The capital of Ecuador, Quito, boasts a gorgeous colonial old town at its heart, a blend of leafy plazas, baroque churches, illuminating museums, and several spectacular viewpoints. The city lies in the Andes, some 9,350ft (2,850m) above sea level, making it the second-highest capital city in the world after La Paz in Bolivia.
Neighborhoods in Quito
Quito runs north-south in a long strip between mountain ranges. The traditional heart of the city is the Centro Histórico (old town). Like many colonial Spanish enclaves, it features cobbled plazas, historic churches, monasteries, and multi-colored houses (it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It’s where you’ll spend most of your time. Until recently, there weren’t many hotels, and it can still be sketchy after dark despite the arrival of luxurious boutique hotels.
San Marcos (to the east) and San Roque (to the west) are charming sub-neighborhoods of the old town with unique character. To the north, beyond Parque La Alameda and Parque El Ejido, lies Centro Norte (Centre North), beginning with the “new town” of La Mariscal. Hotels at all budget levels, tourist services, numerous restaurants, and some of the city’s best bars pack this modern neighborhood. It’s a great place to stay even though there’s not much to see beyond the country’s top museum, Museo Nacional del Ecuador. Further north are the affluent residential and business districts of La Carolina and Iñaquito, home to posh malls, luxury hotels, and a few attractions associated with lush Parque La Carolina.
While it’s relatively easy to explore the Centro Histórico on foot, you’ll need to take public transport or taxis to get around the city. At night, you should only use legal taxis – hotels and restaurants can order them for you, and app-based services Uber, Cabify, and EasyTaxi are also generally safe to use. During the day, it’s also relatively safe and easy to use the Bus Rapid Transit systems (like Metrobús) traveling between the Centro Histórico, La Mariscal, and La Carolina on dedicated bus lanes. Regular buses can be confusing to use and are best avoided for non-Spanish speakers. Quito’s Metro system (see https://metrodequito.gob.ec) makes some journeys easier, especially between San Francisco (Centro Histórico), El Ejido (on the edge of La Mariscal), and La Carolina. Needless to say, renting a car to get around Quito is not a good idea unless you enjoy aggressive driving, congested roads, and bewildering one-way systems.
Safety in Quito
Quito is a very friendly, welcoming city, but you need to take care at night. It can be dangerous to wander alone in even the busiest neighborhoods, such as La Mariscal and the Centro Histórico. Always take official taxis at night, and never walk down empty streets or into parks. Pickpocketing and petty theft, especially around popular tourist destinations (and leaving the international airport), can be an issue, so don’t walk around with expensive objects. Robberies do occur sometimes on local buses – take the advice of your hotel when planning to use public transport. As a general rule, south Quito tends to post higher crime rates than neighborhoods in the north, but there’s not much reason to visit that part of the city. Do not walk up or down the Panecillo hill – take a taxi instead.
The Best Places to Stay in Quito
Best Luxury Hotels in Quito
Casa Gangotena • Casa Hotel Las Plazas • Hotel NH Collection Quito Royal • ILLA Experience Hotel • JW Marriott Quito
Best Boutique Hotels in Quito
Casa Anabela Hotel Boutique • Casa Ecuatreasures • Casa El Edén • Hotel Casona 1914 • Old Town Quito Suites • Villa Colonna Quito
Best Cheap & Mid-range Hotels in Quito
La Casa De La Nonna • Chakana Hotel Boutique • Hostal Victoria Quito • Hotel Casa Francisco • Traveller’s House
Best Hostels in Quito
Community Hostel • El Patio Hostel Quito • Quito Terrace
Best Places in Quito for…
Best Neighborhoods to Stay for First Timers/Sightseeing: Centro Histórico or La Mariscal
Most accommodations in Quito are in these two neighborhoods. Staying in the Centro Histórico is more convenient for exploring the old center (Plaza Grande, the cathedral, San Francisco church, Museo de la Ciudad), and La Mariscal is the best place for food and nightlife – it’s also more central for exploring the greater Quito area (Museo Nacional del Ecuador, Museo Abya Yala, Mindalae, the TelefériQo cable car and Parque La Carolina). It’s a bit safer at night.
Best Neighborhood for Couples: La Ronda (Centro Histórico)
La Ronda, located on the south side of the Centro Histórico, is an especially romantic part of the old city. Anchored by one long, cobbled street – Calle de la Ronda – it’s crammed with colonial buildings that have been converted into craft shops, galleries, bars, and restaurants, often with lush courtyards hidden behind street fronts. At night, the area comes alive, with buskers and street performers and lanterns lighting up flower-draped balconies. Cozy restaurants include Casa los Geranios, La Negra Mala, and La Rondalia, while La Casona de la Ronda boutique hotel is the best place to stay.
