Cook Ecuadorian food in Quito's Old Town with a local guide

Cook a traditional Ecuadorian meal, then explore Quito's art and markets with a local

A full-day private tour in Quito where you cook Ecuadorian food in a colonial house in the Old Town, visit the Central Market to meet vendors and taste local snacks, explore the Guayasamín Museum and his home studio, browse the Artisanal Market, and finish with dinner at Pims restaurant overlooking El Panecillo. Andres, the owner, guides the entire day and speaks English, Spanish or French. Private transportation is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Quito Old Town2h 30m
2. Guayasamín Museum2h 30m · entry included
3. El Panecillo2h 30m

Explore Quito's food, art, and culture

• Visit Mercado Central
• Enjoy local fruit juice and snack
• Attend Ecuadorian cooking class
• Visit Casa Museo Guayasamin
• Tour Guayasamin Museum
• Shop at Mercado Artesanal
• Stop at hotel briefly
• Visit El Panecillo statue
• Dine at Pims restaurant

The experience

The day starts at Mercado Central, one of Quito's oldest markets, where you'll walk the stalls with Andres, sample a local fruit juice, and eat mote con fritada: a traditional snack of hominy and fried pork. You'll talk to market vendors and see the range of fruits and vegetables that stock Ecuadorian kitchens. This isn't a quick stop. It's the ground floor of everything that comes next.

After the market, you head to the Historic Center and a cooking class inside a colonial house with open kitchen space. A chef meets you there and teaches Ecuadorian cooking techniques while you prepare a full meal together. You eat what you've made for lunch. The class sits in the middle of the day: long enough to learn something, short enough to move on to the next stop without rushing.

The afternoon splits between art and shopping. You visit the Guayasamín Museum, which holds the painter's largest and most impressive works, then tour his home and studio: the last house where he lived and worked. After that comes the Artisanal Market, where you can buy alpaca jackets, ponchos, Panama hats, Ecuadorian chocolate and coffee. In the evening, you drive to El Panecillo to see the Virgen statue and the city lights, then sit down at Pims restaurant with a view of Quito spread below you for dinner.

What’s included

• Private transportation throughout the day.
• entrance to the Guayasamín Museum.
• the cooking class in the Old Town colonial house with lunch.
• dinner reservations at Pims restaurant at El Panecillo.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDepartures at 09:30 and 10:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Galapagos Connoisseur

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want a full day with one guide who sets the pace around your interests. You'll stop longer at the market or museum depending on what draws you, rather than following a fixed itinerary.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

Is the Guayasamín Museum visit just looking at paintings, or do I get to see where he worked?

You visit both the museum, which holds his largest paintings, and his home studio: the last house where Guayasamín lived and created his art. Both are part of the same stop.

Does dinner at Pims cost extra, or is it included?

Dinner reservations at Pims restaurant are included in the tour price. The restaurant sits at El Panecillo with views of Quito at night.

Will Andres be with me the whole day, or do I have different guides at each stop?

Andres, the owner of the company, accompanies you for the entire day. He is a local who guides all the stops and speaks English, Spanish or French.

What's included in the price, and what costs extra?

The tour includes private transportation, entrance to the Guayasamín Museum, the cooking class, lunch, and dinner reservations at Pims. Tips for Andres and the driver are separate. If your hotel is at or near the airport, a $35 USD roundtrip surcharge applies to the pickup.