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

Teleferiqo

Rating: 100%

The ride up was so much fun and the view from the top was breathtaking.

By V!VA User from New York, Jul 13, 2008

DONT HIKE PICHINCHA

Rating: 75%

Do not hike the path to the summit of Ruca Pichincha beyond the Teleferiqo. There have been recent and increasing incidences of armed, violent attacks on hikers, both individuals and groups as large as 8, males and females. The Teleferiqo is a wonderful, safe experience, but please do not hike beyond.

By V!VA User from USA, Apr 27, 2008

gorgeous Teleferico

Rating: 100%

I used to go to the Pichincha Volcano when I was a kid, either hiking or driving an SUV which reached only a certain level. It's astounding to get there now in 10 minutes! The view is fabulous and you can't miss the hot wine with typical food at the top. Get a Coca leave tea if you are not used to altitudes... Day and night experiences are totally different, both worth it...

By V!VA User from Ecuador, Dec 14, 2007

Try to aim for a cloudless day

Rating: 75%

I went to the Teleferiqo on a somewhat cloudy (but very quiet) day. The cloud cover kept changing, and I was treated to a good view of Cotopaxi. It is quite windy and chilly up there. I was, unfortunately, too tired to walk the couple of trails. You can take a taxi to the Teleferiqo, and a bus or a shuttle back down. On a Friday evening before sunset, there was hardly anyone at the Teleferiqo: no wait at all. $4 for the ticket.

By Oliver Hazan from USA, Aug 26, 2007

Impresionante

Rating: 100%

Con esta excursion se puede disfrutar de una vista impresionante!

By V!VA User from Holanda, Feb 04, 2007

Simply a paradise on earth

Rating: 100%

We travel around South America and we found this place very remarkable, Quito is the best city on South America that is my personal criteria, not only for the beautiful location right on the Andes but also the city had being very well designed it goes far beyond most South American cities, however I found very interesting to visit as well is the largest city of Ecuador call "Guayaquil" this bussiness district has the beautiful Malecon 2000 that it is worthy to visit. both places are simply the best of the Continental Ecuador, on top of that you need to add the beauty of the Galapagos Islands and the Ecuadorean Shore like Salinas.

By John Steinsehoward from Newark. NJ, Jun 16, 2006

awesome

Rating: 100%

awesome as ever

By V!VA User, Mar 22, 2006

Great view, very modern

Rating: 75%

You can have a ground tour of the city first then go up on the Teleforiqo to put it all in perspective. The valley in which Quito is situated was found to be much longer than expected as seen from the top of the Telforiqo ride. I bought some Ecuadorian coffee at one of the small shops at the top, and my friend bought a shawl. I was always looking for souvnirs and gifts for family and friends, so it was convenient to look for more, especially when the clouds came in. Best time to go is in the morning to avoid the clouds, except from June- August, when it is clear.

By V!VA User from California, Mar 20, 2006

Beautiful and highly appealing

Rating: 100%

The sights were breathtaking!

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

too comercial

Rating: 0%

Once you get to the top of the mountian, the natural beauty is able to overcome the enormous comercialization efforts made to resemble a mall, theme park, and volcano all mixed into one. The gondolas are far too few in number to accommodate the masses that are attracted to this volcano. The purchasing tickets and waiting in line system is very inefficient and you will find yourself waiting hours if you do not go very early or very late. Skipping the gondolas and just hiking up the volcano would take less time than waiting around during the afternoon.

By V!VA User from Atlanta, Georgia, Estados Unidos, Oct 10, 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

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