How to Visit Mitad del Mundo, Quito’s Equator Line

Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World City) in Quito is the best place to visit the equator line since it’s the only location where the equator runs through an easily accessible city and not through deep oceans or thick rainforests. For this reason, Mitad del Mundo has become one of the most popular day trips from Quito.

In this post you can read a bit more about the site itself and the best ways to get to Mitad del Mundo from Quito. We’ll also detail what to expect from your visit and reveal why Mitad del Mundo isn’t actually located where the real equator line is. Don’t worry, we’ll tell you the not-so-secret place where you can find the ‘almost’ real equator line as well.

If you’d like to see what we got up to in Quito and our visit to the equator line, then check out our Quito City Guide video on our YouTube Channel. For more Ecuador videos check out our Ecuador Playlist.

About the Equator and Mitad del Mundo in Quito

Okay, we’re sure that you have a good idea what the equator is, so we won’t bore you with a lot of details. However, it’s always fun to learn a bit more about the site that you’re about to visit.

Ecuador is actually named after the line that divides the northern and southern hemispheres. Even though the equator passes through 13 countries, Quito – the capital of Ecuador – is the only major city that’s close to it.

Whilst the mission to find the exact equator line started in 1736, the pre-Colombian Quitu culture already knew about the importance of this place. Even the name Quitu comes from “qui” meaning middle, and “tu” meaning earth.

Now fast forward to 1736, and French scientists arrived to calculate the length of a degree of latitude at the equator, in order to help to define Earth’s size and shape. This is known as the first Geodesic Mission and is considered the first major international scientific expedition.

To commemorate the Geodesic Mission a small monument was built in 1936. The 30 m tall impressive monument you see today was constructed between 1979 and 1982. 

However, later measurements with modern GPS equipment proved that the line at Mitad del Mundo is actually about 240 m away from the real equator. Today, the adjacent Intiñan Site Museum (Museo de Sitio Intiñan) is thought to be the ‘real’ equator and attracts many visitors too.

However, the new site might not even be accurate either. Plus, it’s said that the line is more of a 5km wide strip anyway and the 0 degree latitude is constantly moving. Either way, both sites are still worth a visit.

Ways to Visit Mitad del Mundo from Quito City Centre

Since Mitad del Mundo is a top tourist attraction, naturally there are many ways you can reach the site. First you’ll want to decide whether you want to visit Mitad del Mundo independently or as part of a tour.

Organised Tour

Booking a tour is the easiest and most convenient way to visit Mitad del Mundo from Quito. You won’t have to worry about how to get there on your own and altogether it will take up less time out of your day.

Some tours only visit Mitad del Mundo, whilst others might also include extra activities such as a visit to Pululahua Crater viewpoint or a beer tasting.

These organised tours are normally reasonably priced and normally include your entry fee. If you also want to visit the Intinan Museum, then make sure to check the tour description carefully.

Now if you want to get there independently, there are a few ways to do so.

Private Taxi or Uber

This is going to be the most expensive but also the most comfortable option. You can book a taxi or Uber to get to Mitad del Mundo from the city centre.

The journey time will really depend on traffic, but will be similar to a tour as you won’t be stopping anywhere along the way. You can expect to pay anywhere between $15-20 USD one way. Therefore, it’s best to take a taxi or Uber if you can split the cost with others.

Public Bus

Visiting Mitad del Mundo by public buses will be the most adventurous and budget friendly option. Below is a step by step guide on how to get to Mitad del Mundo by bus.

Since there’s no direct bus between Quito City Centre and Mitad del Mundo, you’ll first have to get to La Ofelia station, located in the north of Quito.

La Ofelia station is the last stop along the Metrobus line. Depending on where you’re staying, you can find the closest bus stop to you on Quito’s bus route map. You can hop onto the Trolebus line too and go all the way to Terminal Interprovincial Carcelen. From there you can transfer to a bus to La Ofelia station without buying a new ticket.

Once you get off at Ofelia station, get a bus ticket from the booth and ask where the bus will depart from to Mitad del Mundo. We took bus OF-32 and it dropped us off just in front of Mitad del Mundo.

The first bus ticket costs $0.35 USD and the second is $0.25 USD one way. Note that the overall journey will be quite long. Just getting to Ofelia station can take an hour depending on the traffic. From there, it can take another 40 minutes to get to Mitad del Mundo. You’ll also have to do this journey in reverse. So, in the end, a visit to Mitad del Mundo via public transport can easily become a full day trip from Quito.

Top Tip. These buses can be very crowded and pickpocketing is not uncommon on buses. Make sure to stay vigilant and keep all your valuables in your backpack whilst wearing it on your front if your standing, or putting it on your lap instead of on the floor if you can sit down.

Mitad Del Mundo Opening Times and Entry Fee

Mitad del Mundo is open every day of the year. From Monday to Friday it’s open from 9AM to 5PM, and on weekends the site closes at 6PM.

Entry fee: $5 USD for adults and $2.50 USD for children under 12 and visitors over 65.

Parking costs $3 USD (in case you’re arriving with a rental car).

Best Things to Do in Mitad Del Mundo

1. Take Some Creative Photos Along the Equator Line

Do we need to say more?

Since it’s probably the only place (well, apart from the ‘real’ equator) where you’ll be able to stand on a visual line dividing the northern and southern hemispheres, why not get creative.

Honestly, the list of different ways you can stand, sit and lay on the yellow line is endless. You can also just enjoy watching others getting their fun shots if you’re a bit camera shy.

Top Tip. Normally the front of the monument gets a bit busy, so if you don’t want to wait in line then go to the other side of the monument, which is normally a lot quieter.

