Tours

Begin your journey of the Cajas National Park — southern Ecuador's most famous national park — with a hotel pickup, where you will be greeted by your guide who will take care of you throughout the day.  Head straight to the park, whereupon arrival your guide will take you on a walking tour through the Andean flora and fauna. Breathe in the incomparable fresh mountain air and challenge yourself by walking along the park trails at 4,000 meters. Make sure to stop and admire several turquoise lagoons and the famous Polylepis trees — unique to the Andes — on your walk. Best of all, choose from either a small-group or private guided experience to make your trip special.

Ingapirca is the most important archaeological complex in Ecuador, situated 2 hours north of Cuenca. On your way to the site, there will be a stop at the Virgen del Rocío Church in Biblián, one of the most beautiful churches in the country. Once you reach the top of the 140 steps, enjoy a spectacular view of the surrounding area. Learn about traditional food culture as well, as you watch a pig being cooked over an open fire, a typical food preparation in the area.  Finally, you will arrive at the Ingapirca complex where your guide will teach you about the Cañari and Inca cultures and you will enjoy the unique Tahuantinsuyo elliptical temple, one of the highlights of the site, walking 10 minutes more you will get to a stunning rock formation named The Inca Mountain Face This tour can be customized and your guide can change the order of the visits if you wish. The tour typically lasts approximately 8 hours. Afterwards, you will be returned to your accommodation.

Your guide will pick you up from your hotel in the morning and then you will head to Cajas National Park. During the tour, you will visit two altitude levels within the park. In the middle part, you will walk around for two and a half hours in the Toreadora area. The trek will give you the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Then, move on to enjoy a local lunch in a nearby restaurant. Afterwards, visit Llaviuco, located in the lower part of the park. This area is part of a different ecosystem, known as montage primary forest. Here you will walk around the lake for about half an hour before you return to your hotel.

Be picked up at 9:00 at your hotel, then you will visit San Sebastián Plaza and the Modern Art Museum. Later the bus will take the group to Cruz del Vado, Condamine and Mercado 10 de Agosto. After that we go for a walk tour through Mercado de San Francisco and Parque de las Flores.  The next stops are the Catedral Inmaculada Concepción (New Catedral), Catedral El Sagrario (Old Catedral), Parque Calderón and Palacio de Justicia.  Finally we will visit the Paja Toquilla hats manufactures and followed by a walk through the Barranco Route, Mirador de Turi, Vega Gallery or similar. Return to the hotel.

Visit the most important places in the historic center of Cuenca and its surroundings on a guided walking tour. Start with a pickup from your hotel in downtown Cuenca in private transportation. Observe the city from the top of the Turi mountain and marvel at the stunning views. Then, walk through its cobbled streets and enjoy its colonial and republican architecture. Take advantage and enjoy a delicious Cuenca snack on the street of the Herreras, and do not miss the opportunity to buy a famous toquilla straw hat, made exclusively in Ecuador. Stroll through the plaza de las Flores, Central Park, New Cathedral, and the most beautiful buildings in the city.

This 8-hour tour takes you on a trip to explore three towns in the province of Azuay, located east of Cuenca. It's a great opportunity to learn more about local craftsmanship and to support Ecuadorian artisans.   The first stop is San Bartolomé, a pretty town with colonial-style houses and gardens filled with medicinal plants. It is also known for producing the best guitars in the country. Next, you will visit Chordoleg, famed for its intricate jewelry. Here, you can explore the different jewelry workshops before enjoying a tasty traditional lunch. Last but not least, the tour takes you to Gualeco, where artisans in traditional dress sell a range of different products. Visit the historical town center with its colonial-style houses then explore a famous makana workshop to see how the traditional shawls are made.

