Quito Old Town Tour: Gondola Ride and Equator Visit

See Quito's highlights in one day without arranging your own transport

A private full-day tour of Quito's Centro Histórico (the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Americas) with a local guide, hotel pickup, and visits to the Basilica of the National Vow, San Francisco Church, TelefériQo gondola, and the equator at Mitad del Mundo. The tour covers the historic center on foot, then travels north to the equator monument and the highest gondola in South America, which rises to 4,050 meters with views across more than 14 Andean peaks.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Basilica of the National Vow1h · entry included
2. Quito Old Town2h · entry included
3. San Francisco Church20m
4. TelefériQo1h · entry included
5. Middle of the World Monument30m · entry included
6. Intiñan Solar Museum1h

Explore Quito Old Town and Surroundings

• Visit Basilica of the National Vow
• Tour Quito Old Town historic center
• See San Francisco Church
• Ride the TelefériQo gondola
• Visit Middle of the World Monument
• Explore Intiñan Solar Museum

The experience

Quito's Old Town is one of the largest and best-preserved colonial centers in the Americas. Your guide leads you through the Centro Histórico on foot, stopping at the Basilica of the National Vow. A massive neo-Gothic structure that has remained technically unfinished for centuries, and at San Francisco Church, a 16th-century complex that took 143 years to build and is sometimes called the Escorial of the New World. Both sit in the heart of a city that was declared a World Cultural Heritage Site alongside Kraków in 1978.

The tour then moves north to Mitad del Mundo, where you stand at the equator and visit the Intiñan Solar Museum, which demonstrates how the sun's path and the earth's physical forces work at zero latitude. From there, you ride the TelefériQo, the highest gondola in South America, up the slopes of Pichincha to Cruz Loma at 4,050 meters. The cable car passes over 160 hectares of terrain and opens onto views of the city below and the volcanic peaks of the Andes beyond.

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, and your guide speaks English or Spanish. The full day runs eight hours, so plan accordingly if you have evening plans elsewhere in the city.

What’s included

• Transport by minivan or compact car depending on group size.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.
• local driver and guide in English or Spanish.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30 and 09:00

AgesAdult (18 to 80 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Lead Adventures

Is this one for you?Eight hours is enough to cover the historic center, ride the gondola, and reach the equator without rushing, but it leaves the rest of your day free for meals or other neighborhoods. A minimum of two people per booking is required, and you must be at least 18 years old.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What is the Basilica of the National Vow and why is it unfinished?

The Basilica of the National Vow is the largest neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas, located in Quito's historic center. Local legend says that when the basilica is completed, the end of the world will come, which is why construction has remained intentionally unfinished.

How high does the TelefériQo gondola go?

The TelefériQo reaches 4,050 meters at the summit of Cruz Loma and is the highest gondola in South America. On clear days, the ride offers views of more than 14 peaks in the Andes, known as the Volcanoes Avenue.

What can you do at Mitad del Mundo besides stand on the equator?

At Mitad del Mundo, you visit the Intiñan Solar Museum, which demonstrates physical phenomena of the earth and the sun's path at zero latitude using didactic examples and hundred-year-old structures. The grounds also include the Monument to the Equator itself, which marks the exact location from which Ecuador takes its name.

Is San Francisco Church different from the Basilica?

Yes. San Francisco Church is a 16th-century Roman Catholic complex that took 143 years to build (1537–1680) and is the largest architectural ensemble among colonial structures in Latin America. It houses the city's beloved Virgin of Quito and fronts onto Plaza de San Francisco, while the Basilica of the National Vow is a separate neo-Gothic structure built much later.

How long is the tour and does it include meals?

The tour runs eight hours. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, as is transportation by minivan or compact car and a local guide who speaks English or Spanish. Food and drinks are not included, so you can choose where and what to eat during the day.