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Mindo Cloud Forest: Nature's Hidden Gem
5.0
136 Ratings
Quito
Embark on a private day tour from Quito to Mindo Cloud Forest and immerse yourself in the wonders of nature. Experience hiking, birding, and discovering breathtaking waterfalls in this unique destination.
Embark on a private day tour from Quito to Mindo Cloud Forest and immerse yourself in the wonders of nature. Experience hiking, birding, and discovering breathtaking waterfalls in this unique destination.
Duration:
10 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Pululahua Volcano & Geobotanical Reserve - The Mindo Cloud Forest Day Tour kicks off at 8:00 AM in Quito, heading northwest through Pichincha Province, showcasing a variety of climatic zones. The first stop is at Pululahua Volcano, offering a breathtaking view of the impressive crater. Visitors can admire a wide array of native plants, including…
- Pululahua Volcano & Geobotanical Reserve - The Mindo Cloud Forest Day Tour kicks off at 8:00 AM in Quito, heading northwest through Pichincha Province, showcasing a variety of climatic zones. The first stop is at Pululahua Volcano, offering a breathtaking view of the impressive crater. Visitors can admire a wide array of native plants, including bromeliads, orchids, and several medicinal species.
- San Tadeo Birding - Ever wanted to feed hummingbirds by hand? This is the ideal spot! Toucans and tanagers can also be seen at the feeders. Agoutis, squirrels, orchids, and bromeliads enhance this incredible experience. Don’t forget to bring binoculars and a camera with a good zoom.
- Mariposas de Mindo - After birdwatching in San Tadeo, the tour arrives in Mindo town, heading straight to the butterfly farm to learn about butterfly anatomy and reproduction in their natural habitat. Hummingbird feeders along a small trail are perfect for photography enthusiasts.
- Nambilla Cascadas - The journey continues to the cloud forest, exploring trails along the waterfalls route. A short drive from Mariposas de Mindo leads to Cascadas Nambillo. There, a cable car ride takes visitors to another section of the Cloud Forest, followed by a hike to the Nambillo waterfall or the Waterfall Route, lasting about 1.5 hours. Lunch is enjoyed in a serene and beautiful setting.
- Mindo - After lunch, a relaxing activity awaits: learning about and tasting the finest artisanal chocolate. Yumbos is the top spot in Mindo for this delightful experience. The tour then returns to Quito.
What's Included
- Admission fees
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- National tour guides
- Admission fees
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- National tour guides
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Gratuites are welcome
- Lunch
- Gratuites are welcome
Additional Information
Join us for a unique adventure on a day trip to Mindo Cloud Forest, one of the last remnants of the Choco Darien Region. Discover diverse and distinctive natural sites. Engage in various activities such as hiking in the Cloud Forest, visiting a butterfly farm, photographing hummingbirds, observing numerous bird species, and exploring waterfalls in the…
Join us for a unique adventure on a day trip to Mindo Cloud Forest, one of the last remnants of the Choco Darien Region. Discover diverse and distinctive natural sites. Engage in various activities such as hiking in the Cloud Forest, visiting a butterfly farm, photographing hummingbirds, observing numerous bird species, and exploring waterfalls in the Nambillo River. Enjoy plenty of fun and adventure with additional activities in the Mindo River, including tubing and zip-lining through the forest. This experience is customized to your preferences, so please share your interests with us.
Location
Pululahua Volcano & Geobotanical 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
(136 Ratings)
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Drinkmorewine
Oct 6, 2026
Great tour of the cloud forest - The Mindo cloud forest tour was great! It also included a stop at a hummingbird sanctuary as well as a butterfly sanctuary.
The hummingbird sanctuary was a great experience. There were multiple varieties of hummingbirds. They also provided hand held feeders so hummingbirds would come to you.
The butterfly sanctuary was pretty cool but it’s to get pictures of them!
The cloud forest itself was amazing. The hike isn’t particularly long but there is a pretty good change in elevation. It wasn’t too difficult but good footwear and being in half decent shape is important.
