Quito Cable Car (TelefériQo)

The cable car in Quito quickly takes you up the slopes of the Pichincha volcano where you can enjoy panoramic views of Ecuador’s capital city.

The cable car in Quito, officially called TelefériQo – a creative combination of the Spanish word teleférico and Quito – is my favourite attraction in Ecuador’s capital.

In just 18 min you ascend from the edge of the city (2,900 m) to a towering 4,053 m overlooking the vast landscapes of the Pichincha province.

Although the sights are the main attraction, the adventure doesn’t stop here. Quito’s TelefériQo is the gateway to the summit of the Pichincha volcano and keen hikers can reach it in roughly 3 h from the cable car station.

Read on to find out how to get to the cable car, how much it costs, and what you can do at the top. And don’t worry, there’s plenty to enjoy for non-hikers too.

Prices and opening times

A ticket for the TelefériQo costs adult foreigners $9 US. Under 18s pay $7 US and seniors $6.5 US. The cable car is open:

Monday to Thursday: 10:00-18:00
Friday: 8:00-18:00
Weekends: 8:00-19:00

Here’s a link to the official TelefériQo website where you’ll find any updates on tariffs and opening times.

A rugged mountain summit at the end of a rolling plain. The summit is shrouded in cloud.

Things to do at the top

Marvel at the views

The incredible views begin well before you reach the top as you ascend. However, the views are best enjoyed from Cruz Loma, the viewpoint where the top station sits.

From here there are panoramic views right across the Andean Valley, where Quito is nestled. But the most impressive sights are the glacier-capped volcanoes rising high above the surrounding area.

The Avenue of Volcanoes (Avenida de Los Volcanes) is home to the country’s tallest peaks including Chimborazo (6,263 m), Cotopaxi (5,897 m) and Cayambe (5,790 m).

Hills in the foreground and a city lower down behind them in the mid-ground. The city is shrouded in cloud.

Chill in the Café

A big café has been built at Cruz Loma and, with its huge glass windows, it’s the perfect place to enjoy the sights with a hot drink. You can get a bite to eat here too, but I recommend heading to the other restaurant for this.

Eat at the restaurant

If you walk roughly 10 min from the cable car station at Cruz Loma along the trail towards Rucu Pichincha, you’ll come to another restaurant. It doesn’t have a name and just appears as Bar Comedor on Google Maps.

Here you can get proper, traditional meals and the food is delicious. There are a decent amount of options on the menu, but my favourite is choclo nevado, a cob of corn covered in melted cheese and a sweet mayonnaise sauce.

Woman wearing blue uniforms run a kitchen in a restaurant. — The local ladies know how to cook up a storm.

In front of the restaurant you can hire horses and a guide to take you along the hiking trail. Although this might make the route more accessible for some people, I don’t recommend it.

There’s a steep section just after the restaurant which isn’t great for horses to be lugging people up. Also, the trail is definitely easy enough to be done on foot.

If you do decide to ride a horse, then it’ll set you back around $90 US. At least this is what I was told by a local, although I can’t confirm the price.

Walk the trail

The trail towards Rucu Pichincha’s summit is tame most of the way meaning you can walk a good distance before it gets challenging. Even if you’re not that into hiking, I still recommend walking an hour or so along the route to take in the scenery and get a closer look at the volcano.

Two walkers head along a dirt trail towards a mountain summit shrouded in cloud.

Swing above Quito

The famous TelefériQo swing (El Columpio en Las Nubes) is only 500 m from the top station and you’ll pass it on the way to the restaurant. The hillside begins to slope steeply downhill just in front of the swing, making it feel like you’re flying high in the sky above Quito.

Honestly, the swing is a bit overhyped and you’ll probably have to wait your turn, but you may as well have a go as you’ll pass it anyway. Also, you can get some cool photos.

A man swings above a mountainside overlooking a city in the valley below. This is the swing at the Teleferiqo in Quito.

The towers of a large basilica. The tower has detailed architectural adornment and a clock face. Behind the tower a tall statue can be seen faintly atop a distant hill. This is the Basilica del Voto Nacional in Quito.

Where to stay in Quito

My accommodation recommendations based on personal experience or excellent ratings across major booking platforms.

Community Hostel: a budget hostel with a fun vibe. There are great views from the rooftop terrace.
Apartamento 32 Juana de Arco: a holiday apartment with all amenities in the historic centre.
Friends Hotel & Rooftop: A mid-range hotel in the historic centre offering veggie and vegan meals.
Hotel La Basílica: A centrally-located, higher-end hotel with beautiful rooms and church views.

