Executive summary by darmansjah
Districts
Quito lies between two mountain ranges and its altitude is 2,800 metres or about 9,200 feet. It may take you a couple of days to get accustomed to the altitude.
Quito is roughly divided into three parts: the Old City at the centre, with southern and northern districts to either side. The greatest concentration of tourist facilities is in the North, including the airport. Quito's Old City is the largest in the Americas. It has undergone a huge restoration and revitalization program over the last decade, mainly financed by the Inter-American Development Bank. It boasts no fewer than 40 churches and convents, 17 squares and 16 convents and monasteries. It's been called the 'Reliquary of the Americas' for the richness of its colonial- and independence-era architecture and heritage. It's a great quarter to wander, with several excellent museums and plenty of restaurants and terrace cafes for a rest while sightseeing.
Modern, northern Quito (on a map, up until the southern tip of the airport) is a fun place to explore, with plenty of museums and urban parks as well as restaurants and nightlife. The southern and northern (from the airport up) districts of the city are more working class and seldom visited by tourists.
Understand
(Be prepared to speak some basic Spanish in order to get along. Quito is an excellent city in which to learn Spanish before heading off to other places in South America. The Spanish spoken in Quito is very clear and it is spoken slowly as compared to coastal areas.
Very few locals speak English except in the touristy areas of North Quito which includes "La Mariscal" quarter, where most tourist businesses are located. La Mariscal occupies several square blocks in North Quito and is the place to be if you wear a backpack. Bars, restaurants, hostels and internet cafes abound. Young people from many countries tend to congregate there.
Ecuador, especially the Sierra region that includes Quito, is culturally a very conservative society. This is reflected in manner of dress. People of all socio-economic backgrounds tend to dress up in Ecuador. For men, this means a pair of trousers and a button down shirt. For women, slacks or dresses are acceptable. Men and women seldom wear short pants in Quito, although in recent years casual clothes have become somewhat more accepted especially among the young and on very hot days. Some popular nightclubs and restaurants enforce a dress code. Lastly, remember that Quito is said to have "all four seasons in a day". Once the sun goes down it can get downright cold. Dressing in layers is a good idea.
The South American Explorers Club is a non profit organization dedicating to helping independent travelers in Ecuador and South America. Their office, at Jorge Washington 311 y Leonidas Plaza (in the Mariscal district of Quito right off of 6 de Diciembre) is a great place to stop by, meet people, and get the latest information on where to go, what to avoid, and on adventure travel. You can find out more about the services they offer on their website. There is an annual membership fee for this non profit organization.
The Quito Visitors' Bureau has several information centres around the city. These include at the International Arrivals terminal at the airport; the small Parque Gabriela Mistral, on Reina Victoria in the Mariscal quarter; the Banco Central Museum in the Mariscal District; and finally, in the Old Town, on the ground floor of the Palacio Municipal on one side of Plaza Grande - their main centre. This includes helpful staff, lockers for leaving bags, maps, leaflets and books for sale, a store of Ecuadorian crafts. This offices offers subsidised guided tours, with various routes available. The contacts for the main office are: (+593 2) 2570 - 786 / 2586 - 591, info@quito-turismo.com
The Ministry of Tourism has offices in their building on Avenida Eloy Alfaro and Carlos Tobar, close to the El Jardin shopping mall which cater to tourists. The Pichincha Chamber of Tourism (CAPTUR) is.
The Visitors' Bureau publishes a useful A3-size map with all the city's attractions. You can pick it up at their information offices. They also publish a number of pocket guides on various themes, including walking guides, a guide to the city's Viewpoints, a guide to the Mariscal, routes north, south and northwest. Their website has an interactive map; listings of hotels, restaurants, etc; videos, etc.
