Quito Ecuador is not a safe place. Let’s just get that out of the way. Out of all the places we’ve been in the world, Quito in February 2024 is by-far the place that we have felt the most “on-edge”.
And it’s not like we’ve been hanging out in New Zealand or Scandinavia! We’ve been to Nicaragua, Morocco, Cameroon, Colombia, Peru, etc … And Quito still felt very unsafe to us.
HOWEVER, despite its dangerous-ness, there is a lot to see in Quito. When we weren’t watching our backs to make sure thugs weren’t tailing us, we were in awe of the architecture and landscape of the city. Beautiful churches, scenic viewpoints, great food, and tons of history. Quito has it all.
We recommend you spend one day in the city to see all there is to see (there is a lot), then get the hell out to the spots that make Ecuador one of the most diverse and beautiful countries in the world.
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One Day in Quito Ecuador
This guide will take you through everything you need to know for Quito. First, let’s start with where to stay. After that we’ll go through the top 8 things to do in Quito.
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Where to Stay in Quito
There are two main neighborhoods in Quito where tourists tend to stay. La Mariscal and Centro Historico (Old Town). La Mariscal seems to be the safer of the two, and is about a 10-15 minute taxi ride to the Old Town. (which you are going to want to see during your 1 day in Quito, this is where all the history is)
A lot of hostels and hotels are located right in the Centro Historico as well. This is very convenient for exploring during the day, but you are not going to want to walk around here after dark. Quito is very dangerous at night.
👉 View all your options in Quito here!
Hostels in Quito
When it comes to hostels in Quito, there are basically 2 that everyone stays at.
🏨Secret Garden Hostel
This is the popping hostel of Quito. Music until 11 PM on the roof. Very social. Great restaurant. Tons of tours leaving from here. Kind of crowded, not many bathrooms per person which can be a big deal at times.
We had a private room with shared bathroom for $20. (good deal) For us, this hostel is too commercialized and we wouldn’t stay here again. Just too many people in a small area. For you, this may be perfect. If you’re a solo traveler looking for community, definitely stay here!
🏨Viajero Hostel
Good restaurant. Very walkable to Old Town. (more so than Secret Garden) New and modern. Tons of common areas to chill in. Tons of tours leaving from here as well. More personable and quieter, but still very nice facilities and great location. It all depends on what you’re looking for.
Mid-Range Hotel:
🏨 Casa Alquimia
We stayed here for two-nights and were blown away by how amazing this hotel was. First off, it is in a beautiful large building very close to the center. Huge rooms with tall ceilings. The place is very historic. The breakfast was included and was AMAZING. The staff were all super-friendly and helpful. And it’s locally owned by an Ecuadorian woman who helps you with literally everything you could ever need. For $51 per night. This hotel is located in the Centro Historico.
Near the Airport:
✈️ Wyndham Quito Airport
The Quito Airport is not close to Quito. It’s about a 45 minute drive into the city, or $25 – $30 taxi ride. If you are landing late at night (most flights) and want to stay near the airport, this is your spot. Free airport shuttle included with your stay. 5 minutes drive from the airport. I would stay here if I was flying into Quito, then flying straight to the Galapagos the next day.
Things to Do in Quito
Quito is the second-highest, decently-sized city in the world (9,350 ft / 2,850 m) after La Paz, and you will feel it when you get here. On top of the altitude, when you come to Quito one of the best things to do is climb even higher and visit the famous church (Basilica del Voto Nacional), which means you are going to be breathing heavily. Be ready for this.
1 – Climb the Basilica del Voto Nacional
The largest Neo-Gothic Basilica in the Americas.
If that doesn’t mean anything to you … it’s a MASSIVE church. It reminded me of St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. I’m not normally one for churches, but this one is HUGE and you can climb all the way up to the clock tower and get some impressive views of Quito. We paid $4 to climb up.
Once you’re inside the gates it’s very safe and secure, so you won’t have to worry about any security issues. You can take out your phone and camera with no worries here.
READ 👉 Pros & Cons to Living in Medellin 🇨🇴
2 – Free Walking Tour
We’re usually not ones for tours, but in Quito I would recommend it. Your guide will give you the low-down on all of the history in Quito (a lot of stuff) and show you the best spots. And you won’t have to be concerned for your safety as you’ll be with a group and with a local.
There’s one that leaves from Community Hostel in the Centro Historico every morning at 10:30 AM and afternoon at 2:30 PM.
🚗 We recommend to rent a car through Discover Cars. Book your rental car here!
3 – Visit El Panecillo aka “The Bread Roll”
The “bread roll” is a hill right in the middle of Quito overlooking the city. At the top of the hill there is a HUGE statue of the Virgin Mary. You can see it from anywhere in Quito. Legend has it that Simon Bolivar used this hill to get a 360 view of the city when he was liberating the area from the Spanish.
