Day trips from Quito: old town, volcano or cloud forest

Quito sits high in the Andes, about 2,850 m above the sea, with an old town of churches and squares at its heart. Within a couple of hours are the equator to the north, the market town of Otavalo, the Cotopaxi volcano to the south, and the cloud forest of Mindo down the western slope. Here is what each of our five involves.

First time in Quito, one day: the old town and the Middle of the World. Only a morning or an afternoon: the four-hour old town tour.

The five, side by side

Trip	Length	Leaves	Price
Quito: Private Day Tour of the Old Town and the Middle of the World	9h	07:00	from €170
Quito: Private Tour of the Old Town, El Panecillo and the Basílica	4h	07:00	from €120
Otavalo Market and Cuicocha Lagoon Private Day Trip from Quito	10h	07:00	from €170
Cotopaxi National Park Private Day Trip from Quito	9h	07:00	from €170
Mindo Cloud Forest Private Day Trip from Quito	10h	07:00	from €180

Prices are starting prices and depend on the size of your group.

How to choose

You have one day, and it has to count

The old town and the Middle of the World. Nine hours from 07:00: El Panecillo, San Francisco, the Plaza Grande, the gilded church of La Compañía, La Ronda and the Basílica in the morning, as the churches open, then about an hour north to the equator monument, the Intiñán museum next door, which shows where modern GPS puts the line, and the view into the Pululahua crater, when the cloud allows.

You only have half a day

The old town tour. Four hours, starting at 07:00 or 13:00: the winged Virgin on El Panecillo, the Plaza Grande, the gold leaf of La Compañía, San Francisco, La Ronda and the carved gargoyles of the Basílica del Voto Nacional. On the early start the squares come first and the churches once they open.

You want a market

Otavalo and Cuicocha. Ten hours north between volcanoes: biscuits from the wood ovens of Cayambe, the lake of San Pablo below Imbabura, the textiles and ponchos of the Plaza de los Ponchos, the Peguche waterfall, lunch among the leather shops of Cotacachi, and the crater lake of Cuicocha. The market is open every day; Saturday is the big one.

You want the volcano

Cotopaxi. Nine hours: the Limpiopungo lagoon at about 3,800 m and, if the road allows, the car park below the José Rivas refuge, with an optional walk up to it at 4,800 m. The summit shows only when the sky is clear, and mornings are the best chance. The park can close at short notice when the volcano is active; if it does, we tell you before the day.

You want birds and forest

Mindo. Ten hours, about two hours each way down the western slope: a hummingbird garden, a butterfly farm, the cable car across the valley to the waterfalls, lunch in the village and a chocolate tour. It is warm and humid, and it rains often, so bring a rain jacket.

Four things worth knowing before you book

Some things are paid on the day

The price covers the private vehicle, driver, fuel, tolls and parking. Church entrances, the Mitad del Mundo monument and the Intiñán museum, the boat on Cuicocha, the Mindo gardens, cable car and chocolate tour, and lunch are paid on the day.

The altitude is real

Quito is about 2,850 m above sea level and Limpiopungo about 3,800 m. Walk slowly, drink water, and leave Cotopaxi until you have spent a few days in the city. Mindo is much lower, so dress in layers.

Private costs less than you think for a group

A coach seat is cheap for one person and stops being cheap at four. Our prices are by group size, not per seat: up to four of you share one car at one price, and the price only steps up when you need a van. And you are not waiting for forty strangers at every stop.

You can change your mind

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pick-up, refunded in full. If the date stops working, message us and we will do our best to move you to another day.