Quito Private Tour: Old Town, Cable Car & Equator Line

See Quito's layered history in one morning: churches, plazas and the line where hemispheres meet.

A private, guided tour of Quito covering the Old Town's colonial churches and plazas, a cable car ascent on Rucu Pichincha volcano, and the Intiñan Solar Museum and Middle of the World Monument at the equator. The tour runs 7 hours with a certified guide in English or Spanish, hotel pickup included, and includes a chocolate tasting and traditional sweets. Water and air-conditioned transport throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Basilica of the National Vow40m
2. Independence Plaza40m
3. Church of the Society of Jesuspassing by
4. San Francisco Church15m
5. TelefériQo2h
6. Middle of the World Monument15m
7. Intiñan Solar Museum1h

Explore Quito's Old Town and Surroundings

• Visit Basilica of the National Vow
• Explore Plaza Benalcazar
• Walk around Independence Plaza
• See Church of the Society of Jesus
• Visit San Francisco Square
• Enjoy Ecuadorian chocolate tasting
• Ride TelefériQo cable car
• Visit Middle of the World Monument
• Tour Intiñan Solar Museum

The experience

Your guide picks you up from your hotel and drives you into Quito's historic center, where the city's foundation in 1534 still shapes the streets. You start at the Basilica of the National Vow, Ecuador's tallest church, and climb its Gothic towers for views across the city. From there, the tour moves through the plazas that anchor Quito's identity: Plaza Benalcazar, where the city began; Independence Plaza, ringed by the Government Palace and Cathedral; and San Francisco Square, where you pause for a chocolate tasting in front of one of the oldest churches in the city.

The cable car ride up Rucu Pichincha volcano shifts the scale. TelefériQo carries you above the city to the Andean páramo ecosystem, where the air thins and the view opens across Quito's sprawl below. On the descent, you head north to the equator. The Middle of the World Monument marks latitude 000, where the northern and southern hemispheres meet, and the Intiñan Solar Museum explains how indigenous peoples understood this line long before modern geography named it. The museum includes hands-on activities that demonstrate how gravity and balance shift at the equator.

The Church of the Society of Jesus, with its interior almost entirely covered in 18K gold leaf, closes the tour as a final stop in the colonial center. Throughout the day, you taste traditional Ecuadorian sweets alongside the chocolate, and the guide, a licensed national tourism guide, shapes the pace and stops to your interests. The vehicle is air-conditioned, and water is provided.

What’s included

• Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• certified tour guide in English or Spanish.
• hotel pickup.
• visit to the Basilica of the National Vow with tower climb.
• visits to Plaza Benalcazar, Independence Plaza, and San Francisco Square.
• chocolate tasting.
• visit to the Church of the Society of Jesus.
• TelefériQo cable car ride.
• visit to the Middle of the World Monument.
• Intiñan Solar Museum entry.
• tasting of traditional sweets.
• water bottle.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:50

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Senior (116 and older) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (2 to 11 years) · Infant (under 2)

GroupPrivate

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.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Bacan Ecuador Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're arriving in Quito for the first time and want the city's colonial core, the cable car views and the equator all in one morning with a single guide handling the route and timing. A private tour means you set the pace and the guide adapts to your interests rather than following a fixed group schedule.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (2 to 11 years); Infant (under 2).

What's inside the Church of the Society of Jesus that makes it worth the stop?

The interior is almost entirely covered with thin sheets of 18K gold leaf, making it one of the finest examples of Baroque art in Latin America and a showcase of the Quiteño School of art.

Can you actually climb the Basilica of the National Vow, or is it just a view from outside?

You climb the towers of the Basilica of the National Vow for panoramic views of the city. The church is Ecuador's tallest and its Gothic structure remains under construction, but the ascent is part of the tour.

What happens at the Middle of the World Monument and the Intiñan Museum?

At the Middle of the World Monument you stand at latitude 000 where the equator divides the hemispheres. The Intiñan Solar Museum nearby explains the indigenous understanding of this line and includes hands-on activities showing how gravity and balance work differently at the equator.

Is the cable car ride included, or do I pay extra?

The TelefériQo cable car ride up Rucu Pichincha volcano is included in the tour. It takes you above the city to the Andean páramo ecosystem for views and a chance to experience the highland environment.

What food and drink are part of the tour?

The tour includes a chocolate tasting in San Francisco Square and traditional Ecuadorian sweets throughout the day. Water is provided, but breakfast and lunch are not included.