What to do and see in Ecuador, Ecuador: The Best City Tours

July 8, 2021 Roseanne Arnett

Coordinates: 2°00′S 77°30′W / 2.000°S 77.500°W / -2.000; -77.500
Restaurants in Ecuador

1. Guayaquil City Tour Including the Light House of Cerro Santa Ana

BM Tours
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

Guayaquil, known as 'La Perla del Pacífico'. It's the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador. Its has been a city with a great commercial tradition and now it is betting on tourism, and it is developing as a national and international tourist destination being home of many international fairs and events.

Inclusions: All activities, Driver, Professional guide, Hotel pickup and drop-off

Exclusions: Food and drinks, Gratuities

Reviewed By robcantrell2

This was a great way to see the city in air conditioned comfort. Our tour guide is a retired airline pilot with perfect English and a great deal of knowledge regarding the city. We opted for the breakfast/lunch tour. We toured spots outside of the usual “tourists traps”. Lunch was perfection! We ate local cuisine at a corner cafe and the owner explained each dish in great detail. Don’t leave Guayaquil without taking this tour.

2. Guayaquil Layover Sightseeing Tour with Round-Trip Airport Transport

Aeropuerto Internacional José Joaquín De Olmedo, Av. de las Américas, Guayaquil 090513, Ecuador My trip to Ecuador - Day Tours
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5.0 based on 11 reviews

Make the most of your layover at the Guayaquil airport with a layover sightseeing tour that includes round-trip airport transfer. Enjoy a short tour of the city, do some shopping at the handicraft market and supermarket, and stop for dinner at a restaurant of your choice before returning to the airport.

Inclusions: Driver/guide, Local guide, Private tour

Exclusions: Transportation to/from attractions, Gratuities, Food and drinks

Reviewed By Jared H

I was very fortunate to have Mario (the owner) as my guide, and he provided me with an exceptional experience today!!! Mario was nice, friendly and extremely knowledgeable in the local flora and fauna, and he made it very clear his primary interest was in my satisfaction with a memorable visit to Ecuador. First, we visited the Lara family farm where Mario and Alberto showed me how cocoa is made into dark chocolate bars and tasty hot chocolate beverages, and we even had an authentic home cooked Ecuadorian dish made by Ninfa Lara (who was also very friendly and welcoming, and an outstanding chef). After lunch, Mario and Jairo Lara took me to the protected forest of Churute for a small hike, where we found more than 12 howler monkeys, which was an amazing experience to hear them screaming and producing sounds so loud it makes them appear much larger than what they are!!! Then we also rented a motor boat and toured the mangrove forest preserve to look for exotic birds and crocodiles. I can say without a doubt you WILL NOT be disappointed with your experience by booking with this company!!!

3. 2-Night Quito Experience: Transfer, Tour and Mariscal Accommodation

Lead Adventures
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

If this is your first time in Quito, Ecuador and you want to avoid the hustle of arranging your visit, this combo package is for you. The 2-night stay will allow you to enjoy a Quito city tour in the biggest colonial old town of Latin America, and be conveniently picked up from the airport.

Inclusions: 2 nights accommodation, Private city tour, Breakfast, Driver/guide, One-way airport transfer

Exclusions: Food and drinks, unless specified, Gratuities

Reviewed By edvaldos973

Outstanding service. Carlos was unbelievable helpful, knowledgable, professional and friendly. I would definitely recommend and use his services again. He showed me the best Church I have ever seen. Thank you Carlos for a great day in Quito.

4. Private Tour: Middle of the World Monument and Quito City Tour

Lead Adventures
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5.0 based on 3 reviews

Enjoy a charming tour to the monument of the Middle of the World in Quito. This historic place is full of life and colors and it is located at parallel zero marking he division between the northern and southern hemispheres as established by the French Geodesic Mission in the eighteenth century. You will also visit the Inti Ñam museum, crossed by the parallel zero, where you are going to learn about the magnetic forces that the platet applyes on us on the different hemispheres and more.

Inclusions: Driver/guide, Hotel pickup and drop-off, Private tour

Exclusions: Food and drinks

Reviewed By edvaldos973

Outstanding service. Carlos was unbelievable helpful, knowledgable, professional and friendly. I would definitely recommend and use his services again. He showed me the best Church I have ever seen. Thank you Carlos for a great day in Quito.