2. Enjoy the Views from the Top of the Monument

Although the 30-m tall monument isn’t on the actual equator line, it’s still an impressive feature of Ciudad Mitad del Mundo.

There’s a beautiful viewpoint at the top of the monument which is totally worth climbing up for. As you make your way up, there will be information displays and exhibitions about Ecuador. Make sure to check those out too.

Once at the top, you can enjoy the views of the yellow line, the city and the surrounding valley and mountains.

3. Visit the Ethnographic Museum

Sometimes overlooked by visitors rushing to take photos of the yellow line is the ethnographic museum. It’s worth walking through this interactive exhibit since it displays traditional houses from different parts of the country.

You can see how typical homes of indigenous people from the rainforest, the coast and the Andes look. It’s quite interesting to learn about the different materials and styles they use. Plus, it’s also one of the quietest spots in Mitad del Mundo.

4. Visit the Cocoa Museum

If you’re a chocolate lover, then we won’t need to persuade you too much to visit the chocolate museum in Ciudad Mitad del Mundo. Even if you’re not so keen on chocolate, you should definitely have some whilst you’re in Ecuador.

If you didn’t know, Ecuadorian chocolate is considered the best in the world. This is because one of the finest and most aromatic varieties of cacao, Arriba Cacao, is grown in Ecuador. It was originally found in the Amazon and some believe that it was already being used over 5,000 years ago.

Up until the 20th century the country was the No.1 exporter of chocolate, and even today Ecuador has been winning many international fairs. So, there’s really no excuse as to why you shouldn’t try some whilst in the country. We even saw a replica of the monument made out of chocolate in the gift shop.

5. Get a Novelty Stamp

There are some cool novelty stamps you can collect from bucket list destinations such as Machu Picchu or Ushuaia.

If you visit Mitad del Mundo, you’ll also have the chance to get an equator novelty stamp for a dollar in the gift shop. Just please don’t stamp your original passport as technically this makes it invalid. Bring a travel journal or notebook instead!

6. Visit the Beer Museum

If you love beer, then you can definitely try some craft beer in the dedicated museum. Apparently the history of beer goes all the way back to the pre-Colombian period.

The brewing industry in the country dates back to 1566 when Fray Franciscan Jodoco Rique produced the first beer in Latin America.

In the museum you can see how the beer is produced in addition to sampling some.

7. Enjoy the Shops, Restaurants and Other Facilities

There are also plenty of gift shops, restaurants and cafes within the Middle of the World City, so make sure to have a good wander around. You can take a photo with the Mitad del Mundo sign, walk down the main avenue leading up to the monument, and visit the planetarium or llama farm.

Sometimes, in the main plaza, they have bands playing traditional music which creates a really jolly atmosphere. Even though Mitad del Mundo is a well-visited tourist attraction, and the yellow equator line isn’t even the real one, we think you can still have a ton of fun during your visit.

How to Visit the Intinan Site Museum (Museo de Sitio Intiñan)

Once you’re ready to leave Mitad del Mundo, you won’t want to miss visiting the ‘real’ equator site. The museum is only a short walk to the north of the Middle of the World city.

Opening Times. The museum opens between 9:30AM and 5PM every day, so make sure to get to Mitad del Mundo early so you have time to visit both sites.

Entry Fee. You’ll have to buy a separate ticket to visit Intinan Museum, which costs $5 USD per person. However, your ticket will include a Spanish or English guided tour which is a great deal in our opinion.

Things to Do at the Intinan Site Museum

1. Museum Exhibits

The tour will first take you through some of the exhibits, which is way more interesting than you might think at first. Your guide will tell you all about the native tribes of Ecuador and you’ll walk through some replicas of native houses. One even had some live guinea pigs in!

You’ll quickly learn about the Ecuadorian wildlife, from the Galápagos giant tortoises to the small candiru, also known as the ‘penis fish’. If that wasn’t interesting enough, you’ll also get to see some shrunken heads.

In case you either have no clue what that is, or you’re wondering if it’s what you think it is, then let us enlighten you. Without giving too much away, yes, a shrunken head is indeed a deceased human head prepared in a special way. Don’t worry, you’ll learn much more about them during your tour.

2. Interactive Activities

After walking through the exhibits, you’ll finally get to see the star of the show: the ‘real’ equator.

This part of the tour will be all about the physics associated with the equator line. Once you’ve been given some basic knowledge on things like the Coriolis Effect, then it’ll be time for you to get active and try out some of the experiments yourself.

Activities will include seeing which way the water flows down the sink on either side of the equator and directly on it. You can try walking along the line with your eyes closed and arms out. And of course you also get to balance a raw egg on the head of a nail. If you’re successful, you also get your own personalised certificate at the end.

In addition, you can also add a slightly different novelty stamp than the one from Mitad del Mundo to your collection. Again, just don’t stamp your original passport!

All in all, visiting the Intinan Site Museum is a must if you plan to visit Mitad del Mundo. The guides are amazing and definitely make the tour fun and entertaining.

Final Thoughts on How to Visit Mitad del Mundo from Quito

We absolutely loved our visit to both Mitad del Mundo and the Intinan Site Museum. They were both unique in their own way, and even though probably neither of them are where the real equator line is, we still think they’re both worth a visit. We enjoyed wondering around the Middle of the World City and listening to some Andean music in the main plaza.

However, without doubt, the best part of our day was the guided tour at the Intinan Museum. All the experiments managed to bring out our inner child, and just the fact that we could witness these experiments outside of the classroom near the actual equator made the whole day extra special.

Have you ever visited Mitad del Mundo or the Intiñan Museum in Quito before? If so, how was your experience? If not, would you add this day trip to your Ecuador itinerary? Let us know in the comments below.