QUITO
CULTURAL HERITAGE
Full day with lunch. Daily except Sunday and Monday.
A full day experience with a chronologic
narrative along the history of the city: its ancient pre-Columbian origins, its
foundation, the Colonial and Republican periods. An immersion into the spirit of the city,
its architecture, art, cuisine, religiousness and music - its cultural heritage.
The capital of Ecuador, is the
first city declared a cultural world heritage by UNESCO in 1978; Quito’s cultural
heritage is a blend of Amerindian ancestry and Spanish influence. This walking tour
is a chronologic narrative of the history of Quito, since its very beginnings --with the
first Pre-Columbian inhabitants-- civilizations which formed the ethnic cultural
background of Ecuador centuries before the Inca Empire, like the Quitus in present-day Quito,
who developed their own distinctive architecture, pottery, and religious beliefs.
Drive up to an observation point for a bird’s-eye view of the city’s
layout; and then stroll along downtown Quito, founded by the Spanish on the ruins of
an Inca settlement, the best preserved Colonial historic center in Latin America. A unique
opportunity to see Barroque art gems, observe the restoration processes and the
brilliantly restored Jesuit church. Immerse yourself in the city’s vibe,
mingling with the locals in its many plazas and enjoying a taste of Ecuadorian
delicacies for lunch. Be part of the first struggles for Independence in South
America in the early 1800’s and catch a glimpse of the romantic La Ronda cobblestoned
street with flowery balconies, where echoes of timeless songs of love can still be heard.
This is a walking tour at an
altitude of 2800 meters (9200 feet) and involves climbing stairs.
SCENIC
TOUR OF QUITO
A visit to downtown Quito to relish in this urban jewel and its treasures
of art and architecture. Quito’s colonial quarter, the largest and best
preserved of South America, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The stroll
starts at the Independence Plaza, flanked by the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, the Municipal
Building and the Archbishop’s Palace. Visit the temple of La Compañía de Jesús and
its awesome gilded interior. Continue on to the Monastery of San Francisco,
one the of great religious buildings of the New World; its impressive façade and atrium
that lead to its Baroque interior influenced by Moorish style, with the winged Virgin of
Quito at its main altar. The tour ends at a lookout point with a great view of Quito.
This is a walking tour at an
altitude of 2800 meters (9200 feet) and involves climbing stairs.
QUITO
SCENIC TOUR & ARCHAEOLOGY MUSEUM
A visit to downtown Quito to relish in this urban jewel and its treasures
of art and architecture. Quito’s colonial quarter, the largest and best
preserved of South America, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The stroll
starts at the Independence Plaza, flanked by the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, the Municipal
Building and the Archbishop’s Palace. Visit the temple of La Compañía de Jesús and
its awesome gilded interior. Continue on to the Monastery of San Francisco,
one the of great religious buildings of the New World; its impressive façade and atrium
that lead to its Baroque interior influenced by Moorish style, with the winged Virgin of
Quito at its main altar. The tour ends at a lookout point with a great view of Quito.
Then, relive the history of Ecuador’s
most ancient cultures at the Archaeology Museum, one of the finest archaeological and gold
artifact collections in the Americas, part of the vast collection owned by the
Central Bank of Ecuador.
There are over 1800 pieces
arranged in chronological corridors with explanatory panels and dioramas.
This is a walking tour at an
altitude of 2800 meters (9200 feet) and involves climbing stairs. No pictures are
allowed inside the museum; your camera must be left with the guard at the entrance.
QUITO
ARCHAEOLOGY MUSEUM
Relive the history of Ecuador’s most ancient cultures at the
Archaeology Museum, one of the finest archaeological and gold artifact collections in the Americas,
part of the vast collection owned by the Central Bank of Ecuador. There are over
1800 pieces arranged in chronological corridors with explanatory panels and dioramas.
No pictures or filming are
allowed inside the museum; your camera must be left with the guard at the entrance.
PANORAMIC
QUITO BY NIGHT & DINNER
Drive into the old Colonial city for a sight of the romantic plazas and
past the impressive public and religious buildings. Quito is particularly
splendid in the evening when illumination adds a special drama and mystery to its baroque
architecture. Then, to one of the hills surrounding the city for a
panorama of twinkling lights covering the valley below. Enjoy a leisurely dinner at
one of the finest selected restaurants of the city.
