I visited this WHS in May 2019 and spent 3 full days here. The historic centre was one of the first WHS on the list and I think it truly deserves its inscription. Not only are the churches' exteriors and interiors quite different and all worth visiting for some special feature or example of the Baroque school of Quito (Escuela Quitena), but fortunately it's also a vibrant city centre still alive with local traditions and jobs (shoe shine, local ice cream vendors, cake and sugar cane vendors, etc.).

Even though Ecuador has the dollar as its national currency, Quito's historic centre has no global fast food restaurants or chains such as McDonalds, Sushi Shops, Doner Kebab shops, Pizza Hut, Burger King, etc. but small little shops selling plumbing items, ironmongers, grocers, bakeries, bookshops, local restaurants, etc. which is generally quite rare in Latin America.

It is relatively easy and safe to walk around all the city at different hours of the day, apart from the different miradors were you'll have to walk uphill (unless you opt to catch a cheap yet crowded bus). Friendly police forces are present in every square and every other street. Plaza Grande or Plaza de la Independencia is the heart of the city and every time I visited, there was always something different taking place, so it was my favourite place to just sit down and enjoy the Ecuadorian capital and people. It is not unusual though for the square to be closed down by the police as it also houses the building of the Municipality of Quito as well as the presidential palace of Ecuador.

The churches are easy to visit while exploring the city centre. Most are whitewashed and are easy to spot among the colonial buildings. The best exterior (and probably interior!) is definitely the ornate one of the Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus (top right photo - PS: I was naughty as no photography is supposed to be allowed inside!). The Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco is also worth visiting for its lavish interior (top left photo). Beneath the church stairs is a pleasant and never ending maze which has been converted into a bar and gift shop which is worth visiting even if for a mere peek inside. Another church worth visiting mainly for its Moorish ceiling is the Iglesia de Santo Domingo (bottom left photo).

The city's main cathedral is the one in Plaza Grande with its checkered yellow and green domes (bottom right photo). It is worth visiting in the afternoon to see the main square from above - stay away if you're claustrophobic as its VERY narrow and dark to get to the cathedral's roof; if not, just ask the friendly ticket staff to show you how to get there. This cathedral is quite small though, so the Basilica del Voto Nacional (top middle photo) with its quirky local fauna gargoyles is where most locals go to for mass. Just after the entrance to the basilica, there's a lift or stairs which lead you up to the Basilica's roof. A walk over a wooden plank just above the Basilica will lead you to a crowded and quite dangerous metal staircase up to the spire (which reminded me of the recently collapsed spire of the Notre Dame in Paris) for an iconic photo of the Basilica's two towers with the Virgin of El Panecillo in between. The mirador from the latter is worth the effort to get there and offers one of the best panoramic views of Quito. The Teleferiqo will take you up from 2500-2850m to a whopping 4100m for an incredible sunset view of Quito and its surrounding snow-capped volcanoes (bottom middle photo), as well as for a pleasant hike where you can easily spot hares, hummingbirds and birds of prey.

If you had to choose just one museum to visit in Quito, go for the well-presented Casa del Alabado Museum of Pre-Columbian Art located in a colonial house. Apart from the delicious local cuisine, there are several craft beers to taste in most brew bars especially around the San Blas area. A touristy but interesting trip just a few kilometres from Quito is a visit to La Mitad del Mundo.