Arrival! Day 1 in Quito with an Overnight Stay
Tour Starts - Day 2 Departing Quito
A pre-arranged shuttle from the airport was provided by exoticca, and the driver was picking up around 10 passengers to take to the hotel. Surprisingly, there was even one person in our tour group who was on the same flight from Colorado to Atlanta to Quito, and they were waiting for the same shuttle! With a late night arrival in Quito, it was check-in at the hotel and rest up for a busy day the next day. Day 2 would include checking out of the hotel in Quito before a city tour and then heading via bus to the Amazon.
Staying at the Hotel Mercure for the night. Breakfast was provided by the hotel, but it was really crowded. Fortunately two sisters who ended up being on the same tour were nice enough to share their table. The hotel was really nice, the staff was friendly and the rooms were clean with nice views. It was a nice starting point for the tour.
Below Row 1: Flight to Quito, arrival at the airport , city views from shuttle to the hotel.
Below Rows 2 and 3: The hotel lobby, view from the room and the interior of the room.
We were assigned a tour guide, Fabian, and given a brief orientation at the hotel before heading out. The worst part of every tour is always the orientation meeting. Thankfully, exoticca kept it fairly brief and as fun as I guess it could be. We were assigned to the Llama Group and provided with an agenda and the names of everyone in our group. Soon we were on our bus and ready to tour the city of Quito and then ride to the Amazon.
Below: Tour group information, slide from the orientation and our tour bus
Fabian was our tour guide. He did a fantastic job! Fabian was with our group the whole way from the first morning at the hotel, up to the airport in Quito to help us all get boarded and ready to fly off to the Galapagos Islands. We couldn't have had a better guide, he was knowledgeable, fun, and very helpful. In this photo, Fabian is the one wearing the blue long-sleeved shirt.
Day 1 - Arrival
Getting There
Day 2 - Quito City Tour
La Basilica del Voto Nacional
Our first stop on the first full day of the tour. The basilica is famous for its gargoyles in the form of pumas, monkeys, penguins, tortoises, condors and more. You won't find this anywhere else in the world!
Chocolate Making Explained
Our group stopped off for a chocolate experience and sampled some Dikaty chocolate.
Plaza Grande in Old Town
The plaza was packed with local bands, parades, people, pigeons, and activity. Located right in the heart of Old Town, this is a must-see sight when visiting Quito.
Walking Tour - Ice Cream!
The walk provided an opportunity to buy some local ice cream. Pailados had a convenient cart set up selling delicious ice cream.
Iglesia de El Sagrario
Church of the Sanctuary. This is considered one of the city's most beautiful churches.
Basilica and Convent of San Francisco
el San Francisco This is the largest religious complex in South America. The square in front of the church is another busy, active, plaza with people all around.
Snack
One last snack before heading out of Quito towards the Amazon.
Gallery of Pictures #1
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Some of my favorite pictures from Quito and the start of the tour, divided into two galleries, scroll down to see the second gallery of pictures...