Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Ecuador: Quito, the Mindo Cloud Forest and an Amazon Lodge
6 days from Quito: the Old Town, two nights in the Mindo cloud forest, then a flight to Coca and two nights at a lodge on the Napo River.
6 days · Round trip from Quito · up to 12 guests
A canopy walkway above the forest at an Amazon lodge on the Napo; we name your lodge when we confirm your dates Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jungle_Walkway_at_Sacha_Lodge._-_Flickr_-_gailhampshire.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 6 days, 5 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Quito
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Quito sits at about 2,850 m, so the first walk is slow and short. In Mindo, at about 1,250 m, the waterfall trail is 2 to 3 hours on muddy paths and steps. At the lodge, walks are 1 to 3 hours on flat, wet forest trails in heat and humidity, canoes are paddled for you, and a canopy tower or walkway means a long staircase that you can skip.
- Meals included
- 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 475 (estimated price)
- Season
- Year round; June to September is driest in Mindo
Highlights
Why this trip
- Quito's Old Town in the morning, with the gold-leaf interior of La Compania included
- Hummingbirds at the feeders in the Mindo cloud forest, close enough to hear their wings
- The Tarabita cable car across the valley and a morning walk to the Mindo waterfalls
- A bean-to-bar chocolate workshop in Mindo, with tasting
- A dawn canoe on a blackwater lake or creek as the forest wakes up
- Parrots on a clay lick on the Napo, and a lunch with a Kichwa community
- A See Sight Tours guide with you from the airport in Quito to the flight back from Coca
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 475 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Quito
Mariscal Sucre International Airport to your hotel in Quito
- Dinner
- Stay in Quito
- Drive about 1 h
Fly into Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO), on a plateau east of the city, and a driver meets you in arrivals for the drive of about an hour into Quito.
Afternoon
The city stretches along a high Andean valley at about 2,850 m, under the slopes of the Pichincha volcano, so take the afternoon slowly: drink water, eat lightly and rest if your head feels heavy. Most people adjust within a day, and the next two nights are lower. If you land early and feel well, the streets around the hotel are good for a gentle first look.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the days ahead, from what to pack for the canoe to how mornings work at the lodge. Then we walk to a welcome dinner of Ecuadorian dishes at a local restaurant, with locro de papa, a potato and cheese soup, a good place to start.
Included
- Pick-up at Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Activity: Quito is at about 2,850 m. Arrive by mid-afternoon if you can, to rest before the briefing.
Quito's Old Town, then down to Mindo
Quito Old Town, then northwest to Mindo
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Mindo
- Drive about 2 h
Afternoon
We spend the morning on foot in Quito's Old Town, among the first World Heritage sites, inscribed by UNESCO in 1978, before the midday crowds and traffic. Start in the Plaza Grande, with the cathedral and the presidential palace on its sides, then walk to La Compania de Jesus, whose interior is covered in gold leaf (entry included), and on to the wide plaza and church of San Francisco. Your guide keeps the pace gentle, because the streets climb and the air is thin. After a sit-down lunch in the Old Town we drive about two hours northwest, past the equator line, and down through the Andes into the cloud forest. The road drops more than 1,500 m, and the air turns warm and damp as the trees close in. We reach Mindo, at about 1,250 m, by mid-afternoon, in time to sit by the hummingbird feeders before dark.
Evening
The evening is yours.
Included
- Quito Old Town walk with your guide: the Plaza Grande, La Compania de Jesus (entry included) and San Francisco
- Sit-down lunch in Quito
- Drive to Mindo through the western Andes
- Hummingbird feeders at a garden in Mindo in the late afternoon
Free time: Evening free in Mindo
Activity: About 2 hours on foot in Quito, on sloping cobbled streets at altitude.
Waterfalls and chocolate in the cloud forest
Mindo: the Tarabita and the waterfall trail, then town
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Mindo
- Drive about 30 min
Mindo lies in the Choco Andino of Pichincha, a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 2018, where Andean slopes meet the wet forests that run down to the Pacific. Mornings are the clearest time, so we go out early.
Morning
Anyone keen on birds can join a dawn walk with a local birding guide before breakfast; tanagers, toucans and more hummingbirds are often seen. After breakfast we ride the Tarabita, an open cable car that crosses the valley high above the river, and walk the trail to a chain of waterfalls in the forest on the far side, with time to stop at the pools.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in town. In the afternoon a small chocolate maker shows how Ecuador's cacao goes from pod to bar, from fermenting and roasting the beans to grinding, and you taste along the way.
Evening
The rest of the afternoon and the evening are free, which is when rain usually arrives.
