Top Cuenca Wildlife Encounters

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.

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.

Dive head first into the world of Ecuadorian cuisine during a 4-hour cooking class. Your food experience begins with a stop at a vibrant market, where you pick up fresh ingredients. Then head to a local home and learn to prepare traditional dishes such as quinoa soup, ceviche, and chicken stew. Vegetarian and vegan options are available upon request. Once complete, tuck in and enjoy your Ecuadorian culinary creations.

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.

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.

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.

Discover the best of Cajas National Park without the overwhelming tourist crowds on a private hiking tour from Cuenca. Starting from the park's highest elevation, you'll follow your guide on a leisurely downhill trek through three ecological zones, each offering unique flora and fauna. With very few people on the backcountry trail, you'll enjoy unobstructed views of mountains, rivers, grasslands, and more.