Quito is the capital of Ecuador and is also the second largest city in the county. It holds a lot of history, culture and is a beautiful gateway to many of the other adventures in the country. I would absolutely say that you should see more than just Quito, but there is still so much to see and do in this Ecuadorian city. So, if you’re interesting Quito for the first time, these are the things I would absolutely do!
First, Some Things to Know About Quito
It’s Really High Up: Like, 9,350 feet above sea level (that’s almost twice as high as Denver, Colorado) and if you do the TeleferiQo, you’ll be just shy of 13,500 feet. So be prepared to feel the altitude and consider talking to your doctor about altitude meds.
We Were Told by Locals Not to Be Out After Dark in Quito, Especially in the Historical Center: We stayed pretty close to our hotel once it was dark. We walked within a block of our hotel at night to a brewery and a little food hall. However, we also had a really lovely rooftop terrace at our hotel where we spent a lot of time.
The Bummer to This Is, It’s Dark at 6pm: Because you’re essentially at the middle of the earth, each day is sunrise around 6am and sunset around 6pm. This means, you should make the most of the daylight explorations.
Local Currency is USD and Be Sure to Bring Cash: While Quito had the most availability to use debit and credit cards (Visa and Mastercard, specifically), they’re still a very cash-heavy society. Plus, if you’re going outside of Quito, stop at an ATM for more cash if you need as some places are harder to find an ATM.
Uber is Quick, Efficient, Easy, and Cheap: We exclusively used Uber to get around in Quito and had zero issues with it. I do know that some locals use the app Dede, but we found that Uber was actually cheaper when we compared rates.
If You Take an Uber, Sit in the Front: This helps your Uber driver avoid taxi fees. They will likely ask you (or one of you) to jump in the front. This is completely normal.
Where We Stayed: Casa Q Hotel is where we stayed. This hotel runs around $65-ish per night, it’s in a great area with lots of food options within walking distance, including a whole little food hall, and a brewery right down the road. It also has a delightful rooftop terrace, good breakfast and was a quick, less than $10 uber ride everywhere we went.
Ride the TeleferiQo
The TeleferiQo is $10 to ride up to the top for incredible views of not only Quito, but the surrounding mountains and volcanoes. It’s a really beautiful view point and there’s a little cafe up at the top if all you want to do is take in the view- 10/10 recommend the chocobanana if you’re looking for a snack. But if you want to eat it on the way down, be sure to keep the paper bag they give you. Also, try to get up there earlier than later before the fog/clouds roll in over the mountains.
While You’re Up There, Ride a Horse – Or Whatever Extra Activity You Want Up There
If you’re looking for a bit more adventure while you’re up on top of the world, there are plenty of other activities. You can hike, pose with llamas or horses, swing at 13,000 feet or ride horses or ATVs. We opted to ride horses for a little bonus activity. It was $10 for 45 minutes and we took a beautiful path up the mountain and greatly enjoyed spending time connected to nature in a different way – it also saved us from panting the whole time we were up there. Just as a heads up, helmets are not provided.
Souvenir Shop at the Artesian Market
If you’re looking for souvenirs the Artesian Market has them. From kitsch that you can find a lot of different places to things unique to Ecuador to true hand crafted art – this place has it all! I bought a couple kitschy things for my kids, a beautiful piece of art I can’t wait to hang in my office over my desk and some earrings that were just unreal. Even if you don’t purchase anything, it’s really fun to check out. You can haggle here, especially on larger items.
Eat and Shop Like a Local in Markets
We went to a few different markets and found some really tasty food at all of them. From a brekkie of fried pork fat over chickpeas and hominy, to the best pork I’ve ever put in my mouth with skin that was crisped up like toffee and a dozen or more unique fruits to try. We wandered several local markets sampling foods and enjoying the cultural experience of people shopping as fresh as possible. We went to Mercado Floresta, Mercado Iñaquito and Mercado Central.
In addition to the foods, you’ll see other hand-made items, household items and even the “pharmacy” which was a lot of plant medicine. This piqued my interest so much and is something I would love to learn more about on my next trip to Ecuador.
