The Best Day Trips From Quito Ecuador

One of the best things about living in Quito, Ecuador’s capital, is that it’s easy to go on trips out of the city. An hour or two is enough to take you to an entirely different city, or a national park, where you can escape the madness of Quito and its traffic and trade it, even for a few hours, for a wonderful, tranquil new experience. This location and the resulting versatility are among the many reasons that Quito is a great place to live.

1. Cotopaxi National Park

Park

Located a couple of hours away from Quito, Cotopaxi National Park makes waking up on a sunny day in Quito a gift. It has one of the country’s highest volcanoes, also called Cotopaxi. It’s an active volcano, but it’s still possible to visit. It’s an easy distance for a day tour from Quito. If you don’t have a car, you can take a bus to Machachi, about an hour away from Quito, and arrange transport by truck from there.

2. Papallacta Hot Springs

These hot springs out in the mountains are the perfect way to relax, take a day off, and disconnect from the daily grind. A bus will leave you on the highway that connects the highlands and the Amazon region, and then there’s about a 30-minute walk. You can also arrange a car to drive you up to the hot springs. The best days to visit are weekdays, as the hot springs are not as crowded then, and you can relax.

Papallacta Hot Springs

3. Ibarra

This city, two hours away from Quito, has some impressive lakes, mountains, and a cute historic area known as the White City, after the many white colonial buildings in the area. Its parks, its perfect weather, and perhaps most of all, its famous helado de paila (a sherbet-like ice cream) will make this a very enjoyable day out. It’s much smaller and friendlier than the capital.

Ibarra, Ecuador

5. Laguna San Pablo

A few miles away from Otavalo, this tranquil village surrounding the lake is a great place to disconnect. You can kayak in the lake, or sit by the lake while eating a traditional Ecuadorian meal. A number of hardcore swimming competitions are hosted in San Pablo. Despite the cold weather, this lake is popular with among triathletes. For the less active, there’s always the option of enjoying a gentle boat ride.

Laguna San Pablo, Ecuador

6. Puerto Quito

About two and a half hours away from Quito, this town has warmer weather and the atmosphere of a tiny Ecuadorian coastal community. It’s a quiet little spot where you can have a meal and walk by the river, swim, or just read a book.

Puerto Quito, Ecuador

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.