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Mindo Cloud Forest: Experience Sub-Tropical Rainforest and Diverse Ecoregions on Private Day Tour
5.0
24 Ratings
Mindo
Immerse yourself in the sub-tropical rainforest of Mindo Cloud Forest on a private day tour. Explore diverse ecoregions, hike to waterfalls, and choose from thrilling activities like zip-lining and visiting a chocolate factory.
Immerse yourself in the sub-tropical rainforest of Mindo Cloud Forest on a private day tour. Explore diverse ecoregions, hike to waterfalls, and choose from thrilling activities like zip-lining and visiting a chocolate factory.
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve - Your guide will pick you up from your hotel at 8 am for a scenic 2 hour drive towards the western slopes. Mindo is surrounded by forested mountains and offers a wide variety of activities for all interests and tastes. You’ll will start the day with a hike in the Mindo Nambillo Reserve. This is a transitional…
- Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve - Your guide will pick you up from your hotel at 8 am for a scenic 2 hour drive towards the western slopes. Mindo is surrounded by forested mountains and offers a wide variety of activities for all interests and tastes. You’ll will start the day with a hike in the Mindo Nambillo Reserve. This is a transitional sub-tropical rainforest also known as cloud forest that ranges from 950 to 2800 m.a.s.l. where 2 of the most biologically diverse ecoregions in the world meet: the Chocó lowlands and the Western Tropical Andes. The reserve is home to an outstanding number of orchid, bird, mammal, insect and reptile species. The Nambillo Waterfall Sanctuary is one of the main attractions and invite you to test the refreshing waters of the river. On the way back, it is possible to ride a cable car above the canopy where you’ll have an amazing perspective of the beauty of this unique ecosystem. If you are afraid of heights, it’s possible to walk back instead.
What's Included
- Lunch with soft drink
- Private transportation
- Certified, bilingual naturalist guide
- Entrance fee and coffee at Alambi Reserve
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Lunch with soft drink
- Private transportation
- Certified, bilingual naturalist guide
- Entrance fee and coffee at Alambi Reserve
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Entrance fees to additional activities (i.e. Canopy Zip Line Park, Butterfly farm, Chocolate tour)
- Gratuities
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Entrance fees to additional activities (i.e. Canopy Zip Line Park, Butterfly farm, Chocolate tour)
Additional Information
Nestled among tree-clad mountains and positioned a mere two hours from Quito, Mindo provides a range of pursuits to suit various preferences and hobbies. Your day will commence with a trek in the Mindo Nambillo Reserve, an intermediary sub-tropical rainforest where two of the planet’s richest ecoregions, the Chocó lowlands and the Western Tropical…
Nestled among tree-clad mountains and positioned a mere two hours from Quito, Mindo provides a range of pursuits to suit various preferences and hobbies. Your day will commence with a trek in the Mindo Nambillo Reserve, an intermediary sub-tropical rainforest where two of the planet’s richest ecoregions, the Chocó lowlands and the Western Tropical Andes, converge. Three rivers, namely Mindo, Saloya, and Cinto, as well as numerous streams, nourish the terrain. The Nambillo Waterfall Sanctuary is a chief attraction that encourages you to sample the cooling river waters. If time allows, post your wilderness expedition, you can pick from several optional activities: Canopy Zip Line Park, Tubbing, Butterfly Farm, or the Artisanal Chocolate Factory. These offerings are serviceable as per your request, with the activity cost payable directly on the day of the tour. Discuss your interests with your guide, and he’ll tailor the tour to suit your preferences.
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- A small amount of walking is involved along trails with irregular terrain although if participants require longer hiking trails are available.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
- Copy of passport of one of the group members is required for billing purposes (local tax exemption)
- Difficulty of the hikes can be adjusted to travelers´ requirements
Location
Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(24 Ratings)
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Kathyreich_m
Jun 4, 2024
If you like birds, it’s a must! - If you like bird watching, this excursion is for you. We saw some many types of hummingbirds and other birds. It was a must! It was our favorite! Santiago was so knowledgeable about the birds. He was incredible!
Review provided by Viator
Micky_w
Apr 27, 2024
A visit to the Mindo Cloud Forest is spending time with the most beautiful of God's creations. - The entire experience being so close to so many birds was a dream come true. A adventure that I can share with others. Our guide (Neotropical Nature & Birding Trips) was an excellent guide and very personable. The day was the highlight of our 12 day trip to Ecuador. We have been expecting a list of the birds we saw that day. I took over 1200 photos that day and would love to be able to correctly identify the birds. I wanted to verify my e-mail address. Thank you again for such a great experience.
