Quito is the capital city of Ecuador and is a hub, not only of local activity but also national travel to the broader Ecuador. And if you are looking to visit Quito as a stop on your way to your final destination (such as the Galapagos Islands), then you might as well stay a few days and explore the political and cultural center of Ecuador that also has a large and beautiful colonial center.
This city center is considered the largest and best preserved city center in the Americas. It is an incredibly active hub within the city, full of culture, food, locals, and tourists that really show the liveliness of the city. Walking through can be overwhelming with the number of street vendors selling you different treats and souvenirs but this energy will help move you through the crowds.
Is Quito, Ecuador Safe
The short answer is yes. Quito, especially the touristy areas, is safe. It is always important to be aware of and careful with your belongings. It’s best to not wear ostentatious or flashy clothing/jewelry to not bring too much attention to yourself. It is also best to stay in the main touristy neighborhoods including the historical center, La Mariscal, La Floresta, and La Carolina.
Finally, you will find that many restaurants do not stay open too late in the city. After dark, it is recommended to take Ubers around the city if you are going more than a few blocks. You can always ask the security guards about the safety of the area. And you will see security guards at most restaurants, bars, hotels, and even within neighborhoods. This does not mean that the area you are in is dangerous. In fact, the areas with more security personnel tend to be the safer areas of Quito. They are there for you so feel free to ask them for support if you have questions.
This article will give you more background information about safety in Ecuador
How to Know If Ecuador Is Safe to Travel to (It Is)
Yes, Ecuador is safe to visit! This article explains the areas within the country that are safe for visitors and how to know where to avoid.
Where To Stay When You Visit Quito, Ecuador
You can dive deeper into the different neighborhoods of Quito here to best determine the place for you.
The Historical Center
This neighborhood is the cultural and historical hub of the city. It is bustling with activity during the day but it is much quieter at night, requiring more vigilance. It can be a great option if you are planning to concentrate your touring in the historical center.
La Mariscal and La Floresta
These more residential neighborhoods have a number of restaurants and cafes. They are relatively close to the historical center (although you will still have to take an Uber to travel between these neighborhoods and the historical center). In these neighborhoods, you could find some hotels, bed & breakfasts, and hostels based on your budget and travel preference. Unfortunately, after the political unrest of early of 2024, these neighborhoods are quiet and do not have the nightlife buzz that they were previously known for. This could absolutely change as people feel more comfortable and safe within the city.
La Carolina
This neighborhood is the financial and business hub of the city. It is a youthful neighborhood with high rises and nice hotels. This neighborhood contains many international hotel brands. In addition, this area has many delicious, new, and innovative restaurants to eat interesting and modern takes on Ecuadorian cuisine. Finally, La Carolina is home to one of the largest parks of the city, Parque Carolina which is bustling with activity throughout the day. This is our recommended neighborhood within Quito.
A Transportation Guide for When You Visit Quito, Ecuador
It is vital to know about the transportation system in Quito because many of the activities available to you are outside of the city center. While there is a brand new metro system that can help you travel between neighborhoods, you will need to rely on Uber to get to some different areas. Let’s talk about both of these options.
The Metro System of Quito
The metro system of Quito is brand new and opened in December 2023. It includes one line that connects the city from the North to the South and through the center. If you want to be economical and use the metro system to get to and from the city center, then you should look at where the stops are located and plan your accommodations accordingly. Some of the relevant metro stations for tourists are San Francisco (historical center), El Ejido (south of La Mariscal and should only be visited during the day), La Carolina (southernmost point of Parque Carolina), and Inaquito (northernmost point of Parque Carolina). In 2024, the metro costs less than 50 cents per person and you do have to pay for it with cash.
Using Uber to Get Around Quito
Your primary way to get around Quito will be with Uber. The reason we highlight Uber rather than taxis is because they reduce the possibility of being scammed, which could happen as foreign tourists with taxis (or people who pose as taxis). When it comes to Uber, you know the price upfront and the navigation of the car is tracked. In addition, it removes any communication barrier that you may have in Ecuador. An additional security protocol that they have in Ecuador is that the Uber driver will require you to give them a four digit code to verify both the driver and the passenger before starting your trip. It is important to note that Uber is not legal in the country so many drivers will ask that one person sit in the front seat of their car.
If you are uncomfortable with using Uber, you can ask a nearby establishment (hotel, restaurant, bar, museum, etc.) to call you a taxi and communicate with the driver. You can also hire a driver for the whole day through your hotel or a tour agency to allow you to freely get around throughout the day.
Day 1: Touring the Historical Center of Quito, Ecuador
When getting to a new place, it is important to understand the context of the place that you are visiting and get an overview of some of the highlights of the city. Your first day in Quito will be spent visiting the historic city center, learning about the city, and touring through some of the most important areas of the city.
