Mindo Tour: Hummingbirds, Butterflies, Waterfall & Cable Car

It is a wonderful full day experience well worth doing. Our guide Eduardo made sure that we were able to experience the Mindo Cloud Forest in a way that we would enjoy. We went on a beautiful rainforest walk which also had a cable car across the valley then on to an amazing artisanal chocolate tasting , beautiful butterfly experience and finally a sublime place to interact with hummingbirds and other wildlife which passed by.

Fantastic experience. Loves the hummingbirds. I can't believe how many there were and how we were able to feed them. Great time at the butterfly house. The eater to the waterfall and the cable car were well worth the effort. Felt totally looked after and learnt so much on the trip. A fantastic day. Would recommend to others.

Our guide, Eduardo, was fantastic! He personalized the experience for us and took us to the most incredible places to see hummingbirds and butterflies. We also wanted to zip line and ride a cable car, so he took us to those places, too. He was so knowledgeable about the area - he even took us to a local coffee shop and grocery store. We would have loved to have done more but we were exhausted after a red-eye flight the night before.

Wow! Terrific tour. We had a great time with our guide who was knowledgeable, well spoken and helpful. He tailored the experience just for us. From feeding hummingbirds and butterflies to ziplining through the treetops and lunch at a local cafe, we were delighted by the day out.

This was an excellent way to see Mindo. We did so much in a day and our tour guide, Freddy, was very accommodating along with our driver, Edward. We never could have explored so much in this mountain town without them! The day was catered to our requests and Freddy had endless information about the area and what we saw. Visiting the hummingbird refuge was one of our favorite moments of the entire trip to Ecuador! We were so grateful to have booked this private tour along with an experienced driver and guide. There was so much to see and planning it all on our own would have been very difficult, not to mention navigating the winding mountain roads. Highly recommend taking a day to Mindo from Quito with this tour!

Hummingbirds and butterfly farm were fascinating. Guide and driver were excellent. Hike down to the waterfall was well worth the effort.

Seriously, the best day, out of many great ones, in our month of travel across Peru and Ecuador ( and that includes, Machu Picchu, seeing Condors soar and a week in the Galapagos). Eduardo was the complete guide and when we explained we were interested in seeing hummingbirds, he took us to two reserves where we saw many different species and were able to feed them too. Just the best.

Renan was very good and knowledgeable. He explained everything and made sure we were having great time. We recommend Renan if you want to have great time!

Josh was a bubbly, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and personal guide. Never felt rushed and thoroughly enjoyed our while varied experience. The Humming birds are other worldly. Also, lucky enough to see Toucans close up and a Coati Thanks

Very beautiful day in Mindo. Lots of birds, butterflies, waterfall, and cacao :-) Guide Eduardo was very nice and provided many info. Highly recommended

Oh my goodness! Juan was a miracle worker mixed with drill-Sargent ( in a good way) Nothing but positive energy and a mind full of facts and knowledge! So much information about his country and the bio-diversity of the cloud forest. Highly recommended!

Eduardo showed me a great day in the Mindo Cloud Forest. The weather varied considerably through the day. The 2 different hummingbird observations were magical with so many different species flying around & feeding. Plus the opportunity to see Mcquas & so many different tanagers. The cable car ride & walk down to view the waterfall was interesting, the water less than amazing. The final stop to view the butterflies was also magical, but overpriced. Even though travel was 2 hours each way it was great to leave the noise & people of Quito behind to enjoy the tranquillity & magic of nature.

We spent an amazing day with Eduardo, enjoyed every minute. Fed hummingbirds and saw butterflies, we went on the cable car , took us for a lunch to a local restaurant and then onto a chocolate rout which was the best one we have done ! Chocolate face mask was amazing, the whole day was just magical highly recommend this tour with Eduardo who is highly knowledgeable about his country and the information about what we were seeing.

What an experience. Enrico and Sylvia are superstar tour guides. We saw and did it all and their knowledge of the wildlife and plant species is the best. Don't skip this and ask for Enrico and Sylvia!

Fantastic day with Renaa! We loved having a private tour as we could personalise our day, and take it at our pace. Renaa was the perfect guide, really friendly and knowledgable. Definitely recommend this tour!

A truly wonderful experience, a private tour of Mindo Cloud Forest with the affable and knowledgeable Eduardo, visited the stunning Hummingbird experience and the extraordinary Butterfly Farm, felt the uniqueness of travelling through different climatic zones. A must do for anyone visiting Quito.

The cloud forest was amazing! The waterfalls, the ziplining, the bird sanctuary, the chocolate factory, the food, I lived everything about it. Our guide, Joshua was fantastic! I would highly recommend.