Best Neighborhood for Nightlife: La Mariscal
La Mariscal – the “New Town” – is the best place to go out at night in Quito, with most of the action on and around Plaza Foch. There are numerous bars and clubs around here, with a strangely high proportion of English- and Irish-style pubs: King’s Cross and Finn McCool’s are the best examples. For local craft beer, check out Cherusker Cervecerìa Artesanal Alemana. Bungalow 6 is a justly popular nightclub, though the best place for salsa is Salsoteca Lavoe, a bit further north in La Carolina.
Legally, all bars and clubs must close at midnight on weekdays and 2am on weekends (though this is not always enforced in practice).
Best Neighborhood for Food and Restaurants: La Floresta
There are decent restaurants scattered all over the city, but La Floresta – the eastern side of the “New Town” – has the best selection of excellent eateries. The best places for modern Ecuadorian cuisine are Casa Warmi and Urko. Vegetarians should check out Donde Gopal. For Japanese food, head to Osaka, and for Italian, try Floresta Pizza. Pastelería Hermanos Flores is locally celebrated for its cakes (especially vanilla and pineapple cakes), Botánica is perfect for coffee, and Paccari Casa de Experiencias serves tempting desserts using Paccari’s famous Ecuadorian chocolate. Most evenings, the Plaza de La Floresta is also a great place to try street food, including roast pork with fava beans, spicy chitlins, and “guatita” (tripe with peanut sauce and rice). Highly rated and more upscale restaurants, such as Chez Jérôme (French/Ecuadorian fusion), Nuema and Somos Ecuador (both contemporary Ecuadorian), and ZFood (seafood), are a short taxi ride north.
Best Neighborhood for Shopping: La Mariscal
You’ll find better bargains in the smaller market towns of the Andes. However, Quito can still be a good place to buy indigenous handicrafts (alpaca clothing, woven blankets, pottery, hats, and jewelry) and Ecuadorian chocolate. La Mariscal is the easiest place to shop overall, starting with the Mercado Artesanal La Mariscal, a craft market featuring over 100 stalls that sell a wide range of Ecuadorian arts and crafts. For higher-quality arts and crafts, visit the flagship store of Olga Fisch Folklore (it also doubles as a small museum) – it’s more expensive, but the clothes and jewelry are of a much higher standard, and you’ll also see unique, distinctive work here. Galería Latina (for handicrafts) and the Centro Comercial Artesanal Quitus (which has a bit of everything) are also worth checking out, while the indoor Mercado Santa Clara is crammed with stands selling fresh Ecuadorian fruits, herbs, and vegetables (the cooked food stalls serve excellent local lunches). At the north end of Parque El Ejido, local artists set up a craft market on Saturdays and Sundays.
Most of the mega-malls, with typical big-box stores and brands, are north of the city, including Centro Comercial Iñaquito, Centro Comercial El Jardín, and Quicentro in La Carolina.
Best Neighborhood for Local Vibe/ to get off the Beaten Path: Guápulo
Few tourists venture into this atmospheric village-like neighborhood to the east of La Mariscal, its windy streets lined with traditional homes set on steep slopes. There’s not much to see other than the 17th-century Iglesía de Guápulo and a handful of spectacular viewpoints. Still, it’s home to an artsy, bohemian community and a handful of laidback cafés and restaurants.
Best Neighborhood for Families: La Carolina
When traveling with kids, there’s no reason you can’t have a safe and fun stay in the more central neighborhoods of Quito, but the northern neighborhoods, especially La Carolina, tend to be quieter at night and a lot safer. This is where you’ll find family-friendly hotels like Hampton Quito La Carolina Park, Le Parc, Sheraton Quito Hotel and the Wyndham Garden Quito, modern shopping malls, and the lush expanse of Parque La Carolina itself, one of the city’s best-maintained parks. You can also visit the natural history exhibits at the National Institute of Biodiversity, the dinosaur museum, the Vivarium (reptile house), and the Quito Botanical Gardens. The amusements at Vulqano Park (best suited for younger kids) are conveniently located close to the panoramic TelefériQo cable car.
Best Neighborhoods to Stay on a Budget: La Mariscal or La Ronda
Quito is well-served by hostels, most of which are of good quality. However, cheap hotels can be hit-and-miss. In the La Ronda section of the Centro Histórico, you’ll find the excellent Viajero Quito Hostel and budget Hostal Carlos Luis and Hostal Puerta del Sol – it’s an exceptionally charming area, just beyond the busier main streets of the old town. La Mariscal is the central backpacker enclave, with the best bars and plenty of restaurants – it also boasts some of the best hostels (like El Patio and Quito Terrace).
