Major city · Ecuador
Guaranda
Give Guaranda 1 night as a Bolívar stop between Riobamba and the coast; come for Carnaval or the Salinas de Guaranda cheese village, not for a city break.
Guaranda is Ecuador's smallest highland provincial capital, at about 2,650 m on seven hills below Chimborazo. It is a market town of colonial streets, a Friday–Saturday plaza market and one of the country's loudest Carnavals. Most travellers pass through on the Riobamba–Guayaquil or Riobamba–Ambato bus; one night is enough unless Carnaval is on.
More ways in
Local time, weather, currency, airports
- Weather
- see forecast
- Currency
- USD
- Best months
- Jun–Sep (drier, check); Carnaval falls in Feb or early Mar
- avoid Mar–May and Oct–Nov (wettest, check); Carnaval week if you want quiet
- Airports
- UIO · GYE
- Nights
- 1
Rules in force · 6Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…
- South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
- South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
- South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
- Ecuador ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Ecuador's Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an Ecuadorian consulate.
- Ecuador ↗The Galápagos has its own entry controls: a transit control card bought at the airport before departure, a national park entrance fee, and inspections for food and plants. Check official Galápagos rules before booking.
- Ecuador ↗Several coastal provinces (including Guayas, where Guayaquil is) are under official warnings and periodic states of emergency; read your government's advice before routing through them.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾
In this guide
Not in this guide yet
- Walking areas with bag rules
- Day plans checked against opening hours
- Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
- Field-checked times and prices
Official sites
Emergency numbers for Guaranda911 ▾
Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.
EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost
Essentials
Quick answers and what things cost
Quick answers
The questions people ask first about Guaranda, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.
- Cash or card?Currency is the US dollar (USD, $).Ecuador-wide
- SIM or eSIMClaro and Movistar (plus CNT) sell prepaid SIMs in malls and shops with a passport; Claro has the widest coverage.Ecuador-wide
- Tap waterNot safe from the tap in most places (Quito and Cuenca's water is treated but pipes vary); drink bottled or filtered.Ecuador-wide
- TippingRestaurants: 10% service often included; add a little for good service.Ecuador-wide
- Plugs & powerSockets A/B. US/Canada (A/B): fits · UK/Ireland (G): adapter · Australia/NZ (I): adapter. 120 V: UK and AU 230 V-only devices need a converter; most chargers are dual-voltage.Ecuador-wide
- SafetyGuaranda is a calm market town by Ecuadorian standards; the real risks are altitude on arrival, wet mountain roads, Carnaval crowds and drink…
Show all 12 answers
- RestroomsPut paper in the bin, not the bowl; bus terminal toilets charge a few cents.Ecuador-wide
- Emergency numbers911 police, fire and ambulance (ecu 911) · 101 police (national)
- Sundays & holidaysMany museums close Mondays; national strikes can shut roads for days.Ecuador-wide
- Your embassyFind your embassy's 24-hour line before you fly.
- AirportcheckUIO Quito Mariscal Sucre (No airport at Guaranda: bus from Quito's Quitumbe terminal, about 4–5 h (check)).
- Getting aroundThe centre is walkable in 15–20 min end to end.
Cost cheat-sheet
Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.
- CoffeeCoffee or pastry$1–3
- Street or quick mealSet lunch (soup, main, juice)$3–6
- Taxi, about 5 km (3 mi)Taxi, about 3 mi (5 km)Taxi across town$1–2
- SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–20
- Budget bedHostel or basic guesthouse bed, a night, per personUS$10
- Mid-range bedHotel double room, a night, per roomUS$40
- High-end bedHotel double room, a night, per roomUS$80
A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$30 · Mid US$55 · High US$100
Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →
DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works
Decide
What it is known for, and when the weather works
At a glance
What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.
- Airports
- UIO Quito Mariscal Sucre (No airport at Guaranda: bus from Quito's Quitumbe terminal, about 4–5 h (check)) · GYE Guayaquil José Joaquín de Olmedo (No airport at Guaranda: bus from Guayaquil's terminal, about 4.5 h (check); the usual pairing with a coast leg)
Best months at a glance
From the guide's best and avoid lists
Jan
not flagged
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
Feb
Best
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
Mar
Care*
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
Apr
Avoid
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
May
Avoid
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
Jun
Best
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
Jul
Best
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
Aug
Best
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
Sep
Best
21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C)
Oct
Avoid
21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C)
Nov
Avoid
21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C)
Dec
not flagged
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
Best: Feb, Jun–Sep. Mixed: Mar. Avoid: Apr–May, Oct–Nov. Month by month →
Warmest Sep (21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C)), coolest Jun (7°C (45°F)45°F (7°C) low), wettest Mar (17 rain days), driest Jul (9). Averages, not a forecast.
* only part of the month (early, mid or late).
Weather and climate
Guaranda: next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Air quality
Loading…
Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.
Jan
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
14 rd
Feb
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
15 rd
Mar
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
17 rd
Apr
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
17 rd
May
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
15 rd
Jun
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
7°C (45°F)45°F (7°C)
11 rd
Jul
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
7°C (45°F)45°F (7°C)
9 rd
Aug
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
7°C (45°F)45°F (7°C)
9 rd
Sep
21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C)
7°C (45°F)45°F (7°C)
11 rd
Oct
21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C)
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
15 rd
Nov
21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C)
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
15 rd
Dec
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
14 rd
High / low, both scales · rd = rain days
Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Arrive & move
Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Getting around
The centre is walkable in 15–20 min end to end. Taxis cover the statue, Cruz Loma and the bus terminal for a dollar or two. Buses from the terminal on Eliza Mariño Carvajal serve Riobamba, Ambato, Quito and Guayaquil; Salinas de Guaranda is a short local bus or taxi up the valley.
