Basílica del Voto Nacional

Quito


On a hill in the northeastern part of the Old Town looms this massive Gothic church, Quito's largest, built over several decades beginning in 1892. Rather than gargoyles, turtles and iguanas protrude from the church’s side. The highlight is the basilica’s towers, which you can climb if you have the nerve – the ascent requires crossing a rickety wooden plank inside the main roof and climbing steep stairs and ladders (with solid handrails) to the top.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Quito attractions

1. Museo Camilo Egas

0.21 MILES

Inside this restored colonial home is a small but iconic collection of work by painter Camilo Egas (1899–1962), Ecuador’s first indigenista (indigenous…

2. Centro de Arte Contemporáneo

0.23 MILES

Inside a beautifully restored former military hospital, this excellent museum showcases cutting-edge multimedia exhibits as well as top modern-art shows…

3. Quito Observatory

0.33 MILES

Opened by President García Moreno in 1864, this four-sided observatory is the oldest on the continent. It houses a museum of 19th-century pendulums,…

4. Parque La Alameda

0.36 MILES

Breaking up the New Town's sea of concrete and glass is this welcome splash of greenery, containing the Quito Observatory and a small boating lake. A few…

5. Museo de Arte Colonial

0.44 MILES

This museum, in a handsomely restored 17th-century building, houses an excellent collection of colonial art. On display are famous sculptures and…

6. Convento San Agustín

0.45 MILES

This monastery is a fine example of 17th-century architecture, with unusual Moorish arches decorated with hundreds of golden pineapples. Many of the…

7. Palacio Arzobispal

0.45 MILES

On the northeast side of Plaza Grande, this former archbishop’s palace is now a colonnaded row of small shops and restaurants, located between Avenidas…

8. Plaza Grande

0.49 MILES

While wandering around colonial Quito, you'll probably pass through the Plaza Grande several times. Its benches are great for soaking up the Andean…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "ecuador/quito/attractions/basilica-del-voto-nacional/a/poi-sig/436150/363359",
      "destination": "Quito",
      "continent": "South-America",
      "country": "Ecuador",
      "city": "Quito",
      "position": "superzone"
    }