Budget-friendly day trips from Quito

The capital of Ecuador is an excellent base to visit the northern part of the country and discover the diversity of landscapes it has to offer. From the forests of the lowlands to the heights of the volcanos, find out about our favourite budget-friendly day trips from Quito.

day trips from Quito, Ecuador

1. Otavalo, the largest market in the country

Rich in colours and traditions, Otavalo market is nationally recognised for being one of the best in the country and all of South America. Located in the small town of Otavalo at the “Plaza de Los Ponchos”, the market hosts local artisans and food stalls

Only a couple of hours away from Quito, Otavalo market is an excellent place for first-time visitors to step into the day to day life of Ecuador. For the touristic part, it is a great market to look for cheap souvenirs, eat local specialities such as “Anillados” (boiled quail eggs) or pulled pork, and shop for traditional pieces of clothing.

Otavalo: Cost and Useful information

How to get to Otavalo village

Take a Trolébus from Quito city centre to the terminal Carcelén (Green line “C” – $0.50). From there you should be able to find a bus to Otavalo with the company “Cooperativa Otavalo” – From Carcelén, the bus is about 2 hours and costs $2.60 one-way. You can take a taxi from the town to the Livestock market – which should be less than $2. You can also join a tour of the market from Quito and visit the surroundings of Otavalo (San Pablo lake, waterfalls, volcano)

Opening days and hours

The market is held every day from 8 am to 6 pm, but tends to be much bigger on Saturdays and Wednesdays.

Total Daily Budget: $6.20 + shopping for souvenirs 

On Saturdays there is another market a bit outside of town, called “La Feria de Animales”, the Otavalo animal market. There, it’s all about business and finding a good deal on cows, horses, dogs, chickens, but also “Cuy“ (guinea pigs) and rabbits. If there is one market not to miss, it would certainly be this one. It’s a shame we did.

RELATED: Why is Tarabuco (Bolivia) our favourite market in South America?

2. Hiking Cotopaxi, Ecuador’s highest active volcano

Only 50 km away from Quito, Cotopaxi Volcano culminates at 5,897 metres making it the second-highest peak in Ecuador behind Chimbarodo, an inactive volcano in the pacific ring of fire. Cotopaxi’s last activity goes back to January 2016 when smoke and lava could be observed. The national park reopened in 2017, giving the opportunity to hike and admire this incredible cone from closer.

Hiking Cotopaxi to the summit takes 2 days and requires experience and suitable gear to cross the glacier. However, for those willing to approach the volcano and hike within the national park, day trips from Quito are possible by either joining a tour, hiring a taxi/guide or hitch-hiking.

Whatever way you choose to get to the car park at 4,500 m of altitude, you will still have to hike to the refuge before heading to the foot of the glacier at 4,900 m. This hike isn’t very steep but at this altitude, every single step is a challenge for the body gasping for oxygen. Therefore, make sure you are correctly acclimatised by spending a few days at high altitudes to avoid dizziness and altitude sickness.

A fun activity is to cycle back down from the refuge to the entrance of the national park. A good way to see the national park differently.

Cotopaxi volcano: Cost and Useful information

Transport

You can join a day tour from Quito for about $50-70 or take a bus to the entrance of the junction of the highway and the road to the national park. From there, hire one of the few locals offering 4WD transport to the car park for $20. For both, you can pay an extra fee to cycle the volcano down. You can also decide to hitch-hike like us, but it is better to visit during the weekend as there will be more traffic. Bus Quito to Junction: $2

Fees

The entrance to the National Park is free, but you must show your passport to the rangers upon entering. Don’t forget it.

Total Daily Budget: $4 – $20 

RELATED: Hiking Cotopaxi Without A Tour

3. Latitude Zero: Destination La Mitad del Mundo

The Republic of Ecuador was named after the geographical feature dividing Earth into the northern and southern hemispheres: the Latitude Zero!

Because the line crosses the country from side to side, you may end up crossing it a few times without even noticing it. In the Navy, crossing the line is a huge accomplishment that is often celebrated with pranks and parties on board. Unfortunately, these festivities haven’t reached the continent yet but a great way to mark the occasion while visiting Quito is to visit the monument called “La Mitad del “Mundo“, (the middle of the world).

This location is located 45 minutes north of Quito. The park was built like a small city with souvenir shops, restaurants and museums about Ecuador, beer breweries and cacao. Very random! In its centre, you will find a huge monument and on the floor a yellow line marking the equator. It is a very touristic place, and believe it or not, the monument was not even built on the equator line but a few hundred metres away.

Finding the real “real” Latidue zero!

It was good fun to enter the park, and stand on both sides of the “line” for a fun photo, but we made it our mission to find the real line and stand right on it! So we left the park, took our phones out, turned the GPS on and walked around! It took us a little while but we finally found a spot where our GPS showed our position at 00°00’00”! Here is the link to Google Maps.

