Mindo Day Trip From Quito: Hummingbirds, Waterfalls & Chocolate

My wife and I did the Mindo Cloud Forest day trip in July 2026.We have been fortunate to traveled through out Central and South America and our trip to the Mindo Cloud Forest was one of the best if not the best guided trip we have ever taken. Our guide Andres and driver Jimmy make a great team.Andres was very informative in the Mindo Cloud Forest.

Hummingbird viewing, butterflies viewing were amazing! Our guide Pedro did an excellent job of guiding us through activities our entire group could enjoy! Driver David was also excellent as we drove through some very challenging roads from Quito to Mindo.

Just a few hours from Quito we took a full day private tour with Pedro to Mindo cloud forest. It was amazing to see a variety of birds including Toucans and a special treat to have humming birds eating from the palm of your hand. Visit included walk to waterfalls, 🦋 sanctuary and also chocolate factory. Great fay with a very knowledgeable and friendly guide.

Ayrton is awesome, would recommend 10/10!

The Mindo Cloud Forest Day Trip from Quito was an absolutely wonderful way to spend the day. Our first stop on this Trip was at a Humingbird garden located in Mindo which is about a 2-hr. drive from Quito. We were fortunate to see many varieties of Hummingbirds at the location that we had visited - very nice. Next, we traveled to a nearby waterfall after a scenic cable car ride and a short hike on a trail leading down from the parking area. After the waterfall, we traveled a short distance to a nearby butterfly garden where we saw many species of butterflies - beautiful. Next, we entered the small, quaint town of Mindo where we had a traditional Ecuador lunch at a local restaurant - delicious! Afterwards, we walked a couple of block to the local Chocolate Factory - nice! Overall, the schedule was full of interesting activities.

The itinerary was fantastic. The hummingbird sanctuary and view were phenomenal and mindo is so very quaint. And the butterfly farm was the best we have ever experienced. Pedro was the icing on the cake and we highly recommend this for a personalized experience!!

I could not have planned a more perfect day with my guide Andres and driver Jimmy. Andres provided interesting facts with humour to keep it fun on the drive to Mindo. The stops to see the hummingbirds were amazing. The hike to the waterfall was beautiful. Add in the butterfly farm and chocolate. Perfect. Special mention to Jimmy for spotting numerous birds in the trees and would stop for photos. 3 Toucan in a tree... Would recommend 💯

Andres made the day! We have hired many many different guides in many many different countries and Andres was one of the best we have had. He perfectly split the difference between information and giving us our space. He was attentive to our 10 year old…especially important on such a very long day. Keeping the little one going made for a successful day for all of us. He and the driver spotted a toucan along a road and halted everything, hustled us out of the car and made sure we all saw it and got pictures. Well done! We combined this tour with visits to both equator exhibits and while this was no fault of the tour company (they had informed us of road closures and we were not upset) it took us much longer to get back than planned and we nearly ran out of time. We got the photos we wanted so no harm no foul, but we cut it very close. I’m thankful for the good driver we had!

David (guide) and Robert (driver) were both amazing. They both provided a great experience with local insights. The tour was customizable to what we wanted to do and we were able to experience everything we wanted with insights and local touches. Each place we went to all were local places and David was familiar with many employees at each. David's English was perfect and gave us a ton of information of the history, culture and background of the areas, flora, and fauna we encountered. We were brough to a local spot for Dinner where David consulted on what we should have. Robert knew the roads well and we always felt safe. Additionally, Katty who helped book the tour was super helpful and worked with us since we had a later start and were booking it with only 1 day notice. Communication was prompt and clear with good instructions on what to bring and what the plans were. It was a great experience and would recommend to anyone who wants an personal experience. Activities done (entry fees and meal costs not included) Hummingbird Sanctuary Visit Waterfall hike Cable Car ride over a valley Ziplining (spotted a toucan whil waiting) Butterfly Sanctuary visit Coffee Factory tour and tasting Dinner at a local Ecuadorian restaurant

Our tour guide Pedro was amazing, knowledgeable and friendly. He took us where we wanted to go and recommended some good things. Everywhere we went we enjoyed. The nature, the chocolate tour and the lunch place all 10/10. Highly recommend to book this tour, we had a pretty unique adventure with the nature.

