Quito Museums, Churches and Guided Visits
Travel advisory, as of October 2026. Ecuador has declared an internal armed conflict against criminal gangs, and rolling states of emergency apply in several provinces. Pichincha, which includes Quito, is under one until mid-November 2026. Quito had a night curfew in May 2026, and curfews can return at short notice. The UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to several coastal provinces and the strip along the Colombian border; Quito lies outside those areas. Street crime and express kidnappings are real risks, so use registered taxis or ride apps, especially at night and for El Panecillo. Read the FCDO advice for Ecuador and check travel.state.gov before you book.
Quito’s best ticketed attractions sit in a small area of the old town, so you can plan around opening days and fit three or four into a day without long transfers. There is no city sightseeing pass, so you pay at each door. Take it gently on the first two days, since the city stands at about 2,850 m and cloister stairs add up.
Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús
This Jesuit church on García Moreno and Sucre took roughly 160 years to build, between 1605 and 1765. The interior is covered in gilded carving and is said to hold several tonnes of gold leaf, a figure repeated by guides rather than measured. Look for the Solomonic columns, the Mudéjar woodwork and the large canvases of the Last Judgment. Foreign adults pay about $5 to $6. Entry is free on the first Sunday of the month. Sunday opening is shortened, and photographs are not allowed inside.
Convento y Museo de San Francisco
The Franciscan complex on Plaza de San Francisco dates from the 1530s and is among the largest colonial religious sites in the Americas. The museum holds works of the Quito School, including Bernardo de Legarda’s winged Virgin and sculptures by Caspicara, and you can walk the cloisters and the choir. The museum costs a few dollars. Opening hours are shorter on Sundays, so go earlier in the week. The metro’s San Francisco station exits close to the plaza.
Museo Casa del Alabado
This pre-Columbian art museum is on Calle Cuenca, in a restored 17th-century house. It shows ceramics, stone and metal pieces from about 5,000 BCE to 1500 CE, arranged around Andean ideas of the underworld, the middle world and the upper world. It is open Wednesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00, and closed Monday and Tuesday. Guided tours last about 30 minutes in English or Spanish and can be booked online at the museum’s reservations page . Student tickets are $5; ask the museum for the current adult price.
Capilla del Hombre and Fundación Guayasamín
In Bellavista, the Guayasamín foundation combines the Capilla del Hombre gallery with the painter’s former home, which holds his collection of pre-Columbian and colonial art. It is an art museum and foundation, with no restaurant on site. Prices and hours change, so check before you go. One guide reports about $10 for two guided visits.
Mitad del Mundo and the Quito Tour Bus
Ciudad Mitad del Mundo charges $5 for adults and $2.50 for children and seniors, with longer hours on weekends; see the official site . The monument stands a little south of the true equator, which is fine for a photograph. The open-top Quito Tour Bus loops from Parque La Carolina through La Mariscal and the old town, with a supervised stop at El Panecillo. Fares are reported from about $15, so confirm with the operator. That stop is the safe way to reach the hill, because the stairs up from the old town have a record of robberies. If you go by car, use a registered taxi or app ride both ways.
Booking and planning
Church and museum tickets are sold at the entrances. For guided city and equator tours, a search such as Quito attraction tours shows departure times and what is included. Carry small US bills, since $50 and $100 notes are often refused.
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