Best Things To Do in Quito

Quito is located at 2,850 metres above sea level in the foothills of the Andes, very close to the Equator. It is the oldest capital city in the Americas, with a well-preserved historic centre, and one of the most visited cities on the continent. This is partly due to its proximity to the Pichincha volcano and the Equator.

There are many things to see and do in Quito, such as visiting ancient churches, climbing to viewpoints with panoramic views, swinging at an altitude of 3,000 metres, discovering pre-Columbian art, exploring buildings where legends abound, or setting foot in each hemisphere near the city. Here are the most interesting things to do in the city, although there's plenty more to explore.

The Plaza Grande or Plaza de la Independencia is Quito's most important square and the heart of its historic centre. Around it are several emblematic buildings of the city: the Metropolitan Cathedral, the most important in Ecuador; the Carondelet Palace, which is the official residence of the president; and the Archbishop's Palace.

The square is home to the Monument to Independence, which was built in honour of the heroes who promoted Ecuador's "First Cry for Independence" in 1809. The origins of the square date back to the year 1500, when it used to have a water fountain in the centre, right where the monument stands today. The square is one of the must-see sights of the city, and is included in all guided tours of Quito.

• Location: Av. Venezuela between Chile and Espejo. Historic Centre of Quito.

Metropolitan Cathedral

The Metropolitan Cathedral is the oldest church in South America, built between 1562 and 1567. In it you can see the confluence of indigenous and Spanish art, and various architectural styles. It has a museum exhibiting works of art, paintings and sculptures from the Escuela de Arte Quiteña.

• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday and holidays from 9am to 5.30pm, and Sundays from 10am to 2pm.
• Entrance fee: around 4 EUR.

Carondelet Palace

This is the official residence of the president, which is not the actual seat of the president. They usually offer guided tours by reservation, where you can look out from the presidential balcony. But the most interesting thing to see is the Tarqui Grenadiers, in their traditional costumes, guarding the entrance to the palace.

It is very popular in the city to go and see the Changing of the Guard, which takes place every Tuesday at 12 noon, and involves pom-pom adorned horses, drums, marching soldiers and the singing of the national anthem.

Archbishop's Palace

The Archbishop's Palace is one of the oldest in Quito, dating back to the 16th century. Although the bishopric offices are located inside, its courtyards and balconies are also home to handicraft shops and restaurants with a privileged view of the square.

One of the most popular things to do near the city is to visit the Mitad del Mundo Monument, and it's the reason many people take an airport transfer to Quito. It's a place where you can put a foot in each hemisphere; or check out experiments related to Latitude 0.

The Mitad del Mundo Monument is about 28 km from the city centre, and you can get there on the Mitad del Mundo bus, or by hiring a tour of Quito, as most include a visit to this monument. There are museums, exhibition halls and restaurants on the site, and every weekend there are events and concerts.

Apparently, the Equator line doesn't actually pass through the monument, but 200 metres from there, at the Museo Solar Intiñán. You can take advantage of your visit to see this museum, and learn about the astronomy and culture of the native inhabitants of South America.

Interesting details

• Location: Mariano Calvache E18-94 y, Quito 170135.
• Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm; and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 9am to 6pm.
• Admission: about 5 EUR for adults and about 2.5 EUR for children.

One of the most visited places in Quito is the Mercado La Mariscal, where you can find a wide variety of handicrafts such as paintings, embroidered textiles and garments, tapestries, jewellery, musical instruments such as quenas and ocarinas, and even Panamanian hats, which actually originate in Ecuador.

This is one of the country's main craft markets, located about 3km from the Plaza Grande. It has about 200 shops selling handmade products, many of which are made using ancient indigenous techniques. It's the ideal place to pick up typical Ecuadorian handicrafts.

Another popular market near Quito is the Otavalo Market, which is considered one of the best in South America. You can reach the town of Otavalo by bus in about two hours, or you can book a tour from Quito, which will also take you to many natural attractions in and around the town, such as the Cuicocha Lagoon.

Useful details

• Location: Jorge Washington 611, Quito 170143.
• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 8am to 6pm, and Sundays from 9am to 5pm.

The Church of San Francisco, built in the 16th century, is considered to be the largest religious architectural complex in the Americas. It covers about two blocks, and includes chapels, temples, a convent and an important Franciscan library.

