Int’l Internship & Volunteer Network Discover Infinite Possibilities   Discover Ecuador ~ Quito Quito is Ecuador's capital, the country's second largest city, and the capital of the province of Pichincha. Nestled in a long narrow valley, Quito is one of South America's most attractive destinations. It is also the highest capital, after La Paz in Bolivia, in this continent and combined with its rich architecture of bygone colonial days the scenery and overall effect is simply breathtaking. Recognized as one of the safest and friendliest countries you could ever wish to visit, citizens of Ecuador often go to great lengths with affection to make you most welcome whilst visiting their beautiful country. ~ ~ ~    Applicant Requirements Start Dates & Program Duration Program Fees & Inclusions Pre-Med Program Fees & Inclusions Accommodations, Meals & Transportation Application Process ~ Benefits of Participation Other Important Information   ~ ~ ~

Program & Placement Opportunities   Quito offers a wide range of internship & volunteer opportunities to meet each participants needs.   Volunteer opportunities include projects focused on human rights, women empowerment, health care, animal rescue (working with veterinarians in shelters for domestic animals rescued from the streets), indigenous community, teaching, social work with street children centers and much more.    Internship opportunities include placements in law, auditing, consulting, design, journalism, accounting, architecture, engineering, medical, etc..   Pre-Med Programs  ~ ~ ~  Start Dates & Program Duration Placements are available Year-Round! Just let us know your preferred start and end dates and we will customize a program that fits your needs!     ~ ~ ~

Accommodations, Meals & Transportation    Accommodations:  Housing options in Quito, including home stays and shared rooms.  Participants will pay their housing at a cost of $13 USD - $14 USD per day, which includes a private bathroom, a shared bedroom and 3 meals a day in an Ecuadorian family.    Transportation:  The airport Mariscal Sucre is located at the North end of Avenida Amazonas, some 5km north from the Mariscal district.  All international flights into Ecuador arrive to Quito or Guayaquil (Simon Bolivar Airport).   Ecuador’s main airline carrier, Tame, has flights to almost all destinations in the country, including daily frequent service to Galapagos, Guayaquil, Loja, Cuenca and Machala.   Bus – The Terminal Terrestre is addressed at Maldonado and Cumanda (south of Plaza Santo Dominto), in the old city.  All long distance busses leave and arrive to the station.  *Note: The Terminal Terrestre is not a safe area and it is highly recommended to pay close attention to your belongings!   City Bus – There are three types of city buses, “Populares” which are light blue and cost around $0.18 cents USD and are very crowded.  “Interparroquial” which are pink and run to outer places, such as the valleys of Los Chillos and Tumbaco.  “Selectivos”, which are red and takes only sitting passengers costs around $0.25 cents USD.   Trolley Bus – an organized transport system of Trolley buses, running on sole set lanes across the city, North to South and feeder (alimentadores) bus lines, running to suburbs from the Northern and Southern stations.  The Trole has 2 routes running mainly along Av. 10 de Agosto, and the brand new one called Ecovia along Av. 6 de Diciembre.  The fare for both systems is about $0.20 cents USD. Taxi – By law, all taxis must have working meters, make sure that the meter is running when you hire one.  If it is not, you should bargain the fare with the taxi driver in advance.  For a short ride the cost is $1 USD.  The average rates are; from the airport to the new city costs around $3 USD.  To the old city, $5 USD - $6 USD.  From the bus station (Terminla Terrestre) to the new city is around $4 - $5 USD.  At night, rates increase by 40%.    The most recommended Radio Taxi companies to use are:  Taxi Amigo, City Taxi, Central Radio Taxis, RTR, JJ Taxi.  They will all pick you up from wherever you’re calling.  The rate to hire a taxi per hour is between $8 - $10 USD.   Train – Regular train schedules are sporadic and located via trolley at Chimbacalle or Machangara for Maldonado. For exact times, check with the ticket offices.  The train station is open Monday to Friday from 08:00 – 16:30 and on Saturdays from 08:00 to 12:00.  You can also take a tourist train costing around $10 USD each way from Quito to Cotopaxi located in area Nacional de Recreacion. El Boliche embarking at 08:00 and returning at 14:30.

Climate:  Quito, which stands just 22 km from the equatorial line, has, along with its 2,850m elevation above sea level, often been compared to an English springtime climate. This means temperatures of around 13ºC and afternoon rainfall mainly from October to May, as the clouds roll in covering the indigo blue skies. The length of the day is the main difference however with 12 hours of daylight between sunrise and sunset and 12 hours of darkness varying little throughout the year.   On clear days you may also view other snowcapped volcanoes such as Cotopaxi in the far distance adding to this truly unforgettable, impressionable ambiance of a large Ecuadorian city, which combines both old and new, more modern sectors of the north which includes the international and national airport as well as the main embassies, businesses, banking services, restaurants, shopping centers, hotels, parks and tourist agencies.   The southern area (Old Quito) houses various museums, churches, galleries, cathedrals, colonial buildings, balcony furbished homes and outdoor markets within narrow cobbled streets, which help balance the formulae. For many travelers of a well rounded 4 to 5 day excursion to Quito of the old and new life styles which was sanctioned through the auspices of UNESCO in 1978 who confirmed this latter area of colonial Quito to be a World cultural heritage site.     Festivals:  The Años Viejos (stuffed dummy’s) which stand upright are typical around December periods and burned on the last day before the New Year for good luck.  A custom displayed throughout the whole country.  Although they stand on most street corners, they are more prevalent on the Av. Amazonas route, especially around Hilton Colón Hotel district.   Good Friday is also a festival in the colonial part of Quito and although colorful, it is a solemn affair.  The major festival occurs during the first week of December and is named “Fiestas de Quito” and has many dancing parades, street music and bull fights, ending around the 6th of December.  Another festival of note occurs in august “Mes de las Artes”, with music, dancing and different cultural events dotted throughout the city.       Safety:  The golden rule in any large city is beware in the evening where pickpockets proliferate especially in shady, dark shadow areas including all major parks , in addition to crowded market area of the south, as well as trolley stations are easy targets for pickpockets. The main area populated by tourists is the Mariscal district and so, if you are in local bars or restaurants til late at night on Reina Victoria, Foch or 6 de Diciembre, call a taxi prior to departing.       Visas:  Ecuador, as with all countries, requires a valid passport from every individual entering the country, in addition to proof of a return ticket to the traveler's home country or another country after Ecuador.  Travelers from the following countries will need a consular visa to enter Ecuador as Tourists: Algeria, Bangladesh, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Honduras, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, North and South Korea, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Vietnam and Yemen. Travelers from countries other than those noted above may secure a tourist visa upon arrival to Quito.  There is no charge for a tourist visa. Upon arrival participants are given a visa for 90 days.  Should a visitor decide to stay longer than the initial 90 day period, they will need to personally go to the immigration office and ask for an extension for 90 additional days.  There is not charge for the extension. Participants wanting to stay longer than 6 months will need to come from their home country with a volunteer visa which costs about $200 USD. Upon entering Ecuador, it is mandatory for visitors to complete an international embarkation/disembarkation card. It is then stamped with your passport. It is recommended you keep this card in your passport, losing it can make problems when exiting the country along with spot checks on buses, clubs, restaurants or in the streets. ~ ~ ~   Apply for a Program Return to Home Page