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Iglesia de la Compañia de Jesus

Church of the Jesuits

This church is regarded by many as the most beautiful in the Americas. Partially destroyed by fire, it was restored with assistance from the Getty Foundation and other benefactors. Stunning.

Getting there: In the Old City
Price: $6 for church (Aug 2026), +$3 for cupola (Jan 2023)

Directions Suggest a nearby place

Listing from Wikivoyage: Quito, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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Metropolitan Cultural Center
A historic building from 1622 that features temporary art exhibits. Also be sure to see Museo Alberto Mena Camaño, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and Palacio de Carondelet along the Plaza Grande for more important historical perspectives on Ecuador.
Tue-Sat 09:00-17:30, Sun 10:00-16:00, Mon closed
See
Conjunto monumental San Francisco
This church dates to 1537 and was devoted to St Francis, since the Franciscan order was the first to settle in the area. Hence the city's official name: San Francisco de Quito. The church contains masterpieces of syncretic art, including the famous "Virgin of Quito" by Legarda. The sculpture represents a winged virgin stepping on the devil's head (in the form of a serpent) and is displayed in the main altar. The virgin would later be inaccurately replicated on top of Panecillo hill. The museum next door to the church is arranged through the monastic compound and includes access to the choir. Next to the choir you can also climb the stairs to enter the bell tower and the church roof, offering great panorama of the square.
$3 for the museum and the tower
See
Plaza Grande / Plaza de la Independencia
Main plaza of Quito with national significance that features the monument to the independence heroes of August 10, 1809.
See
Museo Casa del Alabado
Casa del Alabado Museum
The permanent collection is made up of pre-Columbian archaeological pieces, from most societies that once inhabited all regions of what is now Ecuador. The Alabado is organized thematically and not chronologically or geographically to allow visitors to generate their own visual and cultural connections about the pieces, in an innovative cultural framework. The works are displayed beautifully in a restored colonial building just off the Plaza San Francisco. Tours in Spanish, English or French every day, at 10:30, 12:00 and 15:30. Services for visitors with reduced mobility: ramps, lift, bathroom and wheelchair.
Thu-Sun 09ː00-15ː00Adults $10, children 4-12 $2, children up to 3 free