Included
- Tarabita cable car and the waterfall trail with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Mindo
- Bean-to-bar chocolate workshop and tasting
- Dawn birding walk with a local guide, for those who want it
Optional experiences
- Tubing on the Mindo river or a zipline over the forest, priced at booking
Easier option: Skip the waterfall trail: ride the Tarabita across and back for the view, then spend the morning at a butterfly garden and the hummingbird feeders in town.
More active option: Start with the dawn birding walk, then walk the full waterfall circuit to the farthest falls.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: The waterfall trail takes 2 to 3 hours, with muddy paths and steep steps in places. Wear shoes with grip.
Fly to Coca, down the Napo
Mindo to Quito airport, flight to Coca, then by motorboat down the Napo to the lodge
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Napo River lodge
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
Today starts early, and the flight sets the time: most Quito to Coca flights leave in the morning, so if yours is early we leave Mindo at around 4 am with a packed breakfast, and we confirm the flight and start time with your booking. It is about three hours by road from Mindo, around the north of Quito, to the airport. The flight to Coca, the town where the Coca River meets the Napo, takes about 35 minutes and crosses the eastern Andes, with the forest spreading out flat below.
Afternoon
From the dock a long covered motorboat takes us down the Napo, wide and brown, for two to three hours depending on the lodge, with lunch on board and your guide and the lodge naturalist pointing out herons, kingfishers and the hoatzin along the banks. At the lodge landing we walk the last stretch on the lodge's own trail or boardwalk; the exact arrival, by foot or by paddled canoe, is confirmed with your dates.
Evening
After settling in, we go out at dusk by canoe to listen to the forest change shift and look for the eyes of caimans in the torchlight. Dinner is at the lodge.
Included
- Drive from Mindo to Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO)
- Flight from Quito to Coca
- Motorboat down the Napo to the lodge, with lunch on board
- Dusk canoe to look for caimans
- Dinner at the lodge
Activity: The start time is set by the flight; if it is an early one we leave Mindo at around 4 am. Domestic flights and the boat have tighter luggage limits than international flights, so pack a soft bag; we send the limits with your final itinerary.
Dawn canoe, the clay lick and a Kichwa community
A full day from the lodge on the Napo
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Napo River lodge
- By boat
Morning
We are on the water at dawn, when the forest is loudest, paddled quietly along a blackwater creek or lake while monkeys move through the treetops and macaws cross overhead. Then we climb the lodge's canopy tower or walkway, about 30 to 40 m up, to look out over the treetops for toucans and tanagers. Mid-morning, when the sun has warmed the banks, we go by canoe to a parrot clay lick on the Napo, where on dry days flocks of parrots and parakeets come down to eat the clay for the minerals in it; we watch from a hide or the boat.
Afternoon
From there we visit a Kichwa community, whose guides show how the forest feeds and heals them, and lunch is with them, often maito, fish wrapped in leaves and cooked over the fire. The early afternoon is free in a hammock.
Evening
Late in the day, walk a forest trail with the naturalist, and after dinner join an optional night walk for frogs and insects.
Included
- Dawn canoe with the lodge naturalist and your guide
- Canopy tower or walkway
- Parrot clay lick on the Napo
- Visit to a Kichwa community, with lunch
- Late-afternoon forest walk
- Night walk after dinner, for those who want it
Easier option: Skip the tower stairs and stay at the lodge until the clay lick, or skip the forest walk and stay at the lodge in the afternoon.
More active option: Take the night walk with a torch after dinner, looking for frogs, spiders and insects.
Free time: Early afternoon free at the lodge
Activity: Parrots stay away from the clay lick in heavy rain. If the morning is wet, we try again on a drier window or on the way out, but we cannot promise a sighting.
Up the Napo and back to Quito
Lodge to Coca by motorboat up the Napo, then flight to Quito
- Breakfast
- By boat
Morning
A last early morning in the forest: the boat back upstream leaves soon after first light, and the river is at its best now, with mist on the water and birds busy along the banks, so keep binoculars handy. Upstream takes longer than downstream, so allow two and a half to three and a half hours on the Napo, depending on the lodge and the river level. Breakfast is at the lodge before we go or packed for the boat.
Afternoon
In Coca we transfer to the airport for the short flight back over the Andes to Quito, landing at Mariscal Sucre International Airport in the early afternoon. Your guide sees you through the airport and says goodbye there.
Evening
Flights from Coca are sometimes delayed, so book an onward flight that leaves after about 5 pm, or stay a night in Quito before flying home or on to the Galapagos the next morning; we can book that night and the transfer.
Included
- Motorboat from the lodge to Coca
- Flight from Coca to Quito
- Drop-off at Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO)
Optional experiences
- A night in Quito and an airport transfer, priced at booking
Activity: Book an onward flight leaving after about 5 pm, or add a night in Quito.
