Quito 7-day itinerary

Begin at Plaza Grande, the political and spiritual centre of colonial Quito. Walk north along García Moreno to the Basílica del Voto Nacional and climb the tower for panoramic views across the old city to the ring of volcanoes. The morning air at 2,850m is cool and the colonial streets are peaceful before the crowds arrive. Grab a fresh naranjilla juice from a street vendor. Take your first day slowly to acclimatise to the altitude.

Visit La Compañía de Jesús with its breathtaking gold-leaf interior, then cross to the vast San Francisco Plaza and monastery. Explore the Museo de la Ciudad for Quito's colonial history. The Historic Centre is compact and UNESCO-listed, with hidden courtyards, carved balconies, and beautiful churches at every turn. Have a $3 almuerzo set lunch at a local comedor for soup, rice, meat, juice, and dessert.

Walk La Ronda as evening falls and the lanterns light up this narrow pedestrianised colonial street. Artisan workshops, Andean musicians on balconies, and street food vendors create a magical atmosphere. Try canelazo and pristinos while browsing the craft shops and chocolate makers. The street is most lively on Thursday through Saturday evenings and is Quito's most atmospheric nighttime experience.

Ride the TelefériQo cable car to 4,100m on the flanks of Volcán Pichincha. The 10-minute ascent reveals the full scale of Quito in its narrow Andean valley. At the top, walk the páramo trail through high-altitude grassland with wildflowers and hummingbirds. On clear mornings, multiple snow-capped volcanoes are visible including Cotopaxi, Cayambe, and Antisana. The air is thin and the temperature drops significantly from the city below.

Descend to the Guápulo neighbourhood, a bohemian hillside village clinging to the eastern slopes below the Hotel Quito mirador. The viewpoint offers a stunning perspective down the forested valley towards the Amazon basin. Walk the steep cobblestone streets past colonial houses, art studios, and small cafes to reach the Guápulo church, one of the most beautiful baroque buildings in Ecuador. The neighbourhood feels like a separate village despite being minutes from central Quito.

The González Suárez and La Floresta neighbourhoods offer Quito's best contemporary dining scene with restaurants, wine bars, and craft breweries. Try Ecuadorian fusion cuisine — ceviche with green plantain chips, llapingachos (potato and cheese patties), or encocado (coconut-braised fish from the coast). The area is walkable, safe in the evening, and has a growing cultural scene with independent cinemas and bookshops.

Take a bus or taxi north to the Mitad del Mundo equator complex. The 30-metre monument marks latitude 0°0'0" and houses an ethnographic museum inside with exhibits on Ecuador's indigenous cultures. Walk the surrounding grounds to see replicas of colonial architecture, craft shops, and a planetarium. The monument is a classic Quito photo opportunity — straddling the painted equator line with a foot in each hemisphere.

Walk 200 metres north to the Intiñan Solar Museum for the more interactive and entertaining equator experience. Guides demonstrate equatorial phenomena — balancing eggs on nail heads, observing water draining patterns on each side of the line, and testing the reduced gravitational effects at the equator. The museum also covers indigenous cultures of the Amazon and Sierra. The GPS-confirmed equator line actually runs through this site rather than the official monument.

Return to central Quito and take a taxi up to El Panecillo, the hill topped by the aluminium Virgen de Quito statue. The 360-degree view from the base encompasses the entire Historic Centre, the modern north, and the surrounding volcanoes catching the last light. The sunset view from here is the best free panorama in the city. Descend to the Historic Centre for dinner at a traditional restaurant serving seco de chivo (slow-cooked goat stew) or hornado (roast pork).

Catch an early bus from Terminal Carcelén for the 2-hour ride north through the Avenue of Volcanoes to Otavalo. The Plaza de los Ponchos market is one of the largest and most colourful indigenous markets in South America. Hundreds of Otavaleño vendors sell hand-woven textiles, alpaca scarves, Panama hats, leather goods, and silver jewellery. Saturday is the biggest day but the textile market runs daily. Bargain respectfully and buy directly from the artisans.

Walk or taxi 3km to Peguche to visit the sacred waterfall and indigenous weaving village. The 18-metre cascade is set in eucalyptus forest with an easy trail. Visit family workshops to see backstrap loom weaving and buy textiles directly from the makers at lower prices than the main market. The village has been weaving for centuries and the quality of their work is exceptional. Peguche also hosts the annual Inti Raymi celebrations in June.

