Mindo Cloud Forest Private Day Tour

Recommended by 97% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Quito, Ecuador

Popular pick

Booked 10+ times last week!

8 to 9 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Cheryl_D ·

Jun 2026

Luis was a fabulous guide. Our day was absolutely the test. We visited the Mindo Cloud Forest and saw the hummingbirds as well as other birds (San Tadeo Birding), visited Mariposas de Mindo for the butterflies. We had a delicious lunch in Mindo. Was a great day!

· Anne_F ·

Jul 2026

Our guide Fredy was excellent! He drove us safely to the cloud forest led us on many excursions, and made the whole experience enjoyable and stress-free. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and made sure we had a great time. Fredy is excellent at spotting birds. I had a foot injury so he did a great job at creating the perfect itinerary. Highly recommended!

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Overview

After private hotel pickup in Quito, head to the Cloud Forest in Mindo. Your private day tour stops at the best viewpoints and gives you plenty of time to take photos. Get the best views of the plants and wildlife on a cable car ride through the Cloud Forest. Let your private guide lead you to the best waterfalls in Ecuador before returning you to your hotel.

Enjoy a private tour of natural wonders at your own pace
See endemic wildlife from a very close distance
Relax with private round-trip hotel transportation from Quito
Take a cable car ride through the Mindo Cloud Forest

What's Included

Private transportation
Certified English speaking guide
Entrance fee - Hummingbirds' Farm
Entrance fee - Cable Car Ride

Lunch
Coffee and/or Tea

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

You will be picked up from your own hotel or address within Quito's district or Airport area, at 8:00 a.m.

Operating hours
.8:00 am

Itinerary

Quito

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Alambi Reserve

50 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Mindo

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Quito

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Infant seats available
Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Most travelers can participate
Our guides and drivers will follow vehicle cleaning and personal care protocols, with disinfectant products during the tour.
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9

based on 517 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Sort by: Most insightful

Great Day in the Cloud Forest

Anne_F, Jul 2026

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thank you for visiting Mindo with us!!

Highly recommend

Charles_G, Jul 2026

The tour was amazing! The hummingbird experience was incredible, there was also a nice hike for about an hour (that can be extended), and the butterfly place was great! What is nice about it is you can choose different things to do when you’re in Mindo. Luis was an exceptional guide who did well contextualising the environment with current events and its past.

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thank you very much! Welcome to Ecuador!

Mindo Cloud Forest Tour

Cheryl_D, Jun 2026

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you very much for your feedback!! We are happy to know that you felt comfortable with our local guide!

A perfect day.

karen_w, Jun 2026

I love that our tour guide, Deanna, was as passionate about the environment as we were! Because she was so in tune with the experience we were able to see toucans! The entire experience was perfect. We loved the hike to the waterfall and the cable car ride! The Hummingbird Farm was a definite highlight.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

And you were the perfect guests... Thank you very much!!

Wonderful day trip to Mindo.

John_M, Jun 2026

We had a very informative guide (Andres) who was very engaged with us the entire trip. He is a very safe driver too . I would highly recommend this tour as there were no crowds which made it more fun.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you very very much!!

Highly recommend

Peter_W, Jun 2026

Amazing off road adventure filled with kindness and safety felt all around, flowers birds and waterfalls

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you so much!! And welcome to Mindo Cloud Forest!!

Outstanding experiences chosen by you

June_F, May 2026

The trip to Mindo was fantastic. We were able to choose from several activities presented by our guide to fill in our day. We chose; a walk to a waterfall, viewing hummingbirds, riding a zip line bicycle, taking a gondola ride and having a chocolate tasting activities. Note that most activities have a small fee associated with them outside of booking the guide. From $5 -&10 dollars. Our favorites were the bird watching where we were surrounded by incredibly diverse and beautiful hummingbirds and chocolate tasting where we were walked through all of the steps required to make chocolate from cocao beans then we tasted various flavors of chocolate as well as other chocolate products. Ximena, our guide led us through all activities and provided tons of insight on the culture and history of the place.

Response from Host, May 2026

It was a pleasure! Thank you!!

Gracias Miriam

Matthew_J, May 2026

Absolutely awesome experience. I would really recommend that you go to the second hummingbird place ($10 entry), it is hidden away but it is SO worth it. Our guide Miriam was informative, friendly, funny and relaxed. The pacing and the activities were perfect, enjoyed every moment. Thanks so much!

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank YOU for everything!!

Fantastic day out

Stuart_B, May 2026

This was a fantastic trip. Our guide arranged to pick us up 30 minutes early due to public holiday traffic, so the whole trip was 7.30am to 6pm. Our guide (Ximena) asked us exactly which places we wanted to visit when we got in the car so we customised the trip. The drive from Quito to Mindo takes about 2 hours each way and we chatted with our very knowledgeable guide about the wildlife, the plants, and about life in Quito. She spoke very good English which made it easy for us. We opted to go to and see Hummingbirds first, but also saw Toucans and Tanagers (YMMV). Next stop was a walk through the cloud forest, with lots of explanation about the plants and the environment, with a return trip via a cable car. We stopped at a butterfly sanctuary where we also had a good value lunch, and finished at a local coffee artisan where we had the whole coffee production process explained to us by a super confident and knowledgeable 18 year old local girl. We roasted, ground and tasted our own coffee before the drive back to Quito. TL/DR: Would 100% recommend!