Review provided by Viator
Johncf3899ys
Mar 24, 2024
Magical Mindo - Our Mindo tour was wonderful. Santiago Salazar is an outstanding birdwatching guide, and his local knowledge really made the tour exceptional. I recommend this full day tour and the cock-of the rock add-on option for any birdwatchers coming through the Mindo or Quito area. Great day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
202sinaf
Dec 7, 2023
A perfect day in the rainforest - This was my second trip with Neotropical Nature and Birding trips. On short notice, I approached them for a day trip to the Chocó rainforest, and they orchestrated a splendid experience. They organized a wonderful day trip with an early pickup and and a drop off at the airport. Santiago expertly guided me through remarkable locations, highlighting the rich diversity of tropical bird species. I highly recommend booking a trip with them.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pklamert
Dec 3, 2023
Amazing experience, doesn't disappoint! - We took the Mashpi-Amagusa Nature and Birding Full Day Trip with the Andean Cock of the Rock Lek add on. The tour started with our guide, Lelis picking us up at our hotel at 4:30 in the morning. We drove to the Mashpi reserve where we spent the morning observing birds from the beautiful grounds. There were different observation points which were set up well in case it rained (and it did rain for some time). We saw countless species of beautiful birds. Our guide, Lelis was amazing, he was able to spot and very clearly explain where to look to find them. He was also patient in us learning the species, repeating the names several times. There were also many vantage points where the birds came pretty close and where you could just sit and watch. The land owner Sergio setup natural feeders placing bananas for the birds to enjoy. Highlighted species include the glistening-green tanager, flame-rumped tanager, rufus-throated tanager, golden-naped (blue) tanager, moss-backed tanager, toucan barbet, honey creeper, and so much more. There was also an area where several species of hummingbirds, coronets and sylphs were spotted, a highlight being where you could hold a bunch of flowers and have the hummingbirds eat off of them! After a very tasty lunch made by Sergio's wife, we headed off to our next adventure. We ended the day going to Reserva la Victoriana to see the interesting Cock of the Rock species. The walk to the observation platform was breathtaking and the observation platform was really well done. We did get to see the species, but a bit off in the distance. We brought 8x42 binoculars and a DSLR camera with a 80-400mm lens which worked out very well. The drive back to the hotel provided great views as well. Lelis was a fantastic guide and great company, we had an amazing experience with this private tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_c
Jun 16, 2023
Birds, Butterflies, & Beauty! - Sebastian was great and customized our trip to perfection. After seeing the hummingbirds, we went to the butterfly farm and too see orchids. He let us pick lunch and stopped for ice cream. The best for last: we saw nine cock of the rocks!
Review provided by Viator
Russell_s
Apr 3, 2023
If you like seeing exotic... - If you like seeing exotic birds in the wild and cloud forest flora and fauna, this is the tour for you. It was fascinating to be surrounded by many species of hummingbirds, and the walk in the forest and the view of brilliant birds were very interesting. Our tour guide was quite knowledgeable, and his photography skills helped us to get the best photos. We really enjoyed lunch at a scenic location.
Review provided by Viator
Quest19089244277
Mar 26, 2023
Perhaps the best day trip I’ve ever enjoyed! - Our guide Santiago, and Driver Vladimir took us high up into the Andes mountains cloud forest to Remote preserves where few other people were present. We met the families who run the preserves and saw 79 species of birds. Santiago was very patient with Photography, and had a vast knowledge of the flora and fauna of the cloud forests of Ecuador. We even had lunch at a small outdoor café, where we could continue to observe the inhabitants of the forest. Perhaps the best day trip I’ve ever enjoyed!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
284philf
Mar 23, 2023
We saw an amazing number of bird species up close. - We brought our 2 adult daughters & daughter-in-law on this trip because they have always been animal & bird fanatics. (One daughter is a biologist who did her masters thesis on hummingbirds.) No one was disappointed in this trip! We saw a large percentage of the huge number of hummingbird species, which Ecuador is home to. The birds came so close we could feel their wing beats and they sometimes landed on our hands while we held feeders. Our guide Santiago Salazar was exceptional and his enthusiasm was infectious. We didn't get to see the courtship dances of the cock-of the-rock, but we did get fleeting glimpses of quite a few males, while they hopefully searched for mates.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
183kentn
Jan 28, 2023
Fantastic Birdwatching - Many of the tours to Mindo stop at tourist spots along the way, and we wanted to focus on bird watching and enjoyment of the cloud forest. This tour with Neotropical was perfect for that. Our guide, Santiago, is an avid birdwatcher, and he was able to help us identify the hummingbirds and other birds that we saw. He is also extremely knowledgeable about the ecology and environment of Ecuador, and we had great discussions with him during the trip. If you want to focus on nature instead of tourist stops, this is the tour that you should sign up for.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
