Gualaceo & Chordeleg Craft Villages Tour: Artisan Workshops

Watch artisans make guitars, silver jewelry and woven shawls on antique looms

A full-day private tour from Cuenca to three surrounding villages (San Bartolome, Chordeleg and Gualaceo), where you visit working artisan workshops to see handmade guitars, filigree jewelry, ceramics and traditional ikat shawls being made. Hotel pickup and a bilingual guide are included. Lunch is on your own at a local restaurant. A minimum of two people is required to operate the tour.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit artisan villages near Cuenca

• Hotel pickup by friendly guide
• Stop at San Bartolome guitar workshop
• Visit Chordeleg jewelry and filigree workshop
• Shop local jewelry and crafts in Chordeleg
• Watch artisans weave Panama hats
• Explore Gualaceo market and local clothing
• Taste fresh Ecuadorian fruits
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Visit family workshop weaving shawls and ponchos
• Return to hotel

The experience

Your guide picks you up at your hotel and drives you first to San Bartolome, a small town where craftsmen have been making handmade guitars for generations. You'll watch the process in a local workshop, seeing how the instrument comes together by hand. From there you head to Chordeleg, famous for its silversmiths: you'll visit a workshop to observe an artisan creating filigree pieces from silver and gold, then have time to walk the streets and main plaza lined with jewelry shops. You'll also watch artisans weaving Panama hats from toquilla straw.

The tour continues to Gualaceo, where the market explodes with color and you can taste just-picked fruits grown only in Ecuador. The local women's bright traditional clothing fills the streets. After time to explore, you'll have lunch at a local restaurant (vegetarian options available if you request them when booking). Your final stop is at a family workshop where you'll see the full process of weaving shawls and ponchos on antique looms, using plant-based dyes. The whole day runs about eight hours before you're returned to your hotel.

A bilingual guide drives the tour for groups of up to six people. Larger groups get a separate driver and guide. The tour operates with a minimum of two passengers, and reservations made 48 hours in advance are subject to guide availability. Contact the operator through the booking platform to arrange your exact pickup time.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• transportation between villages.
• bilingual guide (English or Spanish).
• entry to all three villages and artisan workshops.
• all taxes and fees.

Options for this experience

2 options

Half-day Private tourGuide in English or Spanish · 08:00, 09:00, 10:00 and 13:30Lasts 4 hours. Lunch is not included. Includes pickup.

Private tour lasting the full dayGuide in English or Spanish · 08:00, 09:00 and 10:00Lasts 8 hours and includes lunch. This is a private option reserved only for you and your group, and you can adjust the itinerary as you like within the allotted time. Includes pickup.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00, 09:00, 10:00 and 13:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 to 90 years) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Cuenca Bestours Tour Operator

Is this one for you?Choose the full-day option if you want to see all three villages and have time to browse the markets and shops. The half-day version covers fewer stops and runs shorter. Both include hotel pickup and a bilingual guide, so the difference is how much ground you cover and how much time you spend in each place.

Traveler reviews

4.93★★★★★★★★★★

14 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What exactly do I see at the San Bartolome guitar workshop?

San Bartolome's craftsmen have been making handmade guitars for generations, and you'll visit a local workshop to observe the entire process of how the instrument is constructed by hand.

Can I buy things at the villages, or is this just looking?

You have time to shop around in Chordeleg after watching the filigree jewelers work, and you can browse the jewelry and crafts throughout the town. Gualaceo's market is also open for browsing before lunch.

What is ikat, and where do I learn about it?

Ikat is a Hispanic shawl-making technique using plant-based dyes and antique looms. You'll learn about it and watch the full weaving process at a family workshop in Gualaceo, the final stop of the day.

Is lunch included, and what are the options?

Lunch is at a local restaurant in Gualaceo and is not included in the tour price. Vegetarian options are available if you request them when you book.

Can I do this tour with just one other person, or do I need a larger group?

The tour requires a minimum of two people to operate, so you and one other traveler are enough to book it.