Top Cuenca Full-day Tours

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.

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.

Visiting Cajas National Park can be tricky to do alone, so make the most of this full-day excursion from Cuenca and learn more about the flora and fauna—including llamas and alpacas—from your guide than you could alone. Plus, take walks around the lakes without the worry of getting lost and enjoy the scenery en route as someone else drives.

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.

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.

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.

Discover Ecuador's Andean history and cultural identities on a full-day small-group tour from Cuenca. After convenient pickup from your accommodation, enjoy a relaxing transfer to Alausi. Then, follow your guide on a city tour and visit the Condor Pununa viewpoint. After lunch (optional) at a typical restaurant, travel back in time to the days of the Inca Empire at the Ingapirca del Canar Archeological Complex.

The Ingapirca ruins, one of Ecuador’s largest and most important archaeological sites, sit just north of Cuenca. Save time navigating public transport and waiting in line at the entrance to the site with this private tour, and visit this Incan fortress-temple in the Cañar Valley with a guide who can fill you in on its history. This leaves time to visit a family of indigenous weavers to see who Panama hats are made.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

On this tour you can enjoy the beautiful landscape of the Cajas N.P. in a walk of 3 hours more or less, after which you relax in the thermal baths of the Baños parish. An experience that you will love.

A full-day sightseeing tour to the Ecuadorian craft towns begins with private pickup from your Cuenca hotel. Whether your interests lie in textiles, woodwork, or jewelry, there’s something for everyone to marvel at on this tour.  With the help of your private guide, you’ll gain an in depth understanding of the craft process and have a chance to shop and explore on your own. You even get a traditional lunch.

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.

Explore Ecuador's most famous archaeological complex and more on an 8-hour tour to Ingapirca. The full-day adventure is perfect for history buffs and xenophiles alike, offering an in-depth look at Incan culture of the past and present. Afterwards, visit traditional markets in Gualaceo, where you can see artisans at work and pick up some souvenirs. Later, watch a live demonstration at a makana workshop to see the ancient weaving technique.

Experience the contrast between the green highlands, dry desert, and the dense tropical area. Discover the flavors, aromas and taste of the Ecuadorian Cacao know as one of the best in the world. You will experience a chocolate tasting as well.

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.

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.

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