Cloud forest
Mindo cloud forest day trips from Quito
Mindo cloud forest day trips from Quito drop you into a warmer, wetter forest and bring you back the same day. The price is on the partner’s page.
Photograph by Murray Foubister, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Listings
Ways to book
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GetYourGuide
Birds and a waterfall
A set day with the hummingbirds and a walk to the falls.
A hummingbird sanctuary and a waterfall hike. Zipline and chocolate are optional on the listing.
See prices -
GetYourGuide
Private forest day
A car of your own, leaving the city in the morning.
A private car that the listing says leaves Quito around 8:00 a.m., and a forest hike.
See prices -
Viator
Mindo on Viator
A second desk for the same kind of day.
A Viator search for Mindo. Open a listing before you trust a duration.
See prices
Buttons above are paid partner links. How that works.
On the ground
Trip tips
- Quito
- Equator line
- Calacalí
- La Independencia
- Mindo
The usual road leaves Quito to the north, crosses the equatorial line, then drops northwest. One traveler’s account reserves self-driving for people who are comfortable with mountain roads, fog, and a wet surface closer to the forest.
When
Morning in the forest, for the birds. One private listing leaves Quito around 8:00 a.m. Afternoons are when the cloud and a short rain tend to arrive.
Weather
One operator describes sun and showers year-round, with temperatures about 15–24°C, and suggests a light rain jacket. A Quito guide calls December–February and June–September drier. Another account places the drier months in June–December and still expects afternoon cloud.
Stops
The hummingbird gardens, the tarabita, and the waterfall sanctuary (Nambillo, Reina, Ondinas, Guarumos, Colibríes, Madre, and Maderos). Chocolate stops sit on the same slope and are optional on one listing.
Altitude and what to bring
Quito is about 2,850 m. Mindo is about 1,250 m. The day is a descent, which is the opposite of a Cotopaxi problem. For the falls, the sanctuary asks for a swimsuit, hiking shoes, and rain clothes.
Sources: Ecuatouring · Quito Trip · Cultures Traveled · Packing Up the Pieces · Mindo.info . Rewritten here. Fees, hours, and roads change.
Before you go
Good to know
- The shared day lists 9–10 hours, with hummingbirds and a waterfall hike. Zipline and chocolate are extras on that listing.
- The private listing says the car leaves Quito around 8:00 a.m.
- Some waterfall, cable-car, and farm stops charge their own entry. Check that on the day rather than trusting a blog’s price.
Landing at Mariscal Sucre and would rather not start in a city taxi? UIO Transfers is a private car from the airport. It is the owner’s company, not a third-party ad.
Questions
Before you click
How long does it take to reach Mindo from Quito?
Published drives are about two hours, or about 90 minutes once you are clear of city traffic on the Calacalí–La Independencia road. Distance is given as about 80 km in two accounts and about 100 km in another. A bus from Terminal La Ofelia is described as a little over two hours, or about 2.5 hours.
What do the listed Mindo tours include?
One lists 9–10 hours with a hummingbird sanctuary and a waterfall hike. A private tour lists 8 hours and a forest hike, leaving around 8:00 a.m.
When are the birds easiest to see?
One visitor’s guide says birds are most active in the morning, with cloud and a short rain more common in the afternoon, including in the months that guide calls drier.
What is the tarabita?
A cable car across a canyon the sanctuary describes as 530 m wide and about 150 m above the Nambillo. The waterfall walk on that side names seven falls and takes about 3 to 5 hours. Bring a swimsuit, hiking shoes, and rain clothes for that trail.