Get in By Plane
Aeropuerto Internacional Mariscal Sucre(IATA: UIO) (ICAO: SEQU). Located around 8km from Quito's center and is the main, best and easiest way to get into the city. There are (almost) daily flights serving Amsterdam, Atlanta, Houston, Madrid, Miami, New York, Buenos Aires, Bonaire, Caracas, Bogotá, Lima, Medellín, Cali, Panama City, Punta Cana, Santiago de Chile, and San Jose. Airlines include KLM, United Airlines, Copa Airlines, AeroGal, TAME, Icaro, Club Vip, SAereo, Aeropostal, AirPlus Comet, Delta Airlines, TACA, LAN Ecuador, Avianca - Alianza Summa, Iberia, Santa Barbara, and American Airlines. Some of these flights continue to or originate from Guayaquil. Some of these airlines also feature charter flights to/from San Andres, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Havana, Aruba, Curaçao, Cancun, Rio de Janeiro, Puerto Plata, and Santo Domingo.
You no longer have to pay an airport fee when leaving Quito by air (2/2011). As of February 2011 international fares should already include the tax in the price of the ticket.
Near the baggage area of the Quito airport, it is possible to buy vouchers that can be used for a taxi ride. As of 2012, the cost to go to the tourist hotel zone was $7.
If you wish to try taking a bus instead of a taxi to the Mariscal (main tourist destination) section of Quito (it is not advisable if you have much luggage or are not familiar with Quito), which is often referred to as "gringolandia" by tourists or "la zona" by locals, you can exit the airport, cross the main street, and board any bus with "J.L. Mera" or "Juan L. Mera" on the sign. The cost is USD $0.25, but if you are a student under 18 or a senior citizen over 65 then it is USD $0.12.
A new, large international airport is presently under construction in a valley located in the northeast of Quito. It will be well outside the city between the towns of Tababela and Puembo, approx. 25 kms from the city. It will feature one of the longest runways in Latin America: 4,100 meters long by 45 meters wide, that will allow an average of 44 take-offs and landings per hour. The airport is expected to start its operations by February 2013.
By Bus
The old "Terminal Terrestre," which was located in Cumandá (Center of the city)has been replaced by two new terminals.
Terminal Quitumbe (located in the far south of Quito), services all the buses that go to any destination south of Quito: Basically all of the coastal provinces, all of the amazonian provinces, and all of the mountain region (sierra) provinces except two: Carchi and Imbabura (where Otavalo and other tourist attractions are located). This terminal can be reached by local buses (which often leave La Marin in Old Town) or by the Trolebus and Metro trolleys.
For Carchi and Imbabura (where Otavalo and other tourist attractions are located) two you need to go to Terminal Carcelén (located in the far north of Quito). This terminal can be reached by local buses (which you can catch at La Marin in Old Town or El Ejido in New Town) or by Ecovia, Trolebus and Metro.
Some bus companies have their own terminals near La Mariscal. These include TransEsmeraldas (just past la Colon), Flota Imbabura (above El Ejido), and Reina del Camino (also above El Ejido). However, travelers should be warned that Reina del Camino buses are among the country's most dangerous, in addition to always being either too warm or too cold. A number of English tourists died in a Reina bus crash a few years ago and numerous Ecuadorians have as well.
Complete bus schedules, as well as trains and domestic flights, are at. Fares depend on where you're going. Long distance bus fares in Ecuador cost around $1 per hour, but generally the price is already established. So if for some reason, your bus trip takes double the time to get to your destination, for whatever reason (damaged road, too much traffic, etc.) you don't have to pay the extra hours. The fare to Guayaquil (July 2009) is 9$.
Still, the same safeguards apply: as long as you hold on to your belongings and don't hang around there at odd hours, it is safe. People will probably shout at you asking where you are going. They either work for a bus company and want to get you to buy a ticket with that company or want to help you find the bus you are looking for in exchange for a tip. If you arrive with a lot of luggage it's best to avoid the public transportation system in Quito and take a taxi to your hotel. Ecuadorian long-distance buses will generally let passengers off anywhere along their route.
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