Nearest full guides
Straight-line distance, not travel time
See & doDay-trips, door to door
See & do
Day-trips, door to door
Day-trips
Salinas de Guaranda
goDoor to door: About 45 min (check)
Local bus or taxi up the valley from Guaranda
Cheese, chocolate and wool cooperatives; the Salinerito shops in town sell the same products.
Chimbo and San José de Chimbo
cautionDoor to door: About 45 min (check)
Bus or taxi southwest from the terminal
Guitar workshops and the Cerro Zumbi pyramid-shaped hill; thin on fixed opening hours, so ask locally.
Lake Cochas
cautionDoor to door: About 30 min
Taxi or local bus, about 10 km (6.2 mi) outTaxi or local bus, about 6.2 mi (10 km) out
Small artificial lake with boats and gardens; a half-day, best in the dry months.
Riobamba
goDoor to door: About 2 h
Bus from the terminal
The natural next stop for Chimborazo and the train; buses run through the day.
Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in
Eat & sleep
Which area to sleep in
Where to sleep
Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.
Centro (Parque El Libertador and Plaza Roja)
Walk to the market, cathedral and restaurants; the practical choice for one night.
Avenida Guayaquil / north entrance
Highway-side hotels with parking and views; a taxi ride from the centre.
Salinas de Guaranda (village, 2,800 m)
Cheese-and-coffee village about 45 min up the valley; sleep here if that is your reason for coming.
PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Practical
What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Cost per day
- Budget
- $25–45 excl. bed
- Mid
- $45–80 excl. bed
- High
- $80+ excl. bed
Trip budget
| Hotel double room1 × 1 night × US$40 | US$40 |
| Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$55 | US$110 |
| Set lunch (almuerzo) in the centre2 × US$4 | US$8 |
| Taxi across town1 × US$2 | US$2 |
| eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15 | US$30 |
| Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge | US$19 |
| Trip total≈ US$105 per person per day, bed included | US$209 |
2026 estimate in US dollars; long-distance buses excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.
Prices of common things
| Set lunch (soup, main, juice) | $3–6 |
| Fritada or hornado plate | $4–8 |
| Coffee or pastry | $1–3 |
| Taxi across town | $1–2 |
| Bus Guaranda → Riobamba | about $2 |
| Bus Guaranda → Quito | about $3 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–20 |
2026 estimate; check locally.
Watch out
Safety
- Altitude about 2,650 m: the first night can be restless if you came straight from the coast.
- Carnaval in Guaranda is a multi-day street party with heavy drinking: keep an eye on your phone and expect to be crowded (check local rules on water throwing).
- Mountain roads to Riobamba, Ambato and the coast close after landslides in the wet months.
- Bring cash: smaller hotels, market stalls and village shops may not take cards.
Emergency numbers
- Police, fire and ambulance (ECU 911)
- 911
- Police (national)
- 101
Pocket card
Fill in, then print or save as PDF
Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.
GuarandaGuaranda
Pocket card · Voykit
My bed tonight
—
—
—
A esta dirección, por favorTo this address, please
Emergency
- Police, fire and ambulance911
- Police (national)101
Embassy
No embassies in Guaranda; the US, UK, Canada and Australia missions are in Quito, with consulates in Guayaquil.
My embassy: —
Fare anchors (2026 estimate)
- Taxi across town: $1–2
- Bus Guaranda → Riobamba: about $2, about 2 h
- Bus Guaranda → Quito: about $3, 4–5 h
Say or show
- Buenos días — Hello (bweh-nos dee-as)
- Gracias — Thank you (grah-see-as)
- ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much is it? (kwan-to kwes-ta)
- La cuenta, por favor — The bill, please (la kwen-ta por fa-vor)
- ¿Dónde está el terminal de buses? — Where is the bus terminal? (don-de es-ta el ter-mee-nal de boo-ses)
- ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? — Can I pay by card? (pwe-do pa-gar kon tar-he-ta)
Altitude about 2,650 m; drink water and take the first day slowly.
Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources
Deep dive
What this guide covers so far, and its sources
Not a trip line yet
This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Guaranda. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.
What we know, and what is coming
On this page
- Best months: Jun–Sep (drier, check); Carnaval falls in Feb or early Mar · avoid Mar–May and Oct–Nov (wettest, check); Carnaval week if you want quiet · month by month →
- 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
- Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
- Cost per day in 3 bands
- 4 day-trips, door to door
- 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers
Coming as the guide grows
- Airport-to-bed contracts for UIO and GYE: last bus times, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
- Walking cluster for the centre: Parque El Libertador, cathedral, Plaza Roja, market, anthropology museum.
- Place pages with verified cutoffs (El Indio Guaranga statue and cultural centre, Cruz Loma, Lake Cochas) and eat pages with last orders.
- Carnaval fixture: dates, water-throwing rules, hotel sell-out window.
Sources
- officialEcuador Ministry of Tourism
- secondaryOpenStreetMap — Guaranda
- secondaryWikivoyage: Guaranda, revision 4726046 (CC BY-SA 4.0)