Post Last Modified – February 21, 2025 ¦ gr8traveltips.com
Certain products/services may have affiliate links where I may receive a commission.
There is no cost to you whatsoever.
The Best Of Quito Ecuador In 3 Days
On our recent visit to the City of Quito in Ecuador, we had the distinct pleasure of working with Quito Turismo {Tourism}.
We were able to experience …
The Best Of Quito, Ecuador In 3 Days
Together with a superb fully {Licensed Private Tour Guide}, we were able to see a vast number of; top tourist attractions, visit authentic Ecuadorian restaurants and unique neighborhoods in the city as well.
Many of the businesses we visited, are partners with {Quito Tourism} and come highly recommended, having met their strict criteria.
From; hotels, attractions, dining and more, Quito Tourism can put together the perfect itinerary, along with an officially licensed tour guide to show you the way.
Below, is a 3 day travel guide at our wonderful time spent in and around the city, prior to continuing on to the beautiful Galapagos Islands.
Quito Turismo – Mission Statement
Formed in 2010, Quito Turismo was created with the main purpose of developing tourist activity in the Metropolitan District of Quito.
“Develop and promote tourism in the Metropolitan District of Quito, in alliance with the tourism system, for the benefit of local, national and foreign visitors, tending to promote the best practices of quality, sustainability and innovation, and counting on specialized human talent.”
They strive to and are committed to provide the best tourist experience for visitors and its residents.
Quito Tourism welcomes visitors from all parts of the world and are eager to assist in planning the perfect stay for those visiting the city.
Quito Ecuador In 3 Days – Day 1
Having arrived late at night from the City of Vancouver in Canada, we were very happy we chose to spend our first night at the beautiful …
Wyndham Quito Airport Hotel.
Located just a few minutes from the airport, complete with complimentary;
24 hour airport shuttle service, it was an ideal hotel to stay at, after our tiring flights to Quito.
We had the pleasure of spending 3 wonderful days with our Licensed Tour Guide {Juan Mantilla}, who met us at the hotel the next morning to start our 3 day adventure.
Juan is an experienced guide who works in conjunction with Quito Tourism. He is very fluent in English and was extremely friendly and very knowledgeable about all the places we visited.
San Francisco Market {Fruit Tasting & Medicinal Cleansing}
A great way to start your tour of Quito is in the {Historic Center} of the city.
Our first visit and now more than 120 years old, this is one of the oldest markets in the city. With about 123 market stalls inside, you will find a variety of items to choose from. From a selection of; fresh vegetables, food items, a food court and special traditional cleansing stalls, are all located in this marketplace.
Visiting a traditional market in any new city, definitely gives you a feel and taste of the local way of life. We enjoyed our short visit, along with experiencing a medicinal cleansing.
Casa del Alabado Museum {Pre-Columbian Art Museum}
It was then on to visit one of the oldest buildings in the Historic Center of Quito.
It is believed this structure dates back to the end of the 16th Century.
This is an extraordinary museum, with a vast collection of over 5,000 pieces and artifacts having ceremonial or utilitarian purposes. These beautiful historic pieces were created in; ceramic, stone, shell, metal, textile and wood.
For lovers of history and museums, this is definitely a “Must See” attraction, when visiting the city.
Their official website can be viewed at …
Casa del Alabado
Hostal Masaya – Cooking Class
As a precursor to lunch, we had the pleasure of visiting and taking part in an authentic Ecuadorian cooking class.
We assisted 2 wonderful chef interns in preparing our lunch, later to be served in their public restaurant.
The class was super fun and the lunch was outstanding!
This ‘Altamira Gastronomic Experience’ Restaurant & Cooking class, comes highly recommended and rated by TripAdvisor.
This was our first ever cooking class and definitely not our last!
It was so much fun and one that should definitely be a part of your total; Quito and Ecuador local experience.
You can read more reviews and information on attending their classes and restaurant at their Tripadvisor link I’ve included.
Hostal Masaya TripAdvisor Reviews
La Compania Church
This beautiful historic church began construction back in 1605, taking a total of 160 years to complete. The temple is completely covered with sheets of gold leaf and its work of art contains volcanic stone.
It is definitely worth a visit inside to see the impressive temple built by artists of the; Quito School at that time.
Republica del Cacao Chocolate Museum
Renowned for its cacao, Ecuador is most definitely a hot spot for chocolate lovers. Visiting the historic center would not be complete, without a visit to the Cacao Chocolate Museum and store.