The Mindo tour with Pedro was much more than we expected! Pedro gave us history, plant and tree names, and more. We have amazing bird and waterfall pictures, took an incredible hike and ate a great lunch. What a day! Thanks for the beautiful memories!

The Mindo tour with Pedro was much more than we expected! Pedro gave us history, geography, plant and tree names, and more. We have amazing bird and waterfall pictures, took an incredible hike and ate a great lunch. What a day! Thanks for the beautiful memories!

We stopped for a snack and coffees on the way and I could have stayed there all day lots of humming birds, parrots and even a squirrel payed a visit whilst we had our coffees, But the guide said it gets better & yes it did, the guide and driver pointed out all sorts of birds, plants etc on our journey - a cable ride over a ravine no idea how deep as total tree cover probably 100m +++, followed by a trek to a hidden waterfall , and on and on , a magical day with two great people (guide & driver) - Stopped for lunch at a local cafe, -Great food &company, tour of a chocolate factory, more humming birds, parrots, squirrel & so on-just a great day thanks to the guide and drivers alertness and knowledge - 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Watching the humming birds feeding even from my own hand. We also enjoyed all the butterflies at the butterfly farm.

We had a terrific day with Pedro! He has amazing reviews already and I was excited as soon as I knew we would be sharing the day with him. From our first stop and throughout the whole day we saw so many birds and for each one, I took a picture of the bird and then Pedro had the information identifying the bird up on his phone, which took I captured in the next picture. I have a terrific log of all the birds we saw. He even found toucans for us as we were walking around and driving. The stop at Mariposario Nathaly to see the butterflies was more than I expected. The owner gave us an up close, hands on tour of the butterflies from eggs, to larva, to pupa, and finally to a large area full of adult butterflies flying around. It was better than any other butterfly exhibit I had seen in zoos or gardens. We loved the hike to the water fall through the rainforest. So much diverse vegetation and the water fall was pretty. We did not swim, but someone was as we left. Lunch was a typical Ecuadorian lunch and very good. For dessert we had a tour of the Yumbos Chocolate factory and learned about the whole process of turning cocoa beans to chocolate bars. The tasting was top rate as was the chocolate! I even got a chocolate facial. The scenery on the drive to and from Mindo is amazing with the change from dry mountain climate to a cloud forest climate. We spent this time learning more and more about Ecuador and Pedro. Ecuador is such a beautiful country and Pedro is a wonderful guide and now a friend. We highly recommend this tour and Pedro!

Great trip with fabulous guides Carolina and Pedro! We had a wonderful day including tropical birds, butterflies and flowers, a chocolate education and tasting, and a zip line ride.

Breathtaking views, amazing interactions with hummingbirds at the San Tadeo Birding sanctuary, and georgeous butterflies up close on your hands, then a walk through the Mindo Cloud Forest! An amazing experience!

I highly recommend this tour. It was a full day, started at 7am. The tour guides were punctual, welcoming and accommodating. The guides structured the day according to the activities I wanted to do and were very patient. We saw several hummingbirds during the tour but the toucans and butterflies were the highlight for me. The guide is very knowledgeable about different species of birds and knowledge of the area and environment. I was able to take my time during the activities and I did not feel rushed at all. I wanted chicken and rice for lunch, the guides took me to a nice place that specialises in rotisserie chicken which was tasty. I highly recommend this tour! Bring extra cash for the activities as they do not accept card in Mindo.

