Visiting Ecuador? Chances are your trip will start or end in Quito. Here’s a quick guide on how to spend one day in Quito Ecuador. 

For starters, we stayed at Hotel Reina Isabel. It was very affordable with large rooms, good WiFi, a central location and tasty breakfast. The rooms could be more updated, but I’m not sure how it compares to other places in Quito. For two nights, the price was right!

We also popped by The Secret Garden Hostel to take the shuttle bus to the Secret Garden Cotopaxi – my favorite part of our time in the mainland. If you are on a budget and looking to meet some friends, plus stay in a hip and central location – this might be a better choice. The rooftop has incredible views, and the breakfast looked delicious.

Places to visit if you have one day in Quito Ecuador  

• El TeleferiqO
• Mercado Central (Central Market Quito)
• Centro Storico (and Calle la Ronda) 
• Basilica del Voto Nacional 
• Parque El Ejido
• La Mariscal Artisan Market
• An Ecuadorian dinner

TeleferiqO

We arrived at the TeleferiqO by taxi at exactly 10 am on a Sunday. I’d recommend getting to TeleferiqO early. We took our return ride down around noon and the line was more than double the length to go up. At 10 am, we had already waited for about 40 minutes to go to the top. First, you buy your tickets at the ticket counter and then hop into a second line to queue for the cabins. Cost was $8 per person for non-Ecuadorians. Each cabin holds six people and the ride is estimated to take about 18 minutes, but this depends on the weather. For us, the ride was luckily much quicker. 

At the top, there’s a much expected gift shop, café and lookout area as well as a bathroom and a dog park. There’s a surprisingly large amount of people who bring their dogs up with them. Further along, you’ll find a trail where you can meander around the mountain. There’s also a small restaurant, some alpacas, horses and the option to go horseback riding. We simply walked and enjoyed the vistas, though the clouds were rolling in quickly. 

Tips for visiting the TelefreriqO

• To get toilet paper for the loo you need coins, so BYOTP or bring a coin. 
• Wear sneakers or hiking boots, the terrain is wet and muddy and your feet will get cold.  
• Go early and if you are with a second person, have one wait in the ticket line and the second in the queue for the cabins. 
• At the top, you reach more than 4,000 meters or about 13,000 feet above sea level. I didn’t experience any symptoms of altitude sickness, but it’s definitely possible.

Mercado Central Quito (Central Market)

After the TeleferiqO, I’d recommend visiting Mercado Central, or the Central Market for lunch. When we came out of the TeleferiqO, we caught a taxi for $8 to the Centro Storico. The taxi driver recommended Central Market over the Mercado San Roque and Mercando San Francisco. He said it was much larger and the best place for lunch. So of course, we put our trust in him and I am so happy we did. We browsed the stalls before deciding to split the corvina and the fritada. 

Now, if I had to choose one highlight in all of Quito, this meal would be it. The white fish, apparently a variety of sea bass native to Ecuadorian waters, was deep fried in a way that made it look like KFC. The coating was golden brown, crispy and light and the center was meaty, flaky and incredibly satisfying. As we ate, we both kept saying, “oh my God, this is so good”.. Probably because I initially thought I was getting chicken… what a surprise. The corvina was served with a shrimp ceviche, popcorn, a whole lime and I got mine with potatoes, though you can also choose rice, or both potatoes and rice. Total cost: $6. 

We also split the fritada with tortillas and mote. And honestly, this was really good too, but I just can’t stop thinking about that corvina. Cost: $3. 

All the stalls seem to sell similar dishes, but there are also a few standouts I chose to avoid. For example bille, which upon Googling, is a baked cow fetus, yes you read that correctly, tripes and bloods. I also skipped the fresh juices and smoothies to avoid drinking the water. Saved those for later in San Cristobal, Galapagos where the water is safe. 

Centro Storico

Next, a walk through the Centro Storico. We happened to be visiting during Carnaval, so the streets were crowded with local Ecuadorians enjoying the sun and spraying each other with a shaving cream type item out of long tall canisters. The kids were really loving it, and many adults too. During our stroll, we mostly followed the crowds to see where the action was, stumbling upon some markets, museums, traditional dancing, churches and large plazas.

Calle la Ronda

We were told that Calle la Ronda is a must-see, so we made sure to wander in that direction. We knew we had reached la Ronda when we saw the umbrellas hanging in the streets. Calle la Ronda was underwhelming. I understand that it is the best preserved street in all of Quito, but the street itself is very short, with a few tourist restaurants and little else. We spent all of one minute there before resting further along the road. 

Basílica del Voto Nacional

Our last stop in the Centro Storico was the Basilica del Voto Nacional. You can visit the Basilica for $2 and the towers for $4. The tickets must be purchased separately and some, if not all, of the proceeds go to restoration and running the Basilica itself. Apart from the corvina at Central Market, the towers at the Basilica were my second favorite part of Quito. 

I have visited many churches, so if I were to do it again, I would skip the main Basilica. There is a great cathedral in the back that you cannot see from the towers, but the main hall you can view from above during the towers tour too. 

Basilica del Voto towers

The Basilica del Voto is 16 floors high. During the tower visit, you can stop many times to enjoy each level. The scariest and best part was on the far end. If you have vertigo or fear of heights, beware! The steps are super narrow during this section and you’re in the open air when you’re in the spire. Getting down was the hardest part. 

Parque El Ejido

When we entered Parque El Ejido, we grabbed water and a mixed fruit cup from one of the local vendors. She smothered the top with honey and charged me just $1. A deal, and a great afternoon snack. We passed through the park, watching locals enjoy the day, passing a small craft market and on the far side, closer to Mariscal, many local artists set up. The art was rather impressive and we spent a while admiring it. Definitely the place to go if you like to pick up local art on your travels. The art stalls were by El Arco de la Circasiana. 

La Mariscal Artisan Market

Unless you are looking for some Ecuadorian souvenirs or gifts, you can skip La Mariscal Artisan Market. Stall after stall is filled with similar knick knacks, clothing and supposedly local artisan goods, though, I find this hard to believe. This market looks like any other market in any other part of the world.

An Ecuadorian dinner in Quito 

During our stay we had two dinners, both were relatively disappointing. The first was Miskay and the second, Achiote. The latter was certainly the better of the two. Prices were a bit higher, but only a bit. The servers were friendly and the restaurant was family run. The starters, yuca with cheese and green plantains also with cheese and covered with quinoa were my favorite parts of the meal. Mike had lamb stew and I had pork sous vide. The mote, tortilla and plantain sides were better than the meat itself. Overall, an okay, but unmemorable meal, the Central Market stole our hearts. 

Hope you enjoy your one day in Quito as much as we did!