Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Quito packs an unusual amount into a compact old town plus a scattering of nearby viewpoints, so most of this list fits into 2-3 focused days. Here are the 12 worth prioritizing. 1. Walk Plaza Grande and the Centro Histórico Start in Independence Square, ringed by the Carondelet Presidential Palace and the Cathedral, then wander the surrounding cobbled streets of the Centro Histórico, inscribed by UNESCO in its very first World Heritage cohort back in 1978.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Quito makes an easy base for the Ecuadorian highlands, since most of the region’s best sights sit within about 2 hours of the city. Here are the five that genuinely work as day trips, plus honest notes on two more that don’t.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Quito is Ecuador’s capital and the highest official capital city in South America, spread along a long Andean valley at roughly 2,850 meters. It pairs the best-preserved colonial old town in Latin America with a modern north side of parks, cafes, and glass towers, and it works as a base for volcanoes, cloud forest, and Andean markets that are all a day trip away.