The magnificent, UNESCO-listed colonial heart — a dense warren of cobbled streets, grand plazas, and some of the most spectacular gilded churches in the Americas, buzzing with life by day. Atmospheric, beautiful and walkable, at the centre of every sight; the base for travellers who want history on the doorstep and colonial grandeur all around, though it's quieter and best avoided on foot late at night. Quito at its most breathtaking.
A look around
What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.
$50–100
typical per night in Ecuador
The sensible middle
Typical prices for Quito — neither steal nor splurge.
Where it sits
The circle is Centro Histórico and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.
How far is everything?
From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.
- Ecuadorian food9 min taxi2.8 km
- La Mariscal nightlife9 min taxi2.8 km
- La Floresta10 min taxi3.5 km
- TelefériQo cable car14 min taxi4.6 km
- Guápulo15 min taxi5.0 km
- Parque La Carolina16 min taxi5.5 km
- Mitad del Mundo (the Equator)75 min taxi25.0 km
On your doorstep
What you’re living next to if you stay here.
- 1.La Compañía de Jesús — The most dazzling church in the Americas — a Jesuit baroque masterpiece whose interior is entirely covered in gold leaf, seven tonnes of it, glittering across the walls, altars and soaring ceiling in an overwhelming vision of wealth and faith. Small, jaw-dropping and unforgettable, it's the crown jewel of Quito's astonishing colonial religious art; step inside and simply gaze. The single most spectacular sight in the city, and worth the modest entrance fee alone.
- 2.Plaza Grande & the Old Town — The grand main square of the historic centre — the Plaza de la Independencia, ringed by the presidential palace, the cathedral and the archbishop's palace, and the beating heart of the beautifully preserved old town all around. Simply wandering the UNESCO-listed colonial streets, plazas and church-fronts is the great pleasure of Quito; start here, watch the changing of the guard on Mondays, and lose yourself in the finest colonial centre in South America. Utterly atmospheric.
- 3.El Panecillo & the Virgin — The little hill rising above the old town, crowned by a giant winged statue of the Virgin of Quito — climb (by taxi, for safety) to her feet for a breathtaking 360° panorama over the whole colonial city spread across the valley, ringed by green Andean peaks and volcanoes. The definitive Quito view and a spectacular way to grasp the city's dramatic mountain setting; go on a clear morning for the volcanoes. Unmissable, and unforgettable at sunset. Take a taxi up.
- 4.Plaza & Church of San Francisco — The largest and oldest colonial complex on the continent — a vast whitewashed monastery and church begun soon after the conquest, fronting a huge cobbled plaza, with a richly decorated interior blending Spanish and indigenous 'Quito School' art. Grand, historic and atmospheric, it's a highlight of the old town; admire the sweeping plaza, step into the church and small museum, and soak up centuries of history. One of the great sights of colonial Quito, and free to enter.
When are you staying?
Booking.com & Airbnb open searched to Centro Histórico; flights via Google Flights.