Quito City Tour with Middle of the World Monument: 8 Hours

A towering aluminum Virgin overlooks Quito from the Panecillo hilltop at high elevation.

A full-day guided tour of Quito explores the historic center, Panecillo viewpoint and the Middle of the World Monument complex. Your guide picks you up at your hotel and walks you through the traditional market, the Basilica of the National Vote, Plaza Grande and the colonial churches of La Compañía de Jesús and San Francisco. You climb to Panecillo for panoramic views, pass the Pululahua volcano viewpoint, then spend time at the Middle of the World Monument where you can photograph yourself straddling the equator and visit the ethnographic museum inside.

Step-by-step itinerary

Quito city and Middle of the World visit

• Hotel pickup by guide
• Visit traditional Quito market
• Tour Basilica of the National Vote
• Explore Plaza Grande and nearby landmarks
• Taste Ecuadorian chocolate in San Francisco square
• Walk Morales street (Ronda) for lunch break
• Visit Panecillo viewpoint and Virgin of Quito
• View Pululahua volcano crater
• Tour Middle of the World City Complex
• Visit ethnographic museum inside monument
• Return to hotel

The experience

The tour starts with hotel pickup and moves into Quito's Old Town, where the guide takes you through the city's traditional market to see the daily rhythm of local commerce: flowers, fruits and typical foods. From there you walk to the Basilica of the National Vote, the country's most important neo-Gothic structure, where you can climb the towers and see the gargoyles and unfinished interiors. The route then leads to Plaza Grande, passing the Government Palace, Municipal Building and City Cathedral before reaching La Compañía de Jesús Church, a Baroque jewel with colonial art, and the Church of San Francisco with its myths and construction legends.

A chocolate tasting with fine Ecuadorian cocoa breaks the walking portion, then you continue to Morales street (known as Ronda), lined with colorful colonial and republican-era houses where you have time for lunch on your own. The guide gives recommendations and stays with you. From there the route climbs to Panecillo, a hilltop viewpoint at 3,035 meters above sea level, where a 45-meter aluminum replica of the Virgin of Quito stands: a sculpture by Bernardo de Legarda based on the original in San Francisco Church. The views span the city from this vantage point.

Heading north, you pass the Pululahua volcano viewpoint to see one of the few inhabited craters in the world. The tour then reaches the Middle of the World Monument complex, where your guide demonstrates interactive games showing physical phenomena that occur only at the equator, walks you through replicas of ancestral Ecuadorian houses, and takes you inside the monument to visit the ethnographic museum and learn about indigenous cultures and nationalities. You get an original photograph straddling both hemispheres. Your guide then returns you to your hotel. The pass included in the tour gives you unlimited access to all attractions in the complex, so you can organize the stops with your guide based on what interests you most.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off within Quito's urban perimeter.
• professional multilingual guide in English or Spanish.
• private tour.
• unlimited access to all attractions in the Middle of the World Monument complex.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (11 and older) · Child (3 to 10 years) · Under 3: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 31 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Perfect Destiny

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English or Spanish, so you choose the language that works for you. This is a private tour, meaning your guide adjusts the pace and the stops to your interests. You can spend more time at the churches, linger at Panecillo, or organize the Middle of the World complex visit with your guide based on what appeals to you most.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 10 years). Children under 3 can't be included in the booking.

What is the Basilica of the National Vote and why does the tour include it?

The Basilica of the National Vote is considered the most important work of neo-Gothic architecture in Ecuador. The tour includes it because it is a major landmark in Quito's historic center. You can climb its towers, see the gargoyles and walk through the interiors that remain unfinished according to local legend.

Can I choose between visiting the Middle of the World Monument and the Intiñan Museum?

Yes. In coordination with your guide, you can request a change from the Middle of the World Monument to the Intiñan Museum instead, so you can pick whichever interests you more.

What happens at the Panecillo viewpoint?

At Panecillo, located at 3,035 meters above sea level, you stand beneath a 45-meter aluminum replica of the Virgin of Quito and get panoramic views across the city. The hilltop was formerly known as "shungoloma," or heart hill.

Is lunch included in the tour?

Lunch is not included, but the tour takes you to Morales street (Ronda), a place full of colorful colonial houses, where your guide gives recommendations and gives you time to eat on your own.

What can I do at the Middle of the World Monument complex?

At the complex, your guide demonstrates interactive games showing physical phenomena unique to the equator, walks you through replicas of ancestral Ecuadorian houses, takes you inside the monument to visit the ethnographic museum and learn about indigenous cultures, and helps you take an original photograph straddling both hemispheres.