Quito with Kids — Key Facts

• Current kid-friendly recommendations: 121
• Great for ages 0–5: 68 spots
• Great for ages 6–10: 113 spots
• Great for ages 11–14: 107 spots
• Things to skip flagged: 32
• Typical visit per stop: ≈2.2h
• Average "wow" score: 3.6/5
• Strongest categories: Food, Museum, Landmark

Quito with Kids — Common Questions

Is Quito good for toddlers and preschoolers?

Kidworthy lists 68 current recommendations in Quito suited to ages 0–5, including Hacienda El Porvenir (Cotopaxi) and Mindo Cloud Forest (Pueblo de Mindo). It also flags 32 things to skip with young kids.

What age kids is Quito best for?

Quito works across ages: 68 current spots suit ages 0–5, 113 suit ages 6–10, and 107 suit ages 11–14.

What should you skip in Quito with kids?

Tren de la Libertad (Ibarra-Salinas route) — The service is notoriously unreliable, with many families traveling three hours from Quito only to find the train cancelled or the station closed indefinitely. In total Kidworthy flags 32 things to skip in Quito.

Is Quito easy to visit with kids?

Across 121 current recommendations, Quito averages an effort score of 1.9/4 (1 = just show up, 4 = heavy planning), with typical visits of ≈2.2h per stop.

Top Things to Do in Quito with Kids

• Hacienda El Porvenir (Cotopaxi) (farm) — A high-altitude working ranch at the foot of Cotopaxi Volcano where kids can swap screens for llama trekking and horseba
• Reserva Ecológica Antisana (park) — A high-altitude wilderness where families can spot Andean condors, wild horses, and deer against the backdrop of a massi
• Cotopaxi National Park (Parque Nacional Cotopaxi) (nature) — A high-altitude volcanic wonderland where families can spot wild horses and llamas against the backdrop of one of the wo
• Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús (temple) — Known as the 'Gold Church,' this Jesuit masterpiece is draped in seven tons of 24-karat gold leaf, creating a visual imp
• Mindo Cloud Forest (Pueblo de Mindo) (nature) — A lush, high-altitude jungle town two hours from Quito that serves as an outdoor playground for families. From hands-on
• Mashpi Lodge (Mashpi Cloud Forest Reserve) (nature) — A luxury, glass-walled eco-lodge hidden in a 3,000-acre private cloud forest reserve that feels like a high-tech treehou
• El Quetzal de Mindo (Chocolate Tour) (tour) — A hands-on, bean-to-bar chocolate workshop where families follow the journey of cacao from the garden to the finished ba
• Palacio de Carondelet (landmark) — A rare chance for kids to walk through a working presidential palace, complete with ornate state rooms, a gallery of qui
• Patio Andaluz Hotel Restaurant (food) — A stunning colonial courtyard restaurant tucked inside a heritage mansion, offering a peaceful, enclosed escape from the
• Museo del Carmen Alto (museum) — A fascinating look into the cloistered world of Carmelite nuns, housed in a 17th-century convent that is still partially
• Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco (temple) — Quito's oldest and most massive religious complex offers a mix of high-drama Baroque gold interiors and a sprawling, pig
• Santuario de Guápulo (landmark) — A stunning 17th-century colonial sanctuary tucked into a steep valley, famous for its intricate wood-carved pulpit and d
• Scala Shopping (Cumbayá) (shopping) — A high-end, modern lifestyle center in the Cumbayá valley that feels more like a park than a traditional mall. It featur
• Laguna de Cuicocha (nature) — A stunning deep-blue volcanic crater lake featuring two islands and active hydrothermal vents. While the full rim hike i
• Yumbos Chocolate (Mindo) (tour) — An intimate, hands-on chocolate workshop where families follow the entire bean-to-bar process, from walking through caca
• Capilla del Hombre (Fundación Guayasamín) (museum) — A powerful, architecturally stunning museum dedicated to the work of Oswaldo Guayasamín, Ecuador's most famous artist. W
• Cafe Mosaico (food) — Perched on Itchimbia hill, this artistic cafe offers the most iconic panoramic views of Quito's historic center. It is f
• Mitad del Mundo (Ciudad Mitad del Mundo) (landmark) — A purpose-built tourist village centered around the massive monument marking the equator, where kids can literally jump
• Parque Itchimbía (park) — Perched on a hill overlooking the historic center, this 133-acre park offers the city's best panoramic views and the ico
• Heladería San Agustín (Quito) (food) — A legendary Old Town institution serving traditional Ecuadorian fare and famous 'helado de paila' (kettle-churned ice cr

What to Skip in Quito with Kids

• Tren de la Libertad (Ibarra-Salinas route)
• Theatrum Restaurant
• Museo Fray Pedro Gocial (Museo Franciscano)
• Museo de Arte Colonial (Casa de la Cultura - Museo de Arte Colonial)
• Tren del Hielo (Riobamba)
• Ecuagenera Orchid Garden (Gualaceo)
• KFC (Quito locations)
• San Francisco Plaza (Mid-day)
• Teleferico Quito summit trail to Rucu Pichincha
• Guayasamin Museum (Capilla del Hombre)

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