Discover Quito’s cultural heritage with us on a tour of the “best preserved and least altered historic center in Latin America” according to UNESCO.
With the arrival of the metro, we recommend you to take it to the San Francisco stop in the San Roque sector. It is an uncomplicated way of transportation that takes you directly to the heart of downtown and saves you from having to look for parking. In that case, we recommend you start your tour at Plaza San Francisco and plan your route from there.
Here are some of our must-see stops:
THE CARONDELET PALACE
In the Plaza Grande, is the Carondelet Palace, the official workplace (and sometimes home) of the President of the Republic of Ecuador. Its infrastructure was built in the 19th century by the President of the Royal Audience of Quito, the Baron of Carondelet, who gives the palace its name. If you want to visit the interior of the palace, you should go to the entrance on Espejo Street. Inside the palace, you can visit the Museum of the Presidency, the Andalusian patios, the cabinet room, the banqueting sauce, and the balcony and room of the presidents. As the president works from here, the tour is limited to the spaces that are not being used.
Visiting hours: Tuesday to Friday: 9:00 am to 6:45 pm. Saturdays and Sundays: 9h00 to 17h00.
Free tours: (approx. every 20 min)
THE CATHEDRAL
This church houses an interesting collection of sculptures and paintings of the Escuela Quiteña and the tomb of Antonio José de Sucre. As in many Ecuadorian and Latin American churches, several styles were used in the construction of the cathedral: Gothic in the arches, Moorish in the ceilings and Baroque in the main altar, the choir and the episcopal chair. The central painting by Manuel Samaniego and the statues by Capiscara are neoclassical. You can also visit the Cathedral Museum where clothes used by the priests in the 17th century (“casullas”, choral books and silver pieces) are exhibited. We recommend that you go up to the domes to see the city.
Visiting hours: Monday to Saturday: 9h00 – 17h00. Sunday 10h00-14h00.
Visit without guide $3.00, guided tour $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for children. Free for children under 8 years old.
METROPOLITAN CULTURAL CENTER
Located on the corner of the Plaza, next to the Government Palace. The Jesuits originally built this building in the 17th century. In 1767, when Charles III of Spain banished the Jesuit Order from the colonized territories, the building became a public university. In the last decade of the 18th century, the building became the headquarters of the Spanish royal troops sent from Lima to repress the first independence efforts. Thus, the building was known as the “Cuartel Real de Lima”. On August 2, 1810, this building witnessed the massacre of many Quiteño patriots who died fighting for independence. The Alberto Mena Caamaño Museum shows this massacre with life-size wax sculptures, as well as other important scenes of Quito’s history.
Today, the Cultural Center has a museum of colonial art, as well as the Municipal Library. There is also an exhibition hall for Contemporary Art, which houses temporary exhibitions. In addition, the Metropolitan Cultural Center manages the Alberto Mena Caamaño Museum, other libraries of the Metropolitan Network of Libraries, the Itchimbía Cultural Center and the La Ronda House of Arts.
Visiting hours: Wednesday to Sunday: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm.
THE SAGRARIUM
This church was originally the main chapel of the Cathedral. Its stone façade with ornamented Solomonic columns is an excellent demonstration of the late Baroque style, which leaves practically no space free of ornamentation. This style is also evident in the sculpture of Bernardo de Legarda that is next to the Cathedral.
Visiting hours: Monday to Friday: 9h00-13h00 and 14h30-18h00. Saturday: Closed. Sunday: 8h00-13h00 and 17h00-18h00.
THE COMPANY OF JESUS CHURCH
The extraordinary façade of La Compañía can be described as a lace on stone. The splendor of its interiors is incomparable: a vaulted ceiling and walls with beautiful Moorish ornamentation, the perfect harmony and richness of the main altar, the reproduction of the Solomonic columns on the façade, the incredible baroque style grouped in the tribunes on both sides of the main altar, the pulpit and the side chapels. Everything in the church is covered with gold leaf. It is a magnificent display of foliage, vines, fruit, birds and caryatids. The Holy Trinity on the main altar and the images of St. Francis and St. Ignatius on the side altars are works of art belonging to the famous Legarda. In the majestic arcade that divides the naves hang paintings of the prophets and works by Goribar. It is located on Benalcázar Street.
Visiting hours: Monday to Thursday: 9:30 am to 6:30 pm, Friday: 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, Saturday: 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, Sunday: 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm.
Admission fee: $5 adults, $2.50 students, and children are free. Free admission on the first Sunday of the month.
From here, if you started the tour at Plaza Grande, you can walk along Sucre Street to Plaza San Francisco.