Casual evening dress - coat is
needed. This tour does not include walking, it is a drive-through.
Camera and film for night.
THE
CENTER OF THE WORLD
The Equatorial Monument, 25 Kms. (16 miles) North of Quito, marks the
exact Middle of the World, latitude 0º, where you can stand with a foot on each
hemisphere. Visit the Ethnographic Museum inside the monument, which shows the great
diversity of Ecuador’s native groups. Beside the monument there is a colonial-style
town, complete with main square, church, post office, bullring, cafeterias, restaurants
and many gift shops that sell postcards and souvenirs. A certificate for having
crossed the Equator is issued to each guest.
This tour includes walking at an
altitude of 2800 meters (9200 feet) and climbing stairs. Entrance fee is included.
CENTER
OF THE WORLD & LUNCH
The Equatorial Monument, 25 Kms. (16 miles) North of Quito, marks the
exact Middle of the World, latitude 0º, where you can stand with a foot on each
hemisphere. Visit the Ethnographic Museum inside the monument, which shows the great
diversity of Ecuador’s native groups. Beside the monument there is a colonial-style
town, complete with main square, church, post office, bullring, cafeterias, restaurants
and many gift shops that sell postcards and souvenirs. A certificate for having
crossed the Equator is issued to each guest. Lunch at one of the lovely restaurants
of the area.
This tour includes walking at an
altitude of 2800 meters (9200 feet) and climbing stairs. Entrance fee is
included.
QUITO
& CENTER OF THE WORLD
A visit to downtown Quito to relish in this urban jewel and its treasures
of art and architecture. Quito’s colonial quarter, the largest and best
preserved of South America, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The stroll
starts at the Independence Plaza, flanked by the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, the Municipal
Building and the Archbishop’s Palace. Visit the temple of La Compañía de Jesús and
its awesome gilded interior. Continue on to the Monastery of San Francisco,
one the of great religious buildings of the New World; its impressive façade and atrium
that lead to its Baroque interior influenced by Moorish style, with the winged Virgin of
Quito at its main altar.
Then continue to the Equatorial
Monument, 25 Kms. (16 miles) North of Quito, which marks the exact Middle of the World,
latitude 0º, where you can stand with a foot on each hemisphere. Visit the Ethnographic
Museum inside the monument, which shows the different Native American groups living in Ecuador.
Beside the monument there is a colonial-style town, complete with main square,
church, post office, bullring, cafeterias, restaurants and many gift shops with postcards
and souvenirs. You will get a certificate for having crossed the Equator.
Dress in layers (T-shirt,
blouse, sweater, coat). Take a sweater even if the day is warm and sunny. Rain
protection advised in the afternoon. This tour includes walking at an altitude of
2800 meters (9200 feet) and climbing stairs. Sun protection (SPF 40). Good
walking shoes. Entrance fees are included.
QUITO
& CENTER OF THE WORLD PLUS LUNCH
A visit to downtown Quito to relish in this urban jewel and its treasures
of art and architecture. Quito’s colonial quarter, the largest and best
preserved of South America, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The stroll
starts at the Independence Plaza, flanked by the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, the Municipal
Building and the Archbishop’s Palace. Visit the temple of La Compañía de Jesús and
its awesome gilded interior. Continue on to the Monastery of San Francisco,
one the of great religious buildings of the New World; its impressive façade and atrium
that lead to its Baroque interior influenced by Moorish style, with the winged Virgin of
Quito at its main altar.
Lunch at one of the excellent
restaurants in Quito or the equator area.
Then continue to the Equatorial
Monument, 25 Kms. (16 miles) North of Quito, which marks the exact Middle of the World,
latitude 0º, where you can stand with a foot on each hemisphere. Visit the Ethnographic
Museum inside the monument, which shows the different Native American groups living in Ecuador.
Beside the monument there is a colonial-style town, complete with main square,
church, post office, bullring, cafeterias, restaurants and many gift shops with postcards
and souvenirs. You will get a certificate for having crossed the Equator.
This tour includes walking at an
altitude of 2800 meters (9200 feet) and climbing stairs. Entrance fees are included.
