Ingapirca Archaeological Complex

This was a highlight of our driving tour of Ecuador. We stayed at the nearby Posada which was great. Giving us plenty if time to visit the museum which has lots of information i no English (cards) and to do the Inc trail walk and enjoy the fantastic scenery.

It was a great place to visit. We booked a tour through Trip Advisor. There was one other couple from the UK on their honeymoon. They were very pleasant and we enjoyed their company. Our guide, Diego, was super friendly and knowledgeable. His English was very good and he helped us with our Spanish. He also led us around to view the face on the mountain after the tour of the ruins.

The site was beautiful. We had rain the first day but we still walked all around, we just could not do a hike. The 2nd day we did the hike snd it was stunning. A very beautiful place to see.

Fascinating site with good guided tour and amazing stonework. The site museum is small but interesting.

Do yourself a favor and add this one to your bucket list!! This place is incredible, the sights, the energy, the sense of nostalgia for what was lost, the sense of wonder as you walk through these ruins, pictures don't do this site justice. Plenty of security guards, guided tours, ridiculously cheap admission prices, plenty of souvenirs to purchace....I highly recommend the alpaca and Cashmere ponchos. Use the restroom before going into the temple, wear comfortable shoes, bring a good camera, and do get there early so you can take your time, trust me you'll want to.
-DarkCrest. Traveler

Best Inca ruins in Ecuador. Well laid out. The tour was in Spanish and English. Only $2 person (Sep 2023). Beautiful setting

Nice and interesting history place. Very good signs with a lot of information.

I went by bus from Cuenca to Cañar and changed there to a bus to Ingapirca, it's super easy and the entrance fee to the ruins was only $2 including a guided tour of the ruins. Very beautiful place, not much to do around, I would recommend to embark on the additional path that takes you after leaving the complex in between houses and to the view point at the nearby hill. The walk itself is just lovely and the pictures from there are priceless.

This site is fascinating. You are able to see the difference between the Inca building style and the Cañari indigenous style and learn more about the history of this area.

Be aware you can only enter with a guide from the complex at set times.

Archeological site with inka ruins.

Informative signs along the way.

Note that a limited amount of people are allowed to enter at the time, so waiting time can be expected, especially for groups.

Small museum opposite the entrance.

I'm a stone mason.
This is a stone structure. What's not to like..??? 😉

Our guide. The owner of, Polylepsis Tours., of Cuenca.
Was very knowledgeable, well read, and factual in his presentation. His English is excellent - very helpful for me who speaks Pikito Espanole... Being well read myself, I had a lot of questions. All answered, with good answers, not just "tour guide info" regurgitated. He made the tour special and unique. My friend and I loved it.

His explanation of the differing quality of stonework made perfect sense. As a tradesman. I know when I'm doing work for a top level client, I do my absolute best quality workmanship - like the specially crafted stones that fit together without room to slide a piece of paper between. Then there's the quality for, say a aristocratic where you mortar them with baby finger sized joints. Then the more common quality. You can build a common wall or whole building in the same time, or less; than the time needed to shape one exceptional stone for the Temple of the Sun.

I never had read or heard of how the Cañary people of the Ingapirca area, held off the Inka for 30 years, before submitting to a 200,000 warrior force, coming against the 8,000 Cañary army. The Cañary obviously were superb Warriors. I love history.

Of why the Temple of the Sun was built in a eleptical shape. Not a Inka design, but a traditional Cañary design. So much more - I wish I had recorded it all.

I am grateful for the quality of guide I had.
And this amazing complex of which only a little remains.

Well worth the stop. We spent about three or four hours here. The small museum was informative and the tour ($2 / person) was amazing. It's a relatively small area to cover, but so much history to hear about. Part of the Inca trail is still there. Afterwards we took a short hike (about a mile round trip) to see the Inca person rock formation. Well worth the walk (bring poles if you usually use them for hiking) . Just below the rock formation is a house, with a gorgeous garden, where you can try a local homemade corn drink (very tasty). We also had an excellent meal of chicken soup and a chicken platter there. Delicious and very reasonably priced. The owner was a joy to talk with.

Ingapirca is a amazing archaeological site. We had a local tour guide which really enhanced our understanding of the history here. The site is will maintained and a pleasure to visit.

It has its own unique beauty. The drive to this site from Cuenca is filled with beautiful views of mountains and green areas (for the most part). As an archaeological site you have to appreciate the architecture contributed both by thr Inca and thr Canar people.
You will find artisanal shops and restaurants serving typical foods. I appreciate the fauna and the cute creatures left to roam free as part of the archeological site. We got lucky with beautiful weather (late July).

Not only is Ingapirca a historically important site; it is also a really beautiful setting and a great place to enjoy the outdoors. Additionally, the guide we had was very clear, not overloading with information nor oversimplifying the interesting background she provided. Please note that this guide spoke only Spanish, though I understand that there are English speaking guides, as well. The juxtaposition of Cañari and Inca architecture, one (the Inca) superimposed on the other, was fascinating.

Some interesting stuff about Inca's history from these ruins, and Spanish settlers who came later. Central building remnants are fascinating with the precision of the stone cutting and carving. I find it hard to believe it was done with stone chisel. No where near as fascinating as Incas from Peru but definitely place worth visiting.

Visited this amazing complex today, and learned a lot about the Incan/Canari interactions, and the complex itself. The cost is $2/per person, and an addition $3/per person for a guide (guide not optional). There are Spanish and English speaking guides. I normally a 'visit at my own pace' kinda person, but the guide provided a lot of detailed information that I never would have picked up on, plus she was very friendly (thank you Norma Victoria!) After you go through a detailed guide of the complex, the guide leaves you and you can opt to head off on a path that will take you to an Incan face carved out of some rock. To me the 'face' wasn't interesting, but I loved the walk through the countryside to get to it, and the viewpoint is at a canyon that springs up out of nowhere, providing a breathtaking view. We brought a lunch, and ate near the entranced on some terraced ground. A must-do day trip for anyone visiting Cuenca, you can get there, visit, and get back before dark.

Only $2 for entry. The guided tour in English was not bad. The site itself is impressive. There are both Cañari and Inca ruins. The Inca road was neat to see, part of the system stretching from Colombia to Chile.

About 45 minutes for the tour. Would definitely take friends and family. A walk to view "the face of the Inca" at the end of the tour was well worth it (just make sure you can handle hiking up and down the side of a hill)!