Stop at Lago San Pablo on the return journey for lakeside views of Volcán Imbabura reflected in the water. The lake is sacred to the Otavaleño and surrounded by farming communities. Eat grilled trout at a lakeside restaurant — a highland specialty cooked fresh. Catch a bus back to Quito through the dramatic Andean landscapes, arriving by evening. The winding mountain roads pass through deep valleys and terraced hillsides.

Join a day tour or hire a taxi for the 2-hour drive south to Cotopaxi National Park. At 5,897m, Cotopaxi is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world and its near-perfect cone shape dominates the landscape. The park entrance is at 3,400m and the road winds up through páramo grassland to the car park at 4,500m. On clear mornings, the snow-capped summit is breathtaking against the deep blue equatorial sky. Wild horses roam the lower páramo and Andean condors occasionally circle overhead.

From the car park at 4,500m, hike 45 minutes up the volcanic scree to the Refugio José Rivas at 4,864m. The path is steep and the altitude makes every step laborious, but the views from the refuge are extraordinary — the glaciated summit looms directly above and the entire central highlands stretch out below. The refuge serves hot chocolate and snacks. On the descent, visit the turquoise Laguna de Limpiopungo at the base, a shallow lake reflecting the volcano on still days.

Descend through the Machachi valley, a lush agricultural region known for dairy farming and roses. Stop at a roadside hacienda for a late lunch of locro de papas and fresh cheese. The valley is ringed by volcanoes — Cotopaxi to the south, Pasochoa to the east, and the Ilinizas twins to the west. Return to Quito by evening, tired but exhilarated from one of Ecuador's most iconic day trips.

Catch an early bus from Terminal Ofelia for the 2.5-hour ride to Mindo, dropping from 2,850m in Quito to 1,250m in the cloud forest. The temperature change is dramatic — warm and humid instead of cool and dry. Mindo is one of the top birdwatching destinations in the world with over 500 recorded species. Walk the trails through dense forest dripping with moss, bromeliads, and orchids. Toucans, tanagers, and hummingbirds are everywhere — the hummingbird gardens at feeders are mesmerising.

Take a chocolate-making tour at one of Mindo's cacao farms — Ecuador produces some of the finest cacao in the world and you will learn the full process from bean to bar, tasting raw cacao, nibs, and finished chocolate. Afterwards, ride the tarabita (cable car) across the valley to reach a network of waterfalls in the forest. The Nambillo waterfall circuit involves a moderate 2-hour hike through pristine cloud forest with swimming holes at the base of several cascades.

Catch an afternoon bus back to Quito, climbing from the lush cloud forest back up to the Andean highlands. The journey passes through some of Ecuador's most dramatic transitional landscapes — dense tropical vegetation giving way to páramo grassland and eucalyptus. Arrive back in Quito by early evening for dinner in the Mariscal neighbourhood. Try tigrillo — a coastal breakfast dish of mashed green plantain with cheese and egg that many restaurants serve all day.

Walk up to Parque Itchimbía, a hilltop park with a beautiful glass cultural centre and 360-degree views over both the colonial and modern sections of Quito. The park is popular with joggers and families in the morning and the views of the volcanoes are often at their clearest. The glass Palacio de Cristal hosts rotating art exhibitions and cultural events. From here you can see the full shape of Quito — one of the longest and narrowest capital cities in the world, squeezed into its Andean valley.

Visit the Mercado Artesanal on Jorge Washington street for a concentrated selection of Ecuadorian crafts — Panama hats, tagua nut carvings, woven bags, chocolate, and textiles. Prices are fixed and reasonable, making it easier than bargaining in Otavalo if you did not visit. Browse the independent shops on Mariscal Foch and nearby streets for leather goods, indigenous art, and Ecuadorian coffee. The Mariscal neighbourhood is the most walkable commercial area in Quito.

End your Quito week with a farewell dinner at one of the city's excellent restaurants. Try Ecuadorian coastal ceviche, highland hornado, or Amazonian maito (fish steamed in banana leaves) for a final taste of the country's incredible regional diversity. Quito's food scene reflects its position as a crossroads between the coast, the highlands, and the Amazon — all three culinary traditions are represented here. The airport is 45 minutes from the Mariscal by taxi.