Most families land in Quito on the way to somewhere else and treat it as an airport. That is a mistake. The city sits at 9,350 feet in a bowl of volcanoes and it has one of the best preserved colonial centers in South America, plus the one thing every kid wants to do in Ecuador, which is stand with one foot in each hemisphere.
Altitude first
Quito is high. Kids feel it as headaches, tiredness and a bit of grumpiness for the first day. Go slow, drink water, skip the big meals and do not plan anything strenuous for the first afternoon. Most kids are fine by the second morning. If anyone is really struggling, the valleys just outside the city are a thousand feet lower and that helps.
The old town
Plaza Grande, the gold covered church of La Compania, the San Francisco monastery with its enormous square. The streets are steep and the pace is slow which suits families. Climb the towers of the Basilica del Voto Nacional for the view, with ladders at the top that older kids love and parents tolerate. Street food around the plaza is safe and cheap. Empanadas and fresh juice will keep everyone happy.
Mitad del Mundo
The equator monument is about a 45 minute drive north. The big monument with the painted line is the photo stop. The Intinan museum next door is where the kids will have fun, with the water draining experiments, balancing an egg on a nail and walking the line with your eyes closed. Do both. The whole thing takes half a day with the drive.
TelefériQo
The cable car climbs the side of Pichincha volcano to over 13,000 feet. The view over the city and the string of volcanoes is worth it, but the altitude is real up there, so keep it short with kids and skip the hike beyond the top station. Go in the morning before the clouds roll in.
Where to stay
The old town is atmospheric but quiet and a little edgy at night. La Floresta and the area around Parque La Carolina are safer for wandering with kids and have the restaurants. A hotel with a good breakfast matters more here than usual because the mornings start slow.
Add ons
Otavalo market on a Saturday is two hours north and is the best textile market on the continent. Cotopaxi National Park is two hours south with a volcano you can see from the road. Either works as a day trip if the family has adjusted to the altitude.
Planning Ecuador with kids? Start with the full Ecuador family travel guide, or send me the ages and the dates and I will come back with what is really available.
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