Quito’s Free Walking Tour
In many cities throughout the world, guides provide free walking tours of the city that are all tip-based. In Quito, Tefa provides a 3-4 hour long tour of Quito that takes you from the Basilica through the center of the historical area of the city. She includes information about the culture, architecture, language, and even has some local snack tasting throughout the tour. You will have the opportunity to enter some of the churches, including the Compañía de Jesús Church (covered in gold), which really allows you to understand the historic center both inside and out.
After the tour, you will want to get lunch in the city center. Tefa has some suggestions but we recommend Hasta La Vuelta, where you can find some traditional Ecuadorian food with a nice ambiance.
View from the Basilica
After lunch, you will want to walk back to the Basilica to visit the towers and get a beautiful view over the city of Quito. You can purchase your ticket in the plaza in front of the Basilica and make your way up the towers. The towers do have elevators up to a certain point but you will have to take the stairs to get the best views. The first stop in the elevator (or the first floor where you can exit the staircase) puts you on the same level as the incredible stained-glass rose window to see it from the inside of the church. Next, as you go up the stairs, you will find different shops on each floor, including a cafe, a bar, and a souvenir shop. You will be able to continue up to the very top of the towers to get a full 360 view of the city. You can also go to an observation platform on the spire. To get there, you will need to go through one of the souvenir shops (ask someone if you have a hard time finding it) and go up some stairs and a ladder.
There are a few things to note about visiting the Basilica. The first is that there will be some stairs/ladders to get to the top views. The elevator can take you pretty high up on the towers but to appreciate the very top, you will need to take stairs. And to get to the top of the spire, you will need to climb up and down a ladder. Secondly, the two towers at the front of the church are the same so you just need to go up one of the two to get the beautiful views of the city. Third, do not skip over the area to view the incredible rose window.
Walk Around Parque Carolina
Finally, to end your day, you will want to walk around Parque Carolina. To get here, you can take the metro from the San Francisco stop to the La Carolina stop. The park is a hub for activity for locals around Quito and you can walk around it, sit and people watch, and take in the local Quito life.
The area around Parque Carolina is a great place to find a good restaurant. We recommend De La Llama or Somos Ecuador Restaurante (a little further from the park but worth the walk!). Both of these restaurants have modern takes on Ecuadorian cuisine.
Day 2: Vistas of the City and Visiting the Center of the World
Your second day in Quito will allow you to get a greater view of the entire city and then visit the place that has given the country its name, the equator.
El Panecillo Hill
To start the day, you will want to get an Uber to take you to El Panecillo Hill to get your first vista of the city. You absolutely should not walk to the top of this hill! You can also put your next destination into the Uber and have your driver wait for you at the top of the hill. You can pay them in cash for this wait. This will save you time and effort of getting another Uber at the top of the hill.
From this viewpoint, you can see the Virgin of Quito up close (and it’s actually taller than Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. You can learn more about visiting Christ the Redeemer here.) For just a few dollars, you can climb into the statue and see different photos of how the statue was constructed as well as get to an observation deck.
TelefériQo Quito
Your second stop of the day will take you to the top of the city. TelefériQo Quito is a teleferico transportation that takes you up to a tall mountain adjacent to the city. It is best to do this on a clear day because you will have the opportunity to see some of the volcanoes that surround the city. There are a few places to go when you get to the top of the teleferico. The first is a cafe and shop; this spot has some views of the city and, for a few dollars, some photo opportunities on their outdoor space. If you do not want to pay the extra dollars, there are other photo opportunities around the mountaintop. You can walk behind the cafe and make your way up the mountain to get to a few other viewpoints.
Note: Quito is one of the highest capitals in the world and this viewpoint is over 9,350 feet (2,850 meters) in elevation. Here are some tips to best acclimate to the altitude of Quito:
- Eat smaller meals when first at elevation. This will help you feel better throughout the day.
- Avoid alcohol. It will decrease your oxygen level and you need as much oxygen as possible at a higher elevation.
- Drink as much water as possible! This will also help with the headaches that may appear due to the altitude.
- If things truly get worse, find a way to get to a lower elevation, and, in the meantime, you can try to get to a clinic or hospital to get some additional oxygen. The airport of Quito is at a lower altitude so you can get a hotel near the airport to help alleviate your symptoms.
- When walking, take smaller and slower steps with deep breaths.
The walk up the mountain is challenging solely due to the altitude. Taking smaller and slower steps will help you maintain your breath as you walk. There are a few viewpoints along the walk where you can take in the city and the surrounding volcanoes. Your final destination will be a giant swing overlooking the city, making for a great photo opportunity if the sky is clear!
Optional: A Super Challenging 5-Hour Hike from the TeleferiQo
You can now return down the mountain and take the teleferico back to the parking lot. From here, you will want to get an Uber to your next destination. (You can go back into town to grab lunch before the next touring destination).
Mitad del Mundo
After lunch, you will head to a monument called Mitad del Mundo. This is a monument to the equator and has a line that splits where the equator was believed to be. (Spoiler alert: this spot is off by a few hundred meters! Pretty crazy that people were able to get so close to the equator line without the use of modern GPS technology!) You will want to take a photo at this monument before heading to the actual equator line.
