Guayaquil to Cuenca Private Tour: Cajas National Park and Cacao Farm Visits
4.9
40 Ratings
Guayaquil
Relish our single-direction, adaptable, comfortable and exclusive journey starting from Guayaquil to Cuenca that features a stopover at a cacao plantation and an optional trek in Cajas National Park. Permitted 2 luggage per person.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Cacao Loma - Ever tasted the pulp of fresh cacao beans? We will visit a local family farm, the main product growing here is cacao (base to make chocolate), however, they have many other products such as breadfruit, coffee, passionfruit, pineapple, among many others. You will be able to experience the process of craft chocolate making and try it if you like to while our tour guide explains the history of cacao and the local customs as well.
- Puente de las frutas de Tamarindo - Taste the natural sweetness that is part of the cuisine and daily life of Ecuadorians. This local market booming with colors and fruits is one of the most interesting experiences in this area, with our experienced tour guide will learn and sample (If you like to) some of the local sweet and exotic fruits grown here. If you think you know the taste of bananas, mandarines, coconut, dragon fruit, passionfruit to name a few, get ready for the real flavor of these delicious fruits!
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Mestizo Restaurant - On the way, we will stop for lunch at this very local restaurant where the specialty is trout, however, there are several options including vegetarian and vegan. Our tour guide will advise you.
You will also have the chance to enjoy the mysterious Andes mountains views from this point. - Laguna La Toreadora - We will drive upwards to the highlands through the southern Andes. Here we will visit the Cajas National Park, considered to be one of the most scenic and important protected areas in Ecuador. It’s a lake system that constitutes the main source of water for Cuenca. We will take a hike (based on your fitness) to explore the moorlands ecosystem, native Polylepis forest and unique vegetation found here.
After a full-day trip, we will drop you in Cuenca at your hotel or the location of your choice.
What's Included
- Licensed Tour Guide/Driver
- Lunch Option Available
- Convenient Hotel Pickup and Drop-off
- Comfortable Transportation Provided
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Cocoa Farm fee $3 p.p
Additional Information
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Passport name, number and nationality is required at time of booking for all participants
- A minimum of 2 people is required to operate shared tours.
- Please notice: this is one-way trip Guayaquil to Cuenca or viceversa tour
- For 1 to 5 passengers, a bilingual guide will also be the driver. For more than 5 passengers, a driver and a bilingual guide will be provided
Location
Avenida 12 SE 1206
Avenida 12 Southeast
We offer hotel or Airbnb pick ups. Please contact us to arrange it or you can meet us at the Malecon 2000
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(40 Ratings)
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Xiqing_c
Jan 18, 2024
Thank you - The breathtaking nature on the way to a historical city, resilient Ecuadoreans during this difficult time are all very impressed. Our tour guide Louis Gonzales was very knowledgeable and patient, thank you for the rich experience.
Review provided by Viator
Stephen_k
Nov 9, 2023
Professional transportation - Extremely comfortable transport. Wonderful stops and sightseeing on the way including local vendors, Cacao Farm and Caja National Park highlights. Very professional service from start to finish. Highly recommended!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Review provided by Viator
Arnetr1
Nov 6, 2023
Boricuas from Guayaquil to Cuenca - Spectacular! Luis was great, he is a guide with a lot of knowledge of his country. Visiting the cocoa farm and making chocolate was an unforgettable experience and our visit to Cajas was the highlight of our trip from Guayaquil to Cuenca.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tanwscat
Jul 17, 2023
Safe and pleasant drive and a great learning experience! - We enjoyed the tour to a local Cacao Farm and to Cajas National Park. Our guide, Sebastian, is very knowledgeable and fluent in English. He is also a naturalist who knows the plants and pointed out the birds during our walk in the National park. With his help, we took many great pictures of nature in the park. He answered our questions about Ecuador, history, industry, etc. We learnt a lot from him during our drive to Cuenca. He is a very professional and patient guide. He is also very punctual with pickup and a very safe driver.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sjeanne1
Jul 12, 2023
Excellent Guide - Excellent! Sebastian picked us up promptly at our hotel in Guayaquil and drove us to Cuenca through the mountain road. He is a wonderful driver and tour guide! At the cacao farm, restaurant, and during our guided hike, Sebastian answered all of our questions and gave us excellent insight about the history and nature of Ecuador. I would highly recommend and would definitely choose to book with Sebastian again. Prior to that, the tour company was also extremely communicative on WhatsApp and helped with any questions we had beforehand. Terrific experience overall!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
304kierae
Jul 12, 2023
Amazing time! - My friend and I had the BEST trip from Guayaquil to Cuenca with Sebastian! He was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about Ecuador, and answered all of our questions about the country from plant life to politics. He made the journey very comfortable and we truly felt like we were in good hands as first timers in Ecuador. He gave us some great recommendations for our stay in Cuenca as well. We would definitely suggest taking a tour with Cuenca Bestours (and specifically Sebastian) to future visitors!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Walt_h
Jun 5, 2023
Great ride and hike - Wilson was an excellent driver and guide. He was very helpful and patient with us, especially on the hike. The chocolate making demonstration was definitely a highlight.
Review provided by Viator
Ethelc774
Mar 4, 2023
From sea level to 2560 m in one day - Sebastian, our guide, was waiting for us at the airport. He was friendly, informative and a great driver. He tailored the trip to our needs. The lunch stop he chose had incredible food. The walk in the Cajas beautiful. Sebastian offered advise on the use of sunscreen, you definitely need it. He delivered us to our destination happy and enlightened on Ecuador and it’s culture. Javier from Cuenca Bestours was responsive to our emails and helped with the planning. Great job!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Briantravels60
Feb 2, 2023
The best way to travel between Guayaquil & Cuenca - We had to get from Guayaquil to Cuenca and there are options. We decided to enjoy the trip and take this tour. This turned out to be an excellent decision. Javier picked us up at our hotel making the experience easy from the start. His knowledge of Ecuador and his English were excellent. Our stops included a nice little cocoa farm, where we made chocolate; a gas station with nice views and banos; a roadside fruit market where we bought giant mangos; Cajas National Parc where we hiked for an hour (take your altitude pills a day in advance, since the hike is at 4,100 m - I didn't and was dizzy at times); and we had delicious trout for lunch at a restaurant with spectacular views of a valley and mountains. This was a perfect way to mix travel between cities with a day trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lawyergirl
Jan 31, 2023
A delightful adventure - So, you have to get from Guayaquil to Cuenca, why not make the trip fun? Genaro, who spoke perfect English, picked us up at our AirBnb and dropped us off at our AirBnb in Cuenca. Our first stop was the cacao farm, a modest family operation that sells cacao in the area. We tasted raw cacao, then roasted some, grinded it to a paste and tasted it again with some sugar. Quite an educational experience. We then continued the drive through a cloud forest and stopped for lunch at a delicious local restaurant. From there we went on to hike the incredible Cajas National Park. It is absolutely stunning. The hike was slow-paced, as Genaro was very mindful of the high altitude and how it could possibly affect us. We were fine, by the way, maybe just a little winded. The trip was well spaced, with appropriate bathroom stops. Overall, great experience. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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