Private Quito City Tour: Teleferico, Basilica & Equator Line

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/40

Duration8h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Rising 13,200 feet above Quito on a cable car, then standing on the equator line

A private, eight-hour Quito city tour with a bilingual guide covering TelefériQo cable car, the Basilica of the National Vow, Old Town walking route, and the Intiñan Solar Museum at the equator line. Hotel pickup is included, as are all four admission fees. The tour starts at 9am and moves at a pace set by your group, with time built in for the cable car ascent, tower climb, walking the historic center, and hands-on experiments at the equator museum.

Step-by-step itinerary

Quito city tour and equator visit

Pickup from hotel at 9am
Drive to TeleferiQo cable car
Ride cable car to 4,050m
Short hike at Andean ecosystem
Visit Basilica of the National Vow
Walking tour of Quito Old Town
Lunch at local restaurant (optional)
Visit Intiñan Solar Museum

The Experience

The day starts with a twenty-minute drive north-west to TelefériQo, Quito's cable car. You ride to 4,050 meters (13,200 feet) where the guide walks you through the Páramo ecosystem—the high-altitude Andean landscape with its own vegetation and wildlife. A short hike reaches the swing of the clouds, where llamas and alpacas graze. The altitude and the view frame what comes next: a descent back into the city's colonial core.

The Basilica of the National Vow is the next stop, a Gothic-style structure that dominates Quito's skyline. You see the exterior first, then take an elevator up the towers for a view across Old Town and the surrounding city. Inside, stained glass and carved details fill the main basilica. From there, a walking tour of Quito Old Town follows—the independence square, colonial houses, monuments, and churches that make up one of South America's best-preserved historic centers. Your guide points out the different architectural styles and the history they carry. The operator suggests local restaurants for lunch if you want to eat in the area.

The final stop is the Intiñan Solar Museum, located at the equator line. The museum uses experiments to show how the equator's position affects gravity, water, and balance. Bring your passport if you want the equator stamp. The tour wraps by mid-afternoon, and your driver returns you to your hotel.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and private transportation for the full day.
TelefériQo cable car admission.
Basilica of the National Vow admission with tower access.
Intiñan Solar Museum admission at the equator line.
a national, bilingual, certified tour guide.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Ecuador a Color tour operator

Is this one for you?Eight hours is long enough to move through four distinct sites—the cable car, the basilica, the Old Town walk, and the equator museum—without rushing any of them, but it leaves the afternoon free if you want to rest or explore on your own afterward. A private guide means the pace stays yours, and admission fees included upfront remove the stop-and-pay friction at each entrance.