Top Cuenca Outdoor Activities

This tour allows us to know in a synthesized way the most important places of the archaeological and cultural offer of the provinces of Azuay and Cañar; our first stop is in the archaeological complex of Ingapirca, where our guides travel through the history of local aboriginal cultures and the expansion of the Incas in the territory corresponding to Ecuador. On this journey you can taste the typical gastronomic offer of the region (Biblián). We continue our tour to Gualaceo and Chordeleg. Places where the craft activity stands out. In Chordeleg we will visit the jewelry made in gold and silver with the technique of filigree, here our visitors will have the opportunity to have free time to know the town and visit the jewelers and craft shops in the area; To finish our tour we visit the House of Makanas.

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.

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.

This tour will allow us to discover the most important archaeological attractions in the country since they are in an average area of 80 km. In the transfers between these 3 attractions we will visit some very picturesque villages of the provinces of Azuay and Cañar where we can appreciate different types of cultural manifestations while we go through the history of the pre-Columbian towns that settled in this territory. In addition, this tour will allow us to access points over 3,000 meters high that will offer us the ideal space for photography and recreation.

Spend a full-day at the UNESCO listed Cajas National Park on a private day tour. Skip the confusion and irregular schedules of public transit with private hotel pickup and drop-off.  With a private guide by your side, all you have to do is enjoy the adventure. Your two hikes at different altitude levels offer spectacular views. Along the way, stop for lunch at a local restaurant.

This shuttle transfer service is a comfortable and efficient way to travel between Cuenca and Guayaquil. Simply choose the time, date, and location that works for you, and enjoy a convenient door-to-door service. No need to share the ride with other passengers—this is a private service just for your party.

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.

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.

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.

Turn your transfer from Cuenca to Guayaquil into an adventure on a 6- to 8-hour 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, followed by a visit to a family owned cocoa plantation.

Get an up-close look at one of Ecuador's must-see natural landscapes on this private full-day excursion to El Cajas National Park, with comfortable round-trip transport from your Cuenca hotel. Take advantage of your guide's personalized attention and knowledge of the fauna and flora as you explore the park's lagoons, moors, and forests, and save energy for a full day of adventure with lunch included in the price.

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 pickup from your Cuenca hotel, 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.

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 two waterfalls 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.

Join us on a private tour of the beautiful Llaviucu Lake and Valley! Our guided hike will be along an ancient Inca trail where we will see Lake LLaviucu, the ruins of an abandoned German brewery, and meadows where wild horses and alpacas graze. Many of the sights are beyond the park trail most visited. Normally, we are the only ones in this area, which adds to the charm and enrichment of the experience.

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 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.

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.

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.

With this two day tour you can enjoy the most popular places to visit while you are in Cuenca. It is a tour for all tastes, you can enjoy history while walking through the Inca ruins, gastronomy while you are in Gualaceo, shopping on your visit to Chordeleg and for nature lovers there is the Cajas National Park. We have everything for all tastes

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.

On this spectacular four-day tour (optional an additional 5th day with an extra charge, to visit Mindo Cloud Forest and the Middle of the World monument at the end), departing from Cuenca, you will have the opportunity to visit several of Ecuador's tourist attractions, a combination of nature and culture, an ideal tour for people who want to walk along paths with volcanoes, lagoons, waterfalls,  colonial cities, archaeological sites, indigenous markets, etc. We invite you to take this tour and Experience the authentic! Check our tripadvisor photo gallery. ONE WAY: CUENCA - ALAUSI-CHIMBORAZO - BAÑOS - QUILOTOA - COTOPAXI - QUITO (optional an additional 5th day with an extra charge, to visit Mindo Cloud Forest and the Middle of the World monument at the end is possible)

Travelers looking for an active experience in Cuenca, Ecuador will appreciate this half-day tour of the city by bike and on foot. Stops include the Barranco cliffside area for architecture and history, the Pumapungo Incan archaeological site, the Tomebamba River through the city, and the place where independence hero Simon Bolivar once slept.

Visit the park of glacial valleys and dazzling lakes. Immerse in a traverse that will introduce us to a seemingly infinite landscape. Allow Cajas national park amazes you with its incredible landscape. Visit the Cloud Forest at 10170 feet, admire endemic species of flora and fauna. Let´s trek amongst the “Páramo” ecosystem, alongside lakes, over mountain passes at 12,790 feet where we’ll observe numerous hardy plant species, such as chuquirahuas (the national flower of Ecuador), ferns, gentianas, and sarashimas. Visitors are welcome to experience the beauty of nature and also to understand the importance of protecting natural resources. At the end of the journey, we invite you a cup of hot Ecuadorian chocolate in a cozy place next to the river.