The Best Places in Quito for Tourists
Centro Histórico
Visitors spend most of their time in the Centro Histórico, the historic heart of Quito, dating back to the Spanish colonial era. It’s one of Latin America’s best-preserved historic quarters, full of narrow, cobbled alleys, weathered baroque churches, grand old theaters, and townhouses redolent of Spain’s golden age. Three elegant squares anchor the district: Plaza Grande (home to the 16th-century cathedral, Palacio de Gobierno/presidential palace, Archbishop’s Palace, and Palacio Municipal/City Hall); Plaza Santo Domingo; and cobbled Plaza San Francisco, home to the impressive San Francisco church. You could spend a week here; there’s so much to see and explore. The most beautiful churches are the blue-domed El Sagrario, the incredibly ornate La Compañía, the opulent La Merced, and the grand San Agustín. The best museums in Quito include the Museo Alberto Mena Caamaño, which focuses on Ecuador’s struggle for independence; the Museo de la Ciudad, which charts the city’s history; and the Museo Camilo Egas, showcasing the art of Camilo Egas (1889–1962), one of Ecuador’s most respected painters. The artfully preserved Casa de María Augusta Urrutia is a prime example of a 19th-century townhouse, offering a glimpse into upper-class Ecuadorian life of the time. It’s also worth spending time in the micro-neighborhood of La Ronda, with its winding main drag (Calle La Ronda) one of the most atmospheric in the city, lined with bars, cafés, and craft shops (it’s also a fun place in the evenings). With more time, you could check out the Basílica del Voto Nacional north of the old town, the tallest church in Ecuador, and the stylish Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, the city’s modern art exhibition center.
It’s worth taking a taxi up to the summit of El Panecillo, just south of the old town, for its magnificent panorama over the city and to admire its 100-foot aluminum statue of the Virgin Mary. The summit is safe during the day, but avoid walking up or down the slopes and stay away from it completely at night.
The Centro Histórico is crammed with gorgeous boutique hotels, but there’s also a good choice of mid-range places and hostels.
The Best Hotels in the Centro Histórico
Adamas House Hotel • Casa Anabela Hotel Boutique • Casa Ecuatreasures • Casa El Edén • Casa Hotel Las Plazas • Hotel Casona 1914 • Old Town Quito Suites • Villa Colonna Quito • Vista del Angel Hotel Boutique
Best Cheap/Midrange Hotels:
Casa CarpeDM • Chakana Hotel Boutique • Hostal Carlos Luis • Hostal Puerta del Sol • Hostal Victoria Quito • Hotel Casa Francisco • La Rosario • Traveller’s House
Best Hostels:
Colonial House Inn • Hostel Revolution • Secret Garden • Viajero Quito Hostel
San Marcos
This less-visited sub-district of the Centro Histórico lies on the east side of the city, anchored by Junín Street. It runs from the excellent Museo Manuela Sáenz, dedicated to the revolutionary heroine and partner of independence hero Simón Bolívar, past the enlightening Museo Archivo de Arquitectura del Ecuador (highlighting the city’s architecture) and the free art galleries at the Muñoz Mariño Museo, to garden-like Parque San Marcos and numerous cafés and shops.
On the hillside to the east of San Marcos lies the Itchimbía Centro Cultural, an iron and glass 19th-century market hall beautifully converted into art galleries (it was moved up here from the old town). It’s another superb spot to take in the city.
The Best Hotels in San Marcos
Casa San Marcos • Friends Hotel & Rooftop • ILLA Experience Hotel
Best Cheap/Midrange Hotels:
Hotel Colonial San Agustin • Hotel La Cierva de San Marcos • Junin Colonial Guesthouse
Best Hostel:
Community Hostel
Travel Tips
• Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport is around 11 miles (18km) east of the city in Tababela. Nonstop flights usually serve the airport from Miami (American Airlines and LATAM), New York and Orlando (Avianca), Atlanta (Delta), Fort Lauderdale (JetBlue), and Houston (United), as well as destinations all over Latin America; the main European hubs are Madrid (Air Europa and Iberia) and Amsterdam (KLM). Otherwise, you’ll probably be routed through one of the US cities. Some buses shuttle into the city, but it’s much easier to get a taxi, especially if you have heavy luggage (you should avoid dragging luggage around on the streets). Most taxi rides will be under $35.
• There’s not much point in staying at the airport, but if you are arriving very late (or leaving very early), Wyndham Quito Airport is by far the best and most convenient option. The Holiday Inn Quito Airport is also a good option, but it is a bit further away.
• Though the bigger hotels and tour companies have English speakers, don’t expect everyone to understand you in Quito (though staff at museums, major restaurants, and tourist sites will speak a bit, especially younger people) – try to learn a few words of Spanish.
• Not many visitors rent bikes to tour Quito solo, but outfits like Quito Bike Tours (https://www.quitobiketours.com) offer fun guided tours throughout the city and into the surrounding Andes.
• Free wi-fi is available at Quito Airport (though in practice near the departure gates only) and in the city, thanks to over 1,000 hot spots installed by the city government (https://zonales.quito.gob.ec).
• The main tourist office is on Plaza Grande in the old center. The city’s official tourism website is https://visitquito.ec.
• Conveniently for US visitors, the official currency of Ecuador is the US dollar (though the country does issue centavo coins instead of using US coins).
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