From Quito: Guided Day Trip to the Mindo Cloud Forest｜Ecuador

Mindo – Nambillo is an ecological reserve, with approximately 22,000 hectares of primary forest. Inside this preserved area you can find a natural complex of 15 waterfalls, each one of them with a different height and beauty! Your tour guide will pick you up at 8:00 a.m. from your hotel in Quito to visit this fascinating place full of wildlife!

Once at 1,900 meters above sea level (6,233 ft), hummingbirds, air plants, orchids and other surprising exotic species will take our full attention! After going all the way through a winding and narrow road, you will stop at a Hummingbirds' farm to enjoy breath-taking experiences with these little creatures and the amazing scenery. After taking lots of pictures and slow-mo videos, you will drive down to Mindo village, which is located at the southern edge of the Choco/Andean hotspots of biodiversity that stretches from south-western Colombia to north-western Ecuador. The Mindo area has international importance for birds, designated as the first area in South America by Birdlife International in 1997. On this enchanting green kingdom a profusion of life awaits your discovery! This is why you will take a cable car ride that travels along a 530-meter-long cable, to enjoy the landscapes on the other side of the mountains!

After the unforgettable cable car ride, it will be possible to hike around 1 hour, depending on your physical conditions, to visit the most beautiful waterfalls known as: “Ondinas”, “Guarumos”, “Colibríes”, “Madre” and “Los Maderos”. In any one of them you could have a refreshing soak! Your private guided tour will acquaint you with the exuberant vegetation of the cloud forest, its birdlife and the fascinating adaptations to life in this special environment.

You will have time for lunch if you consider it necessary. Then you will have the option to enjoy an unforgettable and educational dessert on a chocolate-tasting tour! If there is time left, you can visit an orchid and butterfly farm. At approximately 5:30 p.m., you'll be back at your hotel in Quito. This fantastic experience ends after a day packed with wonderful discoveries!