Ecuadorian Cloudforest, The Magic Cloud Forest
The Mindo Nambillo reserve has a primary forest with an immense biodiversity that includes one of the greatest concentrations of bird species anywhere in the world.
In addition to the vast array of birds, many of which are endemic to the Chocó bioregion, the area is home to over 375 types of orchids and a wide variety of bromeliads, butterflies and other insects. Mindo is situated approximately two hours west of Quito.
Itinerary
Itinerary 5 Days / 4 Nights
Day 1: Arrival to Quito
Arrival to Quito, where you will be met at the airport by our guide and transferred to your hotel. Overnight.
Hotel Cultura Manor
Ikala Quito Hotel Boutique
Day 2: The land of Hummingbirds: Quito – Tandayapa – Mindo
Very early in the morning you will travel northwest of Quito crossing the western slopes of the Andes range heading towards Tandayapa valley. En route you will visit Yanacocha Reserve, home to the black-breasted puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis), sword billed hummingbird, great saphirewing, purple backed thornbill, rufous antpitta, barred fruiteater; while you continue with your trip you will see other species such as bar bellied woodpecker, masked flowerpiercer, glossy flowerpiercer, shinning sunbeam, great saphirewing, barred fruiteater, hooded and scarlet-bellied mountain-tanagers, giant conebill, pearled treerunner etc.
Box lunch en route and then you will arrive to Alambi Cloud Forest Reserve, where you will have the opportunity to walk around the trails. Rare or special sightings recently include: White-faced Nunbird, Crested Guan, Long-billed Starthroat, Maroon-chested Ground-Dove in the garden, Undulated, Yellow-breasted and Giant Antpitta, Uniform Treehunter building a nest at 50 metres from the guesthouse, Lyre-tailed Nightjar in the parking space, Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Tamandúa Anteater; 32 hummingbirds species have been seen at Alambi, either at the feeders or in the reserve. Late afternoon you will arrive to Sachatamia located close to Mindo where you will diner and overnight.
La Roulotte
Sachatamia Lodge & Reserve
Las Terrazas de Dana Lodge
(B.L.D)
Day 3: Mindo: The Amazing Cloud Forest
After breakfast you will explore Mindo where you will enjoy a wonderful exciting day, first you will visit a butterfly farm, where the local guides will explain about the metamorphosis of this insect and will introduce you to a different world, the butterflies’ world where they can eat from your hands.
Then our guide will drive you to the Canopy area that is a wonderful experience on which you will travel through 10 cables of different sizes that permit you to fly from tree to tree like a bird.
Lunch in a local restaurant and in the afternoon you will visit the Quetzal of Mindo that is a chocolate farm where you can see and experience the process of how is made the chocolate from “bean to bar”.
At dusk our guide will transfer you to a local Hosteria, where you will enjoy of a nightly tour through the trails of the forest, here you can see and listen to the different species of Frogs and insects. For sure you will enjoy the magical sounds of Mindo’s evening.
Late in the afternoon our guide will drive you to your hotel to diner and overnight.
(B.L.D)
Day 4: Mindo: The Amazing Cock of the Rock – Quito
Early in the morning, after a cup of hot coffee, you will visit the famous Paz de las Aves Refuge where you will have the opportunity to have one of the most amazing experiences, visiting the cock of the rock lek, where, during the breeding season, the males produce a special sound and fly like real acrobats waiting for the female to choose one of them to mate. Besides here it is possible to see four species of Antpittas, the Giant Antpitta, the Moustached Antpitta, Ochre bellied, and the Yellow Breasted Antpitta. Then you will visit the feeding station to see black chinned and blue winged mountain tanagers, toucan barbet, dusky piha, sickle winged guan, crimsom rumped toucanet, etc.
Return to the main house of this reserve to enjoy of a typical breakfast of this region and keep birding to find a ocellated tapaculo being fed with worms, yellow vented woodpecker, powerfull woodpecker, crimsom mantled woodpecker, orange breasted fruiteater etc.
Then you will return to Quito, box lunch en route and in the afternoon you will stop at the fungus Garden farm in Calacali town, here you can learn about the production of five different organic fungus like: shitake, white and pink oysters and many others. Besides the owner will let you about all the medicinal properties and uses of the species of this magic fungus’s world and you can taste different kind of fungus prepared in different ways. Late afternoon you will arrive to Quito, overnight.
