Ecuador's Andes pack a lot into one trip: the gold-leaf churches of Quito, whose old town was on UNESCO's first World Heritage list, a cable car onto the slopes of Pichincha, the equator monument, the textile market of Otavalo, and Cuenca's cathedrals, Panama hat workshops and páramo lagoons. Otavalo is about 2 hours north of Quito by bus, and Cuenca is a flight of about 55 minutes south.
This page starts with our ranked picks for a first trip, best first, each with a practical tip on timing, safety or booking. Below them you will find every sight we cover in Quito and Cuenca, with opening notes and checked entry fees where we have them, followed by answers to common planning questions.
The 17 best things to do in Ecuador
Ticket and tour links search Tiqets in a new tab. TravPa earns a commission if you book; your price stays the same.
- 1Quito
Walk Quito's old town from Plaza Grande
Quito was founded by the Spanish in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city, and in 1978 its historic center was on UNESCO's first World Heritage list, one of the most extensive and best preserved in Spanish America. Start in Plaza Grande, also called Plaza de la Independencia, the civic heart of the city. Around it stand the Carondelet Palace, seat of the presidency, the Metropolitan Cathedral, where independence hero Antonio José de Sucre is buried, the Archbishop's Palace and the Municipal Palace. From here La Compañía, Plaza San Francisco and La Ronda are all a short walk away. The Metro's San Francisco station drops you in the historic center, and the rest is on foot.
Tip: Pick up maps and walking routes at the Tienda Quito tourist point inside the Municipal Palace before you set off, and wear shoes with grip, since the sloping streets get slippery in the rain.
Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, Ecuador Travel (ecuador.travel); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (official); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec)Free to visit - 2Quito
See the gold-leaf interior of La Compañía
The Church of the Society of Jesus was built by the Jesuits and artists of the Quito School between 1605 and 1765, and it is one of the finest examples of the Baroque school of Quito, a blend of Spanish, Italian, Moorish, Flemish and Indigenous art. The facade is carved from volcanic stone, and inside, the walls, altars and vaults are covered almost entirely in gold leaf, worked in geometric Moorish patterns with Indigenous symbols woven into the religious art. Look for the side altars and the painted vaults that tell stories of the Bible and of the Jesuit order. It stands in the historic center, an easy walk from Plaza Grande.
Tip: Guided tours start regularly, so ask at the entrance when the next one begins, then take a seat on a bench and look up at the painted vaults.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Quito Turismo listing, read through the site's WordPress REST API (wp-json/wp/v2/at_biz_dir) because the listing page renders client side; UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (official); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (official); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (official)$[fee] - 3Quito
Stand on the equator at Ciudad Mitad del Mundo
About 30 minutes north of central Quito, Ciudad Mitad del Mundo sits on latitude 0, the line that divides the planet into the northern and southern hemispheres. The central monument, topped by a bronze sphere, is where everyone takes the classic photo with one foot in each hemisphere. Around it, the complex holds 19 attractions on Ecuadorian history, culture and tradition, including an ethnographic museum, the Cacao Experience and a planetarium, and museums on the 18th-century French geodesic expedition and Quito's place in the history of science. Craft shops, cultural shows and places to eat round out a visit.
Tip: Go in the dry months from June to September if you can, when Quito's tourism board rates conditions ideal for the trip north.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Quito Turismo listing, read through the site's WordPress REST API (wp-json/wp/v2/at_biz_dir) because the listing page renders client side; Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (official); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec)$[fee] - 4Quito
Ride the TelefériQo up the slopes of Pichincha
Opened in 2005, the TelefériQo climbs the slopes of Rucu Pichincha from 3,117 m to Cruz Loma at 3,947 m, one of the highest cable cars in South America. The 2.5 km ride takes about 18 minutes and passes from eucalyptus woods into Andean páramo of grasses and chuquiragua shrubs. From the viewpoints at the top you look straight down on the long city, and on a clear day across a chain of volcanoes from Cayambe to Cotopaxi and Antisana. It is cold at the top, as low as 6°C in the daytime, with a steady wind. Take a taxi to the base station, reached from Avenida Occidental.