The church, which was consecrated to San Francisco, consists of 13 cloisters, a main altar and the library. Inside it houses some 3,500 works of art from the Quito School, which developed between the 16th and 18th centuries. Among them is the Virgen de Quito, from the 18th century, which is a symbol of the city.

On the façade, the Inca representations of the sun, whose purpose was to attract the Native Americans to the church, stand out. During your visit you can walk around the Plaza de San Francisco, and also the catacombs of the church, where today there is a craft market.

On the other hand, the church has gained prominence in the culture of the city, due to the legends that are told about it. It is said that the church was built by an army of little devils, since Cantuña, an indigenous man who was commissioned to build it, made a pact with the devil to build the complex in a short period of time.

Interesting details

• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 7am to 12pm and from 3pm to 5.30pm. Sundays from 7am to 12pm.
• Entry fee: around 3 EUR per person.

The Iglesia Compañía de Jesús is one of Quito's most visited churches, due to its gleaming interior: it is almost entirely covered in 23-carat gold leaf. It is a 17th century baroque church with a façade made of volcanic stone. It was built by the Jesuits, who were inspired by two Roman Jesuit temples: Il Gesú and San Ignacio.

The walls of the church were carved by artists of the Escuela Quiteña, who turned it into a true jewel of the city. It is estimated that the church contains a ton of gold. This would have been contributed by the indigenous people who wanted to ensure that their children would go to the Jesuit university that was later built.

The Iglesia Compañía de Jesús is baroque in style, with a mixture of other styles such as Mudejar and neoclassical. Inside, two large canvases stand out, The Last Judgement and The Inferno, which were painted by Hernando de la Cruz in 1620.

If your visit coincides with the date of your visit, bear in mind that the museum offers free guided tours on the first Sunday of every month.

Interesting details

• Location: García Moreno N10-43, Quito.
• Opening hours: Monday to Thursday from 9.30am to 6.30pm, Fridays from 9.30am to 5.30pm, Saturdays and holidays from 9.30am to 4pm and Sundays from 12.30pm to 4pm.
• Entrance fee: about 5 EUR per person. It costs about 3 EUR extra to go up to the domes.

One of the best things to do in Quito is to ride the 4,000-metre-high cable car to see the city and the surrounding mountain scenery. Quito is a high altitude city (2,850m) and was built on one of the slopes of the Andes Mountains.

The cable car takes you about 5 km from the historic centre of Quito and takes you to the top of the Cruz Loma hill. The ride takes about 20 minutes, and once at the top you can go hiking, cycling or climbing; and take the best photos. A very popular trail is the one that takes you to the Pichincha Volcano, which is about 10 km long.

Don't miss the swings, where you can experience some vertigo. At the top you will also find the Ermita de la Dolorosa and a small shopping centre. On the way down, you can go to Vulqano Park, an amusement park with rides for children and adults.

Recommendations for getting on the TeleferiQo

Quito's cable car, or TeleferiQo, is considered the highest in South America. Be aware that you may get altitude sickness at the top, so it is advisable to take coca leaves to chew, candy or pills. For 3-day stays in Quito, this is usually done on the second or third day, so that you can acclimatise to the altitude. Also remember to pack a warm jacket.

Details of interest

• Location: Fulgencio Araujo, y, Quito 170527.
• Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm, and weekends from 9 am to 8 pm. Drop-off time is at 7pm.
• Admission fee: around 9 EUR for adults and around 7 EUR for children under 18. Pets can go up for a fee of 5 EUR. The cost for bringing a bicycle up is about 5 EUR.
• How to get there: the bus drops you off at the base of the cable car in about an hour from the historic centre of Quito. By car it takes about 15 minutes.

Panecillo is a hill located in the centre of Quito that offers one of the best views of the city. It is famous for the Virgin of Panecillo at the top, which is made entirely of aluminium. It measures about 30 metres and is considered the tallest aluminium statue in the world.

The hill is located in the south of Quito, about 2 km from the Plaza Grande. It takes about 40 minutes by bus or 15 minutes by car. It is possible to walk to the top of the hill, but be aware that the path is not very safe. Alternatively, you can hire a tour, as this attraction is included in most guided tours of Quito.

