Quito's Hidden Treasures: What's Actually Worth Bringing Back from Ecuador

Souvenir stalls, fridge magnets and plastic indigenous masks — Quito has all of that, just like any other capital city.

But if you want to take something special home, here are three addresses for you: different in character, different in price. What they share is this: every single thing here has a real story behind it.

Let's start with Tienda Quito.

This is an official city-run souvenir shop. Yes, it was created by the municipality. But Tienda Quito is nothing like your typical souvenir kiosk — what they sell here isn't mass-produced plastic, but handmade goods rooted in local craft traditions.

Ceramics with Andean motifs, silver jewellery, ponchos, woven bags made from agave fibre — the traditional material of the Kichwa people. You'll also find hand-embroidered textiles, candles and natural food products.

The flagship store is tucked away on Plaza de la Independencia — Quito's main square, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's easy to miss from the outside: look for the entrance to the tourist information centre inside the City Hall building, on the corner of Venezuela and Eugenio Espejo streets.

The second shop is in the Mariscal district on Calle Foch. It's a lively neighbourhood — restaurants, bars, shopping arcades. There's a luggage storage and a coffee shop with local coffee right next door: a good place to rest and drop your bags if you've got a long afternoon ahead.

Tip: this is the place to buy gifts. Practical, affordable, and everything comes with a clear story of origin.

Tienda Quito – official city shop for handmade souvenirs and crafts

Next stop: silver with a history at ARIU.

The story of family brand ARIU began in 1975, when Pedro Ushiña opened a small jewellery workshop just outside Quito. In 1990, his son Byron joined the business. In 1994, Byron's wife Alexandra Aguirre came on board. In 1997, they launched their first collection: medallions featuring pre-Columbian symbols.

That's how their famous "charms" were born — talisman-like pieces in which ancient indigenous motifs meet contemporary design. Today, all three of Byron and Alexandra's children work in the business, and production remains entirely family-run.

What to look for: a silver hummingbird pendant starts at around $30. At the other end of the range, a belt buckle depicting an Andean serpent in silver and gold with a blue topaz runs to $2,600. And in between — a whole world of pieces inspired by the Galápagos Islands and the symbols of pre-Columbian America.

ARIU has four locations in Quito: in the Swissôtel and JW Marriott hotels, at Plaza de San Francisco in the historic centre, and at Mariscal Sucre Airport — for those last-minute moments.

We recommend making the Swissôtel store part of your route: it has the widest selection, and it's a short walk from the final stop.

ARIU – Ecuadorian jewellery brand inspired by pre-Columbian symbols

Olga Fisch Folklore

The most unusual of the three — and the most unmissable.

Here's the story: in the 1940s, a Hungarian artist named Olga Fisch arrived in Quito — a Jewish refugee who began collecting local craftwork decades before anyone thought to call it cool.

Olga travelled across Ecuador, working with artisans from 250 indigenous tribes, helping them refine their craft and find buyers. Her home gradually became a shop, and in 1975 a museum opened above it — today the largest publicly accessible collection of ancient art in the country: pre-Inca sculpture, gold and ceramics. Think about it: not a shop beside a museum, but a museum above a shop.

Today Olga Fisch Folklore works with over a thousand craftspeople and designers. The range is staggering — from small keepsakes to rugs and tapestries, from jewellery to home décor, from accessories to clothing by contemporary Ecuadorian designers keeping local traditions alive.

Just allow more time than you think you'll need: the shop itself feels like a museum, and the museum upstairs has a way of holding on to you.

Olga Fisch Folklore – craft shop and museum in Quito

What about getting around?

All three addresses are spread across Quito. If you're starting from the city centre, begin with Tienda Quito on Plaza de la Independencia — ideally in the morning, before the historic centre gets busy.

From there, take a taxi to the Swissôtel, where ARIU's main gallery is located.

Then it's on to the next neighbourhood. Six minutes on foot and you're at Olga Fisch Folklore. And if you don't need to go back to the centre, the second Tienda Quito on Calle Foch is just 15 minutes' walk away.