All in all an enjoyable experience. The only downside was it’s a good two hours drive from Quito on very winding roads. Not good if you’re prone to motion sickness. But I highly recommend the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tammym58
Oct 2, 2026
An amazing day of learning! - Pato was my guide for the day and he was extremely knowledgeable, fun, and gracious. Pato picked me up at around 9:00 am and returned me about 7:30. I experienced the volcano crater which now has farms. I visited the Hummingbird preserve, which was absolutely wondrous. So many varieties along with other types of birds that showed up. I went to a butterfly farm which was very educational. Did you know those large moth caterpillars are really soft!!! We took a gondola over a gorge and were going to hike to a waterfall, but I was incapable of the hike. Pato was very understanding of my dilemma. The last stop was CHOCOLATE....How it's crafted from the cocoa beans and the types of beans. I even had a chocolate facial! Amazing and delicious! This all took place in the Andes mountains and Mindo Rain Forest. I highly recommend this tour for someone who wants to learn about Ecuador.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lynnwc5358zz
Sep 30, 2026
Mindo is AMAZING! - What an AMAZING day! Our first stop was at Puluhahua Volcano where we had a panoramic view of the volcano’s crater. On to the highlight of the day at San Tadeo Birding where there were hundreds of hummingbirds of different species, along with brightly colored tanagers and a funny looking creature called a tayra. I could have sat there all day letting them feed out of my hand! Next we went to Cascadas Nambilla, where we took a cable car over the canopy and then hiked to the waterfalls and back. So many diverse plants! After a lunch of local Ecuadorian food, we went to Mariposas de Mindo. Beautiful butterflies in all stages of life. We ended our day learning how coffee is made - from bean to cup. Our guide, Pato, was so knowledgeable about the birds and plants of the area. He happily answered our many questions about life in Equador, tweaked our day to align with our interests, and made sure that we got the best Ecuadorian snacks and lunch! Mindo is a beautiful place, with so much to do and see. We highly recommend Ecuador a Color to make the most of the time you have here!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Patricia_t
Sep 25, 2026
Hummingbirds and Butterflies Galore! - Galindo was an excellent tour guide showing us the beautiful hummingbird and butterfly sanctuaries in the Mindo Cloud Forest. We very much enjoyed hearing about his organic avocado farm in the Mindo community. He was flexible to flow with our family's interests and needs.
We enjoyed the butterfly sanctuary lunch spot and had a great meal.
It was our second day in Ecuador and a great chance to explore outside Quito into the mountains. We saw many birds and a few animals that Galindo said were a rare sight.
We would recommend this tour as a chance to get out of the city and into the forest to see some animals.
Review provided by Viator
Ben_p
Sep 24, 2026
Pato made our Mindo day unforgettable - Calling this a great experience is an understatement. Pato was an incredible guide.
I had read reviews here praising him, so when he messaged me on WhatsApp to coordinate, I was thrilled to learn he would be our guide. He lived up to every one of them.
He shared a huge amount of information throughout the day. He knew exactly where to go, and it paid off. We saw over 30 species of hummingbirds, tons of tanagers, and a few toucans.
The butterfly farm was a highlight, and Pato translated for us during the tour there so we didn't miss a thing. He was also happy to adjust the plan so we could stop at a chocolate factory in Mindo.
I can't speak highly enough about Pato or the tour as a whole. If you get the chance to book with him, do it.
Review provided by Viator
Jenname6905fg
Sep 14, 2026
Customized Comfort - The guide asked at the start of the day what I was interested in and then moulded the day around those interests. We went to a reserve where I saw dozens and dozens of hummingbirds and tanagers. We went for a hike to experience the cloud forest. Our guide even had an alternative in mind when it started raining and I was stressed about my camera getting wet by bringing us to a botanical garden and butterfly sanctuary where the new experiences could continue but the camera could stay dry.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tarabn2288ys
Sep 14, 2026
So many birds! - I had an amazing day in Mindo. Galindo our guide was very knowledgeable and adapted the itinerary for our needs and wants, lots of bird watching! We saw an incredible amount of hummingbirds, tanagers, a few toucans, and even a coati and agouti. It was a great way to end my time in Ecuador.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Memoiries10
Aug 29, 2026
A fulfilling experience at mindo cloud forest and watching humming bird - Pato was our guide for the trip. And I must say that he’s an AMAZING guide. He was in touch with us the day before giving us a list of things to pack/think about, etc. He kept in touch right until pick up and was on time! He kept us informed and educated us about the history, geography, layout, ecosystem of Ecuador as we drive to Mindo. Then of course the day turned out gorgeous for the cloud forest experience. Hiking to and from the waterfall was a pure delight. Most amazing was the hummingbird experience. We got to see them to our hearts content and actually got to feed them from a feeder on our palm. He identified so many birds for us and while driving he was able to spot a toucan sitting high atop a tree! That sure passes the test if a great guide. We went for lunch at a very beautiful location where not only we enjoyed good food but the beauty of Ecuador. He asked if we wanted to add an additional butterfly farm tour, which we did. It’s was such an experience to see the whole cycle of a butterfly—from eggs to caterpillar to cocoon to butterflies. Cocoons vary in color size depending on the species. By now you must know that we had a great experience and I would recommend him in a heartbeat. I chose this company over others though it was bit higher in price but he gave that much more to our experience. So please don’t let cost stop you. It was well worth it. Oh we also stopped at a chocolate shop!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Helensx9866rn
Aug 28, 2026
Humming birds and butterflies - Great
Guide was lovely and very knowledgeable
He shared all his knowledge and was curious and chatty
He was flexible re timings and itinerary
A great day thank you
Review provided by Tripadvisor
W2770kppaulc
Aug 25, 2026
Great mix of experiences - We had a fantastic time with Pato. He was very knowledgeable, helpful and adaptable. The highlight was having hummingbirds feed from our hands. A long but very enjoyable day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