QUITO’S TELEFERIQO CABLE CARS TO
PICHINCHA VOLCANO
Visitors to Quito can enjoy a bird's-eye view of the city
from the recently inaugurated cable cars up Pichincha Volcano. The
view from the top is spectacular, covering the city of Quito, the surrounding valleys and
snowcapped volcanoes. This tour can be operated by itself or may be added to any of
the private tours of Quito in our Tariff Guide, day or night.
Each of the 18 cabins, with
panoramic windows, can take 6 guests, on an 8-minute ride, which starts at 3045 meters, up
to the summit at 4050 meters, on Cruz Loma. At the top, apart of several lookout
points, tourists can enjoy a stroll along paths surrounded by Andean shrub forest, several
coffee shops, and handcraft and souvenir shops.
Guests who have claustrophobia,
vertigo or problems with high altitude should carefully consider if this tour is
appropriate for them. Cost of Express Entrance Fee is included.
TULIPE: ANCIENT SUN CULTURE
The ancient inhabitants of Ecuador, right on the Earth’s equator, had
the unique opportunity to observe the sky at its greatest, both during days and nights.
Being at the Center of the World, and up in the mountains, they had an
excellent natural location for astronomical observations, an entire panorama of the
celestial heavens, as both the northern and southern skies are visible, and it was
easier for them to determine the movements of the Sun. Because of the earth’s
23.5-degree tilt, the sun does not rise and set in the same place each day., but twice a
year, during the Equinoxes on March 20 and September 23 the sun rises in the east and
follows the equator line for 12 hours, setting exactly in the west. At midday on an
equinox, the sun is at its zenith over the equator and no objects cast a shadow there.
The sun not only determined the agricultural cycles, it was considered the highest
deity in the Andean world.
Guests can now visit Tulipe, one
of these ancient sites for astronomical and solar observations, in a kind of
pilgrimage to this sacred place, a spiritual, mystical encounter with nature, the unique
energetic sites and ceremonial practices of pre-Hispanic societies and their relation to
the Solar Cultures.
Tulipe, unique due to its
position as a link between the coastal and Andean pre-Columbian cultures, lies at the
heart of an exuberant subtropical forest to the northwest and very close to Quito,
bordering a river of crystal-clear waters; it was the ceremonial center of the Yumbo
culture. The Yumbos were peaceful people dedicated to agriculture and commerce, with
a close relationship with their environment and Solar Cosmovision. It features
stone structures like pools or water mirrors of various forms, joined together by a
network of aqueducts, where the shamans (priests) and yachaks (sage men) performed
astronomic observations, ceremonies and cults to the sun and the moon. A hike on a
path leading to the main pool is particularly interesting, surrounded by trees and
medicinal, ritual and ornamental plants that borders the Tulipe River.
The pre-Hispanic Yumbo etnia
lived in this region from 800 to 1660; they were mindalaes or merchants, who controlled
the crucial trade route between the Pacific Coast, the Andes and the Amazon to the east.
Their very interesting ancient mountain paths or coluncos can still be used; these
are deep and narrow passageways, covered by entwined vegetation that formed a roof and
allowed the merchants to travel under this cool protection.
After lunch, a visit is made to
the Quitsa-to Project, for a better understanding of the importance of the sun for the
ancient civilizations of the Center of the World – including a visit to the monument
marking Latitude 0°.
This tour includes walking at
altitudes averaging 1450 meters above sea level.
Gastronomic
Experiences at the Equator
Scents
and Flavors of Ecuador
Ecuador’s varied
geography has produced an equally varied cuisine. A dazzling range of potatoes
and corn from the highlands; bananas and tropical fruits in the coastal areas,
together with the bounty of the waters of the Pacific, particularly shrimp, makes dining
in Ecuador a remarkable experience.
Ecuador has one of the tastiest
cuisines in South America, with a great variety of fruits and vegetables, where the
country’s biodiversity is reflected. Apart of the traditional recipes,
creative chefs offer a new proposal of contemporary Ecuadorian cuisine: healthy, light and
delicious, where traditional recipes are enriched with a wide variety of ingredients which
add new concepts of modern cuisine.
Three different hands-on
experiences with Ecuadorian gastronomy have been developed to provide our guests with
unique and memorable experiences to discover the scents and flavors of Ecuador’s
diversity.
