How to Spend One Day in Quito, Ecuador
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Why You Should Visit Quito, Ecuador
Quito is nestled among the Andes Mountains, and it has the best-preserved historic city center in all of Latin America. At over 9000 ft (2800 meters) of elevation, Quito will leave you breathless in more than one way. Quito was among the first cities named a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, and the vibrant houses and historic churches in the city center are worth a visit. You can see everything the city has to offer in a day, so keep reading to discover how to spend one day in Quito!
What You Need to Know Before You Go to Quito, Ecuador
General
Quito is the capital of Ecuador, which is located on the Pacific Coast of South America. The city has a population of around 2.8 million, and it is densely packed. If you stay in the Old Town for one day in Quito, expect it to be busy with pedestrians, cars, and motorcycles. Quito is located on the equator, which means every day is exactly the same — sunrise at 6 AM, and sunset at 6 PM.
Money
Ecuador’s currency is the United States Dollar (USD). Most places do not take credit cards, so bring plenty of cash with you. For our whole trip (including the Galapagos), we took about $1500 in cash for 7 days. We tried to use credit cards whenever possible (hello 3x points), but we went through most of our cash in a week. If you’re bringing cash with you, make sure to get smaller bills for tipping, which is expected for any service.
Language
Spanish is one of the official languages of Ecuador. English is not widely spoken, which is why I recommend touring Quito with a private guide (more on that below!). Definitely download the offline version of Spanish on Google Translate.
Safety
Quito has many areas that are not safe. For spending one day in Quito, it is much better to go with a local guide who will take you all around the city, keep you out of bad areas, and walk with you through the Old Town. At night, the Old Town is not safe, and the owners of the hotel we stayed at warned us not to go far when we went out for dinner. DO NOT take your valuables or passport out with you, and don’t wear flashy jewelry. Keep your phone tucked away safely in your bag, and keep your bag within your sight at all times.
Tips for Travelers with Anxiety in Quito
Cloudy morning in Quito, Ecuador
Explore with a guide. Having a local guide will ensure you stay in safe places around Quito and that you are able to get from place to place with minimal stress. Quito is definitely NOT a place I’d ever want to drive myself.
Sun protection. Quito is on the equator, and the sun is strong because of the high elevation too. It is fairly chilly there too, so cover up and wear a hat or sunscreen on your face!
Go to Quito before going to the Galapagos or Amazon. The altitude change from the Galapagos to Quito was rough on both my husband and me, and although neither of us got altitude sickness, it is totally possible. Most flights from the United States require an overnight layover in Quito, so why not extend that so you can spend one day in Quito before you head to the islands?
How to get to Quito, Ecuador
If you’re coming from the United States or Europe, you’ll definitely have to fly to Ecuador. Thankfully, Quito has a nice, renovated airport about 45 minutes outside the city. The old airport was in the middle of the city, and our guide pointed it out to us, explaining how pilots used to have to fly through the mountains and among the buildings to land. Only very skilled pilots used to be able to fly the route. Yikes!
I recommend pre-arranging a ride from the airport with your hotel, that way you won’t have to navigate getting a taxi at the airport. Not all taxi’s that wait there are “registered” and you definitely want a reliable and safe mode of transportation into the city. You’ll also get a rate ahead of time, so you’ll know how much cash to bring!
When to Plan Your Ecuador Trip
St Francis Monetary Quito, Ecuador
Because Ecuador is on the equator, the weather has two seasons: rain and a little less rain. In Quito, the weather ranges from mid-60s F during the day (17 C) to the 40s F at night (4 C). There isn’t much variation in the weather or sunlight day to day! We went in April, and I thought it was lovely in both Quito and the Galapagos. April is a shoulder season in Ecuador, so you won’t be fighting so much with other tourists on your one day in Quito. Peak season is from June - September and December - January, so if you want lower prices and less tourists, avoid those months.
Where to Stay for One Day in Quito
We stayed at the cutest boutique hotel in the Old Town, and I highly recommend it for one day in Quito! The staff at Old Town Quito Suites spoke enough English to have a conversation, and the renovated 18th-century building was charming, especially with its cute inner courtyard and individually designed and decorated rooms. It is located in a safe and cozy neighborhood, so you can walk up and down the adjacent streets for dinner with no problem. They arranged airport transfers for us as well as our one-day tour around Quito.
One Day in Quito Itinerary
We set up a tour with Xavier Olmos, who drove us around all day, took us to the best spots and some hidden gems, and told us about his life and how much Quito has changed since he was little. I HIGHLY recommend reaching out to him via WhatsApp +593 (0)995 036 252 or email xavierolmos2@gmail.com to book him for the day. If you mention my blog, he will know exactly what you want to do! He speaks English, is very knowledgeable and honest, and will give you a fair price for whatever you want to do. We felt safe exploring Quito with him, and he pointed out areas that were not safe to go to, and when it started to get dark in the Old Town, he made sure we stayed safe and still got to see everything we wanted.
You will have to pay cash for all the entrance fees to the places you visit, but most of them are fairly small amounts. Since we had to pay cash, I didn’t keep an accurate account, but I think we paid around $25 per person in entrance fees for our one-day in Quito adventure.
