View over central Quito from above, with the Basilica of the National Vow rising among the rooftops
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Quito in 3 days

  • 3 days
  • 4.5 km on foot
  • 16 stops
  • Audio guide

Three days is the right amount of time for Quito to become more than its colonial centre. You acclimatise gently, walk the old-town routes without rushing and add what many visitors miss: the equator line, the city seen from almost 4,000 metres and the art of Guayasamín. It's a balanced plan, with active mornings and long, unhurried lunches.

Day 1An easy first day

Ease into the altitude with “The best of Quito in one morning”: Plaza Grande, the Basilica of La Merced and the gold of La Compañía, ending at the Arco de la Reina and El Carmen Alto. Have hornado at the Mercado Central and linger over lunch. In the afternoon, the Casa del Alabado museum, steps from San Francisco, is perfect for resting your legs. Finish by taking a taxi up El Panecillo to watch the lights come on over the old town.

  1. Morning

    The best of Quito in one morning

    Mixed · 1.3 km · 1 h 30 min

    1. Plaza GrandeQuito's living room: the government, the Church and the city council face each other around a garden of palm trees.
    2. Basilica of La MercedThe tallest tower of colonial Quito and a Virgin to whom the city entrusts its earthquakes.
    3. Church of La Compañía de JesúsSeven tonnes of legend and one certainty: few churches in the world shine so brightly inside.
    4. San Francisco and the Quito SchoolIn this monastery, Indigenous and mestizo artists learned the trade that filled the Americas with Virgins and Christs.
    5. Arco de la Reina and El Carmen AltoA colonial arch over the street of the Seven Crosses, the house of a saint and the best view of El Panecillo.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Hornado at Mercado Central. Av. Pichincha y Esmeraldas, Centro Histórico

  3. Afternoon

    Casa del Alabado Museum

    A museum of pre-Columbian art in a colonial mansion on Calle Cuenca, just steps from Plaza San Francisco. Rather than by culture, the pieces are arranged around ideas from the Andean world: ancestors, shamans, the afterlife. Small, beautifully done and ideal after lunch.

    Directions

    El Panecillo

    The hill that closes off the old town to the south, crowned by the Virgin of Quito, a huge winged statue based on Bernardo de Legarda's carving. From the top you see the old town and, with luck, the volcanoes. Take a taxi up and down rather than the stairs.

    Directions

Day 2Independence and the equator

In the morning, “From Rumiñahui's fire to the cry of 1809” takes you from the burning of the Inca city to the First Cry: the Royal Barracks, Carondelet Palace and the statue of Sucre at Santo Domingo. Have locro de papa at Hasta la Vuelta Señor, above Plaza Grande. Then take a taxi or app north to spend the afternoon at Mitad del Mundo and the Intiñan Museum. Come back while it's still light and rest up: tomorrow you're heading higher.

  1. Morning

    From Rumiñahui's fire to the cry of 1809

    History · 1.3 km · 1 h 30 min

    1. Plaza and Church of San FranciscoOn the ashes of the city Rumiñahui ordered burned, the Spanish town of San Francisco de Quito was born in 1534.
    2. Metropolitan Cultural Centre and former Royal BarracksThis building taught the ideas that sparked independence, and right beside it their champions were killed.
    3. Carondelet Palace and the First CryOn the morning of 10 August 1809, Quito removed the president of the Audiencia and formed its own government.
    4. Church and Monastery of San AgustínIts chapter house ratified the junta of 1809, and its crypt holds the patriots killed a year later.
    5. Plaza and Church of Santo DomingoFrom his pedestal, Sucre points towards the volcano where Quito's independence was sealed in 1822.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Locro de papa at Hasta la Vuelta Señor. Pasaje Arzobispal, calle Chile Oe4-56 (Plaza Grande), 3.er piso

  3. Afternoon

    Ciudad Mitad del Mundo

    The monument to the equator line at San Antonio de Pichincha, about 25 km north. It honours the 18th-century geodesic mission that came here to measure the Earth. The painted line isn't quite where GPS puts the equator, but the photo with a foot in each hemisphere is a must.

