History · Quito · Ecuador
7 historic sites to see in Quito
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Plaza Grande and Carondelet Palace, Church of La Compañía de Jesús and Church and Convent of San Francisco. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 10–12 hours across 3 areas; 1 is free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 1
- Time to see them all
- 10–12 hours
- Areas
- Centro Histórico, San Antonio de Pichincha and Bellavista (Quito)
Historic sites in Quito
Landmark · Centro Histórico
1.Plaza Grande and Carondelet Palace
Shoe-shiners, retirees and street vendors gather around the independence monument, and the cathedral's rooftop gives a view over the square.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Religious site · Centro Histórico
2.Church of La Compañía de Jesús
It is the most elaborate Baroque church in the city and is run as a museum with a small entry fee.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Art
Religious site · Centro Histórico
3.Church and Convent of San Francisco
Its stone plaza is the biggest open space in the Old Town, and the attached museum displays works of the Quito School of colonial painting and sculpture in cloisters around a garden.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Art
Landmark · San Antonio de Pichincha
4.Ciudad Mitad del Mundo
GPS shows the true equator lies a few hundred metres away; the small Intiñan museum nearby makes a playful show of equator experiments.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Kids
- Photo spot
- History
Gallery · Bellavista (Quito)
5.Capilla del Hombre and Casa Museo Guayasamín
His neighbouring house displays his own collection of pre-Columbian and colonial art and has a garden with city views.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Views
Museum · Centro Histórico
6.Casa del Alabado Museum
It is compact, well lit and labelled in English.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Centro Histórico
7.Museo de la Ciudad
Housed in the colonial San Juan de Dios hospital on Calle García Moreno, near La Ronda, this museum tells the story of daily life in Quito from pre-Hispanic times to the 20th century, with reconstructed scenes and models that children can follow.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Centro Histórico | Plaza Grande and Carondelet Palace, Church of La Compañía de Jesús, Church and Convent of San Francisco, Casa del Alabado Museum and Museo de la Ciudad | 1 hour + 45 minutes + 1–1.5 hours + 1–1.5 hours + 1–1.5 hours |
| San Antonio de Pichincha | Ciudad Mitad del Mundo | Half a day |
| Bellavista (Quito) | Capilla del Hombre and Casa Museo Guayasamín | 2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 1 free, 4 low cost, 2 mid-priced. Book ahead for Plaza Grande and Carondelet Palace. The longest visit is Ciudad Mitad del Mundo; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Plaza Grande and Carondelet Palace: Free tours of the Carondelet Palace are offered on many days but need registration with identification at the palace entrance.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Centro Histórico): Plaza Grande and Carondelet Palace → Church of La Compañía de Jesús → Church and Convent of San Francisco → Casa del Alabado Museum, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Centro Histórico): Museo de la Ciudad, at least 1 hour.
- Half-day 3 (San Antonio de Pichincha): Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Bellavista (Quito)): Capilla del Hombre and Casa Museo Guayasamín, at least 2 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- November: highs of 19°C (66°F), about 13 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mixed sun and showers; bakeries fill with guaguas de pan and colada morada around the Day of the Dead.
- May: highs of 19°C (66°F), about 14 rainy days, quiet crowds. Rain begins to ease towards the end of the month and the countryside is green.
- October: highs of 19°C (66°F), about 15 rainy days, quiet crowds. Afternoon showers return; mornings are usually bright.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Centro Histórico — Colonial plazas, churches and monasteries on steep cobbled streets
More of Quito
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Quito?
Plaza Grande and Carondelet Palace. Officially the Plaza de la Independencia, Quito's main square is the political centre of Ecuador, with the white colonnaded Carondelet Palace, seat of the presidency, on one side and the Metropolitan Cathedral on another.
+Which of these are free in Quito?
Plaza Grande and Carondelet Palace.