Quito Old Town Walking Tour: Market, Church & Ice Cream
Walk the streets where Spanish Quito was born, then make ice cream with ingredients you won't find anywhere else.
A small-group walking tour of Quito's UNESCO-listed Old Town led by a local guide, visiting the Central Market, Independence Plaza, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the gold-filled Church of the Society of Jesus, with a stop at La Ronda and a hands-on ice cream making session using South American fruits and plants. The tour runs four hours and welcomes children from age 6 with an adult.
4h
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Quito Old Town and Market
- Meet guide at Central Market
- Explore market stalls and stories
- Visit Independence Plaza
- See Metropolitan Cathedral and Government Palace
- View Jesuit church La Compañía de Jesús
- Optionally climb San Francisco Church towers
- End tour at La Ronda street
The Experience
The tour starts at Quito's Central Market, where your guide walks you through stalls selling medicinal plants, exotic fruits, and local remedies—each one carrying a story about how people here live. From there you move to Independence Plaza, the 16th-century birthplace of Spanish Quito and the site of multiple Ecuadorian revolutions. You'll see the Metropolitan Cathedral and Government Palace, both anchors of the city's political and religious history, then reach La Compañía de Jesús, the Jesuit church with its gold-covered interior—one of the architectural jewels of South America.
San Francisco Church comes next, and you have the option to climb its towers to reach a lookout over the Old Town. The physical effort is real, but the view from the top frames everything you've just walked through. The tour ends at La Ronda, the narrow colonial street that has become one of Quito's most visited cultural attractions, lined with shops, galleries and cafés.
Before you leave, you make your own ice cream using native South American ingredients—fruits and plants you won't find in markets outside Ecuador. It's a hands-on break in the middle of the walking, and it's the one thing you take with you that tastes like nowhere else. The group stays small, capped at twelve people, and your guide speaks English throughout. Wear comfortable walking shoes and layers; Quito's weather shifts fast, and you'll move between sun and shadow as you climb through the Old Town.
What’s included
- Small-group walking tour of Quito's UNESCO-listed Old Town led by a local English-speaking guide.
- entry to the Central Market and visits to Independence Plaza, the Metropolitan Cathedral, Government Palace, and La Compañía de Jesús church.
- optional tower climb at San Francisco Church.
- hands-on Ecuadorian ice cream making with native South American ingredients.
- time at La Ronda cultural street at the end of the tour.
Operated by Intrepid Urban Adventures - Latin America
Is this one for you?Choose the small-group option if you want a guide who knows the stories behind each stop and the flexibility of a shared pace; book the private tour if your group prefers to move at your own speed and skip the market or the ice cream if you'd rather spend more time at the churches.
Traveler reviews
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Top questions
What is the Church of the Society of Jesus like inside?
La Compañía de Jesús is covered in gold leaf inside—the walls, the altar, the details—which is why your guide calls it one of South America's architectural jewels. It's one of the stops on the walking route, and you'll see it as part of the tour through the colonial centre.
Can I climb the towers of San Francisco Church?
Yes, climbing the towers of San Francisco Church is optional on this tour. The lookout at the top gives you a view over Old Town, and it's worth the stairs if you want to see the layout of the streets you've just walked.
What happens during the ice cream making part?
You make Ecuadorian ice cream using native ingredients—fruits and plants that grow in South America—as a hands-on activity during the tour. It's a break from walking and a chance to taste something you can only make with local flavours.
Is the Central Market safe to visit?
The Central Market is a local favorite where your guide takes you through the stalls. Each vendor has a story, from medicinal plants to exotic fruits, and your guide walks you through it as part of the tour, so you're not navigating it alone.
How many people will be on the tour?
The tour is a small-group experience with a maximum of twelve guests, led by a local guide who speaks English. You can also book a private tour if you prefer to go with just your group.
Are kids allowed on this tour?
Children aged 6 and up are welcome on the tour as long as they're with an adult. The four-hour walk and ice cream making are designed to work for families, and the guide adjusts the pace for the group.
Quito Old Town Walking Tour: Market, Church & Ice Cream
4h · EN
from US$ 29 per person
★★★★★★★★★★4.68100 reviews
