Recently Viewed
Cuenca Historic District Tour: Local Expert Guides and Panama Hat Factory Visit Included
4.9
82 Ratings
Cuenca
Head through Cuenca historic district with a local expert that will show you the highlights including churches, beautiful historical buildings with wrought-iron balconies, and carved wooden doors, amidst a flower market, art galleries, etc.
Head through Cuenca historic district with a local expert that will show you the highlights including churches, beautiful historical buildings with wrought-iron balconies, and carved wooden doors, amidst a flower market, art galleries, etc.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Cuenca - Our tour begins in San Sebastian neighborhood, here we find the Modern Art Museum where the famous Bienal International de Cuenca takes a place, it belongs to a select group of macro art events established in Latin America and the Caribbean. We will be able to explore not only the exhibits but also the historical house with its typical…
- Cuenca - Our tour begins in San Sebastian neighborhood, here we find the Modern Art Museum where the famous Bienal International de Cuenca takes a place, it belongs to a select group of macro art events established in Latin America and the Caribbean. We will be able to explore not only the exhibits but also the historical house with its typical architecture.
Afterwards we will visit the “10 de Agosto market”, this is the perfect spot to learn about the local products and culture. We will also visit the San Francisco market, the flower market, Abdon Calderon Park, the cathedral “El Sagrario”, known as the “Old Cathedral”, and lastly, we will tour the “New Cathedral” which is considered one of the biggest churches in Latin America. The famous gold leaf altar is found here.
- Homero Ortega - Then we will visit the Panama hat factory-musuem. Here observe the fabrication of the very famous Panama Hats from a fiber called “paja toquilla”. These hats range from simple inexpensive ones to colorful, elegantly designed and costly ones. Afterwards, we will drive through the “Barranco” which is an area of terraced houses located next to the Tomebamba River.
Finally, we will go to “Mirador de Turi” (scenic viewpoint) to enjoy the beautiful vista of the Cuenca landscape.
What's Included
- Transportation provided
- Guidance from a professional tour guide
- Convenient hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Transportation provided
- Guidance from a professional tour guide
- Convenient hotel pick-up and drop-off
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Additional Information
- Please contact us to info@cuencabestours.com within 2 days notice to reconfirm the 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.
- Infant seats are available on request if advised at time of booking.
-
Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
-…
- Please contact us to info@cuencabestours.com within 2 days notice to reconfirm the 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.
- Infant seats are available on request if advised at time of booking.
- Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Location
Cuenca
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
4.9
(82 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
131belkysc
Jun 16, 2025
City Tour of Cuenca and Panama Hat - We had a wonderful experience with our guide, Eddy, on the half-day city tour of Cuenca, including a visit to the Panama hat factory. From the moment he picked us up—right on time—we knew we were in good hands. Eddy was incredibly accommodating and flexible, making adjustments to the itinerary as we requested without hesitation.
His knowledge of Cuenca’s rich history, architecture, and culture truly enhanced our appreciation of this beautiful city. He shared interesting facts and stories at every stop, which brought each location to life. We especially enjoyed learning about the iconic Panama hat and witnessing the craftsmanship firsthand.
Eddy’s English was impressive, especially considering he has never lived in an English-speaking country. We had no trouble communicating and always felt understood. Throughout the tour, we felt completely safe, comfortable, and well cared for. His professionalism, patience, and warm demeanor made this tour feel more like an outing with a friend than a formal excursion.
We highly recommend Eddy to anyone visiting Cuenca. His passion for his city is evident, and he goes above and beyond to ensure his guests have a meaningful and memorable experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mjr0174
May 29, 2025
Eddy the Master! - This was an absolute GEM! I had Eddy... we went up to a viewpoint and saw the city, then walked around the city for the rest of the time. Eddy's knowledge of the city was absolutely incredible!! I was in Cuenca 14 years ago for 2 months and learned more about the city in 4 hours with Eddy. Would definitely recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alex
Mar 6, 2025
Worth it - Eddy was a great guide and extremely knowledgeable about Cuenca. We got to see the view from the top of the city and we explored the streets, museums, churches, and the cathedral. All worth it
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stacey
Feb 19, 2025
Extremely enjoyable & informative! - It was our first day in Cuenca & this tour was a great introduction! Eddy, our tour guide was very knowledgeable & had so much information to share about his beautiful city. We loved it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Luis
Feb 11, 2025
Basin - Cuenca is a unique place, it has a wonderful historical center where we can know several cathedrals, several squares where we get to know the culture and quality of the people, the most incredible place was the viewpoint of Turin.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F3037ifmatthewh
Feb 7, 2025
Great tour - One of the best city tours I have done. Luis knows his city and his English is excellent. I thought I wouldn't be interested in the hat factory, but it turned out to be a treat. The historic district is fascinating with French, German, Moorish, and, of course, Spanish architectural cues. Fascinating city and an excellent tour guide. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
471vit_riar
Jan 15, 2025
A lovely city - Cuenca is a lovely city, with a very beautiful and varied architecture, with buildings from the colonial period. A place not to be forgotten for those who go to Ecuador. There are diverse tours, good gastronomy and the people are very kind.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
W8637fzalexisp
Jan 13, 2025
Great Walking Tour! - Eddie was so passionate and knowledgeable about Cuenca. He taught us a lot about architecture of the city and we loved the hat tour. It was very cool to see behind the scenes of the factory.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Experience79163
Jan 5, 2025
Great personalised half day tour - Great relaxed half day tour with our lovely guide, Wilson. He flexed the itinerary based on our interests and gave us a fascinating insight into the history of Cuenca . We loved the Panama hat factory where they serve great coffee overlooking the City. A must do is the working gallery of the ceramicist Eduardo Vega …. Its location also gives a lovely Vista to the old City.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kristine_k
Jun 16, 2025
This tour covers the... - This tour covers the basics of Cuenca. We visited a Panama hat factory and museum which was very interesting, plus a photo op vista above the city. Then we walked around in the historic district and learned about the principal churches and important buildings. Genero, the guide, was very informative and accommodating.
Review provided by Viator