    Directions

    Intiñan Museum

    An open-air museum a few minutes' walk from the monument, with traditional houses, a room of shrunken heads and demonstrations on its own equator line: balancing an egg on a nail, swirling water. Treat it as a bit of fun and let the guide run the show.

    Directions

Day 3Volcano, painting and legends

Get up early for the TelefériQo, when skies are usually clearest: after two days at this altitude, your body will thank you at the top. From there, a taxi takes you across the city to the Capilla del Hombre and Guayasamín's house in Bellavista. Head back to the centre for seco de chivo at Heladería San Agustín. At dusk, “Quito of devils, roosters and ghosts” starts at the Basilica and moves on to the Cathedral's rooster and Cantuña. Have llapingachos for dinner in La Ronda.

  1. Morning

    TelefériQo

    A cable car that climbs the slopes of Pichincha to almost 4,000 metres at Cruz Loma, with all of Quito spread out below. From the top, a trail leads to Rucu Pichincha, for acclimatised hikers only. Go early, before the afternoon clouds, and bring a warm layer.

    Directions

    Capilla del Hombre and Guayasamín House Museum

    Painter Oswaldo Guayasamín's great project, in the Bellavista neighbourhood: a secular temple to the people of the Americas, filled with his most powerful murals. Next door is the house where he lived, with his collection and a garden looking over the city. Get there by taxi.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

    Try Seco de chivo at Heladería San Agustín. Calle Guayaquil N5-59 y Chile

  3. Early evening

    Quito of devils, roosters and ghosts

    Mysteries & legends · 1.9 km · 1 h 50 min

    1. Basilica of the National VowA Gothic cathedral with iguanas and tortoises instead of gargoyles, and a prophecy: the day it's finished, the world will end.
    2. House 1028 and the legend of Bella AuroraQuito's most beautiful girl dreamed of her death every night, until a black bull recognised her in the bullring.
    3. Metropolitan Cathedral and the rooster on the domeA rooster on the dome that punishes drunkards, and an archbishop poisoned in the middle of Good Friday mass.
    4. La Compañía: the painted Hell and Quito's saintA young woman who offered her life to stop the earthquakes, and a painting of Hell to greet the faithful.
    5. The atrium of San Francisco and the legend of CantuñaAn Indigenous builder sold his soul to the devil to finish the atrium on time, and was saved by a single stone.
    6. La Ronda street and the Virgin of El PanecilloThe street of bohemians, serenades and secret bars, beneath the gaze of a winged Virgin.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Dinner

    Try Llapingachos at Casa Los Geranios. Calle Juan de Dios Morales (La Ronda) Oe1-134

The map

Quito in 3 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Quito in 3 days

  • Save the TelefériQo for the last day and go in the morning: you'll be acclimatised and the clouds are usually fewer. It's cold and windy at the top, so bring a jacket even if it's sunny down below.
  • Quito is long and narrow: the historic centre lies to the south, while the TelefériQo, Bellavista and Mitad del Mundo are to the north. Use registered taxis or ride-hailing apps between areas so you don't lose time.
  • If you have a spare evening, spend it in La Floresta or La Mariscal, the bar and restaurant districts in the north. Take a taxi there and back, and by day, stroll through La Carolina Park.

Questions

Quito in 3 days: your questions

Can I swap day three for a day trip?

Yes, and it's a good idea if you love nature. The classic full-day trips are Mindo, with its cloud forest and birdlife; Cotopaxi volcano, at a much higher altitude; and the Indigenous market at Otavalo, which is busiest on Saturdays. The easiest option is to go with a tour agency or a hired driver.

Can you hike Rucu Pichincha?

A trail runs from the top of the TelefériQo to the summit, at around 4,700 metres, but it's a demanding hike of several hours with rocky scrambling near the end. It only makes sense if you're acclimatised and fit; otherwise, enjoy the viewpoints at the top station.

How far will I walk in three days?

The three routes total about 4.5 km, one or two a day, plus walking in the museums, at the TelefériQo and at Mitad del Mundo. It's a manageable plan: what tires you most isn't the distance but the altitude and the hills in the old town.

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