Location: Quito
Top Things to do in Quito
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What to do and see in Quito, Pichincha Province: The Best Budget-friendly Things to do
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. 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.
2. Insomnia La Casa del Terror
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 125 reviews
The fearless moments in your life , adrenaline and emotions
3. Fundacion Iglesia de la Compania
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,974 reviews
This Jesuit church is a masterpiece of baroque and Quiteno-colonial art with lavish golden altars and gilded columns, making it one of the most ornate structures in Ecuador.
Reviewed By tomy476 - Chicago, United States
Fundación Iglesia de la Compañía is a must see visit while in Quito. The $5 entry for tourists is well worth it. From floor to ceilings the cathedral of an overload of beauty for the eyes with gold inlay everywhere, carvings, statues, murals... While there Without a guided tour I listened in on a few guided groups and would recommend doing that. If you want, this would be an ideal place for a longer silent spiritual retreat like visit to take the beauty in...
4. Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,677 reviews
Established in 1536 by Franciscan monks, this magnificent architectural masterpiece features a museum in its convent with art from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Reviewed By georgesB4777WE - Miami Beach, United States
This is the oldest church in Quito (from the 16th century) and one of the most beautiful. Though one can argue that the Jesuit one is more “uber” than this church, it, nevertheless is “uber-magnificent” also. It is relatively plain from the outside, but its baroque inside explodes and takes your breath away. The main altar and the side altars are beautifully gilded and carved. Its decorated ceilings remind me of a Moorish design, probably coming from Spain. Every inch of the interior is covered with gilt or art. A site that cannot be missed. The admission to the church is free and photos during services are prohibited. The convent and museum next door however, charges a $4 admission fee and has a separate entrance.
5. Santo Domingo Church (Iglesia de Santo Domingo)
6. 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
7. Casa Museo Guayasamin
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,254 reviews
This museum features exhibits related to the Ecuadorian contemporary artist Oswaldo Guayasamín including posters, signed prints and colonial religious art.
Reviewed By tortuga1959 - Bern, Switzerland
A great museum with a very interesting history behind. Guaysamin was a very special artist with huge talent.
8. Catedral Metropolitana de Quito
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 462 reviews
The city’s main cathedral contains the tomb of Field Marshal Antonio Jose de Sucre, Quito’s liberator, and The Holy Shroud, a magnificent 18th-century sculpture by Manuel Chili Caspicara.
Reviewed By MichelDoortmont - Groningen, The Netherlands
A good example of an early Spanish colonial cathedral with local details, with added museum. Apart from the many chapels and the great exterior and interior of the building, what struck us was the friendly atmosphere inside. When we visited, a children's choir was practicing and his was a joy to attend. Friendly people too, who are quite willing to engage socially.
9. 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.
10. 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!!
