Guayaquil City Tour & Chocolate Farm: Private Day Trip with Lunch

Climb 444 stairs to Las Peñas' summit, then roast cacao beans at a working farm.

A private day trip from Guayaquil combines the city's waterfront and colonial neighborhoods with a hands-on visit to a family-run cacao farm. You explore the Malecón 2000 and Las Peñas—a hillside district of colorful houses—then ride a cable car across the Guayas River to a local farm where you learn to grow, skin, roast and grind cacao beans into chocolate. Lunch, made with cacao, is served at the farm. The tour runs 8 to 9 hours with private transportation, an English-speaking guide and hotel pickup included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Guayaquil city and cacao farm tour

• Explore Malecon 2000 riverfront
• Visit Las Peñas neighborhood
• Hike 444 stairs to hill summit
• Take cable-car across Guayas river
• Travel to local cacao farm
• Learn cacao growing and processing
• Make and taste artisanal chocolate
• Enjoy typical cacao-based lunch
• Return to hotel in afternoon

The Experience

The day starts at the Malecón 2000, the waterfront promenade that draws crowds especially on weekends. From there you move into Las Peñas, the historic neighborhood of steep, narrow streets and painted colonial houses that was declared a Cultural Heritage site in 1982. The real climb comes next: 444 stairs up Cerro Santa Ana to the hilltop, where the view opens across the city and the Guayas River below. On the way down, you board the aerovia—a modern cable car—to cross the river toward Durán and the cacao region beyond.

After an hour's drive, you arrive at a family-owned cacao farm that grows not just cacao but dragon fruit, plantains, lemongrass and spices. The family walks you through how cacao plants are grown in these lowland areas, then hands you the work: you skin the beans, roast them, and grind them into chocolate. A typical lunch prepared at the farm uses cacao as a main ingredient in the dessert. Private transportation and an English-speaking guide stay with you the whole day, and bottled water is provided throughout.

What’s included

• Private transportation and an English-speaking guide for the full day.
• hotel pickup.
• entry to the Malecón 2000 and Las Peñas neighborhood.
• aerovia cable-car ticket across the Guayas River.
• admission to the cacao farm.
• hands-on cacao roasting and chocolate-making.
• typical lunch at the farm.
• bottled water throughout the day.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelInfant seats available

Operated by Ecuador Local Guide

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want a private day that mixes city exploration with a working farm experience—the cable car and the cacao farm are the parts most travelers don't arrange on their own, and the family farm keeps the group small and personal.

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Top questions

What is Las Peñas and why do I need to hike there?

Las Peñas is a historic neighborhood on a hillside overlooking the Guayas River, known for its colorful colonial houses and narrow streets. It was declared a Cultural Heritage site in 1982. The hike up 444 stairs to Cerro Santa Ana at the top of the hill gives you a panoramic view of Guayaquil and the river.

Do I actually make chocolate at the cacao farm, or just watch?

You make it yourself. At the farm, you skin and roast cacao beans, then grind them into chocolate. The family also shows you how the cacao plants are grown alongside other crops like dragon fruit and plantains.

How long is the drive to the cacao farm from Guayaquil?

The drive takes about an hour from the city to reach the family-owned farm in the cacao-growing region.

Is lunch included, and what will I eat?

Yes, lunch is included at the farm. It is a typical local meal with cacao as a main ingredient in the dessert.

What is the aerovia and how is it used in this tour?

The aerovia is a modern cable car system that crosses the Guayas River. You ride it from Las Peñas toward Durán on your way to the cacao farm.

How many hours is this tour, and what time does it end?

The tour runs 8 to 9 hours total. Hotel pickup is included, and you return to your hotel in the afternoon.