Activities in Quito
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FEATURED
Private Tour: Ecotourism Adventure in Mindo Rainforest including Lunch
8 hours (Departs Quito, Ecuador)
by Viator
Explore the ever changing and diverse landscapes of Ecuador on a full day private tour to Mindo from Quito. See waterfalls, rivers, natural forest and unique sp…
Not LP reviewed
from USD$133.99 - All activities
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Gulliver Tours
Well regarded operator offering trekking, climbing, mountain-biking and horseback-riding trips in the Andes. Excellent prices, daily departures. Does Cotopaxi, Ilinizas, Quilotoa and more. Most daytrips cost around US$30 to around US$45 per person. Five- to seven-day Cotopaxi trips with acclimatization programs are based out of its Hostería PapaGayo.
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Language Courses
Studying Spanish is the perfect excuse for a prolonged stay in Quito. There are more than 80 Spanish schools in Quito, with classes for all levels. Courses can last anywhere from a couple of days to months or more. Most schools offer one-on-one instruction and can arrange accommodations with local families. Make sure you get what you want by visiting several schools before deciding. Rates for private lessons vary. Some charge an inscription fee.
Recommended schools include: Beraca, Bipo & Toni's, Ecole Idiomas, Guayasamín Spanish School, San Francisco Language Institute and Vida Verde.
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Cycling
On the second and last Sunday of every month, the entire length of Avenida Amazonas and most of the old town are closed to cars, and loads of peddlers take to the street for the bimonthly ciclopaseo. The entire ride, which you can peddle part or all of, stretches from the airport, through the old town and into the southern reaches of Quito.
Local mountain-biking companies rent bikes and offer excellent tours including one-day rides through the páramo (Andean grasslands) of Parque Nacional Cotopaxi; down-hill descents; trips that incorporate a stop at Papallacta hot springs; two-day trips to Cotopaxi and Chimborazo; and two-day trips to Cotopaxi and Laguna Quilotoa. Singl…
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Hiking
Quito's new telefériQo takes passengers up to Cruz Loma (4100m) from where you can hike to the top of jagged Rucu Pichincha (about 4680m). Beyond the rise of Cruz Loma and past a barbed-wire fence (which no one seems to pay any attention to), well-marked trails lead to Rucu Pichincha. It's approximately three hours to the top, and some scrambling is required. Don't attempt this hike if you've just arrived in Quito; allow yourself a couple days' acclimatization.
Before the telefériQo went in, climbing Rucu Pichincha was dangerous due to armed robberies, but that danger seems to have disappeared entirely. It's easy to assess from the top of the telefériQo, and you can inq…
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TelefériQo
For spectacular views over Quito’s mountainous landscape, hop aboard the telefériQo, a multimillion-dollar sky tram that takes passengers on a 2.5km ride up the flanks of Volcán Pichincha to the top of Cruz Loma. Once you’re at the top (a mere 4100m), you can hike to the summit of Rucu Pichincha (4680m), an approximately three-hour hike for fit walkers. Don’t attempt the hike to Rucu Pichincha until you’ve acclimatized in Quito for a couple days.
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Yacu Amu Rafting/Ríos Ecuador
Excellent river-rafting operator with daily departures to the Río Toachi and Río Blanco and several other Class III–IV options. Located between Mera and Avenida Amazonas, rates start around $75 per person. Other trips range from two to eight days. There is also a four-day kayaking school. Owner Steve Nomchong has competed and worked as a judge and safety inspector on the international circuit, so you’re in good hands. He now owns Ríos Ecuador, based in Tena.
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Gulliver
Well-regarded operator offering hiking, climbing, mountain-biking and horseback-riding trips in the Andes. Excellent prices, daily departures; does Cotopaxi, Ilinizas, Quilotoa and more. Most day trips cost $30 to $45 per person. Five- to seven-day Cotopaxi trips with acclimatization programs are based out of its Hostería PapaGayo and cost $360 to $450 and $500 respectively.
reviewed
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Compañía de Guías de Montaña Tours
A top-notch mountain-climbing operator whose guides are all ASEGUIM (Asociación Ecuatoriana de Guías de Montaña; Ecuadorian Association of Mountain Guides) instructors and speak several languages. Two-day trips cost around US$220 per person, three days around US$330, not including park entrance fees. Tailor-made trips are available.