La Mitad del Mundo: Cost and Useful information

Transport

You can take the Quito Tour bus – €30 pp, hire a taxi or join a full-day tour. The cheapest option is to use the local transport: Take a bus from Quito Centre to “La Ofelia” ($0.50), a bus terminal on the north side. From there take the Metrobus going to San Antonio de Pichincha – it should be written on the front  “Mitad del Mundo”. Cost: $0.40

*Depending on traffic it might take from 45 min to 1.5 hours to get there from the city centre. 

Entrance fees and opening hours

The entrance to the monument in 2018 cost $5 per person and you may need to queue a little. La Mitad del Mundo is opened every day of the year from 9 am to 6 pm – Website

Total Daily Budget: $6.80

4. The beautiful Quilotoa Crater Lake

The Quilotoa crater lake is one of the most incredible places you will see in Ecuador. Imagine a 3 km wide crater in the midst of high altitude peaks and filled with incredibly blue water reflecting the sky above. Once in Quilotoa, you can hike along the crater rim, hire a kayak or stay at the main lookout to enjoy the view.

The place is a bit far from Quito, but a day trip is still possible if you join a tour. However, if you prefer using local transportation, it is probably best to organise an overnight trip and stay in the town of Latacunga or near Quilotoa as the bus may take up to 5 hours one way.

Quilotoa Crater Lake: Cost and Useful information

Transport

Take an early bus from the terminal Quitumbe to Latacunga ($2 – 2 hours) and change there to Quilotoa. You will pay at the bus terminal of Latacunga ($3) for local transport to Zumbahua and a jeep ride until Quilotoa (2 hours). The entire journey should take 4 to 5 hours depending on how long you have to wait in Latacunga for the next bus. To come back, there will be a direct bus from Quilotoa to Latacunga where you can change to get back to Quito.

You can also take a 1-day tour would cost about $40-$70 for the day. Some can include a visit to the Cotopaxi Volcano as well, like this one.

Total Daily Budget: $10 + accommodation or min. $40 for a tour

Would a 3-day hike take your fancy instead?

Quilotoa is also renowned for being an extraordinary place to go hiking across the highlands, through local farms and green valleys. Quilotoa loop is a trail starting in Inslivi and ending in at the crater (or vice versa) for 3 days and 2 nights. Along the route, you will find remote villages to spend the night. No need to carry tents or even food, as you will find everything along the way. If interested, make sure to read the article below to learn how to hike the Quilotoa without a guide.

RELATED: 3-day self-guided hike to the Quilotoa Crater Lake

5. Mindo, the tropical could forest for wildlife lovers

Mindo’s protected reserve holds one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world and is a paradise for bird enthusiasts. Situated at the feet of the highlands on the way to the Pacific ocean, the little town is found in the centre of the Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest, home to more than 400 species of bird, butterflies, reptiles, cats and even the Spectacle Bear.

Once in Mindo you can visit the hummingbird garden, hike/bike in the cloud forest, go on a canopy adventure and zip line, visit a chocolate farm, visit the reserve “Mariposario Mindo” to see butterflies or join a birdwatching tour.

However, for all of this, we would recommend staying a few days in Mindo as you may not have enough time to do it all. If you can’t stay longer, a day trip will be enough if you choose wisely one of two of the above activities. Alternatively, you can join a full-day tour that will bring you to the most iconic places such as the hummingbird garden.

Mindo: Cost and useful information

Getting to Mindo

Mindo is also easily reachable from Quito as it is a short 2.5-hour ride from the bus terminal “La Ofelia” in the north side. Buses are direct and leave very often – one-way will cost $3. Just make sure to buy your return ticket as soon as you arrive in Mindo if you are planning on staying for the day. The bus can quickly fill up.

Cost of tours and activities in Mindo

Tarabita (cable car): $3 – Waterfall entrance $3 – Butterfly farm: $7.50 – Chocolate tour: $10 – Zipline: $20 – Birdwatching tour: $60 (for a group) – Hike in the forest: free – Orchid garden: $3

Total Daily Budget: $6 + activities

MORE WILDLIFE: Isla de la Plata, for the love of bird and whale watching

Please note │ This blog post may also include affiliate links to hostels or products we recommend, which means if you buy something following a link on this page, we’ll get a small commission. This will be of no extra cost to you but will help us continue running this blog. Thank you for your support.

About the Author

Jen is the Funder, Author & Photographer behind Talesfromthelens.com

Jen has lived for the past 15 years across Oceania and Ireland while also travelling in Latin America, North America, and Europe. She has visited more than 65 countries and set foot on every continent in the world! She is a coffee nerd, passionate about photography, wildlife, and outdoor activities.

For more info, check out the About page.