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Mindo Cloud Forest: Nature's Hidden Gem
5.0
67 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
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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. Here, visitors can observe a wide array of native plants,…
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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. Here, visitors can observe a wide array of native plants, including bromeliads, orchids, and several medicinal species. - San Tadeo Birding - Interested in feeding hummingbirds by hand? This is the ideal spot! Visitors will also see toucans and tanagers at the feeders. Agoutis, squirrels, orchids, and bromeliads enhance this incredible experience. Remember to bring binoculars and a camera with a good zoom.
- Mariposas de Mindo - After birding in San Tadeo, the tour arrives in Mindo town and heads 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, where participants will explore trails leading to the waterfalls. A short drive from Mariposas de Mindo to Cascadas Nambillo is followed by a cable car ride to another section of the Cloud Forest, culminating in a hike to the Nambillo waterfall or the Waterfall Route. This adventure takes approximately 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 experience. The tour then returns to Quito.
What's Included
- National tour Guides
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Admission fees
- National tour Guides
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Admission fees
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Gratuites are welcome
- Lunch
- Gratuites are welcome
Additional Information
Enjoy a unique day trip to the Mindo Cloud Forest, one of the last remnants of the Choco Darien Region. Discover diverse and unique natural spots. Engage in various activities such as hiking in the Cloud Forest, visiting a butterfly farm, photographing hummingbirds, bird watching, and exploring waterfalls along the Nambillo River. Experience fun and…
Enjoy a unique day trip to the Mindo Cloud Forest, one of the last remnants of the Choco Darien Region. Discover diverse and unique natural spots. Engage in various activities such as hiking in the Cloud Forest, visiting a butterfly farm, photographing hummingbirds, bird watching, and exploring waterfalls along the Nambillo River. Experience fun and adventure with additional activities like tubing and zip-lining in the Mindo River. This is a tailor-made experience, so please share your preferences 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
(67 Ratings)
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Erica
Nov 8, 2025
Perfect day exploring Mindo! - Our group had a wonderful day exploring Mindo with Kathy. She was so knowledgeable and taught us so much about Ecuadorian history and culture. All of the stops were fantastic and we had a great time! She even gave us some recommendations for restaurants in Quito. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eaterbeatin
Oct 12, 2025
Our guide, Kathy, was INCREDIBLE! - Kathy’s knowledge of local history, flora and fauna was amazing! And she was kind & fun.
Kathy’s knowledge of local bird life was extraordinary. I very much want to return to explore different areas near Quito with her.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michaellg2759tg
Sep 14, 2025
Great day in Mindo - I had a great time visiting Mindo with Pato as my guide. He picked me up on time and we proceeded to visit interesting geographical sites that he did a great job of describing its significance. My favorite part of the day was visiting and photographing the many birds in the area. I even had hummingbirds eating out of the palm of my hand. We went on to hike to a beautiful waterfall which was very fun. Overall it was a great day and Pato is a fantastic guide. I highly recommend this day trip to Mindo.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dan
Jul 28, 2025
Great guide, great tour. - Jussua tailored the day to see exactly what I was after. His knowledge of history, botany, and zoology was encyclopedic. I can’t say enough about how happy I am with the experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicholas
Jul 14, 2025
Incredible day, splendid guide, great communication lots of options to suit our preferences, would do again - We had an incredible day with Pato! He adjusted the itinerary to match our preferences, gave us plenty of options, and was fantastic at communicating with us! Would recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andy
Jul 13, 2025
Mindo Cloub Forest - Pato was an extraordinary guide. He was very friendly and incredibly knowledgeable about all the areas we explored. His English was perfect.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cai2a
Jul 11, 2025
Incredible experience! - We spent a day visiting the Mindo community, participating in forest hikes and bird and butterfly watching. Gustavo, our guide, was very friendly, polite, and attentive. He's a biologist and constantly explained the flora and fauna of the places we visited, as well as provided extensive cultural and historical information. The entire tour was well worth it, and we wholeheartedly recommend Gustavo!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Erinss6207mc
Jun 21, 2025
Diego made our day special! - we spent an amazing day with Diego! He was so knowledgeable, friendly and made sure we were having the best time. Took amazing pictures of our day for us too! Highly recommend! Diego is the best!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Calamityjaimie
May 5, 2025
A wonderful day! - Kathy was an amazing tour guide. I had a wonderful day. She helped me identify birds at San Tadeo Birding & then showed the corresponding picture in the guidebook. I was able to take a photo to refer to later. Otherwise I’d never remember all the names! It was thrilling to feed hummingbirds & have them land ion my hand. At the butterfly garden we watched a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis.
I have knee issues so probably should not have hiked down to the waterfall. Many thanks to Kathy that I was able to climb back out! Afterwards we had a delicious lunch before returning to Quito.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bkktrav1
Apr 30, 2025
Interesting and enjoyable trip to Mindo - I had a private tour with Kathy who was easy to chat with and a very careful driver. The scenery once you leave Quito is very beautiful.
Our first stop was at a bird viewing platform with lots of colorful birds and hummingbirds which can be hand fed. We then went to a butterfly farm and then did a 40 minute hike in the rain forest. A good lunch was enjoyed at a nearby ecolodge. The trip ended with a visit to a chocolate factory in Mindo followed by chocolate tasting.
All in all it was an interesting and enjoyable day and Kathy was a great guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