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Montaña
Montaña is a meeting place for climbers from Quito. It’s a useful source of nonbiased information (no one’s trying to sell anything but a cup of coffee) and a good place to meet local climbers. Trips are sometimes arranged and everyone’s included. The owner sets up slide shows or chats on weekend evenings.
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Otavalo Marketplace with Optional Lunch
8 hours (Departs Quito, Ecuador)
by Viator
Take a drive through Ecuador's breathtaking scenery, stopping along the way to take photos and soak up the truly amazing and diverse landscapes! Head for Otaval…
Not LP reviewed
from USD$54.99 Advertisement
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Compañía de Guías de Montaña
A top-notch mountain-climbing operator, with guides who are all Asociación Ecuatoriana de Guías de Montaña (ASEGUIM; Ecuadorian Association of Mountain Guides) instructors and speak several languages. Trips cost per person $224/330 (two/three days). Tailor-made trips are available.
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Emerald Forest Expeditions
Owned by Luís García, one of the best guides in the northern Oriente, Emerald Forest consistently gets outstanding reports from travelers. Luís bases his trips in Pañacocha just off the Río Napo. They're around US$60 to around US$80 per person per day.
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Surtrek
Top-end company with years of experience in hiking and climbing. Personalized tours available. Prices average $130 to $160 per day. Also offers unique ‘island hopping’ Galápagos tours, where you sleep on different islands rather than aboard a cruise ship.
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Nuevo Mundo Expeditions
Professional outfit with strong conservation interests, top-end prices and top-end tours and guides. Organizes Galápagos tours, four- to five-day Río Napo cruises aboard its comfy Manatee Amazon Explorer and Andean hiking and ethnobotanical trips.
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Guided Walks
The Corporación Metropolitana de Turismo offers four different guided walks in the old town with friendly cop-cum-tourist guides. Called paseos culturales (cultural walks), they depart from the tourist office inside the Palacio Arzobispal.
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Private Tour: Quito by Night with Dinner
3 hours (Departs Quito, Ecuador)
by Viator
Join a guided evening tour of Quito and be captivated on a night to remember! Enjoy the beautifully illuminated buildings and panoramic views of the city follow…
Not LP reviewed
from USD$96.99 -
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Krishna Center
For Hatha yoga classes, stop by the friendly Krishna center, with the excellent Govindas restaurant on-site. Classes are currently held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5 to 6pm. Inquire about yoga tours and holistic retreats.
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Safari Tours
Excellent reputation and long in the business. Offers all range of tours and trips, from volcano climbs and jungle trips to local jeep tours and personalized off-the-beaten-track expeditions. It’s also a great place to arrange Galápagos trips.
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Half Day Quito City Tour
3 hours (Departs Quito, Ecuador)
by Viator
Get your bearings and come see what Quito has to offer on a three-hour guided tour. You'll visit some of the more interesting areas of the city exploring many u…
Not LP reviewed
from USD$28.99 -
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Surtrek Tours
Top-end company with years of experience in trekking and climbing. Personalized tours available. Also offers unique 'island hopping' Galápagos tours where you sleep on different islands rather than aboard a cruise ship.
reviewed
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Neotropic Turis Tours
Neotropic runs the wonderful Cuyabeno Lodge in the Reserva Producción Faunística Cuyabeno. A four-day trip costs around US$200 to around US$290 per person. Also are excursions to Peru via the Marañon River.
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Private Tour: Middle of the World Monument from Quito
3 hours (Departs Quito, Ecuador)
by Viator
Ecuador is home to the middle of the world! Travel on a guided private tour from Quito to the location where the southern and northern hemispheres meet and view…
Not LP reviewed
from USD$25.29 -
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Tropic Ecological Adventures
Long-time agency offering numerous three- to six-day tours to the Oriente, Andes and cloud forest. It sells other operators’ tours, but it’s a good way to compare some of the best on offer, and rates are good.
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Quito Antiguo Spanish School
The old town’s only language school offers a wide range of study options, learning-while-traveling programs, volunteer opportunities and homestays. Approximately 20% of profits are donated to social projects.
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Private Tour: Quito City with Lunch
5 hours (Departs Quito, Ecuador)
by Viator
Take a guided private city tour through Quito visiting surrounding neighborhoods, the 'Guapulo Mirador', passing through the 12 of October Avenue up to the Cult…
Not LP reviewed
from USD$94.59
