Top Cuenca How to Get Around in 2026

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.

The countryside surrounding Cuenca in the southern Ecuadorean Andes is home to some of the country’s most important archaeological sites and artisan villages. If you have limited time in Cuenca, this tour combines two top attractions into a single day trip. Tour Ingapirca, the largest Incan site in Ecuador, as well as Gualaceo and Chordeleg, villages known for their silver filigree and hand-woven shawls.

Cuenca, with its museums, markets, sunny squares, and historic buildings, is Ecuador’s most beautiful colonial city. With this half-day tour, work with your own private guide to personalize your itinerary, prioritizing the sites you most want to see and skipping those you don’t. Choose a departure time that works best for you.

Spend time at the UNESCO-listed Cajas National Park on a small-group tour from Cuenca. With a guide by your side, all you have to do is enjoy the adventure on a hike that offers spectacular views as well as a look at the Andean flora and fauna.

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.

A unique experience very private small group, personalized attention, and the best places, we include the most complete tour, include food, landscapes, nature, history, heritage, and culture in a very friendly and host environment we try to do feeling like family. We start the tour We will take an walk in the highlands through the moorland ecosystem of wetlands and lakes to get to the unique forest of Polylepis trees. These are the highest growing trees in the world and are native to South America. Before returning to Cuenca, we will have a hot chocolate with sweet bread at a amazing hostery in Cajas Discover In addition to sating your appetite and cultural curiosities, this tour is a great way to know the fusion between nature, landscapes, culture, architecture, and heritagehighlights include Sanduche de pernil, tamales, empanadas, and traditional beverages like morocho and coconut juice. Along the way, visit the ruins of Todos Los Santos, the Broken Bridge, and other

Discover some of the most important sites in southern Ecuador in just one day on this combined archaeological, cultural, and artisanal tour. Visit the Ingapirca Archaeological Complex, considered the most important in Ecuador, and learn about the Cañari and Inca cultures in the company of a guide. Then, eat like a local and enjoy a delicious traditional lunch. Finish your day with a trip to Chordeleg and Gualaceo to visit jewelry and textile workshops run by local artisans.

This tour is special because we will enter houses and colonial buildings that usually could not be done personally, we will try 100% Ecuadorian and artisan products in unexpected and hidden places, we will try to make the information fun and dynamic, the best thing about this tour is that we will by a legal and 100% certified guide

Most visitors come to Cuenca for its colonial architecture, cathedral domes, and UNESCO-listed streets. We'll show you the side of the city that locals experience every day - its markets. This small group food tour visits three of Cuenca's most beloved mercados, where generations of cooks, and vendors have helped shape the city's culinary identity. Along the way, we'll sample 15+ tastings ranging from traditional Andean corn dishes and slow-roasted pork to coastal specialities, market snacks, and local sweets. We'll ride Cuenca's tram between neighbourhoods, discover dishes that rarely appear on tourist menus, and learn how indigenous, Spanish, and regional influences combined to create one of Ecuador's most distinctive food cultures. From bustling market halls to family-run stalls, this is the Cuenca that exists beyond the guidebooks. With a maximum of just 8 guests, we'll explore the city through its food, stories, and traditions in a way that most visitors never experience.

Ingapirca is the most important archaeological site in Ecuador and a unique example of two cultures in one site. Enjoy the beautiful stone architecture at the site and learn about its Cañari and Inca inhabitants. A short walk reveals a rock formation that resembles an Incan profile and, on Sundays, a local market is visited as well.

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.

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.

Explore Cuenca, one of Ecuador's most beautiful cities, on foot and by vehicle during this half-day guided tour. Highlights include colonial architecture such as wrought iron balconies and carved doors, museums, churches, parks, a flower market, and a world-renowned hat factory where so-called Panama hats are made. Hats can also be purchased and shipped directly to your home address. Finally, enjoy an overview of the city from the Mirador de Turi  viewpoint.

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.

Make the most of your visit to Cuenca with a day trip to three important artisan villages of Ecuador. After pickup from your hotel, take in the Andean landscape on your way to Chordeleg and San Bartolomé. You’ll get an immersive look at the craftsmanship that goes into textiles, guitars, and more.  Let your private guide help you decide on what to eat for your included lunch in Gualaceo.

Most visitors experience Cuenca through its churches, plazas, and colonial architecture. We'll experience it through its markets, family-run eateries, and the recipes that locals have been passing down for generations. This small-group food tour takes us beyond the guidebooks and into the everyday food culture of Ecuador's Andes. We'll visit two bustling mercados, uncover hidden local institutions, and sample 14+ tastings that showcase the remarkable diversity of Ecuadorian cuisine, from coastal fish fritters and tuna soup to Andean corn dishes, traditional tamales, and regional sweets. Along the way, we'll discover how indigenous traditions, Spanish influences, and regional ingredients combined to create one of Ecuador's most distinctive culinary identities. With a maximum of just 8 guests, we'll enjoy a more personal experience while exploring the flavours, traditions, and local characters that most visitors never encounter.

The Ingapirca ruins, the most important archaeological site in Ecuador, lie to the north of Cuenca, considered Ecuador’s most beautiful city. See them both with this full-day tour. Tour Ingapirca Archaeological Site to learn about ancient Incan and Canari civilizations, then head to historic Cuenca for a city tour to the most important landmarks and attractions. You’ll also have time for a walk through the colorful Mercado 10 de Agosto.

The tour is a new way of getting to know a city, during the tour the history of Cuenca and its culture are known. We ride an electric scooter through the bicycle lanes of the city, discovering its architecture, its most emblematic squares and buildings and enjoying a tour in a silent and environmentally friendly vehicle. The tour starts and ends in the central square, Parque Calderón.

Escape the city and discover the mountain scenery of El Cajas National Park with ease on this efficient half-day tour from Cuenca. With transportation taken care of, you don’t need to worry about figuring out local bus timetables. Instead, travel between dispersed highlights—including viewpoints, lagoons, and the revered pilgrimage site of the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Cajas—without having to plan your own route.

Discover the long history of the Incas in Ecuador on a private tour to the Ingapirca ruins archaeological complex. Complimentary hotel pickup and drop-off ensures that your journey is comfortable and secure from beginning to end. After a private tour of the ruins, enjoy lunch (included) at a traditional Ecuadorian lunch. On the way back to Cuenca, stop in Biblian to visit the hilltop Gothic-style church, the Sanctuary of the Virgen del Rocio.

Travel back in time to the days of the Incan Empire on an 8-hour small-group tour to Ingapirca. Visit the Rocio Virgin Church, then enjoy a Panama hat weaving demonstration at the home of an indigenous family. Continue with a scenic drive through the Andean highlands, then explore the extensive archaeological complex, including the elliptical Temple of the Sun. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant, then return to Cuenca.

Discover Cuenca’s cuisine and history on a small-group walking tour. In addition to sating your appetite and cultural curiosities, this tour is a great way to orient yourself to the city’s layout. Culinary highlights include Sanduche de pernil, tamales, empanadas, and traditional beverages like morocho and coconut juice. Along the way, visit the ruins of Todos Los Santos, the Broken Bridge, and numerous other landmarks.

Cajas National Park, with its 200 glacial lakes and numerous hiking trails, is easily one of the most beautiful places in Ecuador. With this tour, travelers with limited time in Cuenca can still spend a few hours exploring the Andean highlands with two guided hikes through two different forest ecosystems.