You could theoretically walk up to the top of the “Bread Roll” from the center of Quito, but you definitely should not do this in 2024. Basically everyone we met in Quito told us that we should definitely go to the top of the bread roll, but we definitely should not walk up there. The road to the top is very dangerous and there are a lot of robberies that happen in this area.
DON’T HIKE THE BREAD ROLL!
➡️ Read: Is Ecuador Safe to Visit in 2024? 🇪🇨
#4 – Walk Around Old Town
As long as you stay near the people in Quito’s Historic Center, and you watch your stuff (carefully), Centro Historico is a wonderful place to wander around for an hour or two. The churches and architecture here are truly amazing! If you are going to take your phone out for some pictures, be careful. We’ve heard stories of people’s phones snatched right out of their hands in broad daylight here.
READ 👉 8 Things to Do in Banos 🇪🇨
#5 – Visit El Mitad del Mundo
This is an official monument and museum marking where the Northern and Southern Hemispheres meet. Unfortunately the measurements done by the French back in the 1700’s were not quite correct, and the actual line is about 200 meters from here. Still, it’s a good spot to see for a day in Quito.
The site is about 45 minutes North of the city and can be reached by bus for a few dollars (less than $3) or by taxi for $15 – $20. There are also daily tours from Secret Garden Quito that are a great option if you don’t want to deal with the public bus.
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#6 – Ride the Teleferico Cable Car
The Teleferico takes you from the center of Quito WAY up into the mountains surrounding Quito. From here, there are other hikes you can do with amazing views of the city. Warning, it is COLD up here. Quito is already 9,350 ft / 2,850 m in altitude, and the Teleferico is going to take you up much higher. Be prepared.
Many people who ended up going to Cotopaxi said they went up the teleferico to begin their acclimation to high altitude. We recommend this as well if you plan on doing any hikes in Cotopaxi later on in your trip.
There’s plenty of other things to do up here as well. Have a coffee, go horseback riding, swing on some GIANT swings, …
SEE 👉 Secret Garden Cotopaxi – Ecuador’s Most Famous Hostel! 🦙
#7 – Parque Metropolitano
The largest green-space in the city. Home to hiking trails, bike paths, and cloud-forests. If you only have one day in Quito, this is probably not where you want to spend it, but it’s nice to remember there is peaceful green-space inside the concrete jungle of Quito.
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#8 – Day Trip to Any of the Amazing Sights You’re Not Already Going To
If you are just in Quito for a short-time before you jet off to the Galapagos, then you should definitely do some day trips to the famous spots. You can find the ones we would recommend below!
Cotopaxi National Park
This is one of the most iconic spots in Ecuador, and it’s only 30 miles from Quito. This can easily be explored from Quito in a day. Cotopaxi will not disappoint, trust me. There are a bunch of different tour options. Hike up then mountain bike down. Ride around the park on horseback.
🗻 Book your trip to Cotopaxi here!
Mindo
The diversity in Ecuador is crazy. Just 2 hours to the North of Quito you will find Ecuador’s cloud-forest, where you can hike, zip-line, take a chocolate tour, or go on a bird-watching expedition.
A cloud-forest is a special type of rainforest that you find at high-altitudes. If you’ve been to Monteverde in Costa Rica, Mindo is similar.
🦜 Book your trip to Mindo here!
Banos
The adventure capital of the world. Spend your time relaxing in geo-thermal water from the surrounding volcano with the locals. Visit Pailon del Diablo aka the most powerful waterfall I have ever seen in my life. Take a swing off “the end of the world”.
SEE 👉 Top 8 Things to Do in Banos
Lake Quilotoa
A crater lake formed hundreds of years ago when a volcano collapsed on itself. Similar to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. This is about 3 hours South of Quito.
If you have the time, one of the most popular things to do here is to trek around the whole lake. The trek usually takes 3-4 days and accommodation in hotels is easy to find as you hike through the surrounding villages. Highly recommend!
👉 Checkout this private, Quilotoa & Cotopaxi 1-day tour from Quito! 🇪🇨
Summary – 1 Day in Quito
Quito is very dangerous. Ideally explore the city with a group. Don’t take out valuables in public. Preferably don’t bring valuables out with you. Watch your stuff carefully.
There is a lot to see in Quito. The city is very historic, and very well preserved. Make sure you visit El Voto Nacional, Old Town, and the Teleferiquo. These are the top attractions in the city and they can definitely all be reached in 1 day.
The currency is US Dollars in Ecuador. If you go to the ATM, you will be given USD.
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We hope you enjoyed this guide to 1 Day in Quito. Stay safe out there.
