How to Spend 3 Days in Quito, Ecuador

If you’re planning your Ecuador itinerary, you’ll probably want to gauge how long you’d ideally need to spend at each location you want to visit. Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, is most likely going to be your first stop. It is a huge city, and to see all its main attractions we recommend spending around 3 days in Quito.

There are also many fantastic day trips you can do from the city too. Some of them, such as Otavalo, Mindo and Cotopaxi, are destinations that you might want to visit as part of a multi-day trip. In case you can’t fit multi-day trips into your itinerary, you could extend your stay in Quito instead and visit these destinations as part of organised day tours.

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

Introducing Quito, Ecuador

Quito is a huge city spread out along a valley on the eastern slopes of Pichincha Volcano. Situated at 2,850 m (9,350 ft) above sea level, the city is also one of the highest capital cities in the world.

The earliest settlers in the area were the Quitus; a pre-Inca tribe. The Incas then converted Quito into a major city and even connected it with a road to Cusco in Peru.

The capital of Ecuador was then founded by the Spanish in 1534 on the ruins of the Inca city, which is very similar to the way modern cities across Peru were founded.

In 1822 Simon Bolivar set Quito free and also formed Gran Colombia which included present-day Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama and parts of Peru and Brazil. Gran Colombia was dissolved in 1831 due to political differences and Ecuador became independent.

Quito has one of the best-preserved and least altered historic centres in The Americas. Because of that, in 1978 it was the first historic centre in the world to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Things to Know Before Spending 3 Days in Quito

If you’re looking for answers to common questions such as where to stay, how to stay safe during your visit and how best to get around Quito, then make sure to check out our detailed blog post below.

The blog post includes answers to the following frequently asked questions:

• Is Quito Safe?
• How To Get to Quito?
• Where to Stay in Quito
• What to Eat in Quito
• Best Ways to Move Around Quito
• Quito’s Bus Terminals

How to Spend 3 Days in Quito

Day 1: Explore Quito’s Historic Centre

What better place to start exploring Quito than its Historic Centre. As it’s listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you really cannot come to Quito and not spend some time in this area. Here are a few things you shouldn’t miss while in Quito’s Centro Historico:

• Plaza Grande. This beautiful tree covered square is the heart of the Historic Centre. There are some important buildings surrounding it such as the Presidential Palace, the Catedral Metropolitana de Quito and the former Archbishop’s Palace, which now functions as shops and restaurants.
• Church of the Society of Jesus. There are many churches you can visit in Quito, but if you only visit one, this should be it. The interior of this church is basically covered from top to bottom in gold leaf, carvings and paintings.
• Church and Convent of San Francisco. Located in Plaza de San Francisco, Iglesia de San Francisco is the largest colonial building in Quito. You can admire the building from outside and visit the interior.
• La Ronda Street. It is one of the oldest and prettiest streets in Quito. Luckily, the narrow cobblestone street has retained its colonial houses which are now used as bars, restaurants, cafes and shops.
• Basilica del Voto Nacional. Considered the largest neo-Gothic church in South America it provides one of the best viewpoints in Quito.

Luckily, the majority of attractions within this area are walkable, although you can also get to places that are a bit further afield by bus, taxi or Uber. You can read about how to get around Quito in this blog post.

Day 2: Take the TeleferiQo Up to Pichincha Volcano + Modern Quito

Morning: Go On the TeleferiQo Ride

Riding up to Pichincha Volcano on the TeleferiQo is a must during your 3 days in Quito.

Only opened in 2005, Quito’s cable car is considered one of the highest in the world. The starting point of the cable car is just over 3,100 m (~10170 ft) and it takes you up to nearly 4,000 m (~13,100 ft) above sea level.

Apart from enjoying the 20 minute scenic ride, there are a few other things you can do when you reach the top. There’s a perfectly positioned swing from where you can quite literally swing above Quito. You can also just take a stroll around the area or, if you’re a big hiker, then you can climb Rucu Pichincha. Make sure to start the climb in the morning and only if you’ve already acclimatised to the altitude.

