Mindo Full-Day Tour

Ecuador

Featured in: Bird Watching Chocolate Tour Nature Walk

From $97

Select Dates and Parties

Days available

Every day

Schedule

8AM

Languages offered

English & Spanish

Duration

10 hrs

Transportation

Available

Mobile ticket

Included

During this full-day tour, you'll explore the El Pahuma Orchid Reserve and the Mindo-Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve. In Mindo, you'll visit waterfalls and a butterfly farm, and take a cable car over the forest.

The tour begins with an 8:00 AM pickup from your hotel. The first stop of this tour is at an overlook with views of the Pululahua Volcano. Take pictures and enjoy the wonderful scenery before continuing on to the El Pahuma Orchid Reserve. This reserve spreads out over some 1,500 acres (650 ha) of protected cloud forest. While here you'll learn about some of the 200 identified species within the reserve and also will visit a beautiful waterfall.

The tour continues on to the Mindo-Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve. This reserve has around 22,000 acres (8,900 ha) of primary forest, including everything from jungle to páramo. You will visit the Butterfly Farm to learn about the 25 species of butterflies that live in this area. The tour then visits the Nambillo Waterfall.

Next, the tour crosses an impressive canyon over the Mindo River on a cable car. The cable car travels some 230 feet (70 m) above the forest, providing you with an incredible view of the area. Once you're on the other side, you'll walk along a pleasant path to the Waterfalls Sanctuary. The walk takes about 30 minutes, with a trail that runs through lush vegetation.

After this adventure, you'll enjoy lunch in a tasty restaurant. Keep an eye out for hummingbirds and tanagers, which may be perched on the branches of nearby trees. An optional canopy tour is available after lunch.

You will return to Quito and arrive in the city around 6:00 PM.

NOTE: In Group Tour or Shared Service does not include the entrance fees nor lunch.

What to Bring

Sunscreen, insect repellent, rain jacket, sunglasses, camera, hiking shoes, water bottle, and comfortable clothing.

What's included

Private Tour Includes: Transportation, English-speaking guide, and entrance fees. Group Tour Includes: Transportation and English-speaking guide.

Similar things to do

Yanacocha Reserve / Tandayapa

The tour starts at 5:30 am, from your hotel in the city of Quito, we go to the reserve of Yanacocha where we develop activities of bird watching and photography, as well as the eco-route Nono-Mindo, for this First part of the tour we took a packed lunch. In the afternoon, we are arriving at Tandayapa Bird Lodge where we visit the famous drinking fountains for hummingbirds, to later return to their Hotel.

From $208

View Details

Yanacocha Reserve

Yanacocha, is located on the northwest flank of Volcán Pichincha at ca. 3200-3400 m above sea level on the northwestern flank of the volcano remained one of the more reliable remaining locations for the Critically Endangered hummingbird, the Black-breasted Puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis), who has a tiny world range centered on and near Volcán Pichincha, the volcano that towers over Ecuador’s capital city, Quito.

From $119

View Details

Trekking Oyacachi - El Chaco

This trek of between two and three days, takes us from the small Andean village of Oyacachi, located to the south of the Nevado Cayambe, at 3,200 meters above sea level, along the Oyacachi River, to the jungle village of The Chaco, at 1,600 meters of altitude. In Oyacachi there are hot springs with good infrastructure that are usually frequented mostly by visitors from Cayambe and Quito on weekends.

From $556

View Details

Yanacocha Reserve / Tandayapa

From $594

View Details

Papallacta Full-Day Tour

This full-day tour of Papallacta includes soaking in hot springs, hiking in the forest, and eating a locally-sourced lunch. It's a perfect combination of nature and relaxation activities.

From $416

View Details

Birding Tour 2 day, 1 night Guango Lodge

Our drive to Guango Lodge will initially lead us through the drier central valley before rising up steeply to the high and (often) windswept paramo. Among the many bird possibilities, we will be particularly on the lookout for Andean Condor (sometimes hard), Carunculated Caracara, Andean Gull, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Scrub & Blue-and-yellow Tanagers and Southern Yellow-Grosbeak. The Papallacta Pass by birders, is rich in paramo birdlife, and with the proper weather, you can expect to see some of the following: Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, Ecuadorian Hillstar, Tawny Antpitta, Many-striped Canastero, White-chinned Thistletail, Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, some interesting seedeaters, and even Giant Conebill. At at Guango Lodge will be devoted to birding the trails and spectacular hummingbird feeders. In a matter of minutes it isn’t uncommon to see Bar-bellied Woodpecker, White-banded Tyrannulet, Blue-backed Conebill, Black-capped and Black-eared Hemispingus, Slaty and Pale-naped Brush-Finch, Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager, several species of mountain-tanager and even Plushcap.

From $504

View Details

Refugio de Paz Birdwatching Tour

Start your day bright and early with this colorful nature tour. Observe Ecuador's plants and animals up-close when you enjoy this Refugio de Paz birdwatching tour. You'll work up an appetite on your adventure, and then indulge in a breakfast which has been deemed "exquisite."

From $341

View Details

More things to do

Make the Adventure Yours

My dream trip in

Ecuador

That I’ll spend with Group type

Is filled with Trip type

Start my Adventureor

Belong Anywhere

AMBASSADORS

We believe travel is more than ticking destinations off a list – it’s about discovering new places deeply, feeling connected wherever you go, and knowing you have a trusted team behind you every step of the way.