Quito Old Town Tour: History, Market Visit & Ice Cream Tasting

Honestly didn’t know what to expect from a walking tour, but Marcelo completely exceeded anything we could have hoped for. The depth of knowledge he brings is remarkable — he could answer anything, in detail, on the spot. What impressed us most though was how effortlessly he connected with our whole group, from the little kids to the grandparents. Everyone was engaged the entire time. He also stayed well over an hour past the end of the tour because we were all having such a good time. A truly special experience — Marcelo is the real deal.

MARCELO is the best Guide in Quito !! Perfect for a family with children, teenagers and grandparents too. Marcelo is an outstanding guide. His knowledge of Old Town Quito’s history, architecture, and culture is exceptional, and he has a gift for making it all genuinely engaging. He showed us hidden gems we never would have discovered on our own — and went above and beyond, spending an extra with us without hesitation. If you’re visiting Quito, Marcelo is a must. Highly recommend.

We were the only ones in the tour, so we could go at our own pace. We tasted fruits in the market and that was really cool, also did a chocolate tasting as well. We went inside the golden church too. Luis was very knowledgeable and helped us gain insight to life in Ecuador and specifically Quito.

Marcello was an excellent guide. He was very knowledgeable and thorough. His English was very good. Definitely would recommend.

It was just my husband and me, and it was as if we had booked a private tour! We visited such beautiful and historic sites. Plus we stopped for handmade ice cream! Our tour guide was excellent and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend this tour.

Marcellus is incredibly knowledgeable about the history and details of Quito. This is a easy walk, some uphill portions. We didn’t make ice cream but we tasted some great sorbet in the Bishop’s palance.

Guide was a no show after confirming the day before. Fortunately they are giving me a refund. Better luck next time.

Marcelo was my guide and he was very knowledgable and great company. Showed me the Market, took me to the Basilica, pointed out important details. Explained the history of Quito Old Town- it was a fascinating walk.

Marcelo was an excellent and knowledgeable guide. The small group size (5) definitely helped. I can highly recommend this tour

We are a 60+couple and signed up for this 3-hour tour. Our guide, Marcello, was well educated on the city and culture. We started at Teatro Sucre and walked to a local market to get the idea of the people and culture. We enjoyed the stories and explanations of the medicinal herbs and plants. The market also provided a great view of - new to us - variety of meats, vegetables, and fruits. We walked to several churches and modern historic buildings / cultural / military. Our stop to try local candy and the ice cream was great - love the Rum Raisin flavor! We ended at the Franciscan Square and the beautiful church. Great morning even for the walking challenged.

Luis was Amazing!!! I highly recommend him. He is Very knowledgeable, personable and patient with all my questions.

I did this tour on my first day in Quito. Its a good introduction to the old town and the fruit, chocolate and ice cream tasting are fun. We learned a lot about the city and saw some important sites.

I had an excellent walking tour of the Quito Old Town with Urban Adventures guide, Marcelo. We met at Teatro Sucre and walked to the nearby Mercado Central Market. Besides seeing local fresh produce for sale, Marcelo introduced me to the sharmans and it was interesting to hear about the medicinal plants they were selling. We explored the food stalls selling distinctive Ecuadorian dishes like cows head soup and other animal parts we might not eat back home! On the way to Plaza de la Independencia, we visited some of the churches and Marcelo explained the influence of the Spanish & the Jesuit Order on church architecture. We climbed the San Francisco bell tower for a view across the city. Marcelo also took me to try some local foods such as the tamal in a lovely traditional shop in San Augustin. We also had sorbet made the old fashioned way (stirred over ice & salt) from a stall in the courtyard of Palacio Arzobispal. It was a really interesting few hours walking around the Old Town and I learned a lot about the history of Quito.

I had a wonderful tour of the Old Town with Ana. It was the perfect introduction to Quito and its culture. We visited a market, tasted wonderful food and visited the main sites of the Old Town. Ana as a guide was very knowledgeable, a real pleasure and went above and beyond. I highly recommend this tour.

Morcelo gave us an excellent introduction to the beautiful city of Quito. We covered everything from local food at the market, history, everyday life and of course Ice Cream.

Take this fun tour and get informed on historic Quito. Our guide Marcello was excellent and the Gelato is so good!

The tour was a great introduction to Quito. Marcelo was an informative and friendly guide. We started with a tour of the market, before moving to the historical area. A break for ice cream, with some local flavours on offer, was included.

