecuador. You can see orchids, carnivorous plants and even a Japanese garden. Adult tickets are $3.50. Open from 8AM until 4:45PM Monday to Friday. Opens from 9AM until 4:45PM on Saturday and Sunday.

Guapulo Colonial Church & Convent

Built in 1649, this beautiful colonial church is the crowning jewel of the arty Guapulo neighbourhood. Guapulo was a distinct colonial city when it was founded and still retains a Spanish style that’s different from other parts of the city. It’s a short, steep, but enjoyable walk down cobblestone paths from Tandana Cafe to Guapulo Church.

Sunset at Tandana Cafe

Stop by Tandana Cafe on a clear and cloudless day for snow-capped mountain views and sweeping city roads that are second to none. This was by far our favourite sunset spot in Quito. The cafe is fully vegan. You can devour the full list of our favourite places to eat in Quito here.

The TeleferiQo

The TeleferiQo is a cable car ($8.50) that whisks you out of Quito and up into the surrounding Andean mountains. The cable car actually takes you high enough (3,945 metres /  12,943 ft) that altitude sickness might be a problem if you’re not yet acclimatised. From the top, you can get a good view of the snow-capped Cotopaxi on a clear day. 

There’s also a cafe (Cruz Loma) with a glass front where you can enjoy the view. There might be a long queue for the TeleferiQo so consider going early in the morning to beat the crowds. It opens at 9:00AM.

Hike Ruca Pichincha

Top pick! Adventurous types can hike from the TeleferiQo to Rucu Pichincha, which is a nearby volcanic peak. The trail is moderately difficult, give yourself at least five hours to get to the summit and back and be prepared to scramble at points. The summit is 4,697 metres / 15,413 feet, so altitude sickness is a real danger. Hiking shoes with decent grip are essential.

We read that crime used to be a problem on Ruca Pichincha, but it felt very safe to me. The trail was well marked and when we went (on a Saturday morning) there were tonnes of other hikers around so we never felt isolated. As always, talk to an informed local about the safety situation before you set off.

Visit Metropolitan Park, Bella Vista (Parque Metropolitano)

This large green space feels less like a park and more like an area of wilderness. There are hiking trails and spaces for horse riding and barbeques. Be warned that tourists have been robbed in this park, so it’s probably best avoided if you’re on your own or if it’s after dark.

La Capilla de Hombre y Casa Museo Guayasamín, Bella Vista

Guayasamín is one of Ecuador’s most famous artists. At his house, which is now a museum, you can see his eclectic collection of Pre-Colombian artwork, colonial artwork and his own paintings. Entrance is $8 for adults.

Just next door and covered in the price of a single ticket is the Capilla de Hombre. This building is a “church” built by Guayasamín as well as an exhibition space for many of his large paintings that often feature corpse-like individuals.

Plaza Foch, Mariscal Sucre

One to avoid… Quito’s own “Gringolandia” is centred around Plaza Foch. Here you’ll find McDonalds and friends as well as plenty of local restaurants of the wings and beer variety. The influence of the United States can be felt very strongly in this part of town.

Try Traditional Ecuadorian Food

Not often written about, Ecuador has some delicious cuisine that’s well-worth pulling up a chair for. Some of Ecuador’s best dishes are you llapingachos (potato cakes), locra (cheese and potato soup with avocado) and mote pillo (a corn, cheese and egg dish). You can try these classics at De La LLama restaurant, but we also loved Casa Warmi who do a modern take on Ecuadorian dishes. Read our guide to Quito’s best restaurants here.

Learn Spanish at Banana Spanish School

Quito is a great place to learn Spanish, as the locals tend to speak Spanish fairly slowly and without a thick accent. You can learn Spanish in Quito at Banana Spanish School. It’s $10 per hour for a one-to-one class or $6 per hour for a small group class. If you go to Banana Spanish School, ask for Karina. Karina was our teacher and we really enjoyed the time that we spent with her. It was like talking to a close friend from day one and we learned a lot!

Day Trips from Quito

Stock Up on Textiles at Otavalo Market

Otavalo Market is known as one of South America’s largest indigenous markets. It’s a traditional textiles market where you’ll be able to stock up on those beautiful Ecuadorian style jumpers, as well as blankets, throws, scarves and bags. Otavalo is just 2 hours north of Quito by bus and can be done in a day-trip from Quito, though we’d say it’s worth a 1-night stop.

