Quito's Teleferiqo

Hiking, City Park

By Dawn Wohlfarth

Quito’s latest and greatest tourist attraction opened to the public July 2, 2005 and offers some of the most spectacular and most easily accessible views of the city. Eighteen gondolas soar up the walls of the mountain range to the west of Quito leading to the Pichincha Volcanoes.

The ride lasts only 10 minutes but takes you to an altitude of 4050 m (13,300 ft). At the top, there is a grandstand-esque lookout point complete with coffee, snacks, horse rental and oxygen for the faint of breath. Walk to the second floor of the grandstand and head outside; there are some excellent hiking trails leading to more views of Quito and of the Pichincha Volcanoes, which are snowcapped time to time throughout the year. At the base of the mountain, there is popular Vulcano Park, an amusement park, and a slew of classy restaurants, cafes and gift shops.

Getting to the Teleferiqo from Quito

It is easiest to get to the entrance on Occidental by taxi; the cab ride costs is $4-6 from anywhere in Quito. To get past the guard booth, you must pay $2. To avoid this fee, just walk past the guard booth and wait for one of the free Teleferiqo shuttle buses to take you to the main entrance; it's not far, but is a steep uphill walk.

Prices

The roundtrip gondola ride is $4 (discounts for senior citizens and children). If you want to avoid the line, pay $3 more for a pass to the front. Entrance for cars is $2. Food, drinks, rides, and arcade games are all extra.

Traveler Reviews of Quito's Teleferiqo

The Teleferiqo

Rating: 100%

The Teleferiqo in Quito is a very nice place to go. You can go up 2000mts in 10 minutes and you can enjoy a nice walk with the Ruco Pichincha watching you. If you are not so much of a walker, you can shop around in the different stores that you will find. When you get hungry you can just choose one of the many restaurants available; you can get sushi and fondue but also burgers and hot dogs.Finally, the Vulcano part is nice and it has very good rides, including one roller coaster. One thing that is new and is not included in the article is that now there are small busses that go all around the city. They are easy to see and they take you to the Teleferico for just 1USD. You can take them to go back home too. the Teleferiqo has become one of the things you must do while in Quito.

By V!VA User from Quito, Ecuador, Sep 25, 2005

lots of fun

Rating: 100%

The teleferico is great! Add it to your list of things to do in Quito. Dress warm, though, it-s cold on top!

By Crit, Sep 26, 2005

Beautiful and highly appealing

Rating: 100%

The sights were breathtaking!

By V!VA User from Alexandria, Virginia, Oct 15, 2005