The hill's viewpoint, reached by a narrow staircase, offers one of the best views of the city and the surrounding volcanoes. From the top you can see many of the city's historic buildings, such as the Church of San Francisco and the Metropolitan Cathedral. There are also craft shops, places to buy food and a small museum at the base of the statue.

As for the Virgen del Panecillo, it is a replica of the Virgin of Quito, which is located on the main altar of the Church of San Francisco. It was made by Bernardo de Legarda in 1734. In addition, the hill used to be a sacred place for the native inhabitants of these lands, and many legends are told about it, due to the tunnels in the hill.

Details of interest

• Location: Fulgencio Araujo, y, Quito 170527.
• Hours: Open all day. The museum is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm, and closes one hour earlier on weekends.
• Admission: free. Admission to the museum costs about 2 EUR per person.

During your visit, you can't miss Quito's best museums, especially if you're interested in learning about Quito's history, art and culture. Some of the most recommended museums are the Museo de Arte Precolombino and the Museo Casa Guayasamin, dedicated to the work of this artist.

At the Museo de Arte Precolombino Casa Alabado you can see paintings, sculptures, replicas of its architecture and other objects that belonged to the ancient inhabitants of this region. It is located about 5 blocks from Plaza Grande. There are several 30-minute guided tours (plus a 30-minute free tour) that you can take that deal with specific themes.

The Museo Casa Guayasamín used to be the home of renowned Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamín, which has now been converted into a museum. In addition to the artist's works, you can see the pre-Columbian and colonial art objects he collected. It is located about 7 km from the Plaza Grande. In addition, and very close to the Guayasamín House Museum is the Museum of Man, which the artist built in honour of the human being.

Museum of Pre-Columbian Art Casa Alabado

• Location: Cuenca N1-41, Quito 170401.
• Hours: Wednesday to Sunday 9am-5.30pm.
• Entry fee: about 6 EUR per person for guided tours.

Guayasamín House Museum

• Location: Mariano Calvache E18-94 and, Quito 170135.
• Hours: Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 4.45pm.
• Entrance fee: about 10 EUR per person for guided tours.

Itchimbía Park is to the west of the Historic Centre, at an altitude of 2910 metres above sea level. It is a green space of some 54 hectares with sports fields, jogging and cycling tracks and playgrounds for children.

From the park's viewpoint you can see Quito's historic centre, the Panecillo, which is another of the city's main viewpoints, and the surrounding neighbourhoods. You can also see the mountain range and the volcanoes that surround the city, especially on sunny days.

As well as enjoying the park's nature and views, you can visit the Itchimbía Cultural Centre, also known as the Crystal Palace, where you can see exhibitions, listen to live concerts or take part in cultural activities. The glass-walled building was restored from an old iron structure that used to be a market.

In the park you will also find the sign with the name of the city, where it is common to have your picture taken. There are also restaurants and bars in the park, where you can recharge your batteries before continuing your tour, while enjoying the beautiful view of the place.

Interesting details

• Location: QGH2+39C, Quito 170136.
• Hours: daily from 5am to 6pm, and closes one hour earlier on weekends.
• Admission: free.
• How to get there: from Plaza Grande you can get there in half an hour on foot, in half an hour by bus.

Calle La Ronda is a traditional street in the historic centre of Quito full of craft shops, literary cafés, bars and restaurants. It's a cobblestone alleyway with a slope, where you can sample typical local dishes and learn more about the culture of the city.

The street is actually called Juan de Dios Morales, and runs from the old Cumandá Terminal to Boulevard 24 de Mayo. The street comes alive especially after sunset, when the lighting transports you to another era, and in many places you can listen to live music. That is why it is one of the places to visit during the night gastronomic tours.

Among the outstanding attractions you can see in this street are the Casa de las Artes de La Ronda and the Casa 707, where art exhibitions and concerts are held. You can also visit the Chapel of the Robbery, which was built on the site where objects stolen from the Santa Clara convent were found, a robbery that shocked the city and about which many legends are told.

La Ronda street is a good place to try typical Quito dishes such as empanadas de morocho or empanadas de viento and drinks such as canelazo, made of cinnamon and liquor, or fruit wine.

Interesting details

• Location: QFGP+87W, Venezuela, Quito 170130, Ecuador.
• Opening hours: Bars, restaurants and nightclubs are open daily from 3pm to midnight. Shops open from 10am to 6pm.
• Admission fee: free.