Ecuador · Pichincha

Quito

Overview

Quito, Ecuador's capital in the Andes, is one of the world's highest capitals and a UNESCO-listed historic city known for colonial architecture, mountain panoramas, and strong cultural ties to both indigenous and Hispanic traditions.

Travel

Quito's historic centre, one of the largest and best-preserved colonial old towns in the Americas, was named to the very first UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978 — a genuinely early recognition, alongside Kraków and the Galápagos themselves. La Compañía de Jesús, the centre's most famous church, is covered in an estimated seven tonnes of gold leaf inside; nearby, the Church and Convent of San Francisco holds the Quito School's distinctive paintings, a 17th-century artistic fusion of Italian Renaissance technique reworked through Andean iconography by Indigenous and mestizo artists. Plaza Grande, the city's main square, is ringed by the Presidential Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace, and remains a genuine civic hub rather than a tourist backdrop. South of the old town, El Panecillo hill offers the city's classic panorama, its summit crowned by a large aluminium statue of the Virgin of Quito, visible from much of the historic centre below. Because of the altitude — Quito sits at roughly 2,850 metres — pacing matters more here than in most cities, but the payoff is a capital that rewards slow, layered exploration rather than a rushed sightseeing sweep. Quito is also the natural base for day trips into the wider Pichincha province — the cloud forest of Mindo, the equator monuments, and the TelefériQo cable car.

Quito's UNESCO-listed old town concentrates an unusual density of colonial-era religious architecture within a compact, walkable area. La Compañía de Jesús is the centrepiece — its interior is covered almost entirely in gold leaf, applied over more than a century of construction, and ranks among the most ornate Baroque church interiors anywhere in the Americas. A short walk away, the Church and Convent of San Francisco, Quito's oldest religious complex, holds the paintings of the Quito School, a genuinely distinct artistic tradition blending imported Renaissance technique with Andean subject matter and colour sensibility, produced largely by Indigenous and mestizo artists over several generations.

Frequently asked questions

Two full days lets you cover the historic centre properly — La Compañía de Jesús, San Francisco, Plaza Grande and El Panecillo — plus an evening in La Mariscal or La Floresta. Add a third day if you're using Quito as a base for a Pichincha province day trip like Mindo or the equator monuments.

Diplomatic missions in Quito

4 embassies based in this city, grouped by region.

Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.