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QUITO TOURS

Few cities in South America have as picturesque a setting as Quito, which sits in a valley perched high in the Andes.  The city itself is best known for the “old city”, a UNESCO World Heritage site.  It is there where you can walk the narrow cobblestone streets, visit incredibly restored churches or sit on a bench in the main square and people watch.  Quito is also a city of museums.  Be sure to visit the Chapel of Man, a gallery that contains the work of famous Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamin.  Another must of the new Teleferico Cable Car that takes visitors to the top of Pichincha Volcano for a spectacular view of the city and surrounding area.

[ HOTELS IN QUITO ]

Detailed descriptions of tours in Quito:

city tour

A visit to downtown Quito to see this urban jewel and its treasures of art and architecture. Quito’s colonial quarter, the largest and best preserved of South America, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The stroll starts at the Independence Plaza, flanked by the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, the Municipal Building and the Archbishop’s Palace. Visit the temple of La Compañía de Jesús and its awesome gilded interior. Continue on to the Monastery of San Francisco, one the of great religious buildings of the New World; its impressive façade and atrium that lead to its Baroque interior influenced by Moorish style, with the winged Virgin of Quito at its main altar.

Panoramic Quito by night

Drive into the old Colonial city for a view of the romantic plazas and impressive public and religious buildings. Quito is particularly splendid in the evening when illumination adds a special drama and mystery to its baroque architecture. Continue to one of the hills surrounding the city for a panoramic view of twinkling lights covering the valley below. Enjoy a leisurely dinner at one of the finest selected restaurants of the city.

Jacchigua Folkloric Ballet

Transportation to and from the main hotels is provided to attend a presentation of JACCHIGUA, a group of 60 exceptional dancers and musicians who stage a wonderful show of traditional dances and songs of Ecuador, based on ancient celebrations and myths.

Teleferiqo Cable Cars to Pichincha Volcano

Visitors to Quito can enjoy a bird's-eye view of the city from the recently inaugurated cable cars up the Pichincha Volcano. There is a spectacular view from the top includes Quito and the surrounding valleys and snowcapped volcanoes. Each of the 18 cabins, with panoramic windows, can take 6 guests, on an 8-minute ride, which starts at 3045 meters, up to the summit at 4050 meters, on Cruz Loma. At the top, apart of several lookout points, you can enjoy a stroll along paths surrounded by Andean shrub forest, several coffee shops, and handcraft and souvenir shops.

Art Gallery

The artistic trails of Ecuador offer some of the most rewarding roads you can follow anywhere in the world. Pre-Inca peoples left some of the oldest and finest artifacts and jewelry from the earliest times; the Spanish conquest brought new skills and religious fervor to the creation of superb religious sculptures and 20th Century artists produced dramatic paintings. You will experience the ancient, the historic, the contemporary and the handicraft treasures that make Quito an extra special destination for art lovers. Browse through genuine paintings, reproductions, originally designed jewelry, ceramics, ornaments and more, designed by world renowned Ecuadorian artists.

You can choose to visit two or three of Quito’s Art Galleries in three hours: Guayasamin’s Art Gallery and Chapel of Man, Folklore Olga Fisch. You may also visit only Kingman’s Posada de la Soledad in the nearby valley. Entrance fees are included.