What an amazing day in Mindo! Pedro, our guide, was the best! He was super friendly, knowledgeable, kept us on track, and was able to get us around to all the sites we wanted to see while on a tight timeline! This tour is great because you can customize what you want to do/see based on cost, interest, time required, etc. We hiked the Reina waterfall in the Amazon, saw tons of hummingbirds and tanagers, got a chocolate tasting in downtown Mindo, and straddled the equator in Ciudad Mitad del Mundo! Some tips: 1. Bring cash for the activities (usually $5/person) & to tip your guide! 2. Bring snacks & lots of water; the tour can be a long day depending on what you are doing. We hiked the waterfall and I could have used more snacks/water 3. Be prepared for the weather - It is cooler than Quito 4. Have your passport if you go to the Middle of the World; tey required mine when I bought the tickets.

Our day trip to Mindo was great! Pedro our guide was very knowledgeable about the area and sites to see. We were able to tailor our trip to places we wanted to see the most and spend the desired time at each place we visited. On our trip we saw many different hummingbirds and butterflies, had an informative tour where they make Yumbos chocolate and took a hike and cable car to a scenic waterfall. Lunch was excellent as well. The day tour exceeded our expectations and we were very happy to book this one.

I enjoyed this tour very much. Pedro, my tourguide, was great. He told me a lot about the area and he is very knowledgeable. We stopped at 2 places, where I could see a lot of hummingbirds and other birds. Because of the private tour I was more flexible, so I chose the Zipplining instead of the hike to the waterfall. That was great. The landscape of the Mindo Cloudforest is amazing. After that we went to the Butterfly farm and after lunch I got to know more about the local chocolate production. I loved this tour. Thank you very much for this experience. :-)

Miguel was an interesting, knowledgeable, funny guide. He was very accommodating to us. We highly recommend this private tour. It was so nice to be the only ones on the tour. The waterfall, the chocolate tour, the butterfly house and the hummingbirds were fantastic. A beautiful day in Mindo Cloud Forest. Santi was a great driver, expertly navigating the mountain roads.

Miguel was a great guide, very knowledgeable and went above and behind. Feeding the hummingbirds was magical as well as the butterfly garden. Everything was great. He was flexible with us and even helped get a SIM card on the way back from the tour! 10/10!

Was an amazing day out with Pedro. We got to see so many birds and got some great photos. The Waterfall hike is a must, but wait until you have adjusted to the altitude in Quito first.

We had a wonderful time visiting the cloud forest, the wildlife there is amazing. Our guide was exceptional, he was kind and funny and very patient. I had a hard time on the hike and he was very accommodating and let me take a break when I needed it. I would definitely recommend this trip.

We had a great tour to the Mindo Cloud Forest! We loved our guide Miguel and our driver Jimmy. We learned a lot about Ecuador and the different areas, plants & animals on our drive to Mindo. We first visited a hummingbird sanctuary where at one time 5 hummingbirds were feeding from our hand. Next we got to ride a cable car across the top of the forest, which was so beautiful and fun. On the other side we hiked through the forest to see beautiful waterfalls, which you can swim in the pools if you want. Next we went to lunch at a traditional restaurant in Mindo and had time to visit some shops. Then we went to the butterflies and the chocolate experience where we learned about the “tree to bar” chocolate making process and got to taste a lot of chocolates. It was a wonderful day with friendly, informative guides. Thanks Miguel and Jimmy!

Wow! I came to Ecuador for the Galapagos and added this to my first day, and I already feel like I had an incredible experience in this country. David was an incredible guide - friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. He knows so much about both the nature and the history and narrated the whole trip. Jimmy was a great driver, and the car was very nice, modern, and clean. All the stops were charming and special. I got to try fresh banana, cafe, and cocoa right off the tree. Had delicious coffee, local food, ice cream, amazing chocolate, pastries… saw beautiful nature including a toucan and a macaw eating a frog (Jimmy has sharp eyes). Held a butterfly, put my feet under a waterfall, and watched hummingbirds battle for nectar a foot from my face. I think some of the other private tours were a bit jealous when I talked about my day. So definitely book with this company and cross your fingers for David and Jimmy (I have two more trips and will report back!)

