Season guide · Quito · Ecuador
Quito in the short rains
October–November: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Bright mornings and afternoon showers, fewer visitors and the Day of the Dead traditions. Expect highs up to 19°C (66°F) and lows around 10°C (50°F), with about 28 rainy days across October–November.
Key facts
- Months
- October–November
- Temperatures
- 10°C (50°F) to 19°C (66°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 28
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in the short rains
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | 19°C (66°F) | 10°C (50°F) | 15 | 12.1 h | 2/5 |
| November | 19°C (66°F) | 10°C (50°F) | 13 | 12.1 h | 2/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 19°C (66°F) against a yearly 19°C (66°F), and 28 of the year's roughly 144 rainy days fall in these 2 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in the short rains
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- November: Día de los Difuntos — Day of the Dead, with colada morada (2 November)
Good choices for the short rains
Museum · San Juan
Yaku Parque Museo del Agua
Pair it with the Basílica del Voto Nacional, a short taxi ride or a steep walk below.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Views
- Rainy day
Museum · Centro Histórico
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
Gallery · Bellavista (Quito)
Capilla del Hombre and Casa Museo Guayasamín
Take a taxi up the Bellavista hill and see both buildings on one ticket; the guided visits help explain the paintings.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Views
Museum · Centro Histórico
Casa del Alabado Museum
In a restored 17th-century house near Plaza San Francisco, this museum shows pre-Columbian Ecuadorian ceramics, stone seats and gold work arranged around themes of the cosmos and ancestors rather than by date.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Day trips in the short rains
- Cotopaxi National Park (About 1.5–2 hours by road) — The near-symmetrical snow-capped cone of Cotopaxi, one of the world's highest active volcanoes, rises above páramo grassland with wild horses and the Limpiopungo lagoon.
- Mindo cloud forest (About 2 hours by bus) — On the western slopes of the Andes, the village of Mindo sits in a cloud forest known for hummingbirds, butterflies and orchids.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is the short rains a good time to visit Quito?
It is a trade-off: Bright mornings and afternoon showers, fewer visitors and the Day of the Dead traditions. The best months overall are June–September.
+What is the weather like in Quito in the short rains?
Highs of up to 19°C (66°F) and lows around 10°C (50°F), with about 28 rainy days over the season.