Tip: Go early in the morning for clearer skies, give yourself a day or two in Quito before riding up, and leave the hike to Rucu Pichincha's summit to people going with an accredited guide.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: TelefériQo Quito (official); TelefériQo Quito; TelefériQo Quito (official); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (official); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (official); UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeAdult, single rate: $9 · Pay at the base stationLast verified
- 5Otavalo
Browse the textiles of Otavalo's Plaza de los Ponchos
Otavalo, 90 km north of Quito in Imbabura province, is home to the Kichwa Otavalo people, known for their weaving, and its Plaza de los Ponchos is one of the largest open-air craft markets in Latin America. The market dates to 1870, and its current structure was designed in 1972. Stalls sell embroidered blouses, ponchos of sheep and alpaca wool, tapestries, scarves, hammocks and alpargata sandals, much of it woven by families in nearby villages. The plaza trades every day, but on Wednesdays and Saturdays about 3,000 traders fill it and spill into the surrounding streets. Buses leave daily from Quito's northern Carcelén terminal and take about 2 hours.
Tip: Go on a Saturday or Wednesday for the full market, and expect to bargain politely, since haggling is part of buying here.
Sources: Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, Ecuador Travel (ecuador.travel); Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, Ecuador Travel (ecuador.travel); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec)Pay as you go - 6Quito
Climb the towers of the Basílica del Voto Nacional
The Basílica del Voto Nacional is one of the largest neo-Gothic buildings in Latin America, designed by the French architect Emilio Tarlier, with construction begun in 1892. Look up at the facade and you will see that its gargoyles are not dragons but Ecuadorian animals. Inside, stained glass windows light the nave, but the real draw is the climb: narrow spiral stairs and wooden walkways lead up into the towers to platforms with views over the whole historic center, El Panecillo and, on clear days, snow-capped volcanoes. Its silhouette dominates the northern skyline of the old town.
Tip: Go early to beat the crowds on the stairs, wear comfortable shoes, and skip the upper walkways if you are uneasy with heights, since the steps are steep and narrow.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Quito Turismo listing, read through the site's WordPress REST API (wp-json/wp/v2/at_biz_dir) because the listing page renders client side; Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (official); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (official)$[fee] for the towers - 7Quito
Tour the cloisters of San Francisco Church and Convent
Begun in the 16th century, soon after the city's founding, the San Francisco complex of church, chapels and convent covers almost two city blocks on its own wide stone plaza. Its Mudéjar cloisters, coffered ceilings and gilded main altar hold one of the great collections of Quito School art, including the Winged Virgin of Quito sculpted by Bernardo de Legarda, which later inspired the statue on El Panecillo. The convent museum shows religious paintings, sculpture and objects from the Franciscan library, and the courtyard with its fountains is one of the calmest spots in the old town. The Metro's San Francisco station serves the historic center.
Tip: Ask at the museum entrance about guided visits, and climb to the convent's internal viewpoints when they are open for a view across the old town's rooftops.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Quito Turismo listing, read through the site's WordPress REST API (wp-json/wp/v2/at_biz_dir) because the listing page renders client side; UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (official); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec)$[fee] for the convent museum - 8Cuenca
Explore Cuenca's center around Parque Calderón
Cuenca, in a valley of the southern Andes watered by four rivers, was built on the remains of the Inca city of Tomebamba, and its historic center joined UNESCO's list in 1999. The town still keeps the orthogonal street plan it has followed for over 400 years. Its main square, Parque Abdón Calderón, gathers the town hall, the Governor's Office, the Law Courts and two cathedrals facing each other across the park: the Old Cathedral and the New Cathedral, begun in 1885. Many houses were remodeled in the 19th century, when Cuenca grew rich exporting quinine and straw hats. Flights from Quito take about 55 minutes.
Tip: Have a meal at Casa del Parque, the food hall facing the park, and save room for ice cream from the shop at the corner of Bolívar and Benigno Malo.
Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, Ecuador Travel (ecuador.travel); Corporación Aeroportuaria de Cuenca; Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, Ecuador Travel (ecuador.travel); Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, Ecuador Travel (official)Free to visit - 9Cuenca
Hike the páramo around Laguna Toreadora in Cajas
Cajas National Park, protected since 1977 and a national park since 1996, covers 28,544 hectares of high Andean páramo above Cuenca, scattered with more than 230 lagoons. Its name may come from the Quechua word for cold. It is a Ramsar wetland of international importance and the core of UNESCO's Macizo del Cajas Biosphere Reserve. The Toreadora sector, reached on the paved main road through the park, has a visitor center, an interpretation center, a restaurant, signposted trails and a viewpoint over the lagoon, one of the park's best photo spots. Every visitor must register at a control office before setting out, and a half-day walk here is the classic trip from Cuenca.
Tip: Start early, because the park asks you not to begin or continue hikes after 4 PM, when thick fog and cold set in, and bring warm waterproof layers, gloves and sun protection.
Search tours on TiqetsSources: ETAPA EP, Municipality of Cuenca (manager of Cajas National Park); ETAPA EP, Municipality of Cuenca (manager of Cajas National Park); ETAPA EP, Municipality of Cuenca (manager of Cajas National Park); Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, Ecuador Travel (ecuador.travel)Free to visit; register at the control post - 10Quito
Spend an evening on La Ronda
La Ronda is a narrow cobbled street in the lower part of the historic center, lined with restored colonial houses, flower-filled balconies and lanterns. By day its workshops show traditional crafts: weavers at their looms, makers of wooden spinning tops and toys, and ice cream shops churning flavors from Andean fruits like naranjilla, taxo and blackberry. As evening comes, restaurants open their patios and the houses fill with live Ecuadorian music, from pasillos and albazos to newer fusions, plus small theater shows and poetry readings. Quito's tourism board suggests setting aside 3 to 4 hours, and the street is an easy walk from Plaza Grande.
Tip: Arrive in the afternoon for the workshops and stay for the music, then get there and back by registered taxi or app and keep to the busy, well-lit stretch of the street.
Sources: Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (official)Pay as you go - 11Cuenca
Learn how Panama hats are made at Homero Ortega
The toquilla straw hat, sold worldwide as the Panama hat, is made in Ecuador, and UNESCO added its traditional weaving to its list of intangible heritage in 2012. Weaving spread to Azuay and Cañar provinces from 1835, and Cuenca became a hat-exporting center. Each hat is woven by hand in a circle over a mold, and a superfine one can take up to four months; finishing houses then wash, bleach, press and band them. The Homero Ortega factory museum, on Avenida Gil Ramírez Dávalos, walks you through the hat's history and making in three rooms inside a working factory, so you see the process up close.
Tip: Guided visits in English run on weekday mornings and afternoons, while Saturday and Sunday visits are in Spanish only, so plan a weekday if you want the English tour.
Search tours on TiqetsSources: Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, Ecuador Travel (ecuador.travel); Homero Ortega Panama Hats; UNESCO World Heritage CentreFree guided visits - 12Quito
Watch the city lights from El Panecillo
El Panecillo, the little bread loaf, is the hill that rises about 200 m above the historic center. On top stands the Virgin of Quito, a 45 m aluminum statue made by the Spanish artist Agustín de la Herrán Matorras in 1976 and modeled on Bernardo de Legarda's 18th-century winged Virgin, shown standing on a serpent. The hill was a ceremonial site long before the Spanish arrived. From the viewpoint around the base you see the whole elongated city, from the northern districts to the southern valleys, with volcanoes behind, and a small museum inside the base tells the story of the statue.
Tip: Go by taxi or app ride, or on an organized tour, and do not walk up or down the slopes, especially in the evening.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (official); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec)$[fee] - 13Quito
See pre-Columbian art at Casa del Alabado
Casa del Alabado is a museum of pre-Columbian art on Calle Cuenca, between Bolívar and Rocafuerte, in the historic center. Its collection of about 5,000 archaeological pieces shows the art of the ancient cultures of what is now Ecuador, among them Valdivia, Chorrera and Jama Coaque, made long before the Spanish arrived. It is a good counterweight to a day of colonial churches, and a dry refuge on a rainy afternoon. The museum has ramps and a lift, and the San Francisco Metro station is about 3 minutes away on foot.
