Quito: Old Town Highlights & Food Tour

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Learn the legends of Quito and explore the historic center. Get hands-on with a woodcarving lesson. Enjoy a chocolate tasting and a local ice cream.

Highlights

Walk through Quito’s old town and hear the stories and legends of this historic center
Visit one of Quito’s oldest woodcarving workshops and try your hand at the craft
Try some of the best chocolate in the world at a local chocolate factory
Taste ice cream made from unique South American ingredients

Description

Walk from Independence Plaza to the impressive Independence Monument, the city’s cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace, and the seat of the government, Carondelet Palace. Your guide will tell you the stories and legends behind the city’s most famous buildings and the roles these sites have played in Ecuador’s rich history. Then continue on to La Compañía de Jesús, a breathtaking Jesuit church with a volcanic stone façade and an interior covered in gold leaf. Explore the University of San Gregorio and then walk down ancient streets on your way to La Ronda, one of the most traditional Quito streets. Next up, visit a woodcarving workshop. Watch the artisans carving, gold plating, and setting in the old Quito style. Ask them questions and maybe even give it a go yourself. Then, learn how to make chocolate in the local old-fashioned way. Taste several varieties of some of the best chocolate in the world. Finally, stop at one of the most traditional ice cream shops of the old town. Try local flavors such as morocho corn and quinoa.