What to do in Quito
Explore Old Town, Quito
Start in the main square, and pick a church or two to explore. These are particularly convenient if it starts to hail!
Learn about and taste chocolate at Indemini Baez
The gothic Cathedral with the tall spire you can climb seems awesome, but we didn’t wind up making it there
At night, head to La Ronda for some live music, ranging from singer songwriter chill to full on discoteca
Go to a market, such as Mercado Artesanal La Mariscal
We bought one of our favorite pieces of art here - a small, handmade, wooden facade of a house. I’m looking at it as I write this!
Walk around La Floresta
Casa Warmi is a really cute restaurant for breakfast or brunch in this district
Go to the Guayasamin Museum & La Capilla
But don’t stick around the area after 6pm when the sun goes down (any time of year - it’s the equator after all!). We’re not inventing this - the owner of a cafe we went to in a gated building after 6 asked us 3+ times if we had a cab picking us up, and warned us that it was not safe to walk around this area at night.
Ride El TeleferiQo and (optional) climb Ruca Pichincha
Get some great coffee - it’s everywhere!
Otavalo and Laguna Cuicocha are a great day trip from Quito!
I recommend getting a private tour with a driver. It won’t be terribly expensive, and it will be SO much easier than doing it yourself. We got to make a bunch of fun stops that we would have certainly missed otherwise, including trying Bizcochos, eating lunch at a colonial Hacienda, and seeing a couple of small towns near Otavalo’s market.