Exploring Quito in a day

Quito, the capital of Ecuador is one of the most charming cities i’ve ever visited.

A phenomenal mix of a heritage and cultural hub in the Old Town and party central in La Mariscal / Gringolandia – there’s something for every traveler in this city.

While i planned to stay in this city only for a couple of days, i landed up staying for a whole month! But given that time is a luxury for most, here’s a power packed itinerary for a 12 hour layover…

Morning – Explore and walk around Centro Historico upto Mercado Central.

Old town #Quito #Ecuador #AllYouNeedIsEcuador #centrohistorico from atop Parque Itchimbia #throwback #travel #vacation #holiday

A photo posted by Exotic Gringo (Kaushal) (@exoticgringo) on Mar 23, 2016 at 9:54pm PDT

Lunch – Eat local at the Mercado Central or a local restaurant followed by a cuppa coffee / desserts at Fruteria Monserrate

Early Evening – Go atop the TeleferiQo (cable car) for a top view of the city from El Panecillo

A photo posted by Exotic Gringo (Kaushal) (@exoticgringo) on Mar 23, 2016 at 10:04pm PDT

A photo posted by Exotic Gringo (Kaushal) (@exoticgringo) on Mar 22, 2016 at 12:10am PDT

Evening – Catch the sunset from Parque Itchimbia

Dinner & Drinks – Walk down (or cab) to El Mariscal / Gringolandia – the commercial, chic and fun part of the city, although very touristy.

This may seem like a counter-logical itinerary in terms of distances, but it’ll allow you to maximize your experience and soak in more, if you are short on time.

If you want to do less, drop the Parque Itchimbia plan and spend more time in Centro Historico and Mariscal.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your short stay in Quito 🙂

Finally, let me assure you that you will want to spend more time in this city if you spend even one day here.

Bien Viajes!

Reproduced from my Quora answer