Such a beautiful place to see! Very nice tour guide who was able to customize the tour to do anything around Mindo. We stopped at a cafe on the way to get coffee and see some birds, then to do a guided bird tour in Mindo where I was able to hand feed hummingbirds, and hiked to a beautiful waterfall, then ended the day with a tour of a chocolate factory. Muy delisioso! Highly recommend this tour 😊

What a wonderful trip to the Mindo Cloud Forest we had with Real Dreams Tours! Our guide, Pedro, was so accommodating. He developed a plan for the day based on our “bucket list” for the visit. We fed beautiful hummingbirds, rode the cable car and trekked down to the waterfalls. We ate a delicious lunch at a local restaurant and toured the chocolate factory. Pedro was extremely knowledgeable and well spoken. He would point out different plants, birds, and animals, and he answered all the many questions we asked including those about life in Ecuador. Pedro was also kind and considerate. He never hurried us and physically helped us whenever necessary. We can’t thank Pedro and Real Dreams Tours enough for an amazing day!

I took this tour with Pedro during my two months in Quito. Pedro arranged a time to pick me up from my lodging and we drove to Mindo. He was super nice and the conversation during the ride was really engaging and he gave me several tips about things to do around Quito. Pedro is also a climber/hiker so he gave me pointers on some good climbing. But that’s not really my ministry. Of course, he also acted as Photographer for the pit stops we made; waterfall, butterfly farm, hummingbird area. The lunch was also delicious. I think the cost for a private day trip was really reasonable. I will definitely recommend and book again when I’m back in Quito!

Excellent trip; our guide, Pedro, was friendly and informative; scheduling was flexible throughout the day

The close up experience with the hummingbirds were amazing as were the views of the Pululahua and the Mindo valley from the unique cable car! Our guide accommodated all of our requests for the sights of the day and was very knowledgeable at every stop.

Our guide was very nice and on time but the sites were okay and the addition of tickets was annoying. It would feel better to have it all bundled Birds- short hike with an ornithologist was okay. We saw many beautiful birds but they would often fly off when he used his laser pointer to direct us. Honestly sitting on the deck and watching birds come and go was great. And feeding the hummingbird. That would have been 5 instead of 15 Falls hike- very overrated. It’s small. Another 5 for this Butterfly- pretty but not worth the 750 which feels expensive for here Chocolate factory- 10 pp for tour. We didn’t go. Done it in Peru and Costa Rica. Lunch- food was okay. Beer not included I would just suggest hiring a taxi to go to Mindo which is pretty but very tourist

This was a magical day that started with the drive to the Mindo highlands. Even though it took some time to clear the city for me this was awesome to see so much of what is culturally very different to Australia and have time to chat with my guide Luis and driver Jimmy about life in Ecuador. Our first stop was to visit hummingbirds which memory will stay with me - what magical creatures! I opted to take the walk around the trails with the owner and was treated to seeing so many other birds including toucans but also was delighted by the information given on the flora and being able to taste the fruits that the birds eat. More magic followed with butterflies, the cooling waters at the waterfall, the fun trip across with the tarabita, the wonderful traditional Ecuadorian lunch and finishing with the chocolate tour where from the first second you are hit in the face with the most incredible aromas. The day was truly made though by the company of Luis and Jimmy who were able to provide me not just with information but made the trip for a solo visitor comfortable and fun - the Queen karaoke on the drive back was awesome - thank you

This was by far the best experience I have ever had. Thank you Pedro for being so informative. We learned so much going on this experience with him. 5 stars go to him.