SQUARE AND CHURCH OF SAINT FRANCISCO
This complex gave the capital of Ecuador its proper name: San Francisco de Quito. Built between 1536 and 1580, San Francisco is the largest religious architectural complex in America, with more than 8,670 hectares, including the convent with 6 interior courtyards. The interior of the convent is of baroque style. The coffered ceiling of the narthex presents a rich ornamentation of Moorish style with paintings by Miguel de Santiago. It is interesting to note that among the decorations there are images of the sun god and Inca divinities. The main altar houses Legarda’s original masterpiece: “The Virgin of Quito”. This sculpture is the only winged image of the Virgin Mary in colonial art.
The Plaza San Francisco was an ancient “Tianguez”, which means “market” in the native Nahuatl language. In pre-Columbian times, the Plaza San Francisco was a bustling commercial center, hosting some ten ethnic denominations from neighboring valleys. San Francisco is located between Sucre and Bolivar streets.
Visiting hours: Monday to Thursday: 6h45 to 11h45 and 16h00 – 18h45, Fridays and Saturdays: 6h45- 12h45 and 16h00- 18h45, Sundays: 6h45- 18h45.
CANTUÑA CHAPEL
Visit the legendary chapel located next to the atrium of San Francisco. The wood carvings of the Calvary of the main altar are some of Legarda’s most outstanding masterpieces. According to legend, Cantuña built the chapel in homage to the Franciscan friar who defended him in a trial by the Spanish Inquisition after he was accused of possessing hidden treasures from Inca temples and palaces and attributing his sudden riches to the devil. In the Franciscan cloister, a plaque reads: “This is the tomb of Francisco Cantuña and his heirs. Year of 1669”. In addition, there is another popular legend about the construction of this chapel – and an alleged pact between Cantuña and the devil.
Visiting hours: Tuesday to Thursday: 7h00 to 8h00, Sundays 8h00 to 9h00.
Free admission.
SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM
Located next to the church in the Plaza San Francisco, the museum exhibits artistic pieces by Andrés Sánchez Galque, Miguel de Santiago, Mateo Mexía, and European authors such as Zurbarán and Bernardo de Bitti (XVI-XVIII). In the sculptures, you will be able to observe the glazed eyes, characteristic of the XVIII century.
Visiting hours: Monday to Saturday: 09h00 to 17h30, Sunday 9h00 to 12h30.
Admission fee: $2 adults, $1 children.
HOUSE OF THE PRAISED MUSEUM OF PRE-COLUMBIAN ART
A delicate selection of 500 pre-Columbian pieces make up the museum’s permanent exhibition. The guide, with both scientific and museological content, invites the public to discover the cosmovision of the American Indians and to explore the aesthetic and technical excellence achieved by ancient artists working with a wide variety of raw materials.
The Museum emphasizes its educational mission. To this end, it offers audio guides in several languages, multimedia programs, interactive spaces in some galleries, special workshops and guided tours for visitors who wish to take advantage of the Museum’s interactive resources.
Visiting hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. *On Mondays and Tuesdays you can visit the museum under reservation by writing to: educacion@alabado.org
Admission fee: general $6, senior citizens $3, children from 4 to 12 years old $2, students with ID card $2.
After visiting the museum, we recommend that you go down Sucre Street to Garcia Moreno Street.
MARIA AUGUSTA URRUTIA MUSEUM
Located at 760 García Moreno Street, you can learn about the life of a wealthy and generous Quiteña in the early 20th century. Enjoy the beautifully decorated interiors (especially the French antiques), and the clothing and artifacts characteristic of the era.
Visiting hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Admission: $2 for adults, $1 for seniors and students, and $0.50 for children (includes guided tour).
MUSEUM OF EL CARMEN ALTO
Belonging to the Monasterio del Carmen Alto de San José, former home of Santa Mariana de Jesús. Here, more than 1,500 pieces of art are exhibited, including paintings, sculptures, textiles, jewelry and unique historical documents.
The museum’s permanent exhibits revolve around three main themes:
- Religious art from the Monastery of San José and Santa Mariana de Jesús del Carmen Alto.
- The history of the daily life of Carmelitas Descalzas, a religious community in Quito.
- The life of Saint Mariana de Jesus
Fun fact: The community of Carmelitas Descalzas sells traditional handicraft products in a turnstile located on Benalcázar Street, in front of Santa Clara Square. They sell rose water, cookies, wine, creams and other unique products made in the Cloister.
Special recommendation: The guide Esteban Herrera wrote his university thesis on this museum and is very knowledgeable on the subject. If possible, ask for
Visiting hours: Wednesday to Sunday: 9:30 am to 5:30 pm (last guided tour starts at 4:30 pm).
Admission fee: $4 Adults $3, students with ID $2, children and senior citizens $1, disabled persons and babies: free.
MUSEUM OF THE CITY
Located at García Moreno 572 and Rocafuerte, follow the daily life of Quito through the centuries in this beautiful colonial building formerly known as San Juan de Dios Hospital (1565).
