Private tour in Quito Vivian V

Quito - Off The Beaten Tourist Path

5.0

(29) reviews

-
Hours icon 9 hours
Private transportation
Private tour for 1-3 people
Your party size

1

Tour date
View our cancellation policiesUpgrade for total flexibility with Any Reason Cancellation
Book with a depositSecure your tour today and pay your balance later
-
Hours icon 9 hours
Private transportation
Private tour for 1-3 people
Your party size

1

View our cancellation policiesUpgrade for total flexibility with Any Reason Cancellation
Book with a depositSecure your tour today and pay your balance later

Vivian V.

5.0

Guide rating

553

Reviews

Tours delivered

4 hrs

Avg. response time

For 34 years I have guided, toured and helped people plan everything there is to do in Ecuador from a one day tour to a week or more. I guide not just the Quito area but the entire Andes chain including Otavalo, Mindo, Papallacta, Banos, Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, Ingapirca, Cuenca, Guayaquil and everything in between as well as the Galapagos and Amazon jungle. I guide only my native Ecuador but have been named the current #1 guide in all of South America and the Caribbean. The City of Quito hired me to tour Miami based, world syndicated radio and newspaper travel writer, former Colombia diplomat, expert on South America, Enrique Cordoba Rocha, who wrote I am the best Quito guide and sends referrals from his listeners and readers. I have never missed a tour, never even been late for one. I am 56 years old and was the 4th nationally licensed guide in the history of Ecuador and have toured over 9,000 travelers even for the Ecuador government (the Minister of Nepal, 17 person entourage and police escort - PHEW!) and top travel agencies in Ecuador and abroad. I am the "go to" guide the City of Quito asks to tour VIPs such as a PGA (U. S. golf) pro during the Quito tournament, the second highest ranking Russian official and entourage with body guards (Phew! again), a U. S. State Department official, an Arabian sheik and entourage, "Travel and Leisure" magazine personnel, foreign diplomats, the past U. S. ambassador. I was U. S. sales director for Klein Tours and traveled the world promoting Ecuador for it and Metropolitan Touring, the two largest Ecuador travel agencies and largest Galapagos yacht owners. I also designed tours for each. I have a U. S. (Miami) phone on my Quito desk to assist clients with trip planning. I can help you plan the perfect partial or total Ecuador vacation short or long. I am an Ecuador and a U. S. citizen. The tour guide you choose will be the difference in your day or trip. I have the guide maturity and vast contacts to make my clients secure. I speak, read and write perfect English (and French) because I lived and worked for Marriott in the U. S. , lived a year in France and traveled the world promoting Ecuador. With me there will be no canned or stilted speeches, talks. I am known for my flexibility while touring and can change itineraries even "on the fly" the day of a tour due to weather and other factors, even your whims. I have degrees in tourism and hotel management, and my avocation is Ecuador history. My English, knowledge, happy disposition, energy, experience and reliability make me the perfect guide for Quito or the entire country including the Galapagos and Amazon jungle. I love my work and have more than 4,500 recommendation letters on file without a single bad review, all five stars. I am one of four, elected, unpaid officers who run our National Tour Guide Association. Ecuador National Tour Guide 004 Tour prices quoted here are for up to 3 in my nice, newer SUV. I am a commercially licensed driver without ever an accident. I tour groups up to 50. For 4 or more simply ask me for a quote. I, personally, do not charge more for the guiding, but must, under strict Ecuador transportation law to protect your group, hire a special driver with specially inspected, commercially licensed vehicle, and this adds to the cost. Not all museums in Quito are closed on Mondays, most are now open. If this is your only available day please send me your inquiry, and I will create a customized itinerary.

Have a question or want to customize this tour? Message Vivian V.

Overview of your Quito tour

Not interested in standard, rote, Quito, tourist locations? Want to have some fun and see off the beaten path, fascinating locations, 99% of tourists never see? Go with me to the following that you can change as you see fit even on our day together. I am known for my flexibility, ability to seamlessly adjust: 1. A rose farm to see where and how the world's best roses are produced for export, almost certainly you have received or sent these roses back home; for the rest of your life you will tell friends and florists about this 2. Pre-Columbian, mummy burial site at the top of a steep neighborhood right in Quito, a super well done archaeological site where you peer down into large cylindrical holes to see vases containing pre-Colombian mummies 3. Visit the reopened Ecuador, national, Pre-Columbian gold artifacts museum and/or the finest, most beautiful art museum dedicated to one artist in South America 4. The botanical garden and reptile zoo 5. While driving, travel around and really know Quito.

