With kids · Quito · Ecuador
Quito with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Quito works for families who plan around the altitude: start gently, keep children hydrated and choose a mix of short Old Town visits, parks and hands-on museums. The equator monument and the TelefériQo are favourites with children. Top picks: Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, TelefériQo and Parque La Carolina and Jardín Botánico. Families usually base themselves in La Carolina.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 5
- Best area for families
- La Carolina
- Rainy-day options
- 2
- Busiest months
- July–August
Best things to do with kids
Landmark · San Antonio de Pichincha
1.Ciudad Mitad del Mundo
About 25 km north of the centre, a 30-metre monument marks the equator line calculated by the French Geodesic Mission in the 18th century, surrounded by a park of museums, shops and restaurants. GPS shows the true equator lies a few hundred metres away; the small Intiñan museum nearby makes a playful show of equator experiments.
Combine it with the Pululahua crater viewpoint, a few kilometres away, and go in the morning before the clouds settle.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Kids
- Photo spot
- History
Viewpoint · Pichincha slopes
2.TelefériQo
One of the highest passenger cable cars in the world carries gondolas from the western edge of the city up to Cruz Loma, at about 3,950 metres on the slopes of Pichincha. From the top there are views over the whole valley and, on clear mornings, Cotopaxi and other volcanoes; trails continue towards Rucu Pichincha for acclimatised hikers.
Go early, as clouds usually build by midday, and bring a warm jacket; spend a day or two in Quito first to acclimatise.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Iconic
- Outdoors
- Active
- Kids
Park · La Carolina
3.Parque La Carolina and Jardín Botánico
The city's main central park stretches for over a kilometre between Avenida Amazonas and Avenida de los Shyris, with paddle boats, playgrounds, sports courts and weekend food stalls. The Jardín Botánico de Quito inside it has orchid and bromeliad greenhouses and gardens representing Ecuador's ecosystems.
Visit the orchid greenhouse in the botanical garden, then rent a paddle boat on the lake with children.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Free
Museum · San Juan
4.Yaku Parque Museo del Agua
Built around Quito's old water-storage tanks on a hillside above the Old Town, this museum explains water and the environment through hands-on exhibits, fountains and outdoor play areas. Children enjoy the interactive displays, and the terraces look out over the colonial centre.
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
5.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.
Visit it early in an Old Town day to put the churches and plazas in context.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Rainy-day ideas
- Yaku Parque Museo del Agua — Pair it with the Basílica del Voto Nacional, a short taxi ride or a steep walk below.
- Museo de la Ciudad — Visit it early in an Old Town day to put the churches and plazas in context.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for families, luxury, shopping and first-timers
La Carolina
The financial district around Parque La Carolina has international hotel chains, the Quicentro and El Jardín shopping centres and many mid-range restaurants. The park itself has a botanical garden, paddle boats and sports fields, and the La Carolina and Iñaquito Metro stations make it easy to reach the Old Town.
- Good
- Modern hotels and services; Park for children; Metro to the Old Town
- Watch out
- Commercial, less character; Heavy traffic on main avenues
- Nearby
- Parque La Carolina, Jardín Botánico de Quito, Quicentro Shopping
Family travel tips
- Allow a quiet first day for everyone to adjust to the altitude, and watch for headaches or tiredness.
- Sunscreen, hats and water bottles are essential; the equatorial sun burns quickly even on cool days.
- Strollers struggle on the Old Town's steep cobbles; a baby carrier is easier.
- Mindo's butterfly gardens and cable car make a good family day trip at lower altitude.
- Taxis are cheap and the easiest way to move a family between the Old Town and the north.
Day trips for families
- 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.
- Papallacta hot springs (About 1.5 hours by road) — Thermal pools at around 3,300 metres on the eastern side of the Andes, fed by volcanic springs and surrounded by misty páramo hills.
- Pululahua crater (About 1 hour by road) — One of the few inhabited volcanic craters in the world, with farms on its floor.
When to go with children
The best months overall are June–September. July–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Quito good for kids?
Quito works for families who plan around the altitude: start gently, keep children hydrated and choose a mix of short Old Town visits, parks and hands-on museums. The equator monument and the TelefériQo are favourites with children.
+What can kids do in Quito?
Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, TelefériQo, Parque La Carolina and Jardín Botánico, Yaku Parque Museo del Agua and Museo de la Ciudad.
+Where should families stay in Quito?
La Carolina: Business hotels, malls and the city's biggest central park.