Visiting hours: Wednesday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.
Admission: $3 for adults, $2 for students and $1 for children and senior citizens.
Night visits with theatrical performances upon request. Price: $5 per person (includes a cocktail).
THE ROUND
Along 2 blocks, you can find artisans working traditional crafts, such as candles and embroidery, many “tiendas” (small stores), bakeries, bars and traditional restaurants. In addition, various cultural activities are organized both in the street and inside the different bars and cafes. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, La Ronda was home to several musicians, poets, historians and other important figures in Quito’s history. This neighborhood inspired poetry and some of the most romantic corridors we know today.
From La Ronda you can walk to Junin Street.
JUNÍN STREET
This charming street is full of colorful houses and decorated balconies. Along the street you can visit: the Manuela Saenz Museum, the Museum of Ecuadorian Architecture, the National Watercolor Museum, the 16th century San Marcos Church, engravers of the Quito School of Art and a famous guitar factory.
From here, after strolling through the San Marcos neighborhood, you can go up Guayaquil street and walk north towards the San Agustin church.
SAINT AUGUSTINE'S CHURCH
It is located on the corner of Chile and Guayaquil streets. Although the construction of this church concluded in 1538, it has been reformed due to the damages caused by an earthquake. The vault under the choir, the columns carved in wood and the gilded altars are the only vestiges of the original construction.
SAINT AUGUSTINE CONVENT
The main elements to admire here are the beautiful cloisters on three different levels, the colonial courtyard fountain carved from a single block of stone, the coffered ceiling of the lower cloister and the huge collection of paintings by the artist Miguel de Santiago. The artist spent most of his life working in the convent to complete the task of painting scenes from the life of St. Augustine.
Visiting hours: Monday to Friday 09h00 to 12h30 and 14h00 to 17h00. Saturday 9h00 to 12h30.
Admission fee: $2, children $0.50 and seniors $1.
CAPITULAR ROOM
In the same convent is one of the most important historical sites of Spanish America. Here the first Act of Independence was signed on August 10, 1809. On the right side of this large room is the masterpiece of the Calvary, designed by a seventeenth-century artist from Quito named Olmos.
Entrance fee $2.
Walk four blocks north on Guayaquil Street and turn left on Esmeraldas Street to reach the Camilo Egas Museum.
CAMILO EGAS MUSEUM
This museum houses a permanent exhibition of paintings by Camilo Egas, in an exhibition that allows to know the different techniques and stages of the artist (indigenism, expressionism, surrealism, cubism and abstraction) in a didactic and practical way.
Visiting hours: Tuesday to Friday from 9h00 to 17h00. Saturday from 10h00 to 16h00. Sunday and Monday closed.
Admission: free.
Go three blocks south on Venezuela Street and then turn right on Olmedo Street. Go up two blocks and turn left on Cuenca Street to reach the Colonial Art Museum.
MUSEUM OF COLONIAL ART
Located on the corner of Cuenca and Mejía streets and after half a decade of renovations, one of the oldest and most emblematic museums in Quito reopened its doors at the end of April 2010. The Colonial Art Museum houses a fantastic collection of works from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, among the most important in the country. The exhibits are housed in a beautiful colonial mansion, dating from the late sixteenth century.
Visiting hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 9:30 am – 5:00 pm.
Admission fee: adults $2, students $0.50, children free.
For the following visits we recommend you to ask for a cab as the stops are close but not necessarily walkable.
SAN DIEGO CONVENT
A true manifestation of syncretism! The congregation of St. Francis built this church to provide priests and lay people with a place of retreat. Along the aisles, you can appreciate paintings dating from the 17th century, covered with whitewash for years and now being restored. We recommend that you ask the cab driver to wait until the end of the visit.
Visiting hours: Monday to Sunday 10h00-13h00 and 14h00-17h00.
Entrance fee: $2.00
THE BREAD
Many historical events took place on the top of this hill. “Panecillo”, meaning “little bread”, refers to its peculiar size and shape. The Virgin that stands on the hill, made of 7,000 pieces of aluminum, is a modern representation of the famous “Virgen de Quito”, the unique winged Virgin conceived by Bernardo Legarda in the 17th century. (The original masterpiece can be seen on the main altar of the church of San Francisco). At the top there is a balcony that offers one of the best views of the city.
Visiting hours: Monday to Wednesday 9h30-17h15, Friday to Sunday 9h30- 21h00.
Admission fee inside the monument: $1 for adults and $0.50 for children.
The Historic Center of Quito has a lot to discover, in this walking tour we have tried to include some of the most popular stops. Which ones would you include?
**If the schedules or rates vary from the information in this blog, please let us know so we can update the information as soon as possible.