I did the Intrepid Old Town Quito tour with Marcelo. The tour was so informative. Marcelo is very knowledgeable and his English is great. Most of the tour was outside but he did take me to see the museum at the famous San Francisco Basilica at San Francisco Plaza in Quito's Old Town. He also took me to the Mercado Central (central market) and explained the traditional foods, including exotic fruits. I learned about a lot of traditional foods and how they are prepared. I believe most tours don't include this. Marcelo was very knowledgeable about Ecuadoran history and the history of the buildings we were seeing. As I have a particular interest in modern art, he recommended a couple of museums for me to visit. When the tour ended, he explained to me how I could get back to my hotel in central Quito using the fabulous new Quito Metro. The Metro is safe and modern--much nicer than any I've seen in the US. He also recommended a vegetarian restaurant in my neighborhood and told me a safe place to buy some traditional foods (specifically the Ecuadoran corn snacks). I highly recommend Marcelo and this tour.

Marcello treated us to a fantastic and private tour through the local markets, blending history, culture, and flavor into a truly memorable experience. We sampled fruits native to Ecuador, got a crash course in traditional medicinal herbs, and soaked up stories of the area's rich past—all while comfortably stopping along the way to sit and chat in historic spots. One of the highlights? Ice cream and tamales at San Augustin—unique, delicious, and served with a side of spontaneous street sweeper dance magic that stole the show. We absolutely loved this tour and highly recommend it to anyone visiting. One small note for the tour operator: We noticed that booking at the last minute would have given us a significantly lower price—just something to keep in mind for future travelers.

Luis was my guide and he was amazing! He shared the food, culture, and the history of Ecuador and Quito with me on this walking tour. I appreciated his desire to show off the city he was born in. I was the only one on this tour on a Wednesday morning. I don't speak Spanish, so it was great to speak to someone who spoke English fluently and could translate for me at the same time. I would highly recommend this tour.

This is one of the best walking tours I've been on. Marcelo is so passionate and enthusiastic about the city of Quito. He has a wealth of knowledge sharing really interesting stories about the history and culture, topped off with a delicious ice-cream and chocolate tasting at the end! Thanks for a really memorable trip!

Very good guide who gave an informative tour. Gave us a good insight into the history and culture of Quito

I was the only participant but they didn’t cancel. The guide was very knowledgeable. It was a long tour,

Really loved this tour, very informative and a great intro to this beautiful city. We covered a lot of historical events giving meaning to the history behind many of the old buildings, and even had ice cream and chocolate tastings. Highly recommend.

The tour starts with the central market looking at small shops that sell meat/organs, herbal remedies, fruit, flowers, and prepared dishes. The fruit tasting was interesting, as you get a chance to taste fruits not available in the US. The old town is basically a few large churches, the president’s house, and other Catholic Church related buildings. The chocolate tasting was excellent in the variety and quality of chocolate. Overall, the guide was knowledgeable about an area that is somewhat interesting.

We enjoyed the tour & had an excellent guide-. He was extremely knowledgeable, engaging & made Quito’s history come alive! Would absolutely recommend this tour & guide!

Marcello was an exceptional tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about Quito history, architecture, religion, the Andean culture, plants and flowers and politics in Ecuador. He was never in a hurry, welcomed our questions and we learned so much about Quito- past and present.

Was very educational not just about the Centro Historico,but also about Quito and Ecuador overall. Marcelo was really patient with us, answered all our questions and got us to taste a ton of local food, fruit, drink and chocolate. A great way to spend our only day in Quito!

This is a great introduction to Quito old town with some food tastings thrown in. Marcelo is passionate and very knowledgeable about his town and its history and takes you to places you’d be less confident venturing into yourself, and others you’d walk right past without his direction. Excellent- would highly recommend this to everyone visiting Quito.

Luis took us to a market where we had lovely fruit, then a juice shop, and then chocolate tasting, ending in San Francisco square. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful.

Great tour. I was wondering if it was better to just walk around on my own or sign up for a tour, and I'm very glad I signed up for the tour. Marcello was a great guide and he brought us places I wouldn't have known to go on my own, and we sampled foods all along the way. Thank you Marcello for the great orientation to your beautiful city!

Excellent tour, my guide Marcelo was really knowledgeable and informative, he answered all my questions and was happy to do so. We saw so much I learnt so much I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Marcelo was excellent: knowledgeable, personable, and great at keeping our group of six (three separate pairs) moving along at a pace that worked for everyone. His English was impeccable and his informative tour through the local market was a side of Quito we would not have otherwise seen. We also appreciated the side tour to a free chocolate tasting. Highly recommend this tour to anyone who only has a day or two in Quito and wants to get immersed in the history and culture.

Marcelo is an excellent guide. He showed us a lot of different things related to Ecuadorian history and culture, including traditional herbs, fruit, chocolate and ice cream. He also showed us a good sampling of the historical buildings, including entry to the amazing Iglesia San Francisco. Very interesting tour.

