Top Cuenca Outdoor Activities

Experience the world renowned natural beauty of Cajas National Park on a 4-hour guided tour from Cuenca. Convenient round-trip transportation from your accommodation enables you to relax and enjoy the scenic drive through the mountains. Once at the UNESCO listed park, your guide takes care of navigation allowing you to fully appreciate the llamas, Polylepis trees, and impressive lakes that surround you.

Explore one of the most spectacular parks in Ecuador on a full-day tour from Cuenca. Hike through the park's unique high altitude landscape which includes lakes, paramo vegetation, llamas, ancient Polylepis trees, and more to delight nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts who want an easy escape from the nearby city.

Literally, get off the beaten path on a private hiking tour in Cajas National Park. After a hassle-free transfer from your Cuenca accommodation, your guide will lead you on a light trek through a secluded valley. Have your camera ready for postcard-worthy views of Lake Llaviucu, an abandoned German brewery, and wild horses and alpacas.

Don’t stress about time-consuming public transport; instead, opt for this private full-day excursion to El Giron Waterfall and Busa Lake from Cuenca. Relax and enjoy the scenery of the Tarqui Valley as you’re driven from point to point, stopping to hike through a cloud forest and lunch at a local restaurant. Ideal for first-time visitors, this tour is an easy way to see places you might otherwise overlook.

The spectacular El Chorro Waterfalls, also known as the Girón Waterfalls, lie about an hour south of Cuenca. With this full-day tour, hike between the first waterfall with the help of a local guide who can point out birds and native vegetation along the way. You’ll also have time to visit a museum in Girón, sample some local bread and yogurt, and see tranquil Busa Lagoon, a mountain lake sacred to aboriginal Andeans.

Discover the vibrant culture and history of Cuenca on a 4-hour sightseeing tour. Courtesy round-trip transportation from your hotel spares you the stress of finding a meeting point in an unfamiliar city. Tour highlights includes a demonstration at the Panama Hat Factory and a visit to a traditional market. The comprehensive itinerary is set at a leisurely pace, so you have ample time to take pictures and soak in your surroundings.

Turn your transfer from Cuenca to Guayaquil into an adventure with this tour. The journey conveniently begins and ends at your accommodation, so there’s no need to haul your suitcases across either city. On your way to the coast, stop at the UNESCO listed Cajas National Park where you can enjoy an optional hike through the Polylepis Forest. Lunch is offered (if option is selected), followed by a visit to a family owned cocoa plantation.

Cajas National Park protects a huge swath of lake-dotted Andean grasslands—one of the most biologically diverse in the Andes range—just west of Cuenca. During this full-day tour, save time waiting in line at the national park visitors center, and go on a hike through highlands, wetlands, and a Polylepis forest, home to the highest altitude trees in the world. This leaves time for lunch at a local restaurant specializing in fresh trout.

Explore the beautiful city of Cuenca by bike on this 3-hour tour. Pedal along the river and admire the architecture of the El Barranco neighborhood. Visit an old Inca archaeological site, Pumapungo, and learn about this ancient culture at the adjacent museum and finish up with a pedal around the UNESCO-listed historic center of Cuenca.

Travel along a portion of Ecuador's Inca Trail on this all-day guided tour from Cuenca. Hike six miles (10 kilometers) of the famous trail, taking in the beautiful mountain scenery and the stunning paving stones. After the hike, visit the Ingapirca archeological site, which includes the Temple of the Sun that was used for ritual and astronomical purposes.

The park is located only 45 minutes from Cuenca. This lagoon system, with over 230 lakes, invites you to enjoy one of the nicest landscapes in South America. There are different ecosystems such as: Andean Mountain forest, Polylepis forest, paramo or grassland. You will have the chance to spot many interesting birds, even the endemic hummingbird of Cajas - the “Violet Throated Metaltail”- one of the most important birds in Ecuador. Also, on this tour you will see the beautiful Tit Like Dacnis, Blue Mantled Thornbill, Stout Billed Cinclodes, Tawny Antpitta, Spectacled Whitestar, Tyrian Metaltail, Gray Breasted Mountain Toucan, Andean Guan, and so much more.