In addition to the monument, there are different areas to the complex that you can explore. Some areas show examples of how different indigenous groups live based on their location throughout the country (near the ocean, in the mountains, or in the rainforest). Inside the monument, there is a museum that also explains the different cultures within Ecuador. And finally, there are some restaurants and vendors throughout the complex that can sell you traditional Ecuadorian food and snacks.
Museo de Sitio Intiñan
From the Mitad del Mundo monument, you can walk the 200 meters to the museum that celebrates the cultures of Ecuador and marks the actual equator line. Here, a guide will walk you through displays that explain the key different cultures that make up Ecuador, including people of the coast, mountains, and rainforest. The guide will then take you through a series of gimmicky exercises that “prove” that the equator lies here. Most of these exercises are forced explanations of the effects of gravity and psychological shows to make you believe in this. (The equator really lies here but the effect of the equator line cannot be compared to stepping just a meter from the line.) The guided tours happen in either Spanish or English and you will be placed into groups upon your arrival at the museum. When you are done with the tour, you can get your final Uber for the day back to the city.
Day 3 and More: Day Tours Outside of Quito, Ecuador
Around Quito, there are a number of activities to do, each of which take a full day to fully tour and experience. If you are interested in more than one of these experiences, then make sure to account for more days in Quito during your trip.
Hike Cotopaxi (1 Day)
The Cotopaxi volcano is the second highest peak in Ecuador and the most prominent volcano that can be seen from Quito and is still considered active today. Climbing the volcano to the peak is a very popular activity but this takes a lot of training, a lot of time, and the right conditions. Instead, you can hike up to the first base camp with a round trip taking 1.5 hours to 2 hours. The hike itself is steep and starts at an incredibly high altitude of 14,700 feet (4,481 meters) and goes up 1,200 feet (366 meters). If you do not have time to acclimate to the elevation, be incredibly careful when doing this hike to avoid altitude sickness. The slower you go, the more success you will have at avoiding altitude sickness symptoms. It is best to do this with a group tour that will take you to the national park, allow you to hike the volcano, take you to the lagoon, and provide lunch.
Note: The weather on Cotopaxi is very volatile. You can reserve your tour the day prior to when you want to go so make sure you check the weather radar for the peak of Cotopaxi here to get the best sense of the best date to go to the volcano. If there is no visibility at the parking lot before getting to the base camp, you will not see anything at the base camp.
Termas de Papallacta (1 Day)
Quito is surrounded by 17 different volcanoes, making it an area with a lot of thermal activity and the opportunity for different thermal baths. The Termas de Papallacta are in the direction of the airport of Quito and are a great place to relax in different hot baths. If you have time before your flight, the hot springs are a nice place to relax and spend some time before flying out. Termas de Papallacta is made up of two different areas with thermal baths and a hotel. Both areas have a few different baths at a variety of temperatures and have a restaurant on site. However, the “Balneario” is the less expensive of the two hot springs areas and tends to be the more crowded of the two areas. The “Spa” is more expensive at $24 per person (in 2024) and these baths have water features that could give you different massages. By purchasing access to the “Spa” area, you will also have access to the Balneario. In addition, you could reserve a variety of massages or facials to help you relax and decompress even more.
Note: To get to the Termas de Papallacta, you can take an Uber or taxi from Quito. However, to get back from the hot springs, you can ask the receptionist to call you a taxi to return or you can arrange for a taxi to be waiting for you at a particular time.
Mindo Tour (1 Day)
Mindo is a cloud forest located outside of Quito. In a day tour, you can visit the cloud forest and see many beautiful butterflies and hummingbirds, visit waterfalls, and learn about the chocolate-making process. This area is completely different from Quito, making it a unique adventure for a day trip outside of the city. There are many day tours that provide excursions to the Mindo Cloud Forest.
Baños Tour (1+ Day)
The town of Baños de Agua Santa is considered the gateway to the Amazon of Ecuador because of its location between the Andes mountains and Amazon Rainforest. This tourist town is a hub for adventurists with activities that range from horseback riding to rafting to bridge jumping. Now you can make a whole adventure weekend out of this destination by taking a bus from Quito, staying in a hotel or hostel, and finding your own adventure activities. However, if you want to see this destination without planning every detail yourself, you can take a day tour. These tours include the waterfall route, an adventure activity of your choice, and a stop at the swing at the End of the World.
If you are interested in both Cotopaxi and Baños, you can do a 3-day, 2-night tour of the two destinations along with a visit to Laguna Quilotoa and thermal baths in Baños.
Otavalo Market Tour (1 Day)
The Otavalo Market is the largest indigenous market in Latin America and is a great way to experience the local culture of the region. This cultural tour makes a few other stops along the way to appreciate the overall nature and people of the region. The best days to visit are Wednesday and Saturdays early in the morning to see the most activity at the market.
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We are Kevin and Melina, two avid travelers who have decided to take our hobby of traveling into our new lifestyle.
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