This immersive birding and nature journey takes you across both sides of the Andes, combining Ecuador’s legendary cloud forests with the extraordinary biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest. Designed for birding enthusiasts and nature lovers, the itinerary explores world-class birding sites, conservation reserves, and pristine ecosystems that host an exceptional diversity of wildlife.
Throughout the tour, participants can expect to record over 400 bird species, including numerous endemics, rare species, and iconic Amazonian birds. Expert guiding, carefully selected lodges, and a wide altitudinal and ecological range make this an outstanding experience in one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth.
Year-round; excellent birding in both cloud forest and Amazon regions
Nature lodges and comfortable hotels
Small groups for optimal wildlife and birding experiences
This trip will take you to the most famous birding area in the world. This well-thought itinerary includes a mix of regions on both sides of the Andes, so you can experience Ecuador's incredible wildlife, spectacular scenery, and birds. You are likely to find over 400 species of birds during this journey!
Arrive at the International Airport in Quito. Most flights arrive in the evening. Transfer to the hotel. Welcome dinner and accommodation.
We will leave Quito early at 5:30 AM to Yanaocha reserve, where a worm feeder was created for the Tawny Antpitta and the Rufous Antpitta, the latter being seen more regularly in the area. In addition to finding several species of Chestnut-crowned Antpitta, Chestnut-napped Antpitta and Ocellated Tapaculo.
We´ll hike through the flat and easy-access Inca trail that extends for about 2 km through the stunning lush montane humid forest, with flocks of birds being regularly encountered. Several stations with multiple hummingbird feeders are situated at various spots. There are mixed flocks of beautiful birds such as Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Black-chested Mountain Tanager, Blue-backed Conebill, Golden crowned Tanager, Superciliated Hemispingus.
A major highlight here are the amazing Hummingbirds!! Great Sapphirewing, Sapphire-vented and Golden-breasted Pufflegs, Tyrian Metaltail, Buff-winged Starfrontlet and the outstanding Sword-billed hummingbird are frequent visitors of the feeders. Lunch will be served at the reserve restaurant; later, we’ll continue our drive on the old Nono-Mindo Road towards Bellavista Lodge.
Today you’ll bird along the upper Tandayapa and Mindo Valleys. There are some interesting species to be watched here like the Beryl Spangled Tanager, and Black Capped Tanager, in the Upper Tandayapa valley you will try for the spectacular Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, Gorgeted Sunangel, Collared Inca, Green-and-black Fruiteater, Grass-green Tanager, Dusky Chlorospingus (Bush-Tanager), Plain-tailed Wren, Ocellated Tapaculo, and Pearled Treerunner, Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Red-headed Barbet, Toucan Barbet. Meals and accommodation at Sachatamia Lodge.
We’ll leave the lodge very early in the morning. The birding area includes a small side road that heads to the Mashpi Amagusa Reserve, a small, local reserve where the owners have set a system of feeders that attract some of the more localized species, like Velvet-purple Coronet, Empress Brilliant. Mashpi is a secondary road that passes through the cloud forest in the northwestern foothills that has gained notoriety for its impressive collection of Chocó endemic bird species. Such as: Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Moss-Backed Tanager, Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager, Glistening-green Tanager, Indigo Flowerpiercer, Pacific Tuftedcheek, Orange-Breasted Fruiteater, Black Solitaire, Glistening-Green Tanager, Indigo Flowerpiercer, and the very rare Choco Vireo. Overnight and dinner at Sachatamia Lodge.
Today we will start very early in the morning at 04:30 am and head off to Paz de las Aves that is a small, private reserve near Mindo where Angel Paz the owner of this magical place, has developed a way to hand-feeding several elusive species like Giant, Yellow-Breasted, Chestnut-Crowned, Moustache, Ochre-Breasted Antpittas with amazing success. This place is a highlight in this tour.
At sunrise we will also visit an active Andean Cock of the Rock Lek to admire the amazing displays of males. Some birds You´ll see in the forest are Golden-headed quetzal, Olivaceous Piha, Toucan Barbet, Black-chinned Mountain-tanager, Golden-Winged Manakin and Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Nariño Tapaculo among others. After a typical breakfast served in the reserve, we will enjoy the spectacular Velvet-purple Coronet, Brown-Violetear and Empress Brilliant at hummingbird feeders. Around the property we can also see Beryl-spangle tanager, Golden tanager.
On our way back to Guango we will stop at Calacali and try looking for some dry forest birds like White-tailed shryke-tyrant and Tufted tit-tyrant. Dinner and accommodation at Guango Lodge.
On this day, we´ll visit Chakana reserve. This trip will take you through a great scenery in the Ecuadorian High Andes. The roads will border one national protected area Antisana National Park and Fundación Jocotoco’s Chakana Reserve therefore the scenery is amazing. The altitudinal range covered is over 3600 to 4100 masl. We spend the entire day in the area, watching for Andean Condors that should be easy and other birds like Giant Hummingbird, the astonishing Ecuadorian Hillstar, Carunculated Caracara, Variable Hawk. You can take a walk around the paramo to enjoy the sights, landscapes and native flora. If you are lucky, you can see the Spectacled bear. You will have a delicious traditional lunch at Casa Antisanilla. In the afternoon return to Quito. Dinner and accommodation at a hotel in Quito.
After breakfast you´ll be transfer to Quito airport to take a short flight to Coca city to take the motorized canoe for almost 3 hours to Sani Lodge. You will be received by a birdwatching guide. Late afternoon, you will have a short walk on the nearby trails or a canoe ride with many chances to observe many Amazonian birds, but above all you will leave to look for birds. Return to the lodge, where our chef will be happy to offer a wide variety of national and international cuisine that caters vegetarians and vegans.
After breakfast, experience the bird life on the tree tops from the 35-meter (118 ft.) observation tower. To get there your leaders will paddle on the Challuacocha Lake for 30 minutes followed by a short 10-minute walk. Over 565 species of birds have been registered so far, including colorful birds such as macaws, toucans, honeycreepers, tanagers, flycatchers, hummingbirds and with a bit of luck you will see the rare Harpy Eagle. The tower gives you a unique perspective, opening up a whole new world of Amazon biodiversity that is often difficult and almost impossible to see from the understory. The journey continues exploring the nearby trails searching for more Amazonian creatures. Return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch there are many alternatives for your enjoyment, bird watching from the bar, in front of the lagoon or simply relax in the lodge. In the afternoon you will walk through Chorongo or Coto trail with the goal of finding more species of birds.
After breakfast departure to the Napo River to board the boat and visit the parrot-clay lick at Yasuní National Park for a wonderful view of hundreds of parrots searching for a gap to land and eat the earth in a process for their digestion. Here you will see Mealy Amazon, Yellow-crowned, Orange winged and Blue-headed parrots. Continue with a hike on the south of the Napo inside Yasuní National Park considered for scientists like the most biodiverse area in the world, here, some species that cannot be found in the north might be spotted. Dinner at the lodge.
After breakfast head back to the Napo River to board the boat return to Coca on time to get your flight back to Quito. Transfer to your hotel, enjoy the gardens in the afternoon. Dinner and accommodation at a hotel near the airport.
Airport transfer according to international flight schedules. End of services.