This was my family’s first time in Ecuador and it was truly spectacular. We had a wonderful hike through the forest to the waterfalls with a great view of the canopy from the cable car. The chocolate tasting in Mindo was a lot of fun. We got to try many different types of chocolate at Yumbo and see the whole process from the cacao to the final chocolate bars. While in Mindo we had a really nice lunch at Serendipity - fresh seafood and paella! The most amazing part of the tour is feeding the hummingbirds. They land on your hands and are so colorful. Carolina our guide was so nice, patient and informative. It was really special to spend the day with her. This is a fantastic excursion and I highly recommend it!

Punctual pick up nice van and driver excellent, on the windy mountain road, guide was brilliant friendly Carolina was her name, we had flexibility with timings , we went to, the canopy first on the cable car unreal, then the water falls, we did 35 min walk to waterfall it was perfect, swim in the plunge pool , then the butterfly farm fantastic, then to the town of mindo for some personal time, and finally for us the best humming birds. Great day long drive but well worth it.

the trip takes around 2 hrs to get there approx and you will have a range of activities to chose from some more adventurous than others

Friendly, knowledgeable guide and driver. Great patience and flexibility in arranging stops and schedule to focus on our interests.

We had an amazing day with Kevin! We saw so many amazing hummingbirds, did the cable car, a chocolate tasting, and so much more. It’s definitely a super long drive from Quito (~2.5 hours each way plus driving in between the stops), so prepare yourself for that. A lovely day.

Our very knowledgeable and fun guide, Marcell and his sidekick driver were outstanding hosts for our full day of adventure to the Mindo Cloud Forest. From the hotel pick-up to end of day drop-off, they took great care of us every step of the way. Our tour guide allowed us to customize the itinerary along the way and on the fly. We enjoyed the birding stops, lunch in Mindo at a local restaurant, our hikes, waterfalls and the tram that carried us across the Cloud forest tree tops. Every activity combined for a fun and educational full day of adventure. We highly recommend this tour if you are in or near Quito.

Everything was beautiful and Fredy is the best guide you can have! He made it feel like traveling with friends. I had so much fun and would like to come again.

Fabulous tour, very knowledgeable and helpful guide Josue(hope spelling is right🙈) He made the whole day for us - waterfalls, humming birds, chocolate and butterflies- a definite must do 😊

Did the bird watching tour with Eduardo. It was great, especially the hummingbirds flying all around you.

For a single day experience we felt we had an incredibly full and excellent itinerary. Joswe was a knowledgeable and fun guide and we would highly recommend him to anyone visiting Ecuador.

Juan and company exceeded our expectations. From the moment we met, he made us feel like family. The night before, our tour company cancelled our cruise meaning we would’ve missed seeing downtown Quito. We asked Juan if we could see some Mindo highlights and walk through downtown in the afternoon and he made it happen. He could’ve said no and we would’ve been fine; Mindo is beautiful. But he adjusted the plan! Honestly, his flexibility and expertise saved our Ecuador trip as my mom was so distraught she wouldn’t see old town. He took us to the hummingbird park, chocolate factory, lunch, then a quick walking tour downtown. Truly was a tailored and flexible itinerary. It was perfect! Have already recommended to friends going to Ecuador soon. We had five adults and Juan and our driver, Juan Pablo, took us around in a comfortable van.

What a brilliant day trip so glad we booked this day out of Quito. It combined a variety of experiences as we visited the chocolate factory, zip lined and the centre of the world; but the highlight was seeing the hummingbirds close up. Many thanks to our excellent guide Freddy for facilitating a memorable experience

I loved the variety of activities on offer. Great to have a small walk in the forest, try some local chocolate and see some wildlife. I also loved that we had a flexible itinerary and I was able to focus more on seeing the hummingbirds at the end of my tour.

Excellent day with very knowledgable guide. Very diverse trip which was geared to our needs. Humming birds were a fantastic surprise

This was a really lovely tour, though I think it would have been wiser for me to wait until I had been at this altitude for more than 16 hours, as the hike to the waterfall would not have been strenuous normally but it required more stopping and I noticed my elevated heart rate (my usual workouts includes swimming 1.5 miles three times a week to give you a sense of my fitness level) I appreciated that I got to pick and choose what to do, and that my tour guide suggested that an earlier start time would mean less traffic and smaller crowds. We hiked to a waterfall and took the tarabita back, I did the two course zipline, butterfly refuge and hummingbird refuge. Seeing all the hummingbirds and having them sit on my hand or hover over it to drink nectar was a peak experience. My guide was great, helped me practice my Spanish and was able to give me a translation whenever I needed to ask for a word in English, had lots of knowledge about the ecosystem, and was also wonderful with finding foods that meet my rather extensive dietary needs. At one point, he noticed people standing off to the side of the road, next to a parked car, and using binoculars to look at a tree, and he asked them what bird it was, and then pulled over so that I could see it, too. Apparently common potoos are not that common!