A TRADITIONAL ECUADORIAN MEAL
FROM START TO FINISH
(private, one day, Monday to Thursday and Saturday, from Quito. Max
9 participants
More than a simple cooking
class, the “A Traditional Meal: Start to Finish” program is a
“hands-on” culinary experience. Participants visit colorful markets where the
people of Quito buy their fresh produce before heading to prepare and enjoy a delicious,
traditional lunch under the watchful eye of an experienced master chef.
The Ecuadorian culinary
experience starts in the morning, with a visit to one of Quito’s main local food
markets, a colorful, bustling maze of people, sounds and aromas. Ecuadorian food is
wonderful: fresh, crisp and tasteful. This is your introduction to Ecuador’s
varied fruit and vegetables, some you have never seen before, which your guide will
explain. You’ll shop alongside the locals and learn how to pick out the best produce
and how to negotiate a fair price.
Once you’ve picked out your
ingredients, you’ll head to a well-appointed kitchen, where the chef will be waiting
to walk you through the preparation of a tasty, traditional Ecuadorian meal. Preparation
time usually takes about 1-2 hours, depending on the number of participants and the dishes
involved. Everyone knows that food tastes best when you’ve worked hard to prepare it
yourself, and once your Ecuadorian lunch is ready, you’ll get to enjoy it in a fine
dining setting, accompanied, of course, by a glass of wine.
ECUADORIAN
GOURMET CUISINE
private, one day, daily, except Sunday, from Quito
A combination of Quito city tour
with visits to some of the city’s finest restaurants, the “Ecuadorian Gourmet
Cuisine” is perfect for those who want to sample the best in local food while still
getting to see the sights. The morning is dedicated to a Quito tour, followed by lunch at
Hotel Plaza Grande, the city’s most exclusive hotel and restaurant. Time to
relax after lunch, and then pick-up for dinner, a great gastronomic experience with a
tasting menu in one of Quito’s top-notch restaurants.
The Ecuadorian Gourmet Cuisine
tour begins with an introduction to the city of Quito with the very best sites the city
has to offer: the Jesuit gold church, St. Francisco Monastery, the San Juan overlook, Benalcázar
Square and the Mena Caamaño Museum. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, your guide
will accompany you to the Hotel Plaza Grande, Quito’s newest and most exclusive hotel
and restaurant, for lunch.
After lunch, back to your hotel
to rest before pick up to go to one of Quito’s spectacular restaurants to enjoy a
great gastronomic experience with a tasting menu, prepared by Ecuador’s finest chefs
and featuring fresh local ingredients. Metropolitan Touring works with the following
restaurants for this tour:
Rumiloma: A converted ranch on
the slopes of Pichincha Mountain, Rumiloma features delicious food in a unique, rustic
setting with a breathtaking view of the city.
Zazu: Hip and modern, Zazu is
known for the creativity of Peruvian chefs Alexander Lau Moscoso and Hugo Tsuda Miyagawa.
Zazu was granted the “Five Star Diamond Award” by the American Institute
of Hospitality Sciences of New York.
Alkimia: A sophisticated yet
casual Restaurant in the “in” zone of Uptown Quito, Alkimia presents a very
Latin and spectacular Mediterranean menu, with creations of its chef Julio Avendaño.
AN
ECUADORIAN WINE TOUR
The one-day Ecuadorian Wine Tour takes guests to the Chaupi Estancia for a
full tour and tasting. Guests are then taken to the highly regarded countryside Restaurant
La Marmite, to enjoy a traditional meal especially prepared with the finest local
ingredients. Following lunch, guests will visit the Pakakuna Gardens, home to a dazzling
variety of plants--including orchids-- and hummingbirds
The adventure begins with a
drive to the small, traditional town of Yaruqui, about a half-hour outside of Quito and
Chaupi Estancia (“Chaupi Ranch”), one of Ecuador’s most famous wineries,
whose wines have won awards at prestigious international competitions. You’ll be
treated to full tour of the winery, including the vineyards, cask rooms and showroom. A
wine tasting is included.
Then, proceed to nearby La
Marmite Restaurant, well-known to locals for quality international cuisine. There
you’ll be treated to a traditional meal made of only the finest fresh local
ingredients. You’ll get the chance to walk off your lunch at the unforgettable Pakakuna
Gardens, home to more than 500 species of plants, including several varieties of orchids.
As you wander the trails, passing ponds and waterfalls, you’ll likely see one of
several species of hummingbird native to the region. Following the visit to the Gardens,
drive back to your hotel.