Recent Reviews

Susan S.United States
November 2025

If you are booking a guide in Quito, choose Vivian. She is professional, efficient, flexible and energetic. When you first book, she sends you nine pages of “tips.” Super helpful and not to be missed. She will work with you to design the perfect tour, taking into account all of your requests. She is willing to adjust on the fly as your interests and energy fluctuate. If you have a special interest, she knows where to go or whom to call for experiences and souvenirs. We always felt supported and never rushed.

Fritz K.United States
May 2025

Well, our tour with Vivian sent me scurrying for the thesaurus for additional superlatives. This tour guide is the real deal. Smart, knowledgeable, organized, cheerful, and funny, she made our time in Quito a true pleasure. Book her without hesitation. Make sure you do the fruit market as part of your tour, not to be missed.

Dorothy S.
February 2025

What a way to end my holiday! Picked up and dropped off at all the best parts of Quito City allowing time to walk and view places with information all the way. Saw Quito from The Angel! had fun spotting my hotel. Enjoyed seeing the artisans at work...woodwork and metalwork beyond belief. No wonder they take part in restoring the old churches in town. Loved the ice cream and chocolate treat. Then to finish off, a tasting visit at the old market. Thanks Viv for all your attention to detail to make another day to remember.

Mark S.United States
January 2025

We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Vivian. We have travelled and used guides quite often and we had none better.

Lena C.United States
November 2024

We only had one day to experience Quito and Vivian packed the day with everything we wanted to see and threw in an ice cream stop as well. Everything was well planned and we made the absolute most out of our day that could not have happened in any group tour. We felt part of her family by the end of the day.

Don J.United States
October 2024

Interesting tour and excellent guide.

Your Quito tour itinerary

8:00am hotel pick up Usually drive out to the rose farm first and then Cover other mentioned places/things in a sequence to be determined by weather (usually good), how you feel (Quito altitude effects very few people) and your interests/whims that day. Stop for lunch, your choice of restaurants from $5 (surprisingly good) and up Cover remaining places/things as much as time permits. 5:30pm hotel drop off Ask for quote for four and up to fifty in professionally driven, commercially licensed, large viewing windowed, appropriately sized vehicle as required by Ecuador law for your safety. Ask me for a quote.

Want to customize this tour?

Tell your guide which places matter to you, skip what doesn't, and tailor the experience for your group's needs. Not finding what you want? Message your guide to build something unique.

Transport details
Type: Private Transportation / Category: Suv

My nice, new, safe SUV. I am a commercially licensed driver with never an accident in 30 years of touring more than 8,000 travelers. Four or more people and up go in a professionally driven, commercially licensed, appropriately sized for comfort, large viewing windowed vehicle. I use only the very best drivers who have a long history of working with me, VERY important for our safety. Steep, twisting, area roads, streets and other drivers are nowhere near first world standards. Ask for a quote.

What's included
Private Guide
Private Transportation
What's not included
Other: Personal expenses. Entrance fees and incidentals.
Food Drinks Snacks
Meeting location

Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador

Airport, hotel, or any other location specified by tour guide or client.

  • You can request a specific meeting location (for example, your hotel) during the checkout.
Other details
Tour categories
History
City Highlights
Art And Culture
Day Trip
Family
Tour reference number
487393
Languages
Spanish
English
Activity level
Light
Accessibility
Kid Friendly

Traveller reviews

5.0

FAQs

Who is this private tour in Quito best suited for?

This private tour in Quito is perfect for travellers who are not interested in standard tourist locations and want to explore fascinating, off-the-beaten-path sites that 99% of tourists never see. It's ideal for those who enjoy flexibility and want to have fun while discovering unique places like a rose farm, a pre-Columbian mummy burial site, and more. This tour also suits travellers looking to connect with a local guide for deeper insights into Quito.

Can this private tour in Quito be customized to focus on what I want to see and skip places I've already visited?

How long is the tour, and can the start time or duration be adjusted?

Where does the tour start and end?

Is transportation included?

How much walking is involved, and is it suitable for kids, seniors, or travellers with mobility concerns?

What languages is this tour offered in?

What's included in this private tour, and what should I budget for separately?

Is this a private tour? What is the maximum group size and the starting price?

AI-generated. Please confirm details with your guide

-
Hours icon 9 hours
Private transportation
Private tour for 1-3 people
Your party size

1

Tour date
View our cancellation policiesUpgrade for total flexibility with Any Reason Cancellation
Book with a depositSecure your tour today and pay your balance later
-
Hours icon 9 hours
Private transportation
Private tour for 1-3 people
Your party size

1

Tour date
View our cancellation policiesUpgrade for total flexibility with Any Reason Cancellation
Book with a depositSecure your tour today and pay your balance later
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