Hike Rucu Pichincha

My absolute favourite thing to do in Quito is hike Rucu Pichincha. At 4,696 m, this was my first high-altitude peak and it’s a great introduction to high-altitude mountaineering. It takes roughly 3 h to reach the summit from the TeleferiQo and another 2 h to get back.

The hike is mostly easy until you get to the sandy section about 1 h 30 min from the top. Although this begins only a few hundred metres below the summit, it’s steep and tiring.

At the top of the sandy section, to get to the summit, you can bear left and continue through a steep, rocky section, or you can bear right and climb a shorter distance. I only recommend bearing right if you’re comfortable taking a risk.

Two people hike a rocky ridge on a mountain shrouded in cloud. This is Rucu Pichincha in Quito. — Friends I made in Quito tackling the hike near the summit.

Paragliding

You can paraglide at the TelefériQo but you need to organise it yourself. This paragliding flight on GetYourGuide looks decent and isn’t badly priced. I have to say, paragliding over Quito with the backdrop of the colossal volcanoes would be epic.

How to get to the cable car in Quito

A map showing the location of the cable car in Quito. The cable car is officially known as TelefériQo.

Taxi

The TelefériQo lower station sits right at the western edge of Quito and I recommend getting a taxi here. It only takes around 15 min from the city centre and it’s pretty cheap costing roughly $4 US.

However, if there’s traffic, then it can take a lot longer – I’m talking potentially an hour or more to cover the 6-ish kilometres. Unfortunately, the route to the cable car is along a narrow but busy road many people use to get to and from the city centre.

Getting back to the city centre from the cable car station costs a bit more and can take longer. Firstly, the taxis which wait at the station charge double the rate; around $8 US. Secondly, there’s high demand for these taxis so you might be waiting a while.

Ubers and inDrives don’t normally venture this far either. While I have been able to get one back from the cable car, they often cancel. My tip is to get a phone number for the taxi driver who brings you so you’ve got a backup option.

Bus

I don’t recommend taking the bus. It takes way longer and you have to walk the last 20 min or so up a long hill. But if you really want to save a few dollars then you can. The 131 and 131-A are your options and these leave from the Estación Playón de La Marin, just south of the city centre.

The fare is $0.35 US and you need to get off at Jose Berrutieta Y Antonio Jose de Sucre. Here’s the whole bus route; depending on where you are, you might not need to go all the way to Estación Playón de La Marin to get the bus.

Hiking from Quito

If you fancy a full day of adventure, then you can hike from Quito to the top station of the TelefériQo following this route. It takes 3-4 h to cover the 10 km from the city centre and there are steep sections as you follow a winding dirt road.

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Important things to know when visiting the TelefériQo

Weather closures

Quito’s weather is temperamental enough at the city’s altitude (2,700 m). Now imagine how it can get at over 4,000 m up at the top cable car station. They don’t take any chances at the TelefériQo and will close it in heavy rain, winds or thick clouds.

If this happens, you can get stuck at the top for hours depending on how long the bad weather sticks around. Twice I had to wait for around 2 h to get down and, personally, I think they take a little too much precaution. But there is always the option of walking back down to Quito via the hiking route I linked to before.

Because there’s always the chance of bad weather at this altitude, I don’t recommend heading up in the cable car if you have important plans afterwards.

A line of cable cars climbing a mountainside overlooking a city. These are the cable cars in Quito, Ecuador.

Altitude sickness

You ascend close to 1,100 m in around 18 min with the cable car, which is a rapid gain in altitude. This doesn’t give your body time to adjust gradually and you might feel a little sick at the top.

If it’s just a bit of nausea, don’t worry as it should pass. But if it turns into a full-blown headache or vomiting, then you should head down. Chewing coca leaves can help get rid of altitude sickness.

More Quito guides on A World Over

The cable car in Quito is the perfect place to appreciate Ecuador’s insane nature without venturing far from the city.

I highly recommend pushing on to Rucu Pichincha. But if that doesn’t suit you, then at least spend a few hours at Cruz Loma enjoying a bite to eat and the breathtaking views.

Checking out the Virgin of El Panecillo is another great experience in Quito. It’s a truly unique viewpoint overlooking the city centre.

More Quito guides:

How to Visit the Cable Car in Quito (TelefériQo)

Prices and opening times