Top Day Trips from Quito
Are you looking for the best day trips from Quito, Ecuador?
I spent a full week in Quito and took several day trips during that time. Quito is a cool city, but there are so many beautiful places within a couple of hours of the city that it’s worth venturing out.
Many people spend a few days in Quito before visiting the Galapagos Islands and want to spend one day visiting another destination in Ecuador. Or you might be like me, basing yourself in Quito and using it as a hub to do several day trips around Ecuador. Whatever the case, I’ve rounded up the best day trips below!
In Ecuador, I recommend booking guided tours for most day trips.
Most of these destinations would be really difficult (if not impossible) to visit by public transportation, and Ecuador is not an easy place to rent a car and drive yourself. I’ve noted which destinations you can visit independently on a day trip and also provided recommendations for guided tours you can do.
⭐ Short on time? These are the top tours and activities I recommend. If you book directly through a link on this page, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Stay to Wander!
Best Day Trips from Quito:
Quilotoa Lagoon
Quilotoa Lagoon is one of the best day trips to take from Quito. This crater lake in the Andes Mountains south of Quito is filled with green-blue water and has spectacular views from around the rim.
I took this day trip from Quito to Quilotoa Lagoon and I would highly recommend it.
It includes pickup and dropoff from your accommodation in Quito, transportation to Quilotoa Lagoon, entrance fees, and a bilingual guide. You’ll have the chance to hike down to the bottom of the crater and then enjoy lunch back at the top. You’ll also stop in a small local village and visit an artisan’s workshop.
Quilotoa Lagoon is a long drive from Quito (around 3.5 hours) but it’s worth it!
Another option is this tour that combines Cotopaxi National Park and Quilotoa Lagoon.
Cotopaxi
For another outdoorsy experience not far from Quito, you can visit Cotopaxi National Park. I wish I could have done this, but unfortunately, the park was closed due to volcanic activity when I was there.
Cotopaxi National Park is located 2 to 2.5 hours south of Quito and famous for its amazing views and great hiking. You can combine a visit to Cotopaxi National Park with Quilotoa Lagoon on this day trip.
Or, if you just want to visit Cotopaxi National Park and spend more time hiking there and enjoying the scenery, this is a good tour option. The tour includes pickup and dropoff from your accommodation in Quito, transportation to Cotopaxi National Park, entrance fees, and a bilingual guide.
You’ll visit a lagoon in the national park where you can take in epic views of the landscape and Cotopaxi Volcano, and then you’ll begin hiking up the volcano itself for even more incredible views.
Mindo
Another great day trip from Quito is Mindo. This small town is located in a cloud forest, a unique type of ecosystem that is home to lots of biodiversity including lots of beautiful birds and butterflies.
Mindo is located about 2 hours north of Quito. This full-day tour is very similar to the one I did, and it includes stops at many places. The tour includes pickup and dropoff from your accommodation in Quito, transportation to Mindo, and a bilingual guide. You can choose from several optional activities.
You can choose from activities like visiting a nature preserve where you can see lots of hummingbirds and other birds, seeing a butterfly sanctuary, learning how chocolate is made and tasting local chocolate, hiking to a waterfall, taking a cable car over the cloud forest, and ziplining through the cloud forest.
The additional activities have a separate fee but most are very affordable ($5 to $10 USD.)
Otavalo
Otavalo is a great day trip from Quito if you want to learn more about indigenous culture in Ecuador and experience the best local market in the country where you can buy textiles and handicrafts.
The market happens every day, but the best days to go are Saturday and Wednesday.
This is a day trip you can do on your own because there’s a direct bus on Expreso Tulcan that goes from Quito to Otavalo in 1.5 hours. The bus only costs about $3 each way so this is very cost-effective!
However, you can also visit Otavalo as part of a tour if you want to combine it with other destinations. For example, this full-day tour includes a guided visit to Otavalo, as well as stops at a local village, a waterfall, and Mitad del Mundo, the Middle of the World which is located right on the equator.
The tour includes pickup and dropoff from your accommodation in Quito, transportation to Otavalo, and a bilingual guide. If you want to visit more than just Otavalo, this is a great option.
Baños
Another cool day trip from Quito is Baños (full name Baños de Agua Santa, named for the town’s thermal waters which are said to have healing properties.) This is a day trip you should do only if you’re up for a long day and have limited time in Ecuador because Baños is 3 to 3.5 hours from Quito.
Otherwise, I would highly recommend spending several days in Baños instead of just trying to squeeze it in on a day trip. I actually spent almost a week here and never got bored! That being said, it’s a great destination, so if you don’t have that much time, it is doable in just one day.
Baños is the adventure capital of Ecuador. It’s surrounded by lush mountains and gorgeous natural beauty including tons of waterfalls. You can do all sorts of fun, adventurous activities here.
This full-day tour to Baños from Quito covers all the highlights. It includes pickup and dropoff from your accommodation in Quito, transportation to Baños, and a bilingual guide.
It also includes entrance fees to Casa del Árbol (where you’ll find the famous “swing at the end of the world”) and the Pailon del Diablo waterfall. You’ll also have the option to go bungee jumping or ziplining.
Mitad del Mundo
Finally, one of the easiest day trips you can take from Quito is Mitad del Mundo, or Middle of the World. This might be a little gimmicky but at the same time… it’s just a really fun place to visit!
Mitad del Mundo is a monument at the location of the equator standing at almost 100 feet tall. So yes, you’re quite literally in the middle of the world. There are also lots of things to do around the monument, including visiting museums, playing with llamas, tasting local chocolate, and more.
This is a day trip you can do independently if you want, because Mitad del Mundo is really close to Quito. It’s about a 45-minute drive from the city, and you can take an Uber or a taxi for $12 to $15 USD each way.
If you’re looking for an organized day trip, this is a good full-day tour that combines Mitad del Mundo with a city tour of Quito and a cable car ride up the highest point above the city. It includes pickup and dropoff from your accommodation in Quito, transportation to Mitad del Mundo, and a bilingual guide.
Top Day Trips from Quito
These are the best day trips from Quito, Ecuador.
I was blown away by the natural beauty of Ecuador, so I highly recommend taking at least one day trip from Quito so you can get out of the city and experience a different side of the country.
My top pick would probably be Mindo. It’s not as far of a drive as some of the others (just 2 hours versus 3.5 hours for somewhere like Quilotoa Lagoon or Baños) and it’s a super pretty area to visit!
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