Top Ecuador Unique Experiences

Mindo, known for its coffee and chocolate production, sits just off the main road between Quito and Esmeraldas. On this chocolate-centric tour, get a behind-the-scenes look at the chocolate-making process from bean to bar at a small-batch factory. Taste fresh fruit straight from a cocoa tree and finish with a tasting of several varieties of chocolate.

Venture into the cloud forest of Mindo on this private day trip from Quito with hotel pickup. Learn from a coffee-and-chocolate expert during visits to a cacao farm and coffee plantation. A guide explains chocolate making, followed by a tasting and themed savory lunch. Start the day with coffee and a stop at a hummingbird viewpoint in the Mindo Cloud Forest and finish with another flavorful tasting.

Chocoholics and cultural connoisseurs alike are sure to enjoy a private 4-hour tour from Guayaquil to a local cocoa farm. Relax, as private transportation takes you from your hotel and into the Ecuadorian countryside. Discover what makes chocolate production in Ecuador unique, as you explore the family owned cocoa plantation. Harvest ripe cocoa beans with your guide, then use dried beans to create a cocoa infusion of your own.

Visit a family-owned cacao farm on a 4-hour tour from Guayaquil, and see how Ecuadorian chocolate goes from freshly-harvested fruit to the finished product. Learn about planting and harvesting, help toast, husk, and grind the cacao seeds, and eat a farm lunch made with organic ingredients grown onsite. This 4-hour cacao farm tour includes pickup and drop-off at your hotel in Guayaquil, all activities, and lunch.

Combine culture with nature on a private full-day city and cocoa farm tour from Guayaquil. Designed for travelers passing through Guayaquil, this excursion takes you to a rural cocoa farm where you’ll tour the plantation and make chocolate from scratch. Then, you’ll embark on a sightseeing tour of Guayaquil city, home to attractions such as Las Penas neighborhood, Malecon 2000, and Parque Historico. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

Sample the artisanal food producers of Manta during this 6-hour exploration of the city’s chocolate and craft beer industries. Check out the plantations and growing facilities for Creole Cocoa and Rio Chico, learning about their cultivation of cacao beans and the chocolate making process. You’ll also get to visit nearby plantations of oranges, lemons and coconuts before heading to a local craft brewery for a tasting. This food-focused trip also includes a lunch of typical local cuisine, entrance fees and round-trip hotel transport.

Are you looking for a day trip close by Quito? Do you have a stopover at Quito´s airport for few hours and you don´t know what to do? Experience the beauty of Pifo area located just 50 minutes from Quito or 25 from the main airport. This visit allows to visit a rosefarm and enjoy a unique experience on a horse. Explore arcaded pathways, hidden places with great views of some volcanoes surrounding Quito area. As you ride, you will learn a bit of Ecuadorian roses and highlands areas.

Get ready for an educational and unforgettable adventure where rescued wildlife, exotic orchids, and Ecuador's natural heritage come together. Begin with exclusive access to the quarantine area, normally closed to the public, where you'll hear the inspiring stories of rescued animals and their path to recovery. Explore the Wildlife Conservation Center with a professional guide, witness the thrilling feeding of the lions, and hand-feed parrots, macaws, and monkeys. Enjoy a traditional Lojano lunch while the zoo's manager shares the center's history, wildlife rescue efforts, and conservation mission. Then visit the Orchid Conservatory, where a recognized orchidologist guides you through four climate-controlled sections showcasing native orchids. Finish with a guided tour of the Municipal Nursery and leave knowing you've truly experienced, and helped protect, the heart of conservation in Loja.