Quito Old Town: Walking Tour with Church History & Local Food Tastings

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Duration3h

GroupUp to 30

LanguagesEN · ES

Mobile ticketAccepted

Four churches in one walk: what the Jesuit baroque and the first brewery of South America tell you about Quito

You walk through Quito's colonial center visiting four major churches — the golden Jesuit baroque, the oldest church with South America's first brewery underneath, the Gothic Basilica, and the Independence Plaza where the city's history is written in the buildings around you. Local food tastings are included, and if you visit Monday through Friday, you climb to the roof of Ecuador's first university for a view that ties the whole morning together.

Step-by-step itinerary

Walking tour of Quito's Old Town

Visit Plaza Grande and learn history
Explore the Gothic Basilica of the National Vow
See San Francisco Church and brewery site
Admire the Church of the Society of Jesus
Visit first University building and rooftop view

The Experience

"You come to Quito and you see churches everywhere, but nobody tells you why they're all different — that's what I show you." That's how the guide puts it, and it's the whole thing right there. The walk starts at Plaza Grande, the Independence Plaza, where the public buildings and the history of the city are laid out in front of you, and then you move into the churches themselves — not as a checklist, but as a story about who built them and why they matter. The Church of the Society of Jesus, the one locals call the Golden Church, took the Jesuits 160 years to finish, and when you stand inside and look up, you understand why. The gold leaf catches the light in a way that feels less like decoration and more like the whole point of the building.

San Francisco Church is the oldest and biggest in Quito, and here's the detail that sticks with you: the first brewery of South America is underneath it. You're standing in a colonial church and learning that beer production started here, which is not the kind of thing you'd guess on your own. The Basilica of the National Vow is the Gothic one, and the style is genuinely different from everything else — it's the outlier in the group, which is why it matters. Between the churches, the guide hands you typical candies and snacks of the city, small tastings that are part of the tour, not an upsell. They're the kind of thing you'd never find on your own, and they taste like they belong to this place specifically.

The walk ends at the building of Ecuador's first university, and if you're going Monday through Friday, you can climb to the roof. From up there, the old town spreads out below you in a way that makes the whole morning click into place — you've been walking through it, and now you see how it all fits together. The guide stays in touch after the tour if you're planning to travel to other parts of Ecuador and need advice, which is the kind of thing that matters when you're still figuring out your trip. The walk is steady but not rushed, and it's suitable for most fitness levels, though the cobblestones and the climbing mean it's not a stroll.

What’s included

Your walk includes entry to the four main churches (Church of the Society of Jesus, San Francisco Church, Basilica of the National Vow, and Independence Plaza), free tastings of typical Quito candies and snacks, and a rooftop visit to Ecuador's first university building if you tour Monday through Friday. The guide also offers post-tour support if you're planning to travel elsewhere in Ecuador.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by EXPERIENTIAL TOURS in Quito

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to understand Quito's colonial architecture and history through the buildings themselves, not just walk past them — the churches are the story, and the food tastings ground it in the city's everyday life. The walk covers cobblestones and involves climbing, so plan for steady legs and comfortable shoes.