Your tour begins with pickup from your Quito hotel in the morning. Traveling by private vehicle, head straight to one of the city’s most prominent landmarks, Panecillo Hill. The 655-foot (200-meter) high hill is capped by a famous statue of the Virgin Mary, but the real highlight is the view, which spans the entire city.
Descend into the Old Town and enjoy a walking tour of Quito’s UNESCO-listed monuments, as your guide tells you more about the city’s colonial history. Along the way, stroll through the bustling Plaza de la Independencia, visit the magnificent San Fransisco Monastery, and peek inside the grand Gothic Basílica del Voto Nacional.
Break for lunch (included) at a local restaurant in Quito’s Mariscal area and tuck into some delicious Ecuadorian food. After lunch, relax on the drive to the Mitad del Mundo—the ‘Middle of the World’—to see the famous Equator line. While you’re there, visit the Intiñan Museum, where you can pose for photos on the ‘equator line’, learn more about Ecuador’s indigenous tribes, and watch a demonstration of the Coriolis Effect.
A short drive from the Mitad del Mundo is the Pululahua Crater, one of only two inhabited craters in the world. Here, you’ll have a chance to visit the small town, then drive to the top of the crater, a wildlife haven shrouded in cloud forest.
Return to Quito where your tour ends with drop-off at your hotel.
