If you have one full day in Quito, this is the usual way to spend it: the old town while the churches open, then north to the equator. This guide is for you if you are planning that day. It covers what the season changes, how to deal with the sun and the cloud, which tickets you need, and when to ask the driver to swap things round.
Two halves, two kinds of day
The morning is about the city. Quito's historic centre was among the first places on UNESCO's World Heritage List, in 1978, and its churches hold the Baroque work of the Quito School. You see it from El Panecillo first, then you go down into San Francisco, the Plaza Grande, La Compañía, La Ronda and the Basílica.
The afternoon is about geography. The Ciudad Mitad del Mundo is about an hour north of the city, at San Antonio de Pichincha. After the monument come the Intiñán museum and the rim of the Pululahua crater.
Two halves means two sets of shoes, in a way. The old town is cobbled and steep in places. The equator sites are flat, open and exposed to the sun. Wear something that works for both.
When to go
Quito's dry season runs from June to September. The rest of the year is wetter, and March and April are usually the wettest months. In the wet season, mornings are often clear and showers come in the afternoon.
That pattern suits the tour's order in town, since you are among the churches in the morning. It is less kind to the afternoon. Pululahua is the stop the weather decides. Thick cloud often fills the crater later in the day, and the tour reaches it at around 14:30.
If the crater view matters most to you, tell your driver at pick-up. The itinerary can be changed on the day. Bear in mind that the churches open one after another in the morning, so moving the equator earlier changes which interiors you have time for.
Check also for festival dates if the old town is part of your day. On Good Friday, the Jesús del Gran Poder procession sets off from San Francisco and climbs to the Basílica, with thousands of people in the streets.
The sun, the altitude and the line
Quito sits at about 2,850 metres. Medical guidance puts the risk of altitude sickness at anything above about 2,450 metres for people who have not acclimatised. Fitness does not protect you, and symptoms often appear after the first night. If you arrived yesterday, take the old town slowly, drink water and leave the alcohol for later in the week.
At the equator, the sun is the problem. It is strong there, and the afternoon stops are outdoors. Bring a hat with a brim, sunglasses and sun cream, and put more on every couple of hours.
As for the line itself, the monument is about 30 metres tall, a concrete monolith topped by a globe. It went up in 1979, replacing an older one from 1936. It marks the equator first set out by the geodesic mission led by Charles-Marie de La Condamine between 1736 and 1744. GPS readings put the monument about 240 metres south of the true line. The Intiñán museum next door shows where modern GPS puts it, and that is why both are on the route.
Pululahua, the crater with farms in it
The last stop is easy to underrate. Pululahua is one of the larger volcanic craters on the continent, about 34 square kilometres, and it has been protected as a geobotanical reserve since 1966. Its floor is farmland, so from the rim you look down onto fields in the bottom of a volcano. The slopes hold cloud forest and many kinds of orchid.
The tour stops at a viewpoint on the rim. If the cloud has come in, the view may be short or hidden. That is the main reason to think about moving it earlier.
What to book and bring
The vehicle, the driver, fuel, tolls and parking are included. These are not, and you pay on the day:
- Church entrances in the old town, and the Basílica towers if you climb them.
- The Ciudad Mitad del Mundo entrance.
- The Intiñán museum entrance.
- Lunch and drinks. There are restaurants in the monument park.
Bring cash for these and for small purchases.
For clothing, think in layers. A breathable shirt, a light jumper and a rain jacket will cover cool mornings, a hot noon at the equator and an afternoon shower.
On your own or with a driver
The old town works on foot. Since December 2023, a metro line runs through the city, with a San Francisco station in the historic centre.
The equator is the harder half without a car. It is about 20 kilometres north of the city, and Pululahua is a separate stop again. Joining the three sites up yourself takes planning and time. With a driver, you go from the Basílica to San Antonio de Pichincha without changing vehicles, and the car waits at each stop.
The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
Who it suits, and when to choose something else
It suits a first visit to Quito with a single full day free. It works for families too, as long as everyone is happy with a nine-hour day.
If you only have a morning or an afternoon, take the four-hour old town tour instead and leave the equator out. If you would rather spend the day outside the city, our guide to day trips from Quito compares the market, volcano and cloud forest days.
If you are flying out the same evening, the tour ends at about 16:00, but the drive back from the equator can be longer in afternoon traffic. Leave a margin, or ask us about our airport transfers.
Questions people ask
Can we skip the churches?
Yes. Tell your driver, and you can spend longer at the equator or the crater instead.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up for a full refund. See our cancellation page.
We are more than 16. Can we still go?
Yes, in two vehicles on one booking. Message us for a price.
Booking the day
Pick a day away from the big festivals if you want quiet churches, and bring a hat for the afternoon. The timings, stops and what is included are on the old town and Middle of the World tour page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
