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Magnificent Cuenca Colonial City Tour

Cuenca, Azuay

Full day

Starting at USD 269 pp

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A journey through

Cuenca’s old-town charm

Plaza De Las Flores, Cuenca
New Cathedral, Cuenca
Homero Ortega, Cuenca
  • Experience the magic of Cuenca on this full-day journey focused on admiring this UNESCO World Heritage Site’s highlights: learn about its history, admire its architecture, and savor its delicious gastronomy.
  • Explore Parque Calderon and the streets surrounding it, where the Old and New Cathedrals anchor a square that has been the heart of Cuenca’s civic and cultural life for centuries.
  • Stroll the tree-lined banks of the Tomebamba River through the Barranco neighborhood, one of the most quietly rewarding urban walks in Ecuador.
  • Visit the workshop and gallery of the Vega family, whose ceramics and murals have placed them among Ecuador’s most celebrated artistic traditions, before stepping inside Homero Ortega’s hat museum and factory to trace the origins of the famously misnamed Panama Hat back to its true home in Ecuador.
  • Enjoy this journey with Metropolitan Touring’s very own bilingual guide providing the historical and cultural context at every stop!

2026

USD 269

per person

2027

USD 279

per person

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Itinerary

Places and Activities

Parque Calderon

This lively plaza is Cuenca’s most important square, flanked by the Old and New Cathedral on opposite sides, and the Palace of Justice and the Azuay Province Governor’s Office along its edges. Our guide will connect the architecture and history of each building to the broader story of the city, as well as introduce you to several colorful restaurants and stores dotted along the streets of the area.

Old Cathedral

The Old Cathedral of Cuenca was built in 1557 and is known for its colonial style. Its intricate interior holds religious paintings, wooden sculptures, and baroque altarpieces.

New Cathedral

This three-domed Cathedral has inevitably become part of Cuenca’s identity. Construction began in 1885 and took almost a century to complete the iconic Neogothic, Romanesque, and Renaissance-style structure whose three domes have become the defining image of Cuenca’s skyline.

Santa Ana Street

This quaint pedestrian street has outdoor cafes and restaurants. It was closed to the public for 53 years before finally reopening in 2017. It leads directly to San Luis Seminar, one of the best panoramic vantage points for views of the New Cathedral’s iconic domes.

Plaza de las Flores

This kaleidoscopic plaza was included in National Geographic’s Top 10 Outdoor Flower Markets of the World. It features a vast array of flowers from Ecuador’s fertile Andes and a small hole-in-the-wall store selling the traditional “pitimas” herbal drink.

Plaza San Sebastian

The beautifully designed gardens, fountains, and paths of the bohemian Plaza San Sebastian make it the ideal spot for an urban stroll. Pop into the Contemporary Art Museum, where interesting exhibitions are usually on display, while taking a moment to admire the Colonial architecture outside, including the Spanish-style San Sebastian Church and its single-towered facade and dome.

Walk along the river

Part of Cuenca’s charm is that it’s a city of rivers, four no less. Tomebamba, the largest one, flows right through the middle of the city. It makes for stunning and calming walks along its tree-lined banks, with a number of bars and cafes around it that offer the perfect nook for appreciating its beauty. 

Turi scenic lookout

Offers one of the best panoramic views of Cuenca. Just a few minutes outside the city, the Turi lookout is a romantic and scenic spot to admire Cuenca in all its glory. 

Vega Workshop and Gallery

Just around the corner from the Turi lookout, the colorful Vega family workshop and gallery will mesmerize you. Eduardo Vega is regarded as one of Ecuador’s finest ceramists and muralists, whose colorful pieces reflect a distinct artistic sensibility rooted in Andean traditions and Cuenca’s lifestyle. You’ll likely want to bring some of his stunning ceramic pieces back home with you!

Homero Ortega Hats

One of Ecuador’s oldest hat companies, producing and exporting the toquilla straw hats that the world knows as Panama Hats (despite their origins lying entirely in Ecuador). Metropolitan Touring’s guide will help set the record straight here and reveal the art of the craft, from raw material to finished product.

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Map of your visit

Magnificent Cuenca

What's included

Seamless exploration
Metropolitan Touring’s own bilingual guide and transportation services throughout the experience

Curated experiences
Visits and activities described in the itinerary

Curated gastronomy
Lunch at one of Cuenca’s premier restaurants

Highly Rated with Outstanding Scores on:

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NPS 9.5
Customer Satisfaction

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Plaza San Francisco in Quito with San Francisco Church and Convent, and Casa Gangotena on the left.
Are you a Travel Agent?*
Check-in*
Check-out*
At Metropolitan Touring we process the information you provide us with in order to respond to the request made by you in relation to the services we provide and the products we supply. You can exercise the rights of access, rectification and updating of inaccurate data or, where appropriate, request the deletion or elimination, limitation or suspension of the processing of your data or oppose the processing of your data. Contact us at dpdecuador@metropolitan-touring.com