5. Small Group Guayaquil and Cocoa Farm Full-Day Tour

My trip to Ecuador - Day Tours
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5.0 based on 59 reviews

This is a great combination for a 7-hour day trip of Guayaquil. In this private tour, travelers get to see the countryside of Ecuador and check out the city of Guayaquil in the same day. From 10am to 2pm you will visit a Cocoa farm and the countryside to learn and make chocolate, after you'll visit the highlights of downtown Guayaquil. Tour includes hotel pickup and drop off with a driver/guide and transportation in a private vehicle.

Inclusions: Driver/guide, Hotel pickup and drop-off

Exclusions: Food and drinks, unless specified

Reviewed By Jared H

I was very fortunate to have Mario (the owner) as my guide, and he provided me with an exceptional experience today!!! Mario was nice, friendly and extremely knowledgeable in the local flora and fauna, and he made it very clear his primary interest was in my satisfaction with a memorable visit to Ecuador. First, we visited the Lara family farm where Mario and Alberto showed me how cocoa is made into dark chocolate bars and tasty hot chocolate beverages, and we even had an authentic home cooked Ecuadorian dish made by Ninfa Lara (who was also very friendly and welcoming, and an outstanding chef). After lunch, Mario and Jairo Lara took me to the protected forest of Churute for a small hike, where we found more than 12 howler monkeys, which was an amazing experience to hear them screaming and producing sounds so loud it makes them appear much larger than what they are!!! Then we also rented a motor boat and toured the mangrove forest preserve to look for exotic birds and crocodiles. I can say without a doubt you WILL NOT be disappointed with your experience by booking with this company!!!

6. Self-Guided Scooter Tour of Quito & Mitad del Mundo

Ecuador Freedom, Calle Finlandia N35-06 Y Suecia, Quito 170135, Ecuador Ecuador Freedom
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

There is a lot to see in Quito, that is for sure. We provide a fully automatic, 150cc motorscooter equipped with a pre-programmed GPS navigation unit.   The GPS guides you from one point to the next, using an optimized route that brings you to great places while avoiding any dangerous parts of the city No other Quito tour gives you more things to see and do! This tour has no set start and end times or set dates. Start and end when you want, any day of the week. All riders are given an orientation and safety briefing and all helmets and safety equipment are provided for free. You have 24 hours to complete your tour and the flexibility to visit just the sights that interest you. There is no better way to see the city. Set up your own personalized self-guided GPS Tour of Quito today!

Inclusions: All taxes, fees and handling charges, Use of Motorscooter, Use of helmet, Coffee and/or Tea, Use of programmed GPS unit

Exclusions: Entrance fees to museums and parks, Fuel, 100% refundable security deposit using a major credit card ($500)

Reviewed By TheSeanFlaherty

Did the Pacific Discovery tour, 7-day motorcycle trip. This operation is unbelievable. They have thought of every detail from the rural farm, cocoa forests and fruit plantation stops where we got some hands-on learning from passionate, local experts to the small, super-friendly accommodations nestled in the rainforests with waterfalls and rope-swings. I was blown away at every turn. Ask for "Andy" >> the super-charismatic wonder guide who is so easy-going, caring, and authentic, that he makes you feel like his lifelong best friend after the first evening. This was the best boys trip I've ever been on. (And I have been on a lot of them!) 7 days of adrenalin pumping experience. You will be pleasantly exhausted every night and you will not be let down.

7. Walking Tour Quito

Friends Expeditions, Junín Oe1- 61 y, Quito 170401, Ecuador Friends Expeditions
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5.0 based on 10 reviews

Walk in the historic center of Quito, it is totally special if you are accompanied by friends, here you will discover the wonders of the historic center and new friends while we walk. Places like the Plaza de la Independencia, San Agustin Church, the catacombs, Republica del Cacao, the change of presidential guard (Mondays) and others are what we will discover in this experience that you will do it yourself. It is also a good time for you to realize the best selfies of your passage through the heritage city of Quito.

Inclusions: Guía bilingüe

Exclusions: Propinas, Snacks, Soda/Pop

Reviewed By EdinKrnic

Very good agency located in Friends hostel. They have daily tours around Quito and also Galápagos and Amazonas.

8. Quilotoa Laguna Daytour

CarpeDM Adventures, José de Antepara, Quito 170136, Ecuador CarpeDM Adventures
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5.0 based on 16 reviews

This full day cultural tour begins with a visit to local indigenous market at either Saquisilli (Thursdays only) or Pujili (Sundays only).  The drive to Laguna Quilotoa – an amazing emerald lagoon inside a volcano crater at the height of approximatetly 3,800 m – displays a beautiful view of the Andean mountains, passing the ancient canyon of Zumbahua and many indigenous towns and farmlands.  The trip through the villages of the area provide a fantastic chance to see one of the most authentic parts of the country. Before lunch we visit a local indigenous home where you have the opportunity to interact with the locals. Prepare yourself for a taste of cultural and hiking.

