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Cajas National Park Tour: Explore Cloud Forests, Highlands and the Unique Polylepis Forest
5.0
201 Ratings
Cuenca
Trek within the primary cloud forest ecosystem, traverse through the international water divide, and finally engage in a splendid stroll through the highlands to uncover the singular Polylepis Forest. The park encompasses around 768 lakes within its 70,533-acre territory. It holds significant importance as a water resource for Cuenca and Ecuador.
Trek within the primary cloud forest ecosystem, traverse through the international water divide, and finally engage in a splendid stroll through the highlands to uncover the singular Polylepis Forest. The park encompasses around 768 lakes within its 70,533-acre territory. It holds significant importance as a water resource for Cuenca and Ecuador.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
-
El Cajas National Park - Cajas National Park is located a short 40-minute drive from Cuenca. It has gained international prominence in several categories such: Wetland of International Importance by RAMSAR and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2013.
We will visit the dividing inland waterway first and then we will start a moderate 2
xBD hour hike…
- El Cajas National Park - Cajas National Park is located a short 40-minute drive from Cuenca. It has gained international prominence in several categories such: Wetland of International Importance by RAMSAR and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2013.
We will visit the dividing inland waterway first and then we will start a moderate 2
xBD hour hike (Depending on the pace of the group) in the highlands through the moorland ecosystem of wetlands and lakes. Our naturalist guide will spot some of the endemic flora, and explain some of the main facts of the geology, history, and culture of the area. Then we will get to the unique forest of polylepis trees, which are considered some of the highest growing trees in the world.
Before returning to Cuenca, we will have lunch at a traditional restaurant in the area. The specialty is trout!
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Laguna Llaviucu - Then we will continue our tour with a 1
xBD hour soft hike in the Llaviuco area, located in the lower part of the part of the park through the ecosystem of the primary montane forest, also known as “Cloud Forest”. This is a great opportunity to acclimatize while our naturalist guide shows you some of the main aspects of the local flora and fauna.
What's Included
- Lunch with trout option upon request
- Inclusive of all taxes, fees, and handling charges
- Expert Naturalist Tour Guide
- Complimentary hotel/port pickup and drop-off
- Travel comfortably in a private vehicle
- Lunch with trout option upon request
- Inclusive of all taxes, fees, and handling charges
- Expert Naturalist Tour Guide
- Complimentary hotel/port pickup and drop-off
- Travel comfortably in a private vehicle
What's Not Included
- Gratuities (Optional)
- Gratuities (Optional)
Additional Information
- A minimum of 2 people is required to operate shared tours. We reserve the right to cancel the tour if there are not at least 2 participants.
- Bookings made 48 hours prior to the tour are subject to guide availability.
-
For Shared Tours hotel pickups commence prior to this time, exact pickup time will be advised on reconfirmation.
-…
- A minimum of 2 people is required to operate shared tours. We reserve the right to cancel the tour if there are not at least 2 participants.
- Bookings made 48 hours prior to the tour are subject to guide availability.
- For Shared Tours hotel pickups commence prior to this time, exact pickup time will be advised on reconfirmation.
- Vegetarian/Vegan/Gluten-Free/Lactose-Free options are available, please advise at the time of booking if required.
- For 1 to 6 passengers, a bilingual guide will also be the driver. For more than 6 passengers, a driver and a bilingual guide will be provided. Max group size 15 travelers.
Location
El Cajas National Park
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(201 Ratings)
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Jamesmt1455oh
Feb 24, 2025
Experience the magic of Cajas! - Incredible day trip with Wilson. He was so knowledgeable about the region which really enriched the experience of hiking through the magical national park. Pick up and drop off was seamless and lunch was great too!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Caseyg551
Feb 20, 2025
Great day trip, great guide - Great hike with truly mind-blowing views. Shout-out to our guide Luis Gonzalez for the seamless experience! Luis went above and beyond to share information about Cajas as well as some great recommendations for in and around Cuenca. He also patiently answered all of our questions as first-timers to Ecuador and helped us get the most out of our trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nickbh8865ch
Feb 20, 2025
Hijing Cajas - Generous, our guide, was excellent, knowledgeable about botany, history and geography. Cajas is a magical place. Be prepared for wet ground and possible rain.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eduorl
Feb 16, 2025
Excursion to Parque de Cajas - The excursion was exceptional. The Cajas National Park is a spectacular site where the inland waters are divided between the Pacific and Atlantic basins and the height gives a unique ecosystem. The explanations of my guide Moses, a wise man in native nature, made the visit an unforgettable experience
Review provided by Tripadvisor
703kario
Feb 10, 2025
Highly recommend. - Diego was a great guide -- very friendly, shared great information and really guided the tour in a way so that we could each enjoy it despite different fitness levels, languages and interests. The park was beautiful. The lunch was wonderful. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
April_c
Jan 2, 2025
Awesome way to explore Cajas! - Every Ecuadorian and tourist could not stop talking about how beautiful Cajas is. I had to see it for myself. Wow doesn't even begin to touch the surface of how beautiful the park is. Sign up for this tour with Moises, you will not regret it.
We did a 3 hour hike. It was incredible. It was cloudy when we started but the sun cam out towards the end. Heads up, you are hiking into altitude (13K+) so stay hydrated, take your time, and take coca to help alleviate with altitude sickness. You can buy in the shop next to the bathroom.
Review provided by Viator
809jakat
Dec 23, 2024
Beautiful pre-Christmas tour. - Andres was great guide, spoke very good English and really knows a lot about national park. And the sun appeard for the last part of the trek was, so we saw Cajas in all colors.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
R2469nldanielag
Dec 23, 2024
Great trip - Wilson was an amazing guide and we had a wonderful time visiting Cajas National Park! We were back in Cuenca around 3:30pm and everything worked out smoothly. We really recommend visiting this park if you have a chance to do so!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bristolbear
Oct 14, 2024
Great day trip to Cajas - Excellent guide who was very friendly and knowledgeable about the history of the area and its flora and fauna. We had a great day and saw parts of the park we would not have been able to with the public bus. The lunch was delicious too!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Demoss14
Sep 28, 2024
Amazing tours! Highly recommend - Amazing time! We couldn’t have asked for a better guide to share the culture and nature of Ecuador with. We did 2 separate tours with Wilson and they made our visit to Ecuador unforgettable.
We did the shared day trip to Cajas national park and Wilson guided us through the day. We learned all about the animals, plants, climate, and geology of Cajas. The pace was perfect and we were enjoyed every moment.
Our time with Wilson was so great on our first tour that we canceled our flight from Cuenca to Guayaquil and planned a new day trip with Wilson. It was a smooth drive from Cuenca and we stopped to eat local fruits and then visited a beautiful cacao farm where we sampled cacao nibs and ground our own pure chocolate!
We ate as the locals did and experienced Cuenca, Cajas, and drove through the country. Truly a great time!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