A brilliant day spent in Mindo! Diego & Carolina picked us up at our hotel on time with a warm welcome and drove us to Mindo to experience a range of activities for the day! The drive was around 2.5hrs from Quito. Roads were not the best quality at some stages as expected in rural Ecuador so just keep this in mind if you are not a great traveler in the car. Our first stop was to a small butterfly farm where we saw lots of different species and had the life cycle explained to us. We then went onto the bird watching place which was our absolute highlight of the day. We sat with nectar and fed dozens of hummingbirds by hand. An unforgettable experience and wonderful photo opportunities. We even saw a toucan fly past! The tour continued to the forest area where we were offered the opportunity to zip line however we passed on this and went on to the waterfall. We trekked down to the waterfall which was very beautiful! Many steps down but was achievable by most! Probably took around 45 mins each way to walk it. Take swimwear if you’d like to take a dip in the water at the bottom! There is a small pool / area there to enjoy. The day that we went was very warm and humid due to the lower altitude in the forest - we did regret not wearing shorts / lighter clothing so do consider this too! Next we stopped for some lunch at a local restaurant - our guides paid for us to try some local food! Final stop was to Yumbos chocolate where we learnt about Ecuadorian Cocoa and the chocolate making process. We tasted many varieties and had the chance to buy some too! Delicious! Highly recommend this day tour and our wonderful hosts for making our day so interesting and fun! We highly recommend booking this tour if visiting Quito!

My brother and I just came back from an amazing three weeks in Ecuador that was planned by Gulliver Travel but our full time guide from Real Dreams Tours was Pedro. Pedro and his wife Carolina are owners of Real Dreams. Pedro was an outstanding guide, very professional, friendly, funny, kind, knowledgeable, patient, an excellent driver, prompt, reliable and he became a good friend. Pedro took us everywhere for three weeks, except the three days we were in the rainforest where we used La Selva’s guides. We visited Mindo, coffee and chocolate factories, Otavalo’s markets, the cloudforest, volcanoes, waterfalls, Cotopaxi, Pasochoa, the middle of the world, Quilotoa, the hot springs, several gondolas, Riobamba, Banos,Chimborazo and spent several days exploring the historical section of Quito where our main hotel was located. We saw so much of this beautiful country in three weeks, but we wouldn’t have had the amazing experiences we had without Pedro. He was so flexible and often took us places that weren’t on the itinerary, or changed things to do what we wanted to do. We will always remember our wonderful trip to Ecuador and our good friend Pedro…we miss you!

Pedro was our guide and he was super friendly and knowledgeable. (You can tell he is really passionate about his job). We started the day by having coffee at a rest stop and saw tons of hummingbirds. Then we headed to the cloud forest where he hiked to a waterfall, took the tarabita and then to the butterfly sanctuary. Super interesting, learned a lot about them. Our last stop was the chocolate factory, which was also super interesting, informative and delicious. I highly recommend this tour.

I had a good experience. I knew the Museum of Chocolate "Yumbos", and I ate different chocolates with orangr, coffe and cranberries. I walked and saw a waterfall.

Pedro was our guide and he was awesome! The entire tour was incredible and I’d highly recommend anyone to take this tour.

Pedro was excellent! He was on time, he was friendly, and he created a great experience. Communication from booking through the end was fantastic overall. Thank you all for allowing our clients to have a phenomenal first day in Ecuador! Exotic Escapes and Soul 2 Wander Travel and Destination events will continue to partner with this company anytime we send someone to Ecuador!

I took the tour to Waterfalls in Puerto Quito and it was an excellent adventure, we walked through beautiful trails in the middle of a tropical climate accompanied by the singing of birds combined with the unique fauna of the forest, the trekking was exciting, we heard the fall of the water closer and closer, We could see an iguana sunbathing on a large rock and the turquoise water, we went to two beautiful waterfalls! The second day in Mindo we visited other waterfalls and the walk was unforgettable in the middle of a very exuberant tropical cloud forest that makes you really want to go to the waterfall! We visited a butterfly farm where they explained its evolutionary process to us and we were able to be very close to thousands of butterflies flying close to us, as well as hummingbirds, I had never seen fly so close to me. And our guides were attentive to us at all times. Pedro knows very well how to get to each of the places we visit. Recommended!! Thank you Real Dreams Tour