Cycle Cotopaxi National Park

Cotopaxi, which means “the neck of the moon” in the local language, draws tourists from far and wide. Hiking all 5,897 metres to the summit is a serious endeavour and takes at least two days. If you’d like to get a flavour of the volcano, without committing to an overnight trip, you can do a day trip from Quito.

Our trip, through Ecua Travelling, cost $58 per person and included both breakfast and lunch. A bus took us from Quito to the National Park and our guides handled registration. We walked from the car park to the Cotopaxi refuge, which was short but brutal as we faced severe winds and hail. Normally the trip would go up to the glacier, but we had to turn back due to the weather conditions.

After the hike, we drove a little way back down the mountain and got on our mountain bikes. The biking is tough, perhaps made tougher by the weather, but very enjoyable further down the mountain where the path was less steep and the weather was a bit warmer!

Visit Mindo, the Cloud Forest

Mindo is a town northeast of Quito, surrounded by cloud forest. You can take a bus (two hours, $3.75) from Quito’s northern bus terminal (Carcelen) to get there. Once there, you can take a cable car through the cloud forest ($5) and hike to a series of waterfalls. We saw countless hummingbirds as well as parrots and even a scissor-tailed falcon.

We recommend spending a night or two in Mindo. There’s an excellent Airbnb run by a very friendly Colombian couple where we stayed and it really made our experience. They have a beautiful garden filled with a variety of tropical plants. You’ll get a delicious breakfast made entirely from the organic fruits and vegetables of their farm, such as yuca, spring onions, fresh orange juice and dragon fruit.

Marvel at Quilotoa Lake and Hike Quilotoa Loop

Ecuador’s glorious Quilotoa Lake is a few hours by bus from Quito. You can take a day-trip just to see the lake, but if you can, we’d recommend taking 3-4 days to hike the Quilotoa Loop, ending the hike at the lake. We hiked the route over 4 days during Christmas and it’s easily one of our favourite hikes in Ecuador and the world.

Best Places to Stay in Quito

If time allows, we’d recommend visitors to Quito spend some time in the Old Town and some time in La Floresta. This gives you the best of both worlds – the charm of the historical centre and the buzz of Quito’s more trendy neighbourhood. We used Airbnb in Quito and you can get $55 off your first Airbnb here.

The Old Town

This is where you’ll see most of the city’s sights, but it’s hectic and can feel unsafe after dark. We stayed in the Old Town for 1 week and loved our stay at this gorgeous Old Town suite, which includes a rooftop sauna! The views from the apartment are beautiful and it’s only a stone’s throw from Plaza Grande and the other sights.

La Floresta

La Floresta on the other hand, isn’t much to look at but feels safer and is home to some of the city’s best restaurants and cafes. We stayed in La Floresta for a week and loved the proximity to everything, but the traffic fumes on the main roads around here can be stifling (like most of the bus routes in Quito). We loved the look of this La Floresta apartment but unfortunately it was booked when we were in Quito. This room inside a local yoga studio is also a great value accommodation option in Quito.

Mariscal Sucre

This the city’s “gringolandia” and is the place to find sports bars and grills. If you’re interested in the backpacker party scene, this is where you’ll want to be. We didn’t stay in this neighbourhood because we wanted a quiet place, but our Spanish school was located here and Mariscal Sucre is right next door to La Floresta making it a convenient location. This Mariscal Sucre apartment looks amazing and would’ve been the one we chose if we’d stayed in this area.

Bella Vista

The benefit of basing yourself in Bella Vista is, as the name suggested, beautiful views over Quito. This quiet hillside is one of the fancier neighbourhoods in Quito. 

We stayed in a cute Andean style house at OMAMA Cafe (picture above is the view from the balcony) in this neighbour for 4 weeks and would recommend it as a base for travellers wanting a quiet neighbourhood with the best views of Quito. The house is perfect for couples or families because it’s right next door to the lovely OMAMA Cafe, just a few minutes walk to Capilla del Hombre art museum and only 5 minutes walk into Parque Metropolitano.

Is Quito Safe?

Most people who come to Quito will notice that the vast majority of Ecuadorians are welcoming, friendly and helpful. That being said, there’s a risk of crime here as in any big city. I’ve included some tips from Quito’s Tourist Security Service below (brackets mine):

• Always carry a copy of your passport with you (take a photo with your phone).
• Keep an eye on your belongings.
• Hire a taxi from your accommodation to your destination (especially at night).
• Hide your money in a secret place.
• Keep your money somewhere secure when you travel on buses.
• Do not accept help from strangers. Be wary of people trying to distract you.
• Don’t carry more money than you need. If possible, pay for items by card.
• Don’t accept drinks from strangers.