Day 01
Walking Tour of Quito's Historic Highlights
- Meet your tour guide at the Basílica del Voto Nacional, the largest neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas. This monument is a perpetual reminder of the consecration of Ecuador to the Sacred Heart.
- Continue to Seven Crosses Street. Along García Moreno Street, from south to north, you will see El Panecillo, formerly known as the Temple of the Sun, on one side, and the neighbourhood of San Juan, formerly known as Quilla - the Temple of the Moon - on the other.
- Head to Independence Square (Plaza Grande), the heart of Quito's historic centre and a place where a series of events of vital political importance in Ecuador have taken place. The square is also a popular social gathering point for locals.
- Visit the Church of the Society of Jesus, one of South America's most significant works of Spanish Baroque architecture. It is Quito's most ornate church and one of the country's most beautiful.
- Proceed to a local fruit and vegetable market, a perfect place to get familiar with the local environment.
- See the Church and Convent of St. Francis, a 16th-century Roman Catholic complex in Quito. Its style evolved over almost 150 years of construction, from 1534 to 1680, shaped by earthquakes and changing artistic fashions. The church houses the city's beloved Virgin of Quito, dating from 1734.
- End the tour at La Ronda, a must-visit site during any visit to Quito.
