The view
Quito and volcanoes.
AndrewDressel — CC BY-SA 4.0 · AndrewDressel — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Paulo JC Nogueira — CC BY-SA 3.0 · David Berkowitz from New York, NY, USA — CC BY 2.0
One of the world's highest cable cars, climbing from west Quito up the slope of Pichincha volcano to nearly 3,950 metres in a ride of about twenty minutes over forest and pasture, with the long city stretched beneath you in its valley between the mountains. The top station gives a vast view over all of Quito, and on clear days the snowy peaks of the surrounding volcanoes, including the cone of Cotopaxi to the south. Up top are small restaurants, cafés, walking paths and swings that visitors love for photos above the valley. From the top station a hard trail leads to the summit of Rucu Pichincha at nearly 4,700 metres, in three to four hours, only for the fit and well acclimatised. Mornings are clearest before clouds gather. The air is thin and very cold up top, so bring a warm jacket, walk slowly, and do not go up on your first day in Quito.
Quito and volcanoes.
For the fit.
Above the valley.
Slope of Pichincha volcano, west Quito; station on Avenida Fulgencio Pachón
Better to wait a day or two to acclimatise, as the top is nearly 3,950 metres with thin air. Mornings are clearest.