Such a lovely day exploring Quito and learning more about the city. My guide was amazing and even stopped at an art gallery that wasn’t included in the trip because he knew I liked art. He had so much knowledge about Quito and Ecuadorean people.

Marcello was an excellent host who spent the time sharing his beautiful city with me and a fellow traveler. He was knowledgeable and took pride in his culture. We went to the market, and he explained the different stalls, we sampled local fruits, chocolate, and ice cream. Overall, we covered approximately 3 miles, and it was jam-packed with history.

This was a fantastic walking tour through the streets of Old Town Quinto. Marcello gave us so much information regarding the culture and history of Ecuador. The architecture alone was worth this tour but stapling some local treats was an added bonus. Also found this a great way to see the sights without overexertion on our first day at this altitude. The small group was worth every penny as it was more personalized. There are areas of any urban place that tourists should avoid caution. I was glad we booked this through intrepid as well for that reason. Marcello told us where and when to keep an eye out on things, which we may not have known otherwise. I would recommend, if you have the time in Quinto, to absolutely reserve this tour.

I had such an amazing time. Our guide Marcelo was absolutely amazing and knowledgeable. We saw everything we asked to see and more. I highly recommend this tour while visiting.

A great walking tour of the Old Town with Marcelo. Able to bring places to life throughout the 3hr walk round. An opportunity to learn about the culture, the food and the history of Ecuador. I was lucky enough to be solo on this tour, so it was geared to me and flexed to look at my interests too!

Marcelo was wonderful - knowledgeable, friendly, and ensured the tour was comprehensive and enjoyable! I enjoyed visiting the church and convent, an art museum, public squares, a marketplace rich in history with natural remedies and customs, and tasting local fruit. A great tour for your first day in old town Quito.

I was fortunate enough to be the only one on a group booking. I met Marcelo outside the Teatro Sucre and he was such a lovely man. He showed me round the markets and explained the different stalls and foods on offer. We got to taste some exotic fruits, which were really nice. Then we walked round and looked at architecture and popped inside a couple of museums for a quick look, before heading to a chocolate shop, which was fascinating. After this we went to a few more places and tasted some ice cream, again trying new flavours. By the end of the tour I’d walked 10,000 steps. I went back to the chocolate shop and bought some to take with me. I cannot recommend booking this trip enough. It’s such a good way to learn about the Old Town of Quito and how things are the way they are. Thank you Marcelo.

This is an excellent day tour. Marcelo is very knowledgeable and considerate and takes you beneath the surface and shows you lots of hidden gems you can’t find on your own. Especially if you like sweets, this tour is fantastic-learn about how artisan chocolate is made, sample it, and you also get to eat the Quito-style ice cream as part of the tour cost. I primarily went to Ecuador to see the Galapagos, but this provided a great complement to expand my experience.

We had a lovely experience tasting chocolates, local candies, and local fruits from the market! We even ended in a very local and lovely meal! Daniella stayed with us well over the time the tour was to end and she was a fabulous host with so much knowledge of Quito. We got some amazing views from a church rooftop too! Would definitely recommend to anyone in Quito!

If you’re in Quito, Ecuador, be sure to book the tour. My tour guide Marcelo was very knowledgeable about the history of Ecuador. He took his time to explain certain areas within Quito, we enjoyed food tastings, and great conversations with the locals. I highly recommend!

A wonderful experience with my guide Daniela and two other travellers. Daniela was warm, knowledgeable and generous with her time. She provided a wonderful introduction to Quito's old town and after the tour even invited us to join her for lunch at her favourite eating house which was marvellous. Daniela went above and beyond in providing a memorable introduction to Quito, so much so that I immediately recommended her to other travellers visiting Quito.

Our guide Marcelo was absolutely fantastic. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the old town, its history and how it works today. He took us to some hidden gems which we would never have found without him guiding us. I would thoroughly recommend this tour.

I learned so much about Quito and it's fabulous culture. What an amazing city and a very informative guide. So glad I went.

A great tour! Our guide, Marcelo, was knowledgeable, friendly, and clearly passionate about the city and its history. We thought it was just going to be a normal sightseeing tour, but the amount of personal knowledge about the history of local vendors that was shared made this something really special. Along with that, sampling the fruit, chocolate, candy, and ice cream made it an unforgettable experience. 100% would recommend!

Excellent tour of Old Town Quito with Marcelo! He is so knowledgeable. Exactly what we were looking for. In addition to the walking tour and history of Quito and Ecuador, we got to sample local fruits, had a great introduction the different kinds of chocolate, and a delicious stop for homemade sorbet/gelato. San Francisco church was also a highlight. Wear your walking shoes!