UIO · Layover Guide
Quito
Stop in Quito.
Best layover: 4–16h
LayoverScore™
Base city score. Your route score varies by savings and timing.
Exit realism
Comfortable window
Enough room in Quito for a real stop. Keep the buffer at the end anyway.
Landside playbook
If time slips
- Drop the last stop. Go straight to the train, taxi rank, or ride pickup you already chose.
- Add 15 minutes to map ETAs for the return leg at rush hour.
- One ticket for the whole trip protects you when the inbound is late. Separate tickets do not.
Worth knowing
- Do not stack three stops. One solid block in the city beats a rushed loop.
- Do not treat one map time as gospel for immigration lines. Pad on your first pass through this hub.
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Places to stay
Search hotelsLayoverScore™ breakdown
Score 52 · Discover 46 · Ease 15
Why Quito scores 52
Getting there
Aeroservicios Shuttle $8 · Taxi (registered) $28
min to center
bus- 01Aeroservicios shuttle bus (45 min, $8)
- 02Taxi/Uber (35-50 min, $25-35)
- 03Private transfer (40 min, $40-50)
- 01Explore the UNESCO-listed historic center with Plaza Grande and La Compañía Church
- 02Ride the TelefériQo cable car up Pichincha volcano for Andean panoramas
- 03Visit the Mitad del Mundo equator monument and Intiñan Museum
- 04Wander La Ronda street for artisan shops and traditional canelazos
- 05Sample locro de papa and hornado at Mercado Central
Experiences in Quito
Timed tours and tickets for Quito are listed on our partner site.
Open listingsOpens in a new tab.
Need a room for your layover? Browse hotels near the airport.
Where to stay →Drop your luggage. Don't drag it around the city.
Mariscal Sucre Airport Storage
Arrivals hall, near customs exit
$5/bag
2 min walk
Wyndham Quito Airport
Connected to airport terminal
$60/day
5 min walk
Bounce Quito Centro
Historic center near Plaza Grande
$6/bag
0 min walk
From the terminal to the good part.
Aeroservicios Shuttle
to city
Runs every 30 min to Rio Coca station, then connect to Ecovía
45 min
$8.00
Taxi (registered)
to city
Fixed rate from airport taxi stand, negotiate for return
40 min
$28.00
Uber/Cabify
to city
Pick up from arrivals curb, reliable service
35 min
$22.00
Private transfer
both
Pre-booked, includes meet & greet
40 min
$45.00
Quito Turismo Card
Historic center museums, TelefériQo discount, walking tour
Available at tourist office in Plaza Grande
$25
per day
Getting there
Get an Uber from the airportAt the airport
- 01Quicentro Airport shopping mall connected to terminal
- 02Ecuadorian craft shops in departures
- 03VIP lounges with Andean cuisine options
- 04Outdoor observation deck with mountain views
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