Ecuador

Day 1: Arrive in Quito

Quito's Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) sits northeast of the city at 2,400 metres above sea level. Taxis from the airport to the Old Town or La Mariscal district take 30 to 45 minutes; use official yellow cabs from the rank outside arrivals or book an app-based transfer through InDriver or Uber, which both operate in Quito. Agree the fare before getting in a yellow cab; the standard to central Quito runs around $25 to $35. Most accommodation is in either the Old Town (Centro Histórico) or the New Town neighbourhood of La Mariscal; the Old Town is the more atmospheric base for the first two days but can be noisy, while La Mariscal has more restaurants, bars and hostels in a more modern setting.

The altitude is the most important thing to manage on arrival. At 2,850 metres, Quito is one of the highest capital cities in the world. Most travellers feel the altitude on day one: slower breathing, mild headache, disrupted sleep, reduced appetite. Do not fight it. Drink coca tea (offered at most hotels, available everywhere), hydrate well, avoid alcohol on the first night, and go to bed early. The adjustment happens within 24 to 48 hours for most people and should not be used as a reason to see less; it should be used as a reason to plan the first day lightly.

Check in, eat something simple close to your accommodation, and sleep.

Day 2: Quito Old Town walking tour, Plaza Grande and rooftop sundowners

Quito's Centro Histórico was the first city in the world to receive UNESCO World Heritage status in 1978, jointly with Kraków. The designation was based on the density and preservation of its colonial architecture: 32 museums, 24 churches, 7 convents and 13 plazas within a walkable grid of cobblestone streets that has changed remarkably little since the 18th century. Walk rather than taxi throughout the day.

Start at the Basílica del Voto Nacional at the northern end of the Old Town. This is the largest neo-Gothic church in Latin America, built slowly over several decades from 1892 onward and still technically unfinished; Ecuadorian legend holds that the country will face catastrophe when the church is finally completed, so construction has been deliberately slow. The gargoyles on the facade are replaced by Galapagean iguanas, tortoises and condors. Climb the central tower for the best elevated view over the Old Town rooftops and the surrounding volcanoes; the interior staircases and ladders are vertiginous and extremely narrow. Entry approximately $4.

Walk south along García Moreno to Plaza Grande (Plaza de la Independencia), the historical and ceremonial heart of the city. The presidential palace (Palacio de Carondelet) on the west side offers free guided tours in English and Spanish; register at the small booth to the left of the main entrance. The Metropolitan Cathedral on the south side dates from 1572 and contains the tombs of several Ecuadorian presidents; look for the Last Supper painting inside which depicts Jesus eating cuy (guinea pig), the Ecuadorian national delicacy.

Walk east one block to La Compañía de Jesús, the Jesuit church built between 1605 and 1765. The interior is covered in an estimated seven tonnes of gold leaf applied over hammered and carved surfaces. It is one of the most visually overwhelming church interiors in Latin America; the phrase "more gold than the sun" gets used frequently and is not entirely inaccurate. Entry approximately $5.

Continue south to the Plaza and Monastery of San Francisco, the oldest religious complex in South America (construction began in 1535, two days after the Spanish founding of Quito). The cloister museum contains an important collection of the Quito School of colonial religious art, a distinct Latin American style that blended European Baroque technique with indigenous materials and subject matter.

For lunch: the Palacio Arzobispal (Archbishop's Palace) on the east side of Plaza Grande contains a courtyard arcade of small restaurants and cafés at ground level. Eating empanadas and seco de pollo in a 16th-century courtyard two minutes from the main square is one of the more enjoyable Quito experiences.

In the afternoon, the Casa del Alabado archaeological museum, a few blocks southwest of Plaza Grande, houses one of the finest collections of pre-Columbian Ecuadorian art in the country, displayed in a beautifully restored colonial house. Entry approximately $8, guided tours in English available. Allow 90 minutes.

Sundowners: take a taxi up to Café Mosaico on Itchimbía hill, east of the Old Town. The terrace looks west over the entire colonial centre with Volcán Pichincha behind it and the city spreading south. Order a craft beer or a chicha sour and watch the light go pink over the rooftops. Café del Fraile, in a courtyard off Plaza de la Independencia, is the alternative for something closer to the action.