How to Spend Your Time in Quito Before Your 4x4 Rental or Motorcycle Adventure Tour
If you have a day or two in Quito before picking up your motorcycle or 4x4, don't spend the whole time watching the clock and waiting to get on the road. Ecuador's capital deserves some exploring of its own.
Quito stretches along a high Andean valley beneath volcanic peaks, with a historic center of stone churches and plazas at one end and modern neighborhoods filled with restaurants, parks, galleries, cafés, and museums at the other.
Two days gives you enough time to see both sides of the city without turning the visit into a race. Spend the first day walking the Historic Center, then use the second to explore some of Quito's newer neighborhoods and favorite local spots.
Here's how we'd spend 48 hours in Quito before or after a guided motorcycle tour, self-guided motorcycle adventure, or 4x4 trip with Ecuador Freedom.
Day One: Quito's Historic Center
Quito's Historic Center rewards wandering. Cobblestone streets lead between churches, plazas, old houses, government buildings, cafés, workshops, and neighborhoods that have been part of the city's story for centuries.
There is plenty of history here, but you don't need to turn the day into a museum marathon. Walk, look up, stop for coffee or chocolate, and give yourself time to see what is happening around you.
La Ronda
La Ronda is one of the oldest streets in Quito's Historic Center. The pedestrian district has long been associated with artists, poets, musicians, and craftspeople.
During the day, you'll find small workshops, bakeries, chocolate shops, cafés, and stores selling locally made crafts. In the evening, especially on weekends, the street becomes livelier with music, food, and people moving between restaurants and bars.
If the evening is chilly, try a canelazo. This traditional hot drink is usually made with cinnamon, naranjilla, and aguardiente, a sugarcane spirit. It is well suited to a cool Quito night.
Plaza Grande and La Compañía de Jesús
Plaza Grande, also known as Plaza de la Independencia, sits at the political and historical heart of Quito. The Presidential Palace, Metropolitan Cathedral, Archbishop's Palace, and other historic buildings surround the square.
The plaza is still very much a working public space. Office workers cross it, families meet here, vendors pass through, and political demonstrations sometimes gather nearby. Grab a bench for a few minutes and you get a good cross-section of Quito life.
From the plaza, walk a few blocks to the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús. Its relatively restrained exterior gives little indication of what is waiting inside: an extraordinarily elaborate Baroque interior covered with carved decoration and gold leaf.
Basílica del Voto Nacional
The Basílica del Voto Nacional rises above the northern edge of the Historic Center and is easy to spot from across the city.
If heights don't bother you, climb the towers. The route takes you up stairs, across elevated interior sections, and eventually onto steep metal ladders near the top. On a clear day, the reward is a broad view over Quito and the surrounding Andes.
Look closely at the exterior as well. Instead of traditional European gargoyles, the basilica incorporates stone animals inspired by Ecuadorian wildlife.
Day Two: Modern Quito
For your second day, leave the colonial center behind and explore a few of the neighborhoods where Quiteños actually spend their weekends, meet friends, eat, exercise, and go out at night.
Guápulo
Guápulo tumbles down a steep hillside on Quito's eastern side, overlooking the valleys of Cumbayá and Tumbaco.
The neighborhood has narrow streets, cafés, restaurants, hillside views, and the historic Church and Convent of Guápulo. It is a good place to slow down for a couple of hours, particularly if you want a quieter change from the center of the city.
Mercado Artesanal
If you want to take something home from Ecuador, Mercado Artesanal is an easy place to browse. The stalls are packed with textiles, clothing, leather goods, jewelry, carvings, paintings, hats, and plenty of other Ecuadorian crafts.
Motorcycle luggage has a habit of looking much smaller after a visit here.
La Floresta
La Floresta has long been one of Quito's more creative neighborhoods, with cafés, independent restaurants, galleries, street art, and small shops scattered along its residential streets.
It is a good neighborhood for wandering without a particular destination. Have coffee, find lunch, look at the murals, and see where you end up.
If you're planning an early departure on a motorcycle the following morning, however, this is probably the evening to keep reasonably short.
Craft Beer in Quito
Quito's craft beer scene has grown considerably over the years, giving beer drinkers plenty of alternatives to the large national brands.
Several breweries and taprooms operate around the city, making this an easy addition to an evening out. Just remember that Quito sits at roughly 2,850 meters above sea level, and alcohol can hit harder at altitude—especially if you have a riding day ahead of you.
Capilla del Hombre
Oswaldo Guayasamín was one of Ecuador's most influential artists, and Capilla del Hombre is one of the best places in Quito to encounter his work.
His paintings confront war, inequality, suffering, resistance, and the lives of Indigenous and working people across Latin America. The museum and the neighboring Guayasamín house give the work space to breathe.
The setting is impressive too. Built high on the eastern side of Quito, the complex looks across the city toward the mountains and valleys beyond.
La Carolina Park
La Carolina is one of Quito's main urban parks and one of the best places to see the city at play.
On weekends, the paths, playing fields, exercise areas, gardens, and open spaces fill with families, runners, cyclists, football games, vendors, and people simply enjoying a few hours outside.
It's also surrounded by cafés, restaurants, shopping, and many of Quito's modern hotels, making it an easy place to spend part of an afternoon before heading back to your hotel.
Where to Stay in Quito
If you're riding with Ecuador Freedom, staying in the modern part of Quito makes the logistics easier. You'll have restaurants, shops, parks, and services nearby, along with straightforward access to our headquarters when it's time to begin your trip.
Dann Carlton Quito
The Dann Carlton Quito is a full-service hotel in the República del Salvador area. It offers a pool, gym, restaurants, and the conveniences you'd expect from a larger hotel.
Avenida República de El Salvador and Irlanda
Le Parc
Le Parc is a smaller luxury hotel near La Carolina Park, restaurants, shops, and the República del Salvador business district. Its rooftop is a good place to see Quito after dark.
Avenida República de El Salvador and Irlanda
Hotel Finlandia
Hotel Finlandia is a practical mid-range choice in the same part of the city, with a restaurant on site and plenty of shops and restaurants nearby.
Finlandia and Suecia
One More Meal Before You Ride
Before leaving Quito, make time for an Ecuadorian meal. The capital draws food traditions from the Andes, coast, and Amazon, so it is a good place to begin figuring out what you'll want to order as you travel around the country.
And then get some sleep. The best part starts when you pick up the bike and point it out of Quito.
About the Author
Jon Jared first caught the travel bug during childhood trips with his grandparents through England, Scotland, and Wales. After traveling in Zambia and exploring Colorado's mountain towns, he moved to Ecuador. Jon has worked in hotels, restaurants, and bars, served as a local guide, and worked as a freelance writer and editor. His print work includes contributions to Delta Sky Magazine and the Moon Ecuador & the Galápagos guidebook.