Check out the variety of chocolate brands and their individual strengths and then indulge in a smooth and rich hot chocolate, baked goods and/or ice cream.
This is also a great opportunity to purchase some real Ecuadorian chocolate to take home.
To complete the day before dinner, have your driver visit the {San Marcos Neighborhood}, for a look. A local hidden gem of a neighborhood, filled with; vendors, artists and artisans lining the sidewalks selling their wares.
La Purisima – Ecuadorian Restaurant
Located in the historic district, this quaint Ecuadorian restaurant is a perfect choice to sample true Ecuadorian cuisine.
It was a pleasure to dine here and to meet the owner and chef of this lovely restaurant. This restaurant is definitely worth dining at when visiting this part of the city. I have listed the restaurant’s official website below.
You can browse through their complete menu and make online reservations as well.
You will not be disappointed!
La Purisima
Quito Ecuador In 3 Days – Day 2
On Day 2 your day starts bright and early, as it’s time to head out of the city and explore some outstanding viewpoints and attractions.
Our guide {Juan} always bright and cheerful, was at our hotel at 07:30 am to begin our drive to the; Pululahua Volcano viewpoint.
It’s about one hour’s drive out of the city and our day was going to be filled from morning until evening once again.
Pululahua Viewpoint
A dormant volcano for thousands of years, today the crater is inhabited by farms and homes. The volcano is in the {Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve}, with a total of 13,000 hectares.
There’s an incredible eco system within, along with outdoor activities including; biking, hiking and camping. The view is outstanding from the Reserves viewpoint platform area.
We were so lucky the clouds moved along for us to view the crater and housing below.
After a nice stretch and opportunity to take some photos, we moved on to our next destination for a little bit of nature hiking.
Pahuma Orchidological Reserve
This part of Quito in the northwest region, is home to a number of exclusive plant species in this area only. In fact, there are over 270 species of orchids protected in this reserve and home to about 500 different species of birds.
There is a rugged trail from the parking lot that will eventually lead to waterfalls located in the cloud forest. It is a moderate to difficult trail to walk, so for those who may have a difficult time with this level of trail, I would not recommend the hike.
From the reserve, we continued on to visit the {Yunguilla Community} and where we enjoyed an amazing visit and lunch with the locals.
Yunguilla Conservation & Sustainable Use Community
This definitely was one of the main highlights of our 3 days touring in and around Quito. Getting out into the countryside and observing this complete self management sustainable community was incredible to witness.
Through community organization and environmental conservation, the community focuses on training others to utilize natural resources and live a completely self-sufficient lifestyle.
This community has been living and teaching their training processes successfully since 1995. The public is openly invited to stay and promote tourism in the community.
There is a variety of accommodations to choose from, along with a full dining hall on site.
How refreshing to see and witness first hand this beautiful part of Ecuador. For more detailed information on this organization and much more, I have added a link to their website for your convenience.
Yunguilla
Middle Of The World Monument
After a wonderful tour and lunch at the {Yunguilla Community}, we started our journey back towards the city with a stop at the very popular attraction known as the;
Middle Of The World Monument.
Here, you are at Latitude 0 and along with the monument, you will find a variety of; museums, traditional Ecuadorian dining options, artisan gifts and more.
A great stop for a stretch, take some photos and observe the inside of the monument after the drive back into the city proper.
As we head back into the city, there’s one last stop of the day before returning back to our hotel for the evening.
Casa del Agave Museum
This indoor and outdoor museum was created in honor of the agave culture. On site, is a unique
agave distillery, tasting room and store for purchase of their spirits.
Be sure to check out their website for tour information and a complete list of agave spirits
available for sale.
Casa del Agave
A great stop to learn more about the agave culture of the past.
Quito Ecuador In 3 Days – Day 3
Finishing off our 3 day tour, Juan arranged for pickup at our hotel after breakfast, at 08:45 am. Depending on your travel schedule, you can put together an itinerary that will suit you best, from recommendations I have personally listed here for you to consider.
Today, we begin back in the historic district with a visit and opportunity to take photos of San Francisco Square.
San Francisco Square
Located in the heart of the city’s historic district, San Francisco Square is one of the oldest and largest public squares in Quito. Surrounded by historic buildings and immense history, the square’s surface is made of volcanic stone.
