This was a fun afternoon trip! There were great views of the city, you don't realize how high up you are! At the top there is a little restaurant, I would recommend getting the hot chocolate with queso fresco, yum!
If you want a view of Quito and the surrounding mountains, take the gondola to the top. It will cost you a cab fare to get there but it's worth it. The Teleferico costs about $8 per person.
Very fun ride up and down. Fabulous views of the city and the volcano! Take a jacket and scarf as it can be cold and the weather changes fast. If you are energetic and have a couple hours you can hike to the rim of the volcano. Recommend taking a cab to the entrance rather than the bus so you don't have to walk uphill so far. Higher altitude wasn't a problem.
My friends and i enjoyed the ride up to the top of the mountain before sunset, just in time to see the volcano tops covered in snow and the town. Just before a gorgeous sunset. Highly recommended this attraction.
Fantastic views of all of Quito from North to South and of at least four volcanos. The right up and down in the cable cars is spectacular and a great place to meet other visitors and Ecuadorans. For the strong of heart, lungs and legs you can continue on a 5 hour round trip hike to close to the peak of the volcano. You can also do some real mountain biking!
Take the cable car on the slope of Pichincha when visibility is good, and you have an overwhelming view of the city and the Andes, from above. Sunset can be spectacular. Up there, go for a walk or take a horse-back ride on the volcano. Don´t rush!
If you are in Quito you must go out and do this to be able to fully appreciate the scope of the city. The view is amazing and the width of the city is remarkable. You may not spend much time at the top, but it is still very worthwhile.
After a 45 minute wait we rode up in bright sunlight. Walked around at 13,500 feet, and got a great view of the city. Then we felt raindrops. Ran to the tram, and a deafening hailstorm began. Thunder, lightning, etc. The tram stopped running!! Took us almost two hours to get back, and there were many behind us in line
There are few cars for 6 people each and a very long line. I didn't take it to the top. There is an amusement park at the starting point .
It's a gondola ride - if you've ever gone to a ski resort in the summer, that's what it is, but it's still fun! Might be better to wait until a few days into your visit to go instead of making it a first day trip, unless you're already accustomed to altitude.