One day in Quito

Day by day

1. Day 1: Plaza Grande and Carondelet Palace and Church of La Compañía de Jesús

   Plaza Grande and Carondelet Palace, Church of La Compañía de Jesús, Church and Convent of San Francisco and Basílica del Voto Nacional, then Calle La Ronda in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Plaza Grande and Carondelet Palace

      Start your Old Town walk here early in the morning, then follow Calle García Moreno south past La Compañía towards La Ronda. Allow 1 hour.

   2. Late morning

      Church of La Compañía de Jesús

      Visit on a bright day when sunlight through the dome makes the gilding glow, and look for the painting of hell near the entrance. Allow 45 minutes.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Locro de papa

      The Mercado Central and almost every set-lunch (almuerzo) menu in the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Church and Convent of San Francisco

      After the church, visit the museum cloisters and then have a coffee in the arcades along the plaza's edge. Allow 1–1.5 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Basílica del Voto Nacional

      The final ladders to the top are exposed and narrow; skip them if you dislike heights and enjoy the view from the lower walkway. Allow 1–1.5 hours.

   6. Evening

      Calle La Ronda

      Come in the early evening for a canelazo and empanadas de viento, then return to your hotel by taxi.

Before you go

• 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.

If it rains

• Swap in Capilla del Hombre and Casa Museo Guayasamín (Bellavista (Quito)): Take a taxi up the Bellavista hill and see both buildings on one ticket; the guided visits help explain the paintings.
• Swap in Casa del Alabado Museum (Centro Histórico): Visit it before La Compañía to understand the indigenous symbolism that later appears in colonial art.
• Swap in Yaku Parque Museo del Agua (San Juan): Pair it with the Basílica del Voto Nacional, a short taxi ride or a steep walk below.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 5–6 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 12.1 hours in January to 12.1 hours in January.

Getting between stops: Metro. A single Metro line runs from Quitumbe in the south to El Labrador in the north, with stations at San Francisco in the Old Town, El Ejido, La Carolina and Iñaquito; it is the fastest way between the Old Town and the north.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Quito
• 3 days in Quito
• 5 days in Quito

Questions travellers ask