Quito: Old Town, Teleférico & Equator Private Day Trip

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/15

Duration7h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Walk colonial streets ride teleférico reach equator line in quito

You’ll stroll through Quito’s historic center with a local guide who brings legends to life, ride high above the city on the Teleférico cable car for sweeping Andean views, and stand right on the equator line at Intiñan Solar Museum. Expect laughter, unexpected flavors, and moments where you just pause to take it all in.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Quito old town and equator

Walk historical center of Quito
Visit Basilica del Voto Nacional
Explore Plaza Grande and Carondelet Palace
See Primary Cathedral and La Compañia de Jesús
Ride Teleférico to viewpoint
Walk to Swing in the Clouds viewpoint
Visit Intiñan Solar Museum at equator

The Experience

I’ll admit, I didn’t expect Quito’s old town to feel so alive. We wandered through narrow streets where every corner seemed to have someone selling tiny pastries or calling out greetings in Spanish. Our guide, Andrés, had this way of weaving stories into each stop—like when he pointed at the Basilica of the National Vow and joked that its gargoyles look more like local animals than anything you’d see in Europe. He was right. The stone iguanas are kind of hilarious once you notice them.

Plaza Grande was buzzing with people—kids chasing pigeons, street musicians somewhere off to the left. I kept catching whiffs of roasted corn from a vendor nearby. We ducked into La Compañía de Jesús for a minute (they call it the gold church for a reason), and honestly, my eyes needed a second to adjust after all that glittering gold leaf. After that, we took the Teleférico up above Quito. It’s colder up there than you think—definitely glad I brought a jacket like Andrés warned. The clouds kept drifting past so close it felt like you could reach out and grab them. There’s this swing at the top—Swing in the Clouds—they dared me to try it and I did, legs flying over nothing but mist and city far below.

The last part was Intiñan Solar Museum, right on the equator line. I thought it’d be cheesy but ended up laughing as we tried those “balance an egg” tricks—harder than it looks, by the way. The guide there explained some Kichwa words; Li laughed when I tried to say one in Mandarin—probably butchered it but nobody cared. Standing with one foot in each hemisphere is sillier than it sounds but also kind of cool? The sun was already slanting low by then and everything felt softer somehow.

What’s included

Your day includes private transportation with city pickup, guided walks through Quito’s Old Town (including Basilica de Voto Nacional and Plaza Grande), entry to key attractions like La Compañía de Jesús church and Intiñan Solar Museum at the equator line, plus a ride on the Teleférico cable car up above Quito—with time for photos at Swing in the Clouds before heading back down together.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Llamingo Travel