Our month-long journey through Ecuador begins with a whirlwind tour of the capital…Quito! Join us as we explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site from historic churches to markets to the center of the world…
Quito in 12 hours
- 9:00AM Breakfast at La Casona de la Ronda Hotel
- 10:30AM Plaza Grande/Independence Square
- 11:00AM San Francisco Church
- 11:30AM La Compania de Jesus Church
- 12:30pm San Francisco Market
- 1:00PM Strolling the shops of the Centro Historico
- 1:30PM Ecuadorian cooking class at Plaza Grande Hotel
- 2:00PM Lunch at Cafe Plaza Grande
- 3:00PM Basilica del Voto National Church
- 4:00PM Monument of Mitad del Mundo
- 4:30PM Intiñan Equator Museum
- 6:00PM La Ronda Street for Cocktails & Music
- 7:30PM Visit the Panecillo Vista Point
- 8:00PM Dinner at Pim’s Panecillo
Quito Fast Facts:
- 2.6 million people live in Quito, making it the second biggest city in a country of 15 million
- Quito is the second highest capital in the world, at 9,186 feet (that’s nearly two miles above sea level)
- Quito is said to mean “Place of the Sun” in the indigenous Quitu-Caras language
- The city lies on the slopes of an active volcano
- The equatorial line is 17 miles north of downtown
- You weigh 0.5% less standing on the equator, due to a weaker gravitational pull
- The US Dollar is the official currency across the country
- First city to be named a UNESCO Heritage site; the historic center hasn’t been touched since its induction in 1978 and making its colonial buildings some of the best preserved in the Americas
Honestly, you two amaze. Now Ecuador. Anne – you look gorgeous in the grande square; love the video that brings the viewer right into the city to see it’s Inca heritage, colonial roots, and beautiful buildings and voluptuous marketplace. Thank you for taking your followers around the world and teaching us all how to travel.
Peggy Healy
Ahhh thanks for your lovely note, Peggy. We are so thrilled we could provide a little inspiration–especially for a world traveler like you. Quito is fabulous, have you been?
Nice! Have a grand time, it already looks amazing 🙂
Thanks so much! Quito was fantastic and a place we are excited to use as a hub for our month here. Next up the Galapagos: https://www.honeytrek.com/galapagos-ecuador/
Hi, I think that its great your journal but you missed the best place of adventure in QUITO, the NayĂłn Xtreme Valley adventure park its a place that you cannot forget to visit because is the complement of the culture of the center and the half of the world, Quito is a beautiful city but if you don’t experience the adrenaline of the city its not complete. The next time you visit this amazing city don’t forget to do it. Good luck guys and go on!
Great video guys! We made it to Ecuador but only had a layover in Quito….sad I know! You sure got a lot covered in a day. I have a love/hate relationship with the USD is the currency of a another country….You agree?
Thanks for such a great video tour of Quito! I would love to get there to see La Campania de Jesus Church – I’m a huge architecture nut so historical buildings totally do it for me! We actually did spend some time in Ecuador recently though headed straight for the Galapagos so you’ve inspired us to head back and spend some time really discovering the mainland. Thanks!
An Amazon boat tour is one of our bucket list adventures! Come to think of it so is scuba diving at the Galapagos Islands!! Fab video, thanks for the visual tour!
Thanks for the excellent guide to Quito. We are heading there later this year and will definitely check out some of your tips. Had no idea it was the second highest capital in the world, that’s crazy cool.
Glad you liked the guide. Quito was such a wonderful city, so full of history and beautiful architecture!