Region

Quito and the northern Andes

Sleep in Quito; do Mitad del Mundo, Otavalo and Mindo as day trips, and keep Cotopaxi for after two or three nights at altitude.

Open Quito Plan a trip

More: share, save offline, report a correction

Key facts · Ecuador

Best months: Jun–Sep, Dec
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: US dollar (USD) since 2000
Language: Spanish
Plugs: A · B · 120 V
Time zone: UTC−5 on the mainland

Month by month here

Rules in force · 6Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…

South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
Ecuador ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Ecuador's Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an Ecuadorian consulate.
Ecuador ↗The Galápagos has its own entry controls: a transit control card bought at the airport before departure, a national park entrance fee, and inspections for food and plants. Check official Galápagos rules before booking.
Ecuador ↗Several coastal provinces (including Guayas, where Guayaquil is) are under official warnings and periodic states of emergency; read your government's advice before routing through them.

The northern Andes are one base and several excursions. Quito is high (about 2,850 m), so the first two days stay gentle; after that the market at Otavalo, the equator monument and the cloud forest at Mindo are each a long day from the same bed.

Where to sleep

3 places in this region

Sleep base

QuitoTrip line
La Mariscal for night 1; the Historic Centre by day.
Best Jun–Sep, Dec
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Quito →

Day trip

OtavaloCity guide
Saturday market; about 2 h each way by road.
Best Jul–Aug
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Otavalo →
MindoCity guide
Cloud forest and birds; about 2 h each way.
Best Jun–Sep, Dec–Jan
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Mindo →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

4 nights: Quito 4, Mitad del Mundo half-day and one day trip
6 nights: Quito 3 + Otavalo area 1 + Quito 2

Quito, Otavalo and Mindo in three days is mostly road time: pick one excursion per day.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Otavalo	Quito	120 min	unknown	Buses and tours leave in the morning; return by early evening. The big market is on Saturday.
Mindo	Quito	120 min	unknown	Tours leave early; birds are best at dawn.

Bags between cities

No luggage forwarding culture: leave the big bag at the Quito hotel and take a day pack.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go1 partSeasons

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Quito	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	go
Otavalo	ok	ok	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	ok	ok	ok	ok
Mindo	go	×	×	×	ok	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	go
Ecuador (country-wide)	go	go	go	ok	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on1 partGo next

Go next

Other regions of the country

Central and southern Andes

planned

4–6 nights

Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, Baños and Cuenca

Galápagos Islands

planned

4–8 nights

Land-based stays (Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Isabela) or a live-aboard cruise

Ecuadorian Amazon

planned

3–4 nights

Jungle lodges reached from Quito via Coca or Tena

Quito and the northern Andes: what we know, and what is coming

3 of 3 places open

On this page

3 places with their role: where to sleep, what to do as a day trip
How to split 4 or 6 nights
2 day trips with door-to-door time
Seasons month by month, from the cities’ own tables
What to do with the big bag between beds

Coming as the guide grows

Climate strip by zone, with the storm and haze months
Get in: airports and stations with door-to-door times
Regional passes and cards, with a buy / skip verdict
Regional food: what, where and when it works

Meanwhile

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids3 partsIn numbers · Trips here · Local time

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 1 base
Day trips: 2, 2 h
Nights suggested: 4–6 nights

Trips that stop here

From the Ecuador guide

Avenue of the Volcanoes
7 days · 3 nights here
Quito → Cotopaxi / Quilotoa → Baños
Quito and the Galápagos
10 days · 4 nights here
Quito → Santa Cruz (Galápagos) → Isabela (Galápagos) → Quito
Andes, Cuenca and the islands
14 days · 3 nights here
Quito → Otavalo → Baños → Cuenca → Galápagos (Santa Cruz

All Ecuador trips →

Local time

What time it is there now, compared with the clock on your device.

Quito
…
Checking your clock…America/Guayaquil

Open Quito Up to Ecuador

Ask about Quito and the northern Andes

Loading…

Was this useful?