(B.L)
Day 5: Quito – Galapagos extension or international flight
After an unforgettable experience in Ecuador you will be transferred to the airport to catch your extension to Galapagos Islands or international flight home.
(B)
Explore the
place you stay
Hotel Cultura Manor. It is located in the center of Quito, close to most restaurants, souvenir shops and internet cafe’s. You can enjoy a delicious breakfast in a separated area. Boutique Hotel Cultura Manor in Quito is a delightful mix of European traditions and contemporary trend. It is considered an inner city retreat, with an out-going personality and inspirational food.
(Standard rooms: Tourist)
(Suites: First Class)
Ikala Quito Hotel Boutique is a charming and stylish boutique hotel, built in may 2010, guided by the prestige value of traditional hospitality service. The hotel is located in a ideal sector in Quito, in the neighborhood of La Mariscal, the most traditional, commercial and touristic area of Quito. It is the ambition to host you in this hotel featuring the authenticity and diversity of the worlds of Ecuador with a hart for quality and style in every aspect ranging from accommodation, gastronomy to service.
(Tourist Sup)
La Roulotte is a charming hotel, located in the suburbs of Mindo. Sorrounded by beautiful gardens and is perfect for birdwatching, very easy to observe Tucans, tanagers, hummingbirds. The rooms are build in form of gipsy coachs, each room has its own bathroom and is really a very nice and confortable experience.
(Tourist)
Sachatamia Lodge & Reserve, is a marvelous, private, ecological reserve exceeding 120 hectares of cloud forest. Other areas include recuperates forest, as well as, forest undergoing processed of reforestation. Sachatamia has the privilege of being located next to the Protected Forest of Mindo-Nambillo. The zone is renewed as one of the foremost in terms of the wealth of biodiversity that is rich in flora and fauna. It has attained first place in the annual count of bird spaces on a global level.
(Tourist Superior)
Las Terrazas de Dana Lodge, the lodge is a new ecolodge with modern design where the latest technology in metal frame construction and traditional construction blend. It’s a sustainable building that takes care about ecology and the environment. There are six bungalows with spectacular view of the valley of Mindo, all rooms offer queen size bed, private bathroom, hot/cold water, private terrace, Satellite DirecTV, internet Wifi in the bungalows, breakfast in your private terrace, coffee and tea station.
(First Class)
Dates & Rates
| PRICE PER PERSON 2024 IN USD | ||||||||
| HOTELS CATEGORY | 1 PAX | 2-3 PAX | 4-5 PAX | 6-9 PAX | 10-11 PAX | 12-15 PAX | 16 PAX | Sing Sup |
| Tourist | $1.838 | $1.104 | $938 | $794 | $678 | $654 | $606 | $124 |
| Tourist Sup | $2.075 | $1.305 | $1.124 | $972 | $850 | $824 | $774 | $135 |
| First Class | $2.412 | $1.396 | $1.192 | $1.037 | $916 | $890 | $840 | $349 |
| PRICE PER PERSON 2025 IN USD | ||||||||
| HOTELS CATEGORY | 1 PAX | 2-3 PAX | 4-5 PAX | 6-9 PAX | 10-11 PAX | 12-15 PAX | 16 PAX | Sing Sup |
| Tourist | $1.892 | $1.130 | $965 | $820 | $705 | $682 | $634 | $149 |
| Tourist Sup | $2.099 | $1.324 | $1.139 | $974 | $852 | $825 | $775 | $169 |
| First Class | $2.460 | $1.422 | $1.218 | $1.063 | $942 | $915 | $865 | $393 |
To request a quote or make a reservation let's start with your details...*
What's Included
- Private transfers airport – hotel – airport
- Transportation
- Bilingual naturalist guide
- Accommodation based on double room (single supplement under request)
- Meals as described on the itinerary
- Entrance fees to: Yanacocha, Alambi reserve, butterfly farm, Canopy tour, El Quetzal farm, frogs concert, Paz de las Aves reserve, the fungus garden
What's Not Included
- Travel insurance
- Meals not specified
- Soft and alcoholic drinks
- Tips
- Personal expenses
