A UNESCO colonial gem and Andean glacial lakes less than an hour from town. Day-by-day itinerary: Arrival in Cuenca; Historic centre & Panama hats; Cajas National Park; Ingapirca ruins.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 — Arrival in Cuenca
14:00 — Arrival in Cuenca
Transfer to the hotel — Aéroport de Cuenca → Cuenca
15:30 — Colonial hotel check-in — Cuenca
17:00 — Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and its blue domes — Cuenca
19:30 — Dinner — Cuenca
Day 2 — Historic centre & Panama hats
09:30 — Cuenca's colonial historic centre (UNESCO) — Cuenca
13:00 — Lunch — Cuenca
15:00 — Traditional Panama hat workshop (the hats are made in Ecuador) — Cuenca
19:30 — Dinner — Cuenca
Day 3 — Cajas National Park
Drive to Cajas — Cuenca → Parc national du Cajas
09:00 — Hike among the 235 glacial lakes of Cajas — Parc national du Cajas
13:00 — Picnic lunch at altitude — Parc national du Cajas
15:00 — Spotting the Andean páramo vegetation — Parc national du Cajas
Back to Cuenca — Parc national du Cajas → Cuenca
19:30 — Dinner — Cuenca
Day 4 — Ingapirca ruins
Drive to Ingapirca — Cuenca → Ingapirca
10:00 — Inca ruins of Ingapirca, Ecuador's largest archaeological site — Ingapirca
13:00 — Lunch — Ingapirca
Back to Cuenca — Ingapirca → Cuenca
19:30 — Farewell dinner — Cuenca
Day 5 — Departure
09:00 — Breakfast — Cuenca
Transfer to the airport — Cuenca → Aéroport de Cuenca