Things to do · Quito
Best Things to Do in Quito
The best things to do in Quito, what each is actually like, and how to group them into your days without wasting time in transit.
Updated 2026-07-01
What Quito is worth your time for
Quito is the world's second-highest capital (2,850 m) — a UNESCO-listed colonial old town of baroque churches (La Compañía gilded interior, Basílica del Voto Nacional gargoyles), Mitad del Mundo Equator monument, TelefériQo cable car to 4,050 m Pichincha views, and South America's #1 Galápagos gateway (2h flights via LATAM + Avianca + Equair).
Best things to do in Quito
Centro Histórico walking tour (La Compañía + San Francisco + Plaza Grande)
Free walking or US$20–40 guided; La Compañía church US$5 (7 tonnes of gold leaf interior).
TelefériQo cable car to Pichincha (4,050 m)
US$9 return + 20 min up — Andean panorama; hike Rucu Pichincha (4,700 m) 4h return if acclimatised.
Mitad del Mundo Equator + Museo Intiñan
US$5 monument + US$4 Intiñan — stand on the true equator line (Intiñan is the accurate GPS line, not the monument); 45 min north.
Basílica del Voto Nacional gargoyles + towers
US$2 — climb the neo-Gothic towers via ladders + planks for the best Old Town + Pichincha view.
Otavalo Saturday Market (day trip)
2h north — largest indigenous market in South America; leather + textiles + jewellery; combine with Peguche Waterfall + Cotacachi.
Booking tours and experiences
Timed-entry sights and small-group tours in Quito sell out first in peak season. Booking the two or three experiences you care most about before arrival usually costs the same and protects the dates you want.
Fitting it into your days
Plan around 3 days (+ 6–8 nights Galápagos). Group sights by neighbourhood rather than by ranking — it saves hours of backtracking.
Ready to book your Quito trip?
Everything in this guide is bookable through Marhaba's licensed partners.
