Quito Travel Tips: Money and Altitude

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Before you go: Ecuador in 2026. Quito itself is a reassuring US Level 2, far from the coastal zones carrying the serious advisories. Ecuador remains under a national state of exception in 2026 that currently covers Quito’s province, though there’s no curfew in place right now. The practical takeaway for a budget trip: ordinary big-capital street sense, plus one specific habit, only take licensed orange-plate taxis or an app like Uber, Cabify, or inDrive, never an unmarked street taxi. Check your government’s current advisory before you fly, conditions shift.

8 Quito travel tips that actually matter on a budget

  1. Take day one easy at altitude. Quito sits at roughly 2,850m, and the airport (Tababela, ~2,400m) is actually lower, so you ascend into the city rather than descend. Mild soroche (altitude sickness) is common; hydrate, skip alcohol the first night, and don’t schedule a hike or the TelefériQo for day one.
  2. Bring small bills, not big ones. Ecuador uses the US dollar, no exchange math needed, but $20 bills are hard to break at markets and small shops; keep a stash of $1s, $5s, and $10s. Ecuadorian centavo coins circulate alongside US coins but are worthless once you leave the country, spend them before you fly out.
  3. Use apps or orange-plate taxis only. Ride-hailing apps (Uber, Cabify, inDrive) or licensed orange-plate taxis are the safe default; unmarked street taxis carry a real “express kidnapping” risk. This matters more than almost any other single tip on this list.
  4. Your entry stamp is visa-free and simpler than it used to be. US/UK/EU/CA/AU travelers get a 90-day stamp on arrival with no advance visa needed. The yellow-fever certificate requirement was dropped in 2025, it’s still medically recommended if you’re continuing to the Amazon, but no longer required for entry.
  5. Take a taxi up El Panecillo, don’t walk. The hill’s viewpoint is safe once you’re there, police-patrolled and popular, but the walk up has a genuine mugging history. A taxi both ways costs a few dollars and removes the risk entirely.
  6. Treat La Mariscal and Plaza Foch as daytime-safe, nighttime-careful. Real muggings and drink-spiking (“scopolamine”) incidents happen there after dark. Watch your drink, and taxi home rather than walking, even a short distance.
  7. Tip about 10%, it’s appreciated, not mandatory. Restaurants and taxi drivers don’t expect it as strictly as in the US, but 10% is the standard courtesy amount if service was good.
  8. Don’t drink the tap water. Bottled or filtered water is cheap and widely available; ice in touristy restaurants is usually fine, but skip it at street stalls to be safe.

Do you need cash or can you go card-only in Quito?

Cards work for hotels, sit-down restaurants, and shops, but markets, street food carts, and most bus and taxi fares are cash-only. Keep small bills on hand from an ATM rather than relying on cards for everything, an almuerzo lunch and a bus ride are two places you’ll need cash on a normal day.

For the cheap and free sights these habits protect, see our main Quito budget guide .