TelefériQo Cable Car
Lacey sitting on hillside overlooking Quito
The TelefériQo Cable Car is one of Quito’s most popular attractions and for good reason. The views are (literally) breathtaking! This is a must-see if you have only one day in Quito.
The cable car takes you up Pichincha Volcano in just under 10 minutes for some seriously epic views. The altitude change is significant, with the cable car starting at over 10,000 ft (3100 meters) and stopping at around 13,000 ft (3945 meters). Xavier showed us a plant you can chew the flowers to help with the altitude change, and I’m not sure if it worked, but I took what I could get. I consider myself to be in good shape, but we had to stop every few minutes on the hike so I could catch my breath!
The hike takes you up a scenic trail with viewpoints galore, where you can see Quito from every angle. If the clouds clear, you can see the tops of the other volcanos that ring the capital city. We stopped along the way to take pictures with some llamas, and the lady who owned them was so nice! She asked our guide if we had good energy because if her first customers have good energy she will have a good day. He told her that we did, and by the time we made our way back down, she had a line of people waiting!
At the top of the trail is a swing, where you feel like you’re swinging on the top of the world. Hands down, that view was one of the best I’ve ever seen. There’s something magical about a city nestled in the mountains, and Quito does not disappoint.
Equator
Mitad del Mundo
Another must-see if you only have one day in Quito is the equator. There are actually two spots: one is the true equator, where the GPS reads 0° 00' 0.00" and the other is the Equator monument, which is a short distance off the geographical equator.
At the true equator, Intiñan Museum takes you through replicas of native tribes of Ecuador, including the Shuar and the Woaranis. An English speaking tour is available with the purchase of a ticket. After learning about the tribes, you’ll visit the actual equator and watch demonstrations of crazy physics that are only possible on the 0° line. We had so much fun trying to balance an egg on a nail (yes, it is possible!) and trying to walk with our eyes closed along the red line marking the equator.
Mitad del Mundo is where the monument to the equator lies. It is about 800 feet (240 meters) off the actual equator, now known thanks to modern technology. Around the monument, there are parks, museums, gift shops, and restaurants where you can explore and hang out. We opted to visit the monument and grab a bite to eat before heading off to another spot.
Pululahua Volcano Crater
Pululahua Volcano Crater outside of Quito, Ecuador
Quito is surrounded by volcanos (some active, some dormant), and the Pululahua Volcano Crater is only thirty minutes outside the city. The crater is inhabited, with many farms still producing wares and even a few AirBNBs available for rent. If we’d spent more than one day in Quito (and had known about it) I would definitely have booked a night in the breathtaking valley. The views from the top of the crater are incredible, with the sweeping clouds moving through the speaks, the lush greenery and colorful flowers dotting the hillsides, and the sound of cows and donkeys in the fields below. You can even ride horses down into the crater if that’s your thing!
Old Town Quito
Basilica de Voto Nacional
Old Town Quito gives off that historic charm of Europe with a Latin American flair. I fell in love driving down the cobbled streets, watching the vibrant buildings pass me by and smelling the fragrant aroma of Ecuadorian street food — grilled corn, chicken, and other delicious meats.
The old town is known for its historic churches, and with only one day in Quito, you can see them all in a short time. The most famous, the Basilica de Voto Nacional, is the largest Neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas. You can climb to the top for incredible views of the city and take some fantastic photos of the Virgen. Iglesia y Convento de St Francis sits on the main square and was built on top of an ancient Inca temple. It is one of the most important churches in Quito. Another is La Compania de Jesus, a Jesuit church, whose interior is entirely gilded. We opted to skip going in, but even from the outside, you can’t miss the layers of gold painting every surface in the church.
Across from St Francis, there is a shop, Yumbos, that does chocolate tasting. It’s like a wine tasting, but better. The best cacao beans are sourced from around the equator, and omg this dark chocolate was some of the best I’d ever had, the usual bitterness not present even in the 80%. They are unable to export their chocolate due to lack of refrigeration, so you MUST try it before you go. We ended up with several bars of their chocolate on our way out, though none of them lasted until we arrived home the next day!
Xavier will walk you along streets that are safe in the Old Town so you can get a feel for what life is like in Quito. He told us that after 8 PM, we should definitely not go there, but even as it got dark, he made sure we stayed on the safe streets. I managed to get an incredible photo of the Basilica as the sun went down!
Virgen de El Panecillo
Virgen de El Panecillo
The Virgen de El Panecillo is the tallest aluminum statue in the world. It depicts a winged Virgin Mary, of which it is also the tallest image. However, the area winding down the base of the hill is dangerous, so if you don’t take a guided tour, don’t walk around it! We visited the statue on our way to the airport after one day in Quito, which was the perfect end to our trip. The views from the statue are also amazing. Honestly, there is no bad view in Quito!
Final Thoughts on How to Spend One Day in Quito
With only one day in Quito, you can see and do so much. It helps to have a private tour for the day, so I highly recommend contacting Xavier to arrange a tour! Quito is best visited on your way to the Galapagos, and if you’re looking for a Galapagos Itinerary that is budget and anxious traveler friendly, I got you.