Cajas National Park Tour: Discover South America's Spectacular Andean Ecosystem
4.9
181 Ratings
Cuenca
Embark on a full-day tour of Cajas National Park and immerse yourself in the breathtaking Andean ecosystem. Discover over 200 glacial lakes, diverse vegetation, and encounter beautiful birds, llamas, and alpacas. Experience the authentic beauty of South America!
Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • El Cajas National Park - TOUR DETAILS :
    • Lenght: 8 hours approx.
    • Start / Finish: Cuenca
    • Activity Level: Moderate to Challenging

DESCRIPTION:  

Be picked up from your accommodation in the morning and drive for approximately 1 hour to Cajas National Park, located 30km west of Cuenca. During this tour you’ll visit two altitude levels within the park. In the middle part (3,960 meters), you will walk about 3 hours in the Toreadora area, depending on the pace of the group. The trek will give you the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery, including the Polylepis Forest and moor-like Paramo, whilst the guide provides information about the flora and fauna of the area. After lunch at a nearby restaurant, you’ll visit Llaviuco (3150 meters). Located in the lower part of the park, this area is part of a different ecosystem known as montage primary forest. Here you’ll and have a walk around the lake for about 1 ½ hour.

What's Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Professional guide
  • Lunch included (option available without lunch)
  • Transport by private vehicle
What's Not Included
  • Drinks
  • Tips
  • Personal expenses
Additional Information

Discover the magic of Cajas National Park, one of the most beautiful places in South America, on a full day tour of approximately 8 hours. Explore and learn about the Andean vegetation.

In this spectacular place you can enjoy a lake system that has more than 200 lakes of glacial origin.

In addition to the beautiful landscape, you can enjoy the presence of beautiful birds, llamas and alpacas.

The park is located 30km west of the city of Cuenca, between 3160 and 4450masl, the surface area of the park is 28544 hectares

and the ecosystem known as paramo predominates. Experience the authentic!

  • Wear warm and comfortable clothes, rain jacket, hiking shoes, cap or toque, sunscreen
  • Minimum 1 adult to book this tour
  • Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
  • After booking this tour we required : names, passport numbers, age and nationality of all participants
Location
El Cajas National Park
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(181 Ratings)
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Laura
Jun 12, 2024
Amazing hike - We had an amazing time. Andres was very informative and really knew his stuff. We weren't sure what to expect but we had a wonderful time on both hikes.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sherpa485261
Jun 11, 2024
Great experience ! - The experience was amazing. Even though we weren’t fit for the trip our guide still gave us enough time to enjoy our trip and even compromised in order to make the most of our trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jcallihan21
May 28, 2024
A beautiful day in Cajas - Moisés was an excellent guide with a wealth of knowledge. We hiked roughly 5 miles and had incredible views the entire time. He has excellent knowledge of plants and animals for the region. This is a very professional service and I would recommend to anyone visiting the Cuenca area!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Timom933
Apr 13, 2024
We had an amazing time at Cajas national park with Polylepis tours - We had an amazing trip to Cajas national park with Polylepis tours and our amazing guide Wilson. We did two two-hour hikes at two different locations, and also went to a beautiful viewpoint, from which we could have a very nice view over parts of the Cajas national park. Everything was very well organized and everything was on time. We were also picked up from our hotel. Our guide Wilson was very friendly and was very talented at spotting all the different interesting animals and plants and was even able to name all of them. He knew many interesting facts about the Cajas national park and we were amazed by his knowledge. At the end of the tour, we also he an exceptional lunch. I would highly recommend this tour if you are in Cuenca and I can highly recommend Polylepis tours and their amazing guide Wilson.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feistyly
Mar 26, 2024
Beautiful Cajas! - We had an amazing time at Cajas National Park! Our tour guide Diego was fantastic! He was extremely knowledgeable and took us on a beautiful hike. While hiking through the park he taught us all about the park as well as sharing a lot of information on Cuenca and Ecuador. We had a wonderful day appreciating the beauty of the park and couldn’t have ask for a better guide than Diego!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Desi_k
Mar 8, 2024
Great experience - Diego was great and had lots of interesting facts about medicinal plants, the history of Cuenca as well as local life. The tour was well paced and the fish option at the restaurant was delicious.
Review provided by Viator
Jessicaac2828fu
Mar 7, 2024
Tour Cajas during your stay in Cuenca - My husband and I took the same trip guided trip from Cuenca to Cajas National Park two years ago and returned because Cajas is so extraordinary. This trips includes two guided hikes at different altitudes and a lunch. Diego our guide was knowledgeable and personable. He included some Spanish lessons as we were the only participants and interested. Cuenca is a beautiful city with a lively historic UNESCO central area that has numerous restaurants and shops.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeffrey_s
Feb 24, 2024
Excellent Tour of Cajas National Park - In mid-February my wife and I had a great hike and tour in Cajas National Park with Diego, our tour guide and hike leader. We had great weather, so we were able to get in a solid 3 hour hike through various terrain types and around many lakes. Diego adjusted our hike to challenge us and to make us earn, through solid cardio, a great lunch. The landscape was incredible and Diego's explanation of the flora, fauna and geology of the park made for a real education. The natural beauty of the park, the excellent guidance of Diego and a feeling of cardio accomplishment made for a great day.
Review provided by Viator
519karinae
Feb 24, 2024
Great experience - Very informative and knowledgeable guide. Easy going. Took us to beautiful places and has good recommendations. Would recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jessiek192839
Dec 31, 2023
Fantastic scenery. Highly recommend taking this tour if you're in Cuenca. - Fantastic scenery. Highly recommend taking this tour if you're in Cuenca. Definitely "moderate" level - so decent fitness needed. Our guide, Moisés, was knowledgable and friendly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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