About Quito

Quito formally known as San Francisco de Quito is the capital of Ecuador and is closest to the Equator. The city of Quito is the most beautiful city with attracting architecture, vivid markets, and friendly people. The city is unique in its architecture and climate which is surrounded by several volcanoes and the world's second largest active volcano Cotopaxi, can be clearly seen from the city. Quito's Old Town is the first-ever place in the world to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. If you are an artist and love arts you should definitely visit the place La Ronda, one of the oldest streets in Quito and the city’s most impressive art museums, the Capilla del Hombre. The city is the best place for shopping lovers as it has many parks and plazas. If you are an adventurous person make a visit to Basilica Tower where you can see the beautiful architecture of the building and a fabulous view of the city. People who love food can visit the San Francisco Market which is located in the heart of the old town. If your visit to the city Quito falls on Monday then you can watch the changing of the guard in front of the presidential palace in Quito. And if you have altitude sickness, then you should walk slowly and drink lots of water and tea to adapt to the environment. At last, do not forget to visit the gold-gilded La Compania de Jesus Church.

Public Transport System

Trolebus, EcoVia, Metrobus and Taxi. La Estacion Chimbacalle, Quito’s one and only train station

Cleanliness and Efficiency

Efficiency: High, Cleanliness: High

Mode & Cost of Transports

Trolebus, EcoVia, and Metrobus cost of $0.50 fee. The cost for any of these three systems is $0.25 applying the 50% discount for children under 12 years, over the age of 65, students and people with disabilities. And you should pay extra $0.50 for any trans-shipment to the rural area of Quito.

Taxi: The minimum for a ride is $1.00. At night taxis almost never use the meter and generally charge a minimum of  $2.

Basic Items & Cost

Name Price
Water Bottle USD 0.00
Cup of Coffee USD 2.00
Milk Carton Pack USD 1.00
Rice/Kg USD 1.00
White Bread USD 1.00
Eggs (12) USD 2.00
Combo Meal USD 6.00
Fine Dining USD 35.00
Bottle of Coke or Pepsi USD 1.00
Domestic Beer USD 2.00
Imported Beer USD 3.00
Bottle of Wine USD 15.00
Cigarettes (20 Pack) USD 5.00
Taxi ( 1 km ) USD 2.00
Ticket in local transport (Single way). USD 0.00
Rent ( One Bed Room) USD 429.00

Do’s:

  • Leave your passport and important things in the hotel safety box before going out.
  • Use sunscreen to protect your skin.
  • Only a few people in bigger cities speak little English so brush up on your basic Spanish before planning to make a visit.
  • Get a trusted local person to help while bargaining in shopping.
  • Drink enough water as you are in high altitude place.

Don’ts:

  • Do not take a taxi without a number plate for travel. Always book a registered taxi with visible numberplate.
  • Never smoke in public, as you may face a heavy fine.
  • Avoid and stay away from drugs.
  • Never accept drinks or things from an unknown person.

Night Life

You can enjoy the colorful nightlife of Quito in Mariscal Sucre where you can find most drinking and dancing avenues. You can spend your weekend night at La Ronda, which has bars and restaurants in its Old Town. People who love salsa can enjoy their nightlife in night clubs where salsa music is the main attraction over there. If you do not love to drink, you can still enjoy the cultural activities in Quito, as it has small and large musical venues, theatres and cinemas.

Must See

  • Quito's Old Town is a historic place to visit and it has been named a UNESCO Cultural Heritage site.
  • Visit the Equator. If you do visit, then you can even have your passport stamped showing that you stood on the equator!
  • Climb an active volcano Cotopaxi and Basilica.
  • You can enjoy a party at Plaza Foch.
  • If you want a drink, then La Ronda street is a good place to go to.
  • Canelazo is a popular drink throughout Quito during December, particularly so for Fiestas del Quito and Christmas.
  • Meet the President of Ecuador at Quito on every Monday.
  • Admire the monuments of the city using the Quito double-decker bus.

Experiences

  • Visit the Cotopaxi National park in the Andes where you can see the variety of flora and fauna, from there you can see the adorable view of the Volcano from the Limpiopungo lagoon.
  • Every Monday you can meet the President of Ecuador at the Quito city where you can see the changing of guards.
  • If you are a person who has an interest in learning new languages, you can learn Spanish from Quito before you return to your home country.
  • You can also go trekking around Volcan Pichincha.

Activities

Shopping

No data available
  • Ecuador's chocolate is the best chocolate in South America, so you can buy chocolates from Quito.
  • The city is famous for Arabica and Robusta coffee beans.
  • Buy the famous Panama Hat since Ecuador is the original manufacturer of the hat.
  • Silver pieces of jewelry are very inexpensive to buy.
  • Tagua jewelry is organic, and you can buy them for easy wear.

Official Language

Spanish

Other Language

Kichwa, Shuar, Zaparo, Waorani... Read more

Spoken Language

Kichwa and Shuar, which are us... Read more

Currency

US Dollar (USD)

Population

2.7 (Millions)

Weather Icon

Weather

Overcast Clouds 8.33°C

Clock Icon

TimeZone

03:34 AM (GMT -05:00)

 

Ambulance Icon

Ambulance

131

 

Police Icon

Police

101

 

Electric socket

Type A
Type A (120 V 60 Hz.)
Type B
Type B (120 V 60 Hz.)
Airplane Icon

Airport Name / IATA Code

Mariscal Sucre International Airport - UIO

Best time to visit

March, April, and May are the best and busiest months for tourism, which makes it a good time for things to do. December, January, and February are the second best time to visit for people who like warm weather climate.

Moderate time to visit

June, July, and August fall in the winter season and is the moderate time to visit the city.

Worst time to visit

September, October, and November are the months where the climate is not pleasant to visit and thus attracts less tourism.

Taxi

Start Tariff: USD 1.50

1 Km. Tariff: USD 1.50

1 Hour Waiting Tariff: USD 10.00

Available service

  • Airbnb Logo
  • Vrbo Logo
  • Uber Logo

Monthly Average Temperature & Rainfall

Local Services in Quito (Contact directly)

Discussion

No threads yet!

Be the first one to start a thread.

Top Attractions in Ecuador

Top Cities in Ecuador