Tip: Plan your visit from Wednesday to Sunday, since on Mondays and Tuesdays the museum opens only by reservation by email.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Museo de Arte Precolombino Casa del Alabado; Quito Turismo listing, read through the site's WordPress REST API (wp-json/wp/v2/at_biz_dir) because the listing page renders client side; Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec)Adult: $10 · Pay at the doorLast verified
- 14Quito
Eat Quito cooking at the Mercado Central
Quito's markets are where the city eats, and the tourism board links four of them in a markets route reachable by Metro, Ecovía and trolleybus. The Mercado Central in the historic center is the one for lunch: traditional Quito cooking, corvina fish and conch ceviche. The San Francisco market nearby is known for medicinal herbs and traditional cleansing rituals, La Carolina market in Iñaquito for fresh produce from across Ecuador, and Santa Clara in La Mariscal for crafts, pottery and morocho empanadas. In any of them, look for fruits you may not know, like taxo, soursop and naranjilla.
Tip: Keep your bag in front of you and carry only the cash you need for the day, since pickpocketing is common in the old town.
Sources: Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development OfficePay as you go - 15Cuenca
Walk the Tomebamba riverside to Pumapungo
The Tomebamba River marks the southern edge of Cuenca's historic center, and the bank above it, known as El Barranco, holds a strong concentration of colonial-era houses, with 18th and 19th century mansions hanging over the water. Follow the river to Pumapungo, the Puma Gate, an archaeological site at the heart of the Inca city of Tomebamba and part of the UNESCO-listed area. In the same riverside sector, Todos Santos has yielded remains of Cañari, Inca and Spanish settlement, and bakers there still make bread in wood-fired ovens. El Vado is the old neighborhood of goldsmiths, painters and potters.
Tip: Check that the Pumapungo museum and park are open on the day before you walk over.
Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, Ecuador Travel (ecuador.travel); Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, Ecuador Travel (ecuador.travel)Free to visit - 16Cuenca
Have breakfast at Cuenca's Mercado 10 de Agosto
Opened in November 1954 and remodeled in 2004, the Mercado 10 de Agosto has 650 stalls and is part of the Ministry of Tourism's gastronomic markets program. Upstairs, fruit and vegetable sellers call out to shoppers, and the food section serves soups, locros and encebollado, fresh juices and the corn, wheat and fresh-corn tortillas that make a classic Cuenca breakfast. Another corner sells hornado, roast pork with llapingachos and mote. Herb sellers offer remedies for every ailment, and murals by Cuenca and visiting street artists cover the walls with scenes of local customs. Market stalls also sell clothes, kitchenware and toys, so it is a good place to watch everyday Cuenca at work.
Tip: Visit on a Tuesday or Friday to see the curanderas perform their traditional herbal limpias, and ask before photographing anyone.
Sources: Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, Ecuador Travel (ecuador.travel)Pay as you go - 17Quito
Look over the Cumbayá valley from Guápulo
Guápulo is a colonial neighborhood of cobbled streets overlooking the Cumbayá valley, built around the 17th-century Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de Guápulo. UNESCO names the sanctuary among the principal works of the Baroque school of Quito, and inside you find a carved pulpit by Juan Bautista Menacho and paintings by Miguel de Santiago. The neighborhood's viewpoint looks across the valley, and it combines well with an evening in La Floresta, Quito's calmer, creative neighborhood of murals, art cinema and quiet dinners.
Tip: Take a taxi or app ride to the viewpoints and go with company rather than lingering alone in quiet spots, especially after dark.
Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Quito Turismo listing, read through the site's WordPress REST API (wp-json/wp/v2/at_biz_dir) because the listing page renders client side; UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec)$[fee]
Every sight, city by city
Casa del Parque
A gourmet food center facing Parque Calderón, recommended by Ecuador's tourism ministry for dinner.Entry: Pay as you goHomero Ortega hat museum
A Panama hat factory with a three-room museum on how toquilla straw hats are woven and finished.Entry: Free guided visits. Closed SundaysSearch tours on TiqetsLaguna Toreadora, Cajas National Park
A páramo lagoon in Cajas National Park with the park's visitor center, trails and a restaurant.Entry: Free to visit; register at the control postSearch tours on TiqetsMercado 10 de Agosto
A market of 650 stalls opened in 1954, with food counters serving hornado, llapingachos and mote.Entry: Pay as you goMirador de Turi
The viewpoint at Turi, named by Ecuador's tourism ministry as the official lookout over Cuenca.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on TiqetsMuseo Remigio Crespo Toral
The municipal city museum in a poet's former house on Calle Larga, home to Cuenca's historical archive.Entry: Free to visit. Closed MondaysSearch tours on TiqetsOld Cathedral (El Sagrario)
The older of the two cathedrals on Parque Calderón, part of the UNESCO-listed historic center.Entry: $[fee]Search tickets and tours on TiqetsParque Abdón Calderón
Cuenca's main square, where the Old and New cathedrals face each other beside the town hall and courts.Entry: Free to visitPumapungo
Archaeological site at the east end of the old town, included in the UNESCO-listed historic center.Entry: $[fee]Search tickets and tours on TiqetsTomebamba riverside
The riverbank below the old town, lined with 18th and 19th-century mansions above the Tomebamba river.Entry: Free to visitBasílica del Voto Nacional
A huge neo-Gothic basilica begun in 1892, with gargoyles of Ecuadorian animals and towers you can climb.Entry: $[fee] for the towersSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsCasa del Alabado
Pre-Columbian art museum with about 5,000 pieces from cultures such as Valdivia, Chorrera and Jama Coaque.Entry: Pay at the doorSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsCiudad Mitad del Mundo
Equator complex north of Quito with a monument on latitude 0, a planetarium and a cacao experience.Entry: $[fee]Search tickets and tours on TiqetsEl Panecillo
Hill about 200 m above the old town, crowned by a 45 m aluminum Virgin made in 1976.Entry: $[fee]Search tickets and tours on TiqetsGuápulo Sanctuary
A 17th-century sanctuary with a pulpit carved by Juan B. Menacho and paintings by Miguel de Santiago.Entry: $[fee]Search tickets and tours on TiqetsLa Compañía de Jesús
Jesuit church built from 1605 to 1765, its nave covered in gold leaf by artists of the Quito School.Entry: $[fee]Search tickets and tours on TiqetsLa Floresta
A creative neighborhood of art cinemas, cafés and quiet dinners, calmer than La Mariscal at night.Entry: Pay as you goLa Mariscal Artisan Market
Craft market founded in 2000 with over 180 stalls of textiles, jewelry, ceramics, hats and paintings.Entry: Pay as you goLa Ronda
A cobbled street of flower-decked balconies, craft workshops, traditional ice cream and evening music.Entry: Pay as you goMercado Central
Historic center market known for its corvina stalls, conch ceviche and traditional Quito cooking.Entry: Pay as you goMercado Iñaquito (La Carolina)
Neighborhood market in the modern north, known for fresh Ecuadorian produce, food stalls and paila ice cream.Entry: Pay as you goMercado Santa Clara
Market near La Mariscal with food stalls, pottery and crafts, known for morocho empanadas.Entry: Pay as you goPlaza de los Ponchos, Otavalo
Otavalo's craft market of ponchos, embroidered blouses and tapestries, open daily and busiest on Wednesdays and Saturdays.Entry: Pay as you goPlaza Foch
The heart of La Mariscal, ringed by restaurants and bars and the center of Quito's nightlife.Entry: Pay as you goPlaza Grande
Quito's main square, framed by the presidential palace, the cathedral and the archbishop's and municipal palaces.Entry: Free to visitQuito Botanical Garden
Garden in Parque La Carolina, opened in 2005, with orchid houses and themed beds of Andean flora.Entry: $[fee]Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSan Francisco Church and Convent
A 16th-century complex of church, chapels and convent with Mudéjar cloisters and Quito School art.Entry: $[fee] for the convent museumSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsSanta Teresita Church
A neo-Gothic church from the early 1900s in La Mariscal, with tall towers and stained glass.Entry: $[fee]Search tickets and tours on TiqetsTelefériQo
Cable car up the slopes of Pichincha to Cruz Loma, with views over Quito; the ride takes about 18 min.Entry: Pay at the base stationSearch tickets and tours on TiqetsQuestions travelers ask
What are the best things to do in Ecuador for a first trip?