Inclusions: What’s Included:, Transport, Guide, Lunch

Exclusions: What’s Not Included:, Additional Snacks / Beverages, TIPS, Breakfast

Reviewed By RichardA4235

Could not recommend more highly! We were in Quito and did a day trip to Mindo. Our guide, Alex, was amazing. He was a wealth of information and went far out of his way to show us everything we wanted to see. We zip-lined, went to the butterfly museum, did a chocolate tasting and learned how cocoa beans become chocolate. We also did a cable and hike to a waterfall. We really wanted to hit the equator museum on the way back and Alex made sure we got there -- we were running behind and he called to make sure they would stay open for us. Along the way, he gave us a great sense about Ecuador. Alex even helped us order pizza on the way home . He said that "no" was not in his vocabulary and that turned out to be true. The whole operation was so easy -- they even took us to the airport on our way out. The bus was comfortable, the driver safe, and it was just overall a fabulous trip -- our favorite activity in Quito. Thank you Alex and CarpeDM!

9. Fridays Night with Friends!

Friends Expeditions, Junín Oe1- 61 y, Quito 170401, Ecuador Friends Expeditions
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

Experience the nightlife of Quito at night, Fridays are unique in Quito, enjoy the magic of culture, typical Ecuadorian dance or capoeira with a ballet couple, plus the opportunity to have a relaxing friends meeting and if you dare too try the typical drinks and craft beers that we offer you on our terrace, while you watch the sunset of the historic center.

Inclusions: Alcoholic Beverages, Danza Típica / Capoeira Show, Guía bilingüe

Exclusions: Propinas

Reviewed By donnies714

I spent two days touring with Friends Expeditions - one day on a tour of Quito's old town and a second day tour to Otavalo. I was blessed with having Marcos for my guide, and Alix for my driver. I came to know and love Quito after our first day, especially as Marcos shared little tidbits about the city, the people, and the food that I would not have discovered on my own. I was there as a photographer, so Marcos did an excellent job guiding me to some great locations for photos. Alix was always waiting for us with a big smile. It was a joy to share both lunch and dinner with the two of them. I haven't planned on visiting Otavalo, but after our first day together, we all agreed that a trip to the markets in Otavalo would be the ticket for an exceptional second day! You can't go wrong with Friends Expeditions!

10. Quito Cultural Bike Tour - Group

Botánica, Vizcaya E13-18 y, Quito 170109, Ecuador Quito Bike Tours
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5.0 based on 11 reviews

Quito Cultural City Tour by Bike (Small Group) This is our left-of-centre tour. Discover local life on a bike as you pedal your way around to see art and experience culture. Chocolate tasting, history, street art, markets, parks and spectacular views await you. • 4-hour bike ride through La Floresta, Guapulo Alto, Mariscal Foch, Alameda • Ideal tour for people who want to see something other than ‘just’ the touristy parts of Quito • Cycle through verdant parks and experience amazing views of the city from some amazing vantage points • Sample local food, chocolate, and juices • Small groups, limited to 7 people Riding Style Skill Level: Easy Distance: 13.5kms/ 8.5 miles Altitude: 2862 metres above sea level Maximum climb: Two easy hills (elevation 100 metres) 90% Bike Paths

Inclusions: Quito Bike Tours urban bicycle (Fulgur ‘Cotinga’, 24-speed), Safety-certified helmet, Bicycle chain, lock, and key, Reflective safety vest, Some food and drink tasting, Licensed, local, professional bilingual guide (English/ Spanish), All taxes, fees and handling charges

Exclusions: Hotel pick-up and drop-off, Meals, Snacks and drinks, Water. Say what? Water! No, we aren’t being tight. As a company who values sustainability and not plastic, we ask that each participant bring their own bottle (hopefully reusable). We promise that we will make it up to you in other ways!, Tips (optional and with absolutely no pressure). We are not a free tour and you can be sure that we pay our guides properly. However, if you wish to tip your guide you can absolutely do so. You can also be assured that not one cent (and that’s the way we want it!) will go to the company. Whatever you wish to give to your guide goes 100% to him or her.

Reviewed By carola_glaettli

the tour with Catalina was so great! she knows so much and we explored many different places in the historic center. thank you so much again! would the tour really recommend!

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