New York to Quito, Ecuador from $378

🌍 About Quito, Ecuador

Quito sits at 2,850 metres in the Andes — the highest official capital in the world, which is why you'll feel short of breath the first day. Its old town was one of the first sites UNESCO ever listed (1978) and is the best-preserved historic centre in the Americas. The one thing to see is La Compañía, a Jesuit church whose interior is coated in roughly seven tonnes of gold leaf; it's gaudy and astonishing. Eat locro de papa, a thick potato-and-cheese soup served with avocado and chili, perfect for the cool highland afternoons. Sitting on the equator at altitude, Quito has no real summer or winter — just dry and wet. Come June to September for clear mornings and the August festivals; October to May brings daily afternoon rain.