Day Trips from Cuenca: Which to Take

Cuenca is a city of blue domes and red roofs on the Tomebamba river, high in the Andes. To the west, the lakes and páramo of Cajas National Park are under an hour away; to the north are the Inca walls of Ingapirca, and to the east the craft towns of the Santa Bárbara valley. Here is what each of our five involves.

One day only: Cuenca and Cajas, the park in the morning and the city in the afternoon. Half a day: the city tour, at 07:00 or 13:00.

The five, side by side

Trip	Length	Leaves	Price
Cuenca and Cajas National Park: Private Full-Day Tour	8h	07:00	from €180
Cuenca: Private City Tour of the Historic Centre, Turi and Pumapungo	4h	07:00	from €110
Cajas National Park Private Half-Day Tour from Cuenca	5h	07:00	from €110
Ingapirca Ruins Private Day Trip from Cuenca	8h	07:00	from €140
Gualaceo and Chordeleg Craft Villages Private Day Trip from Cuenca	7h	07:00	from €180

Prices are starting prices and depend on the size of your group.

How to choose

You have one day, and it has to count

Cuenca and Cajas. Eight hours from 07:00: the trail around Toreadora lagoon and the Tres Cruces viewpoint while the park is usually clearer, trout on the way down, then the Mirador de Turi, the Inca terraces of Pumapungo, Parque Calderón, the blue domes of the New Cathedral and the flower market.

You only have half a day

The historic centre tour. Four hours, starting at 07:00 or 13:00: the view from Turi, the Inca foundations of Pumapungo, a workshop where Panama hats are woven from toquilla straw, the New Cathedral, the flower market and the colonial houses along the Tomebamba.

You want the lakes and nothing else

Cajas, half a day. Five hours, starting at 07:00 or 13:00, about 45 minutes each way: the trail around Toreadora lagoon, an hour and a half to two hours, the Tres Cruces viewpoint, and trout on the way down. The park lies between 3,200 and 4,500 m, and the weather changes quickly.

You want the Incas

Ingapirca. Eight hours: a short stop below the sanctuary of Biblián, then two hours or more at the largest Inca site in Ecuador, with its oval Temple of the Sun and a small museum. It is open Wednesday to Sunday only, and tickets are booked online for a set time; we tell you which slot fits the drive.

You want crafts and a quieter day

Gualaceo and Chordeleg. Seven hours: the market at Gualaceo, a family workshop where ikat shawls are tie-dyed and woven by hand, the silver filigree of Chordeleg and the guitar makers of San Bartolomé. Bring US dollars in cash; small workshops do not always take cards.

Four things worth knowing before you book

Some things are paid on the day

The price covers the private vehicle, driver, fuel, tolls and parking. Museum entrances, the Ingapirca ticket, lunch and anything you buy are paid on the day.

Cajas has rules

Visitors can enter between 08:00 and 16:30. Stay on the marked trails, with no pets, fires or litter. The park asks organised groups and visitors who do not know the routes to walk with a guide, who is not included; tell us if you want one.

Private costs less than you think for a group

A coach seat is cheap for one person and stops being cheap at four. Our prices are by group size, not per seat: up to four of you share one car at one price, and the price only steps up when you need a van. And you are not waiting for forty strangers at every stop.

You can change your mind

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pick-up, refunded in full. If the date stops working, message us and we will do our best to move you to another day.