Explore Old Town’s Colonial Architecture and History
When the Spanish came to Ecuador, they brought all kinds of shitty things with them, but the architecture of the buildings here are stunning, even if they’re part of a horrid past of conquering the Indigenous peoples of Ecuador. These squares and churches are beautifully crafted and have some really interesting examples of art and styles created in Ecuador – like a specific patina made by chewing resinous plants and mixing with fat. Very interesting! Another thing in old town that I loved is the Basílica de Voto Nacional. While we didn’t get to go inside of it because we got there too late, I loved the architecture of it. The biggest thing that popped out to me was instead of traditional gargoyles, the exterior of this church is guarded by various animals that are native to Ecuador like armadillos, blue-footed boobies and tortoises! How cool is that?! I love the nod to the connection between humanity and nature that is ever present in Ecuador. Don’t want to do it on your own? Take a small group tour!
Take a Cooking Class
One of the greatest ways to experience a culture is with your tastebuds. Whether you’re an adventurous eater who will eat anything, a person somewhere in the middle, like me, or someone who wants something that feels closer to your own personal “normal”, a cooking class is a great introduction to foods of a country. In our cooking class we made cheese empanadas, a swordfish and shrimp dish that we served over rice, and we cut different local fruits up that a chocolate sauce was made for that we drizzled over the tops. This was a very easy class, with delicious foods and we got to connect with our chef, Luis, in a really beautiful and personal way. “Breaking bread” with a local always gives me an Anthony Bourdain feeling. A way to connect in a very intimate and personal way with someone who lives a different life from you, but in the end, we’re all just people.
(Free Activity) Visit the National Museum
A small group of us visited the National Museum in Quito – be sure you put the right location in, as Google Maps, and even Uber will try to the “future location” of the National Museum of Ecuador. Stacey was accidentally dropped off at a construction site. Haha. Inside this museum, though, are several archaeological artifacts from well before the colonial era, several stunning works of art, statues, and modern art. It was a great stop for about an hour and a half or two hours, and I love a free activity and there’s not an entrance fee to this museum.
Take in the Incredible Street Art All Around Quito
Something that blew my mind in Quito, and well, in Ecuador in general was all of the street art. And truly incredible street art. What a gift public art and murals are. Many of the murals in Quito had elements of nature in them. Another example of this beautiful concept – nature connectivity. We took so many photos of murals and I wish I had even more time to explore this city just to take this art all in.
Kitu Chocolate Presentation
Our guide Vanessa took us to a local chocolate shop that, in my opinion, had the best dark chocolate I’ve ever had in my life. Not only was the chocolate incredible, the shop owner gave us a beautiful presentation about cocoa – the three different kinds, and we got to sample the sweetest, and least used, varieties of cocoa fruit. Then he explained the way that commercial chocolate is made versus his chocolate. It was incredible and such a fun, unique experience to get to have. Plus, I brought home some truly incredible chocolates.
Day Trip to the Center of the World
If you’re in Quito and you don’t make a day trip to the Center of the World – aka, ya know, the equator – you’re doing it wrong. I had so much fun at the equator. The Mitad del Mundo monument was cool, but truthfully is just a big statue. What I thought was super cool was the Intiñan Equator Museum. Here, there are ethnographic exhibits about the different indigenous cultures in Ecuador. A couple of the coolest things there are an original indigenous home and real shrunken heads! Crazy cool! Then, you move over to the equator and do all these really fun and silly experiments that show some really fun things on each side of the equator. It was so much fun!
Stroll Parque Carolina
Parue Carolina is a massive park in Quito. Entering the park is free, but there are a few things that cost money like paddle boats or a visit to the botanical gardens. But inside this 350+ acre park, there are archaeological features, works of public art, walking paths, gym equipment and more. When we had to walk across town, we cut through the park both ways and it made for truly lovely strolls.
Try Canelazo – A Party Drink
If you drink alcohol, canelazo is a fun drink that is made in the highlands of Ecuador that feels like a mulled hard liquor and warms you from the inside out. It’s commonly made for parties and celebrations up here, but is also available in several locations where alcohol is served. It’s served warm and made with a local sugarcane alcohol, cinnamon and sugar. It’s so tasty, so strong and worth trying if you drink alcohol.
Quito was such a fun city to explore. Even though we felt a bit cautious after some warnings, we had nothing but lovely experiences in Ecuador’s capital. I loved all of the things we did, the people we met, the foods we ate and I am already so excited to get back out there again!
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