Quito Travel Tips for First-Timers
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A little planning goes a long way in Quito, mostly around altitude, currency, and getting around safely. Here’s what actually matters for a first visit.
Before you go: Ecuador in 2026. Quito is a welcoming US Level 2 city, well away from the coastal areas that most travel advisories flag. Ecuador is under a national state-of-exception declaration in 2026 that currently covers Quito’s province, though there’s no curfew in place. The practical takeaway is ordinary big-capital street smarts, plus one specific habit: only use licensed orange-plate taxis or an app like Uber, Cabify, or inDrive, never an unmarked street taxi, to avoid so-called “express kidnapping.” Check your own government’s current advisory before you fly, since conditions shift.
Altitude works backward here
Quito sits at roughly 2,850 meters, but the airport is actually lower, around 2,400 meters, so you ascend into the city rather than descend. Take your first day easy, drink more water than usual, and go light on alcohol until you’ve adjusted. Soroche (altitude sickness) is real here but generally milder than in La Paz or Cusco.
Money
Ecuador uses the US dollar as its official currency, so there’s no exchange rate to think about for US travelers. One quirk: Ecuadorian centavo coins circulate alongside US coins here but are worthless the moment you leave the country, so spend them down before you go. Bring smaller bills, since larger ones can be hard to break at smaller vendors.
Entry requirements
US, UK, EU, Canadian, and Australian passport holders get a visa-free 90-day stamp on arrival. The yellow-fever vaccination certificate requirement was dropped entirely in August 2025; it’s still medically recommended if you’re continuing to the Amazon, but it’s no longer required for entry, and never was for the Galápagos.
Getting around
The Quito Metro’s Line 1, which opened in 2023, plus the Trolebús and Ecovía bus corridors, cover most of the city well. For anything else, use only licensed orange-plate taxis or a ride-hailing app rather than flagging a car off the street.
Specific safety notes
El Panecillo hill has real mugging history on the walk up, so taxi to the top instead; the summit itself is safe and patrolled. La Mariscal and Plaza Foch are fine by day but see real muggings and drink-spiking with scopolamine at night, so always taxi home from there. La Ronda’s main street is safe with its usual evening crowds, just avoid wandering its darker side alleys after dark. Tap water isn’t potable, so stick to bottled or filtered.
Culture
Ecuador is majority Catholic with a strong Andean-syncretic and Indigenous Kichwa presence, especially visible in the highlands around Quito. Same-sex marriage has been legal since 2019, and Quito is broadly comfortable for LGBTQ+ travelers, more so than rural areas outside the city.
For the full overview of what to actually do with your time here, see the Quito travel guide .