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Cajas National Park Tour: Explore Cloud Forests, Highlands and the Unique Polylepis Forest
5.0
210 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
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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
(210 Ratings)
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Johna7199
Oct 6, 2025
A bilingual professional guide that can take you almost anywhere in Ecuador. - We rolled dice on this trip and came up with a winner when we had our guide Luis take us to the top of the Cajas. He is the constant teacher in English about the geology, botany, traditional medicines, culture, and history. He shared about local recommendations, beautiful family, and his love of Ecuador. He’s been selected as a national Guide for the entire country. The agency he works for has historically handled all the logistics for short or regional long trips. When I think of a concluding statement I am proud to say: It was inspiring to be with Luis and hope to share time with him again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Renatomq4211xg
Sep 16, 2025
Wonderful. - On time, Esteban the super friendly guide, explained everything related to the places we visited, the tour of El Cajas spectacular, beautiful places to enjoy nature and photographs, we met the lagoons and the forest polylepis, super chevere, then we had hot chocolate in a hostel, we enjoyed very much with my wife, excellent.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joi_w
Sep 1, 2025
Diego + Caja National Park= a wonderful day - Diego meet us right on time, greeted us and informed us that we were the only people in the group for the day. He was absolutely amazing the entire day. Diego is a wealth of information about his beautiful town of Cuenca as well as the Caja National Park. We had wonderful conversations throughout the day, and we saw beauty everywhere despite the chilly weather. This tour with Diego is not to be missed. Thank you for the wonderful day.
Review provided by Viator
O2379vqvale
Jul 9, 2025
Cajas and Fishing Tour - The tour and our guide (Wilson) were great! The weather was not optimal, however we still had a great time. The scenery was beautiful and Wilson was very knowledgable about the history and biology of the Cajas.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ryan_j
Jul 2, 2025
Pedro was a fantastic... - Pedro was a fantastic guide, very personable and very willing to customize the experience to whatever his guests wanted. Food was also excellent.
Review provided by Viator
Bhageer
May 21, 2025
Visit to Cajas National Park - Did the Cajas National Park with Wilson. His knowledge of the plants and species, was exceptional. He made my trek enjoyable with constant explanation. The restaurant where we had lunch was top notch with excellent food choices. Value for money.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cindy
May 21, 2025
Worth the effort! - Fabulous hike with some of the most picturesque vistas we have ever seen. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and was able help us negotiate the terrain safely.
It is a very difficult hike with significant changes in elevation - not for the faint of heart, but worth every minute!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
95fs
Mar 6, 2025
Natural Gem Experience with Cuenca Bestours - If you are visiting Cuenca, you must see this wonderful natural spot.
I was so pleased to book this tour with Cuenca Bestours as from start to finish it was a delightful day. It was a wonderful day to explore Cajah National Park with highly knowledgeable and professional tour guide Eddy.
After visiting the National Park we had our lunch in a restaurant with a stunning view. It was a great spot to finish our day by overlooking to green valley and hills during our meal.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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
Sallyfx3482sx
Sep 27, 2025
Beautiful but very cold and wet - The park is beautiful and our guide, Moises, was very knowledgeable. Unfortunately it was very cold and rainy, so make sure you come prepared with hiking boots and cold weather/rain gear! We were not quite prepared for the weather conditions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
