Quito holidays
Quito holidays at a glance
Quito sits in a highland valley on the slopes of Pichincha volcano, just 16 miles south of the equator, which shapes almost everything about the place, including the weather.
Quito historic centre is the heart of the city: narrow cobbled streets, whitewashed buildings, colourful churches and elegant plazas that still carry on with everyday local life rather than existing purely for visitors. It’s one of the best-preserved colonial cores in the Americas, and was the first city in the world to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Beyond the old town, modern Quito takes over: broad avenues, skyscrapers and the lively La Mariscal district, which pulls in young professionals, visitors and backpackers with its restaurants, cafés, bars and nightlife. Ecuador’s capital city and natural gateway both at once, Quito connects easily to the Andes, cloud forests, Amazon and Galápagos Islands beyond.
Why choose Journey Latin America for your holiday to Quito
We’ve been planning trips to Central and South America for over 45 years, longer than any other UK specialist. Every holiday is built around you by a Travel Expert who has been to the places they recommend, with support from your first enquiry to the day you fly home.
Ecuador’s volcano-flanked capital stands at 2,850m in the highland valley, boasting a beautifully restored historic centre and contrasting modern quarters.
When to visit Quito
Quito’s high-altitude location gives it a mild climate throughout the year. The city can be visited throughout the year thanks to its relatively stable temperatures and wealth of cultural attractions. Many of our travellers use Quito as the starting point for journeys into the Andes, Amazon and Galápagos Islands. The city’s attractions are primarily cultural and architectural, making Quito a great choice regardless of season.
The UNESCO World Heritage city of Quito is fantastic at any time of the year. During these wet season months the daytime temperatures still average a very agreeable and spring-like 21°C and sunny mornings can still be expected, particularly up to mid-February. Nights are colder, averaging 10°C. The city is a fun place to celebrate Carnival with widespread street parades, music and dance.
March and April are the wettest months for Quito although the only real impact on tourists is they may have to take shelter from sudden heavy afternoon downpours in one of the many bars, cafes or chocolate shops! Daytime temperatures average 21°C and nights around 10°C. The capital city, with its magnificent cathedral and many ornate colonial churches, is the best place to spend Easter with impressive processions most days of holy week.
The dry season starts in Jun bringing with it frequent and consecutive clear and sunny days and very pleasant spring-like temperature of around 20°C during the day and 9°C at night. Rain may still fall occasionally in the afternoon but these are the driest months of the year and when the views of the surrounding mountains and Pichincha volcano are at their best.
September sees a very slight increase in afternoon rain but the excellent dry season conditions of the preceding months, with lots of sunshine, are still to be expected until Oct which is the official start of the wet season. Temperatures remain pretty constant throughout these months though, with average highs of 20°C and nights of around 10°C, so the only real change is an increase in the likelihood of cloudy days and rain, which still mainly falls in the afternoon.
Top Things to do in Quito
There’s no shortage of things to do in Quito beyond wandering the Old Town: mountain biking down Cotopaxi volcano, cycling out to the Mindo cloud forest, or a walking tour through the colonial streets, all put the city’s setting to good use.
Explore the slopes of Cotopaxi on two wheels, passing through a volcanic wilderness of treeless steppe and crater lakes.
Explore the historic centre of the Ecuadorian capital in the company of a knowledgeable guide.
Accommodation in Quito
Accommodation ranges from elegant colonial properties in the historic centre, among them Casa Gangotena, Casa Gardenia and Casona de la Ronda, to contemporary hotels in the modern districts such as the Swissotel. Many travellers choose to stay either in the colonial heart of the city or around La Mariscal, depending on whether heritage or nightlife and dining matters more.
Sumptuous boutique hotel with muted neoclassical decor and an unrivalled location at the centre of Old Quito.
Casa Gardenia is a boutique-style bed and breakfast hotel overlooking Quito’s historic centre.
Small boutique-style colonial mansion conversion mixing traditional features with bold design choices, including an impressive living wall and striking viewpoint room.
Swissotel is a smart contemporary property close to Quito’s colonial centre.
Well located colonial hotel set around a central courtyard, offering accommodation that is simple and traditional without being austere.
Hilton Colon is a contemporary first class hotel with a good range of facilities in modern Quito.