Back in the Pre-Inca periods, this site was the main marketplace for its citizens.
It is also the home of the historic church and convent of San Francisco, dating back to the colonial period.
Today, the square is a very popular tourist site and popular shopping area for locals and visitors.
Fray Pedro Gocial Museum & Brewery
Also located close by in the historic district and a must visit for museum lovers, is the; Fray Pedro Gocial Museum & Brewery.
Here, you will view some absolutely incredible exhibits of {Quiteno Art} you will ever find. Witnessing these pieces of priceless artwork from centuries past, is incredible and not to be missed.
The museum also depicts the brewery once housed at this location and where you can still sit and enjoy specialty craft beer in their tasting room.
The museum is open daily 9am-5pm, and is located just off of San Francisco Square.
Quito Cable Car
After our visit to this museum, we hopped in Juan’s car and began our ascent up the mountainside to the very popular Quito Cable Car attraction.
This is definitely another highlight of our 3 day adventure and most certainly worth visiting. The views at the top of the mountain of Quito are stunning!
The ride up in the cable car takes about 10 minutes, reaching an altitude of 4,053 meters. From the top, you can climb even further up to another amazing viewpoint.
We could definitely feel the altitude as we slowly made our way to a popular viewpoint. Living at sea level back home in Canada, the altitude definitely affected our breathing at times and walking ability.
After our visit, it was time to head to a trendy traditional Ecuadorian restaurant for lunch. I’ve listed their official website where you can access much more information including; hours of operation, rates, activities and more.
Quito Cable Car
Aura Restaurant
In this trendy neighborhood restaurant, you will experience a tour of traditional flavors of Ecuador.
“Concina Con Alma” or Food For The Soul
For an upscale unique Ecuadorian dining experience for both lunch or dinner, prepared by the
restaurant’s very own renowned chef and owner, this restaurant is a perfect choice.
I’ve listed their official website for more information including; menu selections, reservation contact information and more.
Aura Restaurant
After our amazing tasting experience with the restaurant’s chef, it was time to walk off some calories and head to a few more trendy neighborhoods in the city.
Two popular areas include the; Floresta and Mariscal neighborhoods. This is a great way to see locals going about their daily lives and experience some history, culture and unique architecture in and around Quito.
Finishing off with a visit to the {Mariscal Artisanal Market} to do some shopping. There are vendors galore here, with some very unique items to purchase to take back home.
Completing our 3 day city and country tour, was another visit to a very popular family restaurant named – Achiote, which is located in the Mariscal district.
Achiote Restaurant
Just another wonderful Ecuadorian culinary experience, completing our wonderful days spent in Quito.
We always try to attend family run businesses wherever we travel to, in order to support and experience traditional cooking. This restaurant was another superb choice recommended by; Quito Tourism, and for very good reason.
Be sure to check out their website for reservation and contact information.
Achiote Ecuadorian Restaurant
There you have it, a look at a few very popular attractions, sites and restaurant recommendations to check out when visiting the incredible City of Quito, Ecuador.
Working in conjunction with Quito Tourism, their professionals will assist in putting together a tailor made itinerary perfect for you, along with their recommended partners.
I strongly suggest taking a {private guided tour}, with one of Quito’s experienced licensed travel guides.
These people undertake extensive university training, are very professional and experienced in their field.
Quito Tourism can assist in providing you with a licensed guide, as they did with us. You can access more complete detailed information on all of their associated partners, contact information and much more on their website I have listed below.
Be sure to check out the {Google Map} box at the bottom of this post for Quito’s exact location in Ecuador.
Quito Turismo
I Only Endorse Products/Services That Can Be Trusted & Verified &/Or That I’ve Personally Used!
Safe and Healthy Travels!
Although our visit was in collaboration with Quito Turismo, rest assured, all content and opinions are mine and reflect my personal views only.
All personal photographs on this post are the property of gr8traveltips.com and are copyright protected.
Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
Did You Know …
“The Official Name Of Quito Is – San Francisco de Quito.”
Join Me On Instagram For Travel Photos, Video’s & More!
Wyndham Quito Airport Hotel {Review}
Galapagos Islands Cruise {Review}
Benefits Of Booking With A Travel Agent
Don’t Forget It … Be Sure To Pin It!
© 2025, All Rights Reserved ¦ gr8traveltips.com
Източник за тази статия
Наши спонсори са:
Български трактори на добри цени при изключително качество