For lovers of nature trekking we have an awesome camping tour in the Cajas National Park, In this 2 day tour you can walk an average of 5 hours per day, enjoying unique landscapes in the Andes, knowing about the Andean flora and fauna, putting your physical conditions under test, If you are a mountaineer, you can´t miss this tour. Experience the Authentic!

Cajas National Park and the city of Cuenca offer the best of this part of Ecuador and this full-day tour includes both. Enjoy a moderate hike in Cajas National Park to appreciate its unique geography, flora, and fauna, including llamas. In Cuenca, see the architecture, churches, art, and ambiance that make this one of the most beautiful cities in Ecuador. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included for convenience.

Experience the unbeatable beauty of Cajas National Park your way on a private day tour from Cuenca. The start time and duration of the excursion are entirely up to you. Whatever you decide, relax in convenient round-trip transportation from your hotel. The park offers a variety of picturesque trails to suit every experience level. In between your two Andean treks, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

Experience the best of Ecuadorian nature on an eight-hour trip to Cajas National Park.  Avoid the stress and confusion of public buses with pickup and drop-off from your Cuenca hotel. Spend three hours exploring the Toreadora area of the park at a leisurely pace with your guide.  Break for an lunch at a local restaurant, then visit a different ecosystem during a walk around the lake.

After hotel pickup in Cuenca, you’ll set off on an 8-hour avian adventure at El Cajas National Park. From an elevation of 3,800 meters (12,800 ft), you’ll see a long list of endemic birds, including the Tufted Tit Tyrant and Variable Hawk. Go at a leisurely pace with your private guide to maximize your sightings and enjoy the scenery. Unwind as private transport takes you back to your hotel.

Explore the centuries-old traces of the cultures that forged Ecuador in a unique and comprehensive tour. This tour takes you through breathtaking archaeological sites full of history, traditions and amazing scenery. Immerse yourself in ancient civilizations, learn about their mysteries and marvel at the cultural and natural richness that these places offer.

This private full-day tour from Cuenca, Ecuador was designed with hikers in mind. Explore trails through primary cloud forest, then continue to Cajas National Park to explore the high altitude paramo landscape and watershed within this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. A well-earned lunch of trout from local fish farms is included.

Visit some of Ecuador’s top natural attractions without having to worry about arranging your activities, accommodation, and transfers on a private 4- or 5-day tour that comes with two different options depending on your budget. You’ll visit renowned sights such as Baños, Cuenca, Cotopaxi National Park, and Quilotoa Lake.

We start the tour we will take an walk in Tambo in old ferry and view of a old and indigen town. Then we arrive to Ingapircar Ruins we make all the tour in old castle onf Incas the biggest in Ecuador and second then of Machu Pichu. Before returning to Cuenca, we will have a tipical lunch in a magic place with a lot energy where you discovered the engenier and tecnologic development for inca empire

This tour is specially designed for those who want to enjoy the wonderful landscapes, culture and history of the Ecuadorian highlands.

Hike the trails of the Incas and Cañaris on a private 9-hour tour to the UNESCO listed Cajas National Park. Thanks to comfortable round-trip transportation from your Cuenca hotel, you can avoid the headache of infrequent public buses. After arrival, follow your personal guide on a challenging 5- to 6-hour hike through the Andean Mountains. Along the way, have a boxed lunch amongst the Ecuadorian flora and fauna.

Add some excitement to your transfer from Cuenca to Vilcabamba - or vice versa - on a private 10-hour tour. Door to door transportation ensures that your experience is a comfortable one. Stop in Saraguro and discover the way of life of a prominent ethnic group. After a locally prepared lunch, continue with a guided visit of Cuenca or Vilcabamba, depending on your end destination.