Nestled on the slopes of the Ilaló Volcano just outside Quito, Ilatoa Lodge offers a comfortable stay in a picture perfect setting.
A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.
Holidays to Quito
Group Quito Tours
Our group tours follow expertly designed, well-planned routes with an experienced local guide throughout. Prefer to keep it to your own party? Book the same trips privately for four or more.
Albatross: Ecuador’s highlands and Galapagos
Places visited: Quito · Avenue of the Volcanoes · Cuenca · Guayaquil
15 days from £7,136
Tailor-Made Quito Tours
Prefer to travel on your own terms? We’ll build a trip around your dates, your pace and the things you most want to see – whether that’s a first run at Machu Picchu, a family adventure mixing history and wildlife, or a food-focused journey through Lima and the Sacred Valley. Our Travel Experts can help shape it with you.
Ecuador’s Andes and Galapagos Islands hop
Places visited: Quito · Avenue of the Volcanoes · Guayaquil
13 days from £4,940
Luxury Galapagos Islands cruise
Places visited: Quito
10 days from £11,040
Luxury Peru and Galapagos: Machu Picchu and the Enchanted Islands
Places visited: Lima · Sacred Valley of the Incas · Machu Picchu · Cusco · Quito
14 days from £10,310
Self-drive Ecuador: The back roads of the Andes
Places visited: Quito · Andes to Amazon · Avenue of the Volcanoes
10 days from £3,200
Self-drive Ecuador: The Avenue of the Volcanoes
Places visited: Quito · Avenue of the Volcanoes · Cuenca
11 days from £2,900
Signature Ecuador and Galapagos: Volcanoes to the ocean
Places visited: Quito · Otavalo and the northern highlands · Avenue of the Volcanoes · Cuenca · Guayaquil
14 days from £7,520
Signature Galapagos
Places visited: Quito
7 days from £4,510
Signature Galapagos: Island hopping
Places visited: Quito
10 days from £7,530
Value Ecuador and Galapagos: At a glance
Places visited: Quito · Otavalo and the northern highlands · Avenue of the Volcanoes
9 days from £3,140
Value Galapagos and Peru
Places visited: Lima · Cusco · Machu Picchu · Sacred Valley of the Incas
13 days from £4,930
Value Galapagos: Budget cruising in the Enchanted Islands
Places visited: Quito
10 days from £5,030
Walking in Ecuador and Galapagos
Places visited: Quito · Otavalo and the northern highlands
12 days from £5,485
Wildlife Wonders of the Cloud Forest and Galapagos Islands
Places visited: Quito · Mindo and the cloud forest
13 days from £6,900
FAQs about visiting Quito
Quito is one of the most popular destinations, and there’s plenty to think about before you go. Here, our specialists share their best advice.
- When is the best time to visit Quito?
The capital is an all-year destination. Lying at 2,850m on the Equator, Quito has a year round spring-like climate. Most days have a sunny morning but there may be rain in the afternoon. Feb-Mar are the wettest months, Jul the driest.
For more detailed information visit our When To Go section.
- What language is spoken in Quito?
The main language spoken in Quito is Spanish.
- What currency will I need in Quito?
The US dollar is the main currency used in Quito. Notes can be withdrawn from the many ATMs using a UK credit or debit card.
- What is the time difference between Quito and the UK?
The time difference between Quito and the UK is GMT -5 hrs.
- What places combine well with Quito?
A visit to Otavalo market in the northern highlands, 58km (1-2hrs by road); the bird-filled cloud forest in the Mindo region, 100km (1hr 40mins by road); the Avenue of the Volcanoes, 77km (2hrs by road); the Galapagos Islands, (2-3hrs by air).
- How do you get to Quito from the UK?
Average flight time is 15 hrs. There are no direct flights from the UK to Ecuador, popular routes to Quito involve a change of plane in Amsterdam, Paris or Madrid.
- What are the festivals, cultural and sporting events in Quito?
Dia de Quito: Quito, 6 Dec. The city’s own festival is actually celebrated from 1st Dec, with parades, street music and bullfights, right up until the fiesta’s climax on 6th. It can be quite boisterous.
Ready to start planning?
Tell us where you want to go, and we’ll take it from there. No obligation, no sales pitch – just a conversation with someone who knows the region inside out.