Top Cuenca Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises

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.

Get ready to explore the ‘Athens of Ecuador’ on this 4-hour city coach tour that showcases the highlights of picturesque Cuenca. Check out architectural masterpieces like the iconic Old and New Cathedrals, and make a quick visit to quaint Calderon Park. Gain a unique understanding of this UNESCO-World Heritage city as your expert guide navigates through its bustling streets on a comfortable tour bus.

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.

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, 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.

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.

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.

South Basin This panoramic double-decker bus runs through the most important tourist places in the city of Cuenca, the tour is led by a professional bilingual guide (Spanish-English) who will help explain and inform about the history and traditions of the city. This service works in the " HOP ON HOP OFF" where you can get off and on at certain stops, the ticket lasts 24 hours, on this tour we visit the viewpoint of Turi. From the bus you can appreciate the roofs, balconies, gardens, museums, churches, monuments and other tourist places in the city of Cuenca in a different way. If you visit Cuenca, Atenas del Ecuador, you cannot miss the double-decker panoramic bus, it is a unique sensation.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Discover the historical wonders and contemporary culture of Ecuador on a full-day tour from Cuenca. Convenient round-trip transportation from your hotel spares you the stress of rushing to a meeting point. Learn about the ancient Cañari and Inca ways of life at the Ingapirca Archaeological Complex, then see artisans at work in Gualaceo. Enjoy the view from the Church of Biblian before you refuel on a filling Ecuadorian lunch at a traditional restaurant.

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.

Make the most of your long transfer and stretch your legs at Cajas National Park.  The adventurous transfer is available in either direction from Cuenca or Guayaquil. Whichever way you’re going, enjoy a one and a half hour hike amongst the Andean mountains.  The transfer further includes a visit to a coastal cacao farm to learn about chocolate production. In the middle, enjoy a filling lunch of local cuisine.

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.

The villages of Gualaceo and Chordeleg with their traditions of producing fine local handicrafts lie just east of Cuenca. With this private tour, browse the colorful wares at your leisure while learning about traditional artisan techniques. Watch as guitars, filigree jewelry, Panama hats, and shawls are being made, taste local fruits only found in Ecuador, and sit down for a local lunch. You’ll have plenty of time to shop in each village.

Dive into local culture on this full-day tour to the Andean villages of Gualaceo and Chordeleg from Cuenca, including lunch and hotel pick-up. Learn about local life and indigenous traditions as you explore the lively markets and admire colorful handicrafts like alpaca-wool shawls, embroidered textiles and musical instruments. Shop for hand-made jewelry in Chordeleg and learn about Ecuador’s history and heritage at Cuenca’s CIDAP museum.

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.

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.

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.