In Quito, walk the UNESCO-listed old town from Plaza Grande to La Compañía and San Francisco, climb the Basílica towers, ride the TelefériQo and stand on the equator at Ciudad Mitad del Mundo. Take a day trip to Otavalo's Plaza de los Ponchos market. Then fly to Cuenca for its cathedrals around Parque Calderón, a Panama hat workshop, the Tomebamba riverside and a half-day hike in Cajas National Park. The Galápagos and the Amazon are separate trips with their own flights and planning.
Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, Ecuador Travel (ecuador.travel); UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Corporación Aeroportuaria de Cuenca; Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec)How many days do you need in Ecuador?
For the Andes, about a week works well. Quito Turismo's own plans run from one day to four, and three days covers the old town, the TelefériQo and the equator. Otavalo is a full day trip, about 2 hours each way by bus. Cuenca is about 55 minutes away by air, and two days there fit the old town and a half-day in Cajas. Quito is at 2,850 m, so keep your first day light. The Galápagos are a separate trip with their own flights.
Sources: Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (official); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (official); Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, Ecuador Travel (ecuador.travel); Corporación Aeroportuaria de Cuenca; Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (official)When is the best time for sightseeing in Ecuador's Andes?
Quito has two seasons rather than four. June to September is the dry season, with clear skies, sunny mornings and the best volcano views, and it is also high season. October to May is wetter, often with sunny mornings and afternoon showers, and April is usually the rainiest month. Temperatures stay mild all year, with days around 17 to 19°C and cold nights, so pack layers and a rain jacket. In any month, do outdoor trips like the TelefériQo or Cajas in the morning.
Sources: Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); ETAPA EP, Municipality of Cuenca (manager of Cajas National Park)Which Ecuador attractions should you book ahead?
Most planning here is about timing rather than tickets. Casa del Alabado opens on Mondays and Tuesdays only by email reservation. Homero Ortega runs guided hat-factory visits at set hours, in English only on weekdays. In Cajas you must register at a park control office, and the park recommends going with an authorized operator or a park-qualified guide. Book the Quito to Cuenca flight early in high season, and plan Otavalo for a Wednesday or Saturday.
Sources: Museo de Arte Precolombino Casa del Alabado; Homero Ortega Panama Hats; ETAPA EP, Municipality of Cuenca (manager of Cajas National Park); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, Ecuador Travel (ecuador.travel)How do you get around Quito and between cities?
Quito's Metro Line 1 runs from 5:30 AM to 11 PM, crossing the city from south to north in about 34 minutes; get off at San Francisco for the old town. Trolleybus and Ecovía lines cover the main avenues. At night or with luggage, use an official taxi, one booked by your hotel, or Uber, DiDi or inDrive. Buses to Otavalo leave from the northern Carcelén terminal. Cuenca is about 55 minutes by air or about 8 hours by road.
Sources: Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Corporación Aeroportuaria de CuencaIs Ecuador safe for tourists, and what money do you need?
Quito and Cuenca lie outside the areas where the UK government advises against travel, but take city precautions. It warns that pickpocketing and mugging are common in Quito's old town and at transport hubs, and that express kidnappings often involve taxis hailed on the street, so book taxis through your hotel or an app. Avoid walking between neighborhoods at night. Ecuador uses the US dollar, alongside its own centavo coins, and cards are generally accepted in cities but less so elsewhere, so carry small bills.
Sources: UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec); Quito Turismo, Visit Quito (visitquito.ec)