Top Tip. Don’t forget to dress in warmer clothes as the weather up there can be much colder and more unpredictable than in Quito.

You can reach the cable car station with a taxi, Uber, or local bus. Alternatively, you can also book a tour. The cost of a return TeleferiQo ticket is $9 USD per person.

Afternoon: Explore Modern Quito

There are many other areas outside the Historic Centre of Quito that you might want to add to your 3 day itinerary. Here’s a list of a few places and areas to consider:

• La Floresta Neighbourhood. Considered one of the trendiest areas in Quito, La Floresta is filled with street art, cool cafes and independent restaurants. It’s also a good place to stay if you’re in Quito for a bit longer.
• La Carolina Park and Botanical Garden. Located in the business district of Quito, La Carolina Park is sometimes compared to New York City’s Central Park due to its size and shape. There are a few points of interest in the park such as Quito’s Botanical Garden.
• La Capilla del Hombre (“The Chapel of Man”). Located just outside Parque Metropolitano Guangüiltagua this monument and museum is considered Oswaldo Guayasamín’s – one of Ecuador’s greatest artists and social critics – masterpiece.

Day 3: Visit Mitad del Mundo, Quito’s Equator Line

You cannot leave Quito without taking a trip to the equator line in Mitad del Mundo. The Middle of the World City in Quito is the best place to visit the equator since it’s the only location in the world where the equator runs right through a big city.

The site is located around 25km to the north of Quito’s centre. You can visit as part of a tour, but you can also get there independently with a taxi, Uber or public bus. Each option has its pro’s and con’s, so pick whichever is best suited for your budget and needs. You can read more on how to get to Mitad del Mundo in our detailed post.

The Middle of the World City is where you can find Ecuador’s impressive monument to the equator and of course the big, bright yellow line. The site also has restaurants, museums, gift shops and other great points of interest, such as a planetarium.

However, Mitad del Mundo isn’t where the real equator line is located. Thanks to modern GPS, it turns out that the initial measurements were off by about 240m. Today, there’s a site just north of Mitad del Mundo called Intinan Site Museum where you can see the ‘real’ equator line. Although, it turns out this one might be slightly off as well!

Nevertheless, visiting the equator is a fun day trip that you shouldn’t skip during your 3 days in Quito.

Both sites are open every day from around 9AM to 5PM. Tickets are $5 USD per person for each site.

How to Spend Less Than 3 Days in Quito

We appreciate that you may not be able to allocate 3 full days of your trip to Quito. We know that many travellers might not even stay more than a day in the capital.

You can definitely see the highlights of Quito in just one day. For that we recommend booking a full day Quito tour that includes a cable car ride, a visit to the equator line and a tour around the Historic Centre. If that’s a bit too much, you can just book a Historic Centre and Mitad del Mundo tour.

If you’d like to do your own thing then you can always take the cable car up to Pichincha Volcano in the morning and then wander around the Historic Centre in the afternoon. Alternatively, you can swap the TeleferiQo with a visit to Mitad del Mundo via a taxi or Uber. It’s worth noting that fitting in all three activities would be a bit of a stretch without an organised tour, as everything is located in opposite directions.

If you can squeeze 2 full days in Quito into your itinerary, then you can just do the cable car ride and the Centro Historico on your first day and visit Mitad del Mundo on your second.

Note. It’s worth bearing in mind that Quito is located at 2,850 m (9,350 ft) above sea level, which means you could get altitude sickness. Therefore, we recommend taking it easy on your first day and acclimatising properly.

Final Thoughts on How to Spend 3 Days in Quito

Many travellers wouldn’t even consider stopping in Quito for more than a day due to time constraints. We appreciate that Quito might not be the prettiest capital city you’ll visit in South America. However, we believe that the city has a lot to offer its visitors, and that you really won’t have trouble filling out 3 days in Quito.

Have you been to Quito before? If so, how long did you spend in the city? If not, would you add a few days in Quito to your Ecuador itinerary? Let us know in the comments below.