- Quito1 night
- Mindo2 nights
- Napo River lodge2 nights
- Quitoend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Rain is part of both forests. Mindo is driest from about June to September; the Napo gets rain every month, with the wettest spell usually around April to July. Mornings are the best time for birds in both places, and parrots stay off the clay lick in heavy rain.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers adding a short forest trip before or after the Galapagos
- Birders and nature lovers who want both the cloud forest and the Amazon in under a week
- People who want a guide with them rather than an unescorted lodge package
- Anyone happy with early mornings, rain and humidity
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who want a long, deep stay in the Amazon: two nights is a taste, not an expedition
- Step-free access: forest trails are muddy, canoes need a step down and towers mean long stairs
- Anyone who wants nightlife or shopping
- Travellers who need air conditioning every night
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
5 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Quito1 night
- Mindo2 nights
- Napo River lodge2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 5 nights: 1 in a central Quito hotel, 2 at a cloud forest lodge or hotel near Mindo, 2 at a lodge on the Napo River
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) on day 1 and drop-off there on day 6
- Our own vehicle and driver from Quito to Mindo and from Mindo to Quito airport
- Flights from Quito to Coca and from Coca to Quito
- Motorboat on the Napo to and from the lodge, and canoe trips from the lodge
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, with a local birding guide in Mindo and the lodge's naturalist and Kichwa guides in the Amazon
Activities
- Quito Old Town walk, with entry to La Compania de Jesus
- Hummingbird feeders in Mindo
- The Tarabita cable car and the waterfall trail, Mindo
- Bean-to-bar chocolate workshop and tasting, Mindo
- Dawn birding walk, Mindo
- Dusk canoe for caimans, Napo lodge
- Dawn canoe and the canopy tower or walkway, Napo lodge
- Parrot clay lick on the Napo
- Kichwa community visit, Napo
- Forest walk and night walk, Napo lodge
Meals
- 5 breakfasts
- 4 lunches: Quito, Mindo, on the canoe to the lodge and with the Kichwa community
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Quito and two at the lodge
Not included
- International flights to and from Quito
- Visa, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed, including dinners in Mindo
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities: tubing or the zipline in Mindo, a night in Quito after the trip
- Personal expenses and crafts
- Vaccinations and medicines
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 475 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Five nights in Quito, near Mindo and at a Napo River lodge, five breakfasts, four lunches and three dinners, airport transfers, our own vehicle in the Andes, both flights between Quito and Coca, the river canoes, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every activity in the day plan, from the Tarabita and the chocolate workshop to the clay lick.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That fits in one canoe or two, keeps the forest quiet enough to hear the birds, and lets everyone stand near the guide on the tower and the trails.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide is with you for all six days, from Quito airport to the flight back from Coca. In the forest the lodge's naturalist and Kichwa guides lead the walks and canoes, as the lodges require, and a local birding guide leads the dawn walk in Mindo.
How fit do I need to be?
Easy to moderate. Expect walks of 1 to 3 hours on muddy, uneven trails, steps on the Mindo waterfall trail, long stairs up the canopy tower, and getting in and out of canoes. Every demanding part has an easier alternative, and Quito's altitude of about 2,850 m means the first day is kept light.
I am travelling solo. Do I pay a single supplement?
A room of your own is from CAD 475 more, shown up front with no surprise later. If you would rather share, tell us when you request to book and we will try to pair you with another solo traveller; if we cannot, we confirm the price with you before anything is charged.
When is the best time to go?
The trip runs year round. Mindo is driest from about June to September, with clearer mornings for birds and the waterfall trail. The Amazon is rainy in every month, usually wettest around April to July, when parrots visit the clay lick less often. Mornings are the best time for wildlife whatever the month.
How does booking work?
Choose a date and send a request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. Your lodge and hotels are named when we confirm your dates, along with the flight times to Coca.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 5,030 per person sharing. If you want to travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same lodges, flights and local guides.
Do I need a visa or vaccinations?
Canadian, US, UK and EU passport holders do not need a visa for a stay of this length. See a travel clinic about yellow fever vaccination and malaria advice for the Amazon province of Orellana, where the lodge is, and bring your certificate if you have one.
Will we definitely see parrots at the clay lick?
No one can promise it. Parrots and parakeets come down to the clay on dry, sunny mornings and stay away in heavy rain. We time the visit for mid-morning, when they are most active, and if the weather is against us we look for another window before we leave.
Can I add this trip to a Galapagos trip?
Yes, it was designed for that. It ends at Quito airport in the early afternoon, and Galapagos flights leave in the morning, so plan one night in Quito in between; we can book it. It also works the other way round, after the islands.
Why only two nights at the Amazon lodge?
Two nights give you a dusk canoe, a full day with the dawn canoe, the tower, the clay lick and the community, and a last morning on the river, while leaving room for the cloud forest. If you want longer in the Amazon, a private trip can add lodge nights.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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