Mindo Cloud Forest: Private Day Trip with Waterfalls & Hummingbirds

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.90 (153 reviews) 93% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/37

Duration9h–10h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Birdsong, waterfalls, butterflies and chocolate in Mindo’s cloud forest

You’ll feel the mist from hidden waterfalls, watch wild hummingbirds dart past your head, and taste fresh chocolate straight from local cacao beans — all in one private day trip from Quito to Mindo Cloud Forest. With an expert guide by your side and plenty of time for hiking or just soaking up the green quiet, this is nature at its most alive.

9h–10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Mindo Cloud Forest and Wildlife

Depart early from Quito
Visit hummingbird reserve
Arrive in Mindo Cloud Forest
Take cable car over forest
Hike to waterfalls and swim
Visit butterfly garden
Enjoy chocolate tasting tour
Experience ziplining adventure

The Experience

The first thing I noticed after we left Quito was how the air changed — thicker, a bit sweet, almost mossy. Our guide, Daniel, had this way of pointing out birds before I even saw them. We stopped at Alambi Hummingbird Sanctuary and honestly, I lost count after the tenth hummingbird species. They zipped around so fast it felt like being inside some kind of living jewel box. I tried to take photos but mostly just ended up watching, coffee in hand, listening to Daniel explain which ones only lived here in Ecuador. He knew all their names — I forgot most of them immediately.

After that it was a winding drive into Mindo itself for our private day trip. The town is small but everyone seemed to know Daniel; he waved at half the people we passed. The main thing I remember is how green everything was — like every shade you can imagine. We rode the cable car across the valley (I pretended not to be nervous), then hiked through thick cloud forest toward the waterfalls. The trail got muddy in places and my shoes are still recovering, but standing under that last waterfall felt worth it. Cold water on my face, birds calling somewhere up above — it’s one of those moments that sticks.

I didn’t expect to care much about butterflies but the Mariposario de Mindo was weirdly calming. Butterflies landed right on my arm; one sat there for ages until Daniel joked maybe it thought I was a flower (I was wearing a red shirt). The guides there showed us how they feed them with banana slices and explained why these butterflies matter for the whole cloud forest ecosystem. You could smell fruit and damp earth everywhere.

We finished with a chocolate tasting — real cacao beans roasted right there. They let us try different flavors: passionfruit, chili pepper… One had honey mixed in and I’m still thinking about it now. If you want ziplining or tubing they’ll add that too (we skipped it this time). It’s all pretty flexible; Daniel kept asking what we wanted next instead of just following some script.

What’s included

Your day includes private hotel pickup from Quito (or airport transfer if needed), all main activities tailored to your preferences with an expert local guide/driver and comfortable private vehicle.
Entry fees to reserves like Alambi Hummingbird Sanctuary and Mariposario de Mindo are covered.
Chocolate tasting is part of the experience; adventure options like ziplining or tubing can be added if you want before heading back to Quito in the evening.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for back problems

Operated by Galapagos My World