Location: Quito
Top Things to do in Quito
What to do and see in Quito, Pichincha Province: The Best Things to do Good for Kids
With a rich pre-Colombian history, Ecuador's capital was founded on the ruins of an Incan city but offers everything a modern traveler might need. It remains the least-altered historic center in Latin America and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Quito’s important sites include baroque gems like San Francisco and Santo Domingo monasteries, as well as La Compañía church and college. This huge city sprawls across a breathtaking Andean valley surrounded by volcanic peaks.
Restaurants in Quito
1. Nayon Xtreme Valley
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 189 reviews
2. Museo Templo del Sol Pintor Ortega Maila
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 7,730 reviews
The Temple of the Sun Temple Painter Ortega Maila is a masterpiece built by the indigenous painter and sculptor Ortega Maila after a great research of design and ancestral architecture to maintain his art and culture of the Andes. The tour lasts approximately 1 hour with a guide. The tour includes an aromatherapy session and coca leaf tea courtesy of the museum.
Reviewed By I2924GCdanielt - Prague, Czech Republic
Great place to visit, within the hour tour you can experience aromatherapy, coca tea, and view world-wide class paints.
3. Plaza de la Independencia (Plaza Grande)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,477 reviews
Located in the heart of the Old City, this busy plaza honors those heroes who started the movement toward independence from Spain.
Reviewed By CBPolitico
What an amazing place, the core plaza in old town, it has the Presidential Palace, the Bishop's palace and other old, government buildings. The place will be crawling with municipal, military and federal police. The smell of pot is always lingering in the air (be careful though, with all the police locals seem safe and able to smoke, but if you are seen paying for anything you could be in trouble). It is alive! There is so much going on in this space - music at all times, not planned, but spontaneous. People show up with their instruments and play throughout the day, singers will just set up and sing - not even for money, but for the joy of it. You can sit here all day - see it lit at night
4. Maquipucuna Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 150 reviews
Maquipucuna is the closest and largest cloud forest reserve close to Quito. Besides guided tours to watch hundreds of birds, insects, orchid species and Yumbo culture vestiges, it's a unique site that offers easy to moderate trails to access forests where the endangered Andean Spectacled Bears congregate around mass fruiting of wild avocadoes. Andean bear season in 2019 is expected to happen sometime between October and December. Past visitors have sighted up to 14 different bears in two days. Maquipucuna is a birdwatchers paradise too - during the last world bird-count day, our guides sighted 157 species. Internationally awarded Maquipucuna Ecolodge within a 15,000 acres Maquipucuna Reserve located only 2 hours away from Quito. Maquipucuna is a private biodiversity haven for 10% of Ecuador's plant diversity and 4% of all the bird species known for the entire planet! Maquipucuna is an Important Bird Area (IBA) heart of the Choco Andino Biosphere Reserve as designated by UNESCO.
5. El Panecillo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,581 reviews
Resembling a type of small bread (panecillo), this hill makes an excellent observation point over Quito and features La Virgen del Panecillo, a majestic sculpture that can be seen from any location in the city.
Reviewed By georgesB4777WE - Miami Beach, United States
This is a hill which overlooks Quito. It is topped with a huge statue of The Virgin Mary and can be seen from the city even at night, when the statue is bathed in white light. The hill (shaped like a loaf of bread) is at Quito’s southern end (close to Old Town) and can be reached by either a city bus or via a cheap Uber ride. There is a restaurant (Pimms) on the top and there is no admission fee. The views of the city from the top are great and, in my opinion, superior to the ones from TeleferiQo. There is a $2 admission should you want to climb the stairs inside the silver aluminum statue of the Virgin. BTW, the City hop-on bus generally makes an extended stop here and you can take some wonderful pictures. A must-see!!
6. La Virgen del Panecillo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 881 reviews
Located on top of the Cerro El Panecillo, this imposing sculpture can be seen from any location in downtown Quito.
Reviewed By annemacmillan
The Statue can be seen all over the City, it reminded me of Christ The Redeemer in Brazil.. You can go inside the Statue it only costs $1 and walk all the way up to the top on each floor there’s a Gallery that tells the story of the Monument with the beautiful stain glass windows. The Statue stands over 3,000 meters above sea level once you get to the top you can walk around the outside and see a full 360c panoramic view of Quito it looks over City & Old Town and is very visible.. tip take a camera the views are incredible.
7. Quito Old Town
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,785 reviews
This historic district was the first city named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is noted for its narrow streets, Spanish colonial architecture and historic attractions.
Reviewed By LidiaK54 - Toronto, Canada
Quito Old Town is exceptionnaly beautiful with ist numerous churches, narrow streets, picturesque squares, amazing views. It's an incredible pleasure discovering it by foot.
8. Intinan Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,412 reviews
Located close to the Equator Monument, this onsite museum features interactive exhibits on how the Incas determined the middle of the earth, plus interesting science experiments such as balancing an egg on a nail and the affects of the Coriolis force on earth.
Reviewed By carolelovestravel - Ottawa, Canada
From the Main Mitad del Mundo monument, we walk about 400 meters on the main road and turn onto a sandy entrance to what appears a little sketchy. We continue to find a small entrance into a great venue. We are greeted by someone who guides us to an outdoor seating area where we wait for a fee minutes. Soon a guide introduces herself and she proceeds to take us through various exhibits which include head shrinking rituals, Amazon tribes people, ancient art, artifacts and the must see and do Equator line experiments where the question of the direction water drains north vs south of the equator is finally answered! Balance an egg, test your strength and stand on the actual GPS confirmed Equator line. A great, informative, fun and hands on experience.
9. Plaza de San Francisco
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 755 reviews
Once serving as a lively commercial center during pre-Columbian times, this large cobbled square is dominated by the enormous Iglesia de San Francisco and the monastery of the same name.
Reviewed By 728mariadelcarmenz - Quito, Ecuador
This plaza as well as the church and the convent are the oldest in Old Town. It has kept the original stones, the original water fountain that provided water for the whole city since its foundation in 1534. There are nice views from here.
10. Parque Metropolitano
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 385 reviews
Reviewed By Canuck1984 - Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Very cool park. All sorts of paths scattered throughout the park that lead you to various artworks and lookouts. There are many small play areas for children and great places to sit and relax. The trails go in and out of the forest and there is always something around the next corner. The landscaping is amazing and we were lucky I enough to watch the alpacas mowing the lawn at one of the play areas. There are clean but simple bathrooms scattered throughout the park. Not sure why they are not running walking tours here, we were the only tourists in the park all day. Bring water as there is nothing for sale in the park. We started in the south west corner and it looked like it was just some narrow trails in the bush but it quickly opens up to many things. You oils also take a cab right to the main section of the park and go from there. Great for a novice mountain biker too. It felt very safe so don’t hesitate to explore the small trials.
