Private Tour
Private Gualaceo & Chordeleg craft-making villages tour
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
Skilled artisans produce beautiful products here. Check out the exquisite textiles (hand-woven shawls and hand-embroidered clothing), jewelry made with unique techniques such as filigree, pottery, straw hats and much more...
Highlights:
• Browse the famous artisan-crafted guitars of San Bartolome
• Check out Chordeleg's famous jewelry and ceramics
• Learn about the Hispanic shawl-making technique called "Ikat" in Gualaceo
• Walk through the colorful market in Gualaceo where you will see locals weaving hats on the streets
Additional Info
Specialized infant seats are available
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Contact us to [email protected] to arrange the exact pick up time please
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
Infant meals not included
A minimum of 2 people is required to operate the tour. We reserve the right to cancel the tour there are not at-least 2 participants
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.
Reservations made 48 hour prior the tour are subject to guide availability
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
After your hotel pickup, a friendly guide will take you to visit Gualaceo and Chordeleg, two of the most charming villages surrounding Cuenca. These towns are well-known for their traditional handicrafts: macanas (shawls) made of alpaca wool, filigree jewelry, pottery, miniature ceramics, Panama hats, and more. On the way, we will first stop at the small town of San Bartolome. Craftsmen here have been creating handmade guitars for generations. We’ll visit a local workshop to observe the process of making this instrument.
Parque Chordeleg
Next we will head to Chordeleg, famous for its silversmiths and jewelry shops that line the streets and main plaza. We will visit a workshop to observe an artisan making fabulous filigree creations out of silver and gold. Afterwards you’ll have time to shop around and check out the local jewelry and crafts. You’ll also have a chance to watch artisans weaving 'Panama' hats and other items made of toquilla straw.
What‘s Included
All taxes, fees and handling charges
Full-day tour only
Transportation
Hotel/port pickup and drop-off
Licensed Tour Guide/Driver
Gratuities
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Full-day tour Private Tour
Duration: 8 hours
Lunch included
Private Tour: This options is exclusively for you and your party. You will have the flexibility to make any changes in the itinerary within the time allowed.
Pickup included
Half-day Private tour
Duration: 4 hours
Lunch not included
Pickup included
Reviews
13 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
One Of Our Best Days In Ecuador!!
DouglasB5661,,Dec 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a great tour. We drove through the countryside which allowed us to see small villages, farms and beautiful scenery. Gualaceo is a beautiful town. We walked around "shoe street", a street with more shoe stores than you can imagine ... shoes and leather goods are prominent items in that town. We visited the church beside the town square ... it is beautiful. The square has the "GUALACEO" sign in it. Sadly the fountain is not working but everybody still takes a photo with the sign! The park across from the church is still festooned with Christmas decorations including Santa's sleigh which made for more photo opportunities. Chordeleg was our favourite town. The people are bery engaging and keen to talk. Our Canada tags give us away and they want to know where in Canada we are from and to tell us about their relative in Canada or their visit to Canada. It was delightful, although gave my intermediate Spanish a real work out. The square downtown is not to be missed. There are dozens of fine jewelery shops with beautifully designed pieces in gold and silver at very reasonable prices. It's worth it even if only to see the beauty of the artistry and interact with the people. Oh yes, our first stop was at a museum/shop where we learned about woven products from scarves to shawls to ponchos and more made from cotton, wool, silk and bamboo fibres. Jose, the weaver explained to us how the threads were died using all natural dies from plants, insects and minerals. The patterns produced are directly from the weavers head and result in repeated rows of butterflies, flowers, hummingbirds, mountains and many others. The loom was nothing like I've ever seen in Canada almost primitive looking and produced beautiful end products. Pope John Paul II visited this place and wore as shawl made there during a service. Although Pope Francis did not visit the shop, he too wore a shawl from there in a services. The photos of each of them are on the wall. Finally, our guide and driver, Adrian, was among the best we've ever encountered. He is a cautious and careful driver. As we moved from place to place, he proudly told us about his country, it's economy, the areas we visited and answered our endless questions. His English is flawless so communication is easy. Like many Ecuadorians, he has at least two jobs. In addition to guiding tourists, he is an automechanic. My husband, Michael, worked in the auto industry until retirement, so they had that in common and resulted in some interesting conversational sharing photos with one another of their classic cars!! All in all, it was a perfect day. We highly recommend this tour, and, in particular, Adrian.
Nice trip
Sharon A,,May 28, 2023
- Review from Viator
4.00The visit to the Makana Museum was very touching and we learned a lot about this ancient tradition. After that, in Chordeleg we had a great time seeing (and buying!) beautiful silver jewelry. Very nice trip!
an excellent opportunity to see tradition at work
bd898,,Dec 25, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This tour offers the opportunity to see a bit more of the countryside and towns near Cuenca, as well as the traditional crafts of the area. Learning about the process of making the macana, the traditional Ecuadorian shawl, was fascinating. My tour was led by Sebastian, who is full of interesting information about practically anything you might want to know about Ecuador, both in the present and past! Thank you so much for the lovely day!
Gualaceo/Chordelg
wesw463,,Apr 5, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide, Sebastian, was very knowledgeable about the local craftsmen in the surrounding Cuenca area. We had an enjoyable trip to Chordeleg to visit a local silversmith and see the hat weavers. We stopped at the mercado in Gualaceo and visited the orchid farm. My wife is a weaver and enjoyed seeing the craftsmen at La Casa Museo de la Makana. It was a very enjoyable day.
Gualaceo/Chordeleg village tour
Wes W,,Apr 4, 2022
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide, Sebastian, was very knowledgeable about the local craftsmen in the area surrounding Cuenca. We had an enjoyable trip to Chordeleg to visit a local silversmith and see the hat weavers. We stopped at the mercado in Gualaceo and visited the orchid farm. My wife is a weaver and enjoyed seeing the craftsmen at La Casa Museo de la Makana (picture included). It was a very enjoyable day.
Great tour - make sure to go to the orchid farm
Paige W,,Mar 1, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a great time on this tour. Sebastian was a wonderful guide and he has a wealth of knowledge, not only about the villages, about Cuenca, and about Ecuador in general. He was very patient in answering our many questions. Definitely the check out the orchid farm. There was an extra charge for that but it was the highlight of the trip, along with seeing the weaving. I wish we had actually been able to see the jewelry makers in action, but the finished products are beautifully crafted. A really nice half day trip.
Outstanding Private Tour!
filmclip,,Dec 25, 2021
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Another fantastic tour led by Adrian. Great insights and abundant knowledge. A truly wonderful experience.
Great tour!
Cindy R,,Sep 9, 2021
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We thoroughly enjoyed this half day trip. Andreas was an amazing guide and we learned a lot from him. He took us to a local market and an orchid farm. Andreas was very professional and so well informed about the entire area. I’d highly recommend this tour.
Great Day Tour from Cuenca
Iris B,,Aug 30, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My husband and I had a great day with Sebastian our guide. Very professional with unique knowledge of Cuenca and all the local towns we visited. Local history, culture and geography. Having a private driver with attention to Covid-19 safety protocols made our trip safe and very relaxing. A great break.
Amazing Day!
mountainhiking11,,May 12, 2018
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We booked the Gualaceo & Chordeleg craft town tour and it was fantastic! Our tour guide Klever was absolutely wonderful. He was entertaining, engaging and had an incredible knowledge of the area. Highly recommend!
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Operated by Cuenca Bestours Tour Operator