Fabian was fantastic! Best city tour we’ve had so far. He was knowledgeable, fun, genuinely kind and took extra time with us. It’s a great way to start a stay in a new city with walking and car stops from our hotel. We were very interested in the history of Quito and Ecuador and Fabian could answer any question thrown at him. He gave us pointers on places to eat and explore later. It was the right tour with the best guide for the perfect amount of time.
What an amazing day we had discovering Quito with our guide Danny with Ecuador Wonders Tours on our private Quito City Tour!
Danny met the four of us at our hotel at the appointed time, and off we went to discover Quito. We mentioned that we really wanted to ride the Teleferico to the viewpoint at the top of Quito, and we were on our way. I am not sure that this was even part of the tour but he gladly accommodated our wishes.
On the way, Danny imparted his knowledge of Quito and was so professional and friendly. While riding up the Teleferico, we noticed that some grass underneath had been quite trampled. We asked what caused that and he said it was probably done by bears. Not a minute later, we were looking down and out the window, and we saw a baby black bear! What a start to our day!
Once at the top we took pictures of the panoramic view of Quito, and Danny described the volcanoes we could see from the top as well as showing us the Arbol papel tree. His knowledge of the plants and surroundings was amazing.
Next we took a small hike to the swings located further up the mountain. on the way we had our picture taken with an alpaca. The swing was amazing! It felt like flying over the world!
We then headed back down by the scenic teleferico and we were off to discover historic downtown Quito.
Our first stop was to explore the gorgeous Basillica del Voto Nacional which is the largest neo gothic cathedral in all of the Americas.
Next we went to explore Plaza Grande down the cobblestone streets of historic Quito. We tried Ponche, a sweet creamy beer, and enjoyed our walk admiring all the beautiful churches and amazing architecture while Danny shared his immense knowledge of all we saw.
Next, we visited the beautiful Inglesia de la Campania de Jesus., Quitos most ornate church, also known as the gold church, capped by green and gold domes, built in Baroque style, with perfect symmetry and amazing art.
We then visited the oldest religious site in all of Ecuador, Inglesia de San Francisco, established in 1536. It is an enormous complex spanning the length of the public square.
Next Danny took us to Jumbos for a artesinal chocolate tasting that is located very close by. We entered a small door, into a gorgeous courtyard and up the stairs to the shop. We had an in depth description of how chocolate is made an an amazing tasting . So yummy!
Then Danny escorted us to an amazing restaurant for a late lunch/early dinner located in the Palazio Arzobispal called "Hasta la vuelta, Senor..." We had an amazing meal while being entertained by a keyboard player. They have great Sangria, and great food!
Thank you Danny, for showing us Quito. You were an amazing, personable, and knowledgable guide and we recommend you to anyone wanting to see Quito through a locals' eyes.
Muchas Gracias,
Dawn & David Kenton, Virginia & Jack Grant