Explore Cuenca starting from the main square "Calderon Park". Name taken from "Abdon Calderon". A brave man who, despite having received four bullet wounds, he continued in battle, encouraging his entire battalion, and continuing to carry the flag. Visit the first seminary in Cuenca. Discover the seminary courtyard and its awesome views. Explore Santa Ana street runs between the new cathedral and San Luis seminary. It is said to be one of the oldest streets in Cuenca. Find St. Paul holding the key to the gates of heaven and also the bicephalous eagle of Charles III of Spain next to the flower market. Try “Pitimas Water” made by the nuns. It is made of cultivated medicinal plants and flowers from the interior gardens, and is said to have healing and relaxing properties. Fall in love with the most incredible flower market you've ever seen. National Geographic considers it one of the top ten outdoor flower markets in the world. Enjoy the variety and freshness of fruit and vegetables at the local market. Explore the Panama Hat tradition and learn about an awesome ancient technique. Learn about some incredible facts about what the city used to be before its independence. Walk by some beautiful streets and experience mix of architecture whenever you walk. Transport yourself to a different decade by exploring the restored Remigio Crespo Museum. Observe two different facades, restored architecture, ceilings, wallpaper and mural paintings. It was the first building of its style and status in this area all in exposed brick. Find the two Castilian lions carved on the front door protecting bassed tin celing. Observe the polychrome brass of the ceilings was imported from France and the stained glass windows from Belgium. Be awesomed by the Religius Art at the old Cathedral Museum, by the walls made of adobe with Inca stone foundations extracted from the ruins at Pumapungo. Go up to the terrace in the New Cathedral and take awesome photos with the domes. Visit a clasic Herital House with some hidden art pictures.

This comprehensive city tour will show you the best that Cuenca has to offer. Travel through the third largest city in Ecuador, visit the new cathedrals, modern arts museum and more on this half day tour. Your tour includes: The city tour will start at the Plaza San Sebastian, which constitutes the western colonial border of the city of Cuenca. Then visit the modern arts museum where many contemporary artworks are displayed. We will walk by the downtown historical area to visit the San Francisco market, the flower market, the culture house, the Abdon Calderon Park, and the old cathedral (we will not enter). We will enter in the New Cathedral, it’s the biggest in the country there we’ll observe the famous gold leaf canopy. We continue the tour to the Homero Ortega Panama Hat factory to observe the complete process of manufacturing of the Panama hat which is undoubtedly most important to our country. Later we will visit the “barranco” with its colonial style terraced houses located next to the “Tomebamba River”. Also we will also observe the “broken bridge” and finally visit the tourist balcony of “Turi” where we can see a panoramic view of the whole city of Cuenca. Then return to the Hotel.

Step into the enchanting city of Cuenca, Ecuador, and embark on a captivating half-day journey. Immerse yourself in the city's profound history, uncover hidden cultural treasures, and marvel at its stunning architecture. This tour allows you to explore Cuenca's rich cultural heritage, embrace its natural beauty, and delve into its storied history, all in just a few short hours. We will start this exciting journey directly from your hotel. We will begin with a warm welcome and provide general information about the tour. Our itinerary includes: Parque Calderón Iglesia del Sagrario Catedral Inmaculada Concepción Stroll through Parque de las Flores and visit the Monastery and Church of Carmen Exploration of the San Francisco square and time for shopping Visit to the Traditional Market 10 de Agosto Museum of the Panama Hat Not included: Meals Tips Entrance tickets Join us in this unforgettable cultural experience as we explore Cuenca's treasures on an exciting and enriching tour. Please note that the route may vary depending on your starting location."

Following your arrival at the convenient meeting point, get ready to depart after getting familiar with your bike and choosing your helmet. Begin your bike tour of the beautiful city of Cuenca by heading for the cliffs of Barranco, the name given to the buildings that hang above the rushing Tomebamba River which is flanked by grassy riverside and gorgeous colonial buildings.   Next, see Puente Roto, the broken bridge originally built in the 1840s by Juan de la Cruz Pugara. The bridge was destroyed in 1950 when the river broke its banks and took the bridge with it, along with other bridges in El Vado and El Vergel. It was reopened as a monument in 1961 and is used for open air markets and events. Continue onwards to the Pumapungo Archaeological Park, the central city of Tomebamba ordered to be built by the Inca commander Topa Inca Yupanqui after the Inca defeat of the Cañari. In its splendor it was said to have rivaled the Inca capital of Cuzco.   See also El Paraíso Park, the largest park in Cuenca covering 17 hectares. The park opened its doors for the first time in 2003. Two rivers pass through the park — the Yanuncay and Tomebamba — and you'll also find hundreds of trees including eucalyptus, willow, and alder. Lastly, visit the colonial house Quinta de Bolí­var, the location at which Simón Bolívar used to rest and plan military and political actions when in Cuenca. It is now a cultural center used to exhibit work related to the life of Bolívar and his ideology.