Eduardo was absolutely amazing! He was so incredibly informative during the long travel to the cloud forest and to the hummingbird sanctuary. He knew what he was talking about and was constantly teaching us about the local cuisine, wildlife and anything else you could think of regarding Ecuador. He took us to the best local restaurants and was even able to get us some a behind the scenes "tour" to see a Potoo bird that was seen by employees at the Sky Tram. Would 1000% recommend him as your guide. You will not be disappointed.

We had an amazing day exploring Mindo and surroundings. Very flexible guide with great knowledge, many thanks for a brilliant tour 😊

Door to door service! We were promptly picked up from our hotel in Quito. Carolina our naturalist guide was “the best” guide. She has an extensive background and her explanations of what we were seeing along the way and at each of our stops was excellent. My favourite stop was our stop to feed the hummingbirds. This is a must do tour! This Mindo Cloud Forest is a taste of the nature and beauty you will see in Ecuador. The hike in the first to the waterfall and the cable car ride across the forest was fun too ( if you are not fearful of heights) Thank you Carolina for a great day!

Eduardo was very helpful and we thoroughly enjoyed the trip watching hummingbirds and hiking and zip lining.

My tour guide Carolina was brilliant. Full of so much knowledge and information. I got to feed humming birds, go for a hike and do a chocolate tour and it was great.

Irene, our tour guide made this day special. She shared a lot of knowledges and a great sense of humour. It was a small group and she made us feel like a family. Yvan, our driver, was very nice as well and managed to the traffic smoothly.

Eduardo made this experience so amazing for our family! He had many helpful suggestions. We ended up taking a cable car for a gorgeous waterfall hike, ziplining, tubing, and feeding hummingbirds by hand. Our teens (15 and 18) had a great time! There was something for everyone. Eduardo was very knowledgeable about the local flora, fauna, birds, and mammals. He also made recommendations for things to do in Mindo on our other days (chocolate tour and butterfly place) and took us to a delicious vegetarian restaurant. We hope to use his help again for other tours in Ecuador!

Juan was a wonderful tour guide. He tailored the tour for us and provided great suggestions. I would recommend Juan and this tour for everyone!! 5/5. Best tour!!

The day was fantastic and educational. The hummingbird viewing was a mazing and the coffee tour at the same location was very educational. The car was comfortable and the guide was great. He was very knowledgeable, and was very patient, allowing us to visit the butterfly farm and orchid garden even though we were running late and it would have impacted his family.

We loved this tour above all the other tours we have done in our short 5 day trip to Quito. Giovanni was our tour guide and he made this tour the highlight of our trip. He was so nice and spoke very good English which was helpful for us and he was very informative the whole day. He gave us the opportunity to pick and choose what we wanted to do and even gave us some unique/ cultural experiences of things in town we didn’t know about that we were so happy to experience. He was kind and patient and you never feel rushed at all. We did the humming bird feeding which was our most favorite and it was amazing, we did the 10 zip lines which took about an hour to do and we say one of the waterfalls which was beautiful. We decided to skip the butterfly thing and did the chocolate tasting which was nice. This tour you are able to do a lot in one day with a very informative guide. Thank you Giovanni for making our trip so great!

Great experience. Our guide, Eduardo, was prompt for pickup, made sure to organize our day according to our wants, and provided some interesting insight into Ecuadorean culture.

Great for kids. Eduardo was super knowledgeable and accommodating of my daughters many questions. The butterflies and zip-lining were definitely the highlights. “He was nice and gave us a good food suggestion” -10y old.

This full day Mindo Cloud Forest tour was outstanding! Our guide Eduardo is knowledgeable with the various types of eco-systems especially the wildlife & birds! This tour offers flexibility with the different types of activities available and how much time you want to spend at each one. I highly recommend Galapagos My World tours to other adventure seeking folks! 5 stars

Giovanni is a gem of a guide. Fluent in English and everything was perfectly timed. Picking us up promptly at 7:30am, we were in the cloud forest before other tour groups, and started the day with a stop at the hummingbird garden with a plantain tasting. Then for breakfast, Giovanni brought us to a local place where we tried two tasty, filling local dishes and got to try tamarillo juice. Next was the serene waterfall hike and cable car, then up the road to the butterfly garden. Finally we went into Mindo for encebollado (fish soup) and a chocolate tasting. Once back in Quito, Giovanni let us stop to try some cuy (bbq guinea pig) before visiting La Mitad del Mundo. A jampacked, amazing day.

Our guide Marcello was exceptional and all of the sites were well worth the money. Loved the hummingbirds, tucans, zipline, waterfall hike and chocolate!

We had the best time with our tour guide! This was a very beautiful day trip that we are so happy that we got to experience… it was one of our favorite parts of the trip. It’s very flexible where you can pick whatever you and your group what to do for the day based on all the activities offered. We had SO MUCH FUN

It was a wonderful introduce to Quito. Loved the drive to the Mindo Rainforest, the hummingbird experience was memorable, & the gondola ride with the hike to the waterfall was special especially with Eduardo as our guide.