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you so much!! It was our pleasure!!

Once in a lifetime experience

Steve_S, May 2026

Freddy was out tour tour guide and companion. He was phenomenal. He knows Mindo like the back of his hand. The road to Mindo is windy, so be ready if you're prone to car sickness. The birds are out of this world. DONT SKIP

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you very much for not skipining the best experience at Mindo Cloud Forest!! We are glad to know you loved your experince with our tour guide!

Excellent day, excellent tour, excellent guide

Leslie_S, May 2026

Our guide Diana was perfect and made our day wonderful. We enjoyed the hummingbird/bird sanctuary, butterfly sanctuary and chocolate tasting.

Response from Host, May 2026

Welsome to Mindo!! Thank you very much for visiting Mindo Cloud Forest!

Mindo Cloud Forest visit

Chris_M, May 2026

Beautiful area to visit. Guide was friendly and informative. He was flexible and receptive to our input as to itinerary.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you very much!!

great tour of mindo forest

Kathryn_J, May 2026

Miriam is not only knowledgeable about the area in the culture, but she’s also very knowledgeable about the flowers. Plants, birds and the culture in the area. She was friendly and fun to be with and very patient.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you very much for such a lovely review about our guide! It was a pleasure...

Freddy was an excellent...

Melissa_M, May 2026

Freddy was an excellent guide. Very knowledgeable and helpful. Tailored the experience to our interests.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you very much!

Private Day Tour

Ryan_V, Apr 2026

A must do when you are in Quito, you could easily spend two or three days in Mindo. Our guide was amazing and hus knowledge of the flora and fauna made the day particularly special.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you very much!! We are happy to know that you liked your day in Mindo with us!!

Would book again and again and again.

Kyle_W, Apr 2026

Best tour guide ever. Very friendly and knowledgeable. Never felt rushed. Great flexibility and fun activities.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you very much!! Welcome to Mindo!

Great day with variety of experiences

nconvard, Apr 2026

An excellent day guided by Ximena! She tailored the trip to our preferences and was very knowledgeable. Safe driving too. A very enjoyable day!

Response from Host, Apr 2026

We are glad to know that you loved the comapny of our tour guide. Thank you!!

Fabulous day out! So much variety!

Lindsay_G, Apr 2026

This was tailored to us - what level difficulty of hike and what combination of activities we wanted to do. We did medium hike inc waterfall, butterfly farm, chocolate tasting, hummingbirds and cable car. We had a marvellous day with Ximena - about 11 hours in total. She was really friendly and knowledgeable. This was our favourite trip in Quito as it had such variety and we were lucky to see hummingbirds, toucans, agoutis, squirrels and tayras all in one place. The chocolate tasting was hands on, informative and fun - even had a chocolate face mask! On the. Able car Ximena asked them to stop half way across so we could take some great pics. The scenery, information, wildlife, experience and company all great. The recommendation for lunch in Mindo at Serenity also very tasty!

Response from Host, Apr 2026

The flexibility on this tour make this happen.... Thank you!!

Amazing day in Mindo

Pam_P, Apr 2026

We had the best time with Wilson in the Mindo cloud forest. He had great planned stops and made perfect personalized recommendations along the way. Zip lining was a blast. Even the car ride to and from Quito was a lot fun, our carpool karaoke session will go down as one of my favorite family memories. Highly recommend taking a tour with Wilson.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you very much for taking the best experience at Mindo Cloud Forest with our team!! It was a pleasure!

Great Solo Tour in Mindo

Sonya_R, Apr 2026

We had a great time, especially at the hummingbird preserve. It was so awesome. Diana was a great guide and catered the day to our wants and needs.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you for choosing us to visit Mindo!!

Day trip to Mindo cloud forest

Brenda_B, Apr 2026

It was a great experience with a variety of activities from seeing humming birds, hiking to a waterfall, admiring wild orchids and learning about chocolate making. The guide José was very professional and informative. I really enjoyed the day and I recommend this activity.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

It was a pleasure! Thank you!

Mindo Cloud Forest

Bonnie_T, Mar 2026

We had a terrific day full of activity. We went to the Chocolate Factory in Mindo, the Mindo Cloud Forest and the humming bird sanctuary. Ivan let us stop for lunch at a fantastic place called Serenity for lunch. We preordered for faster service for the 10 of us. 6 adults and 4 kids. Eddie’s driving was outstanding all day! Thank you! Ivan’s English was outstanding. The kids loved it ages 6,7,9,10.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you so much!! It was a pleasure!

Mindo Magic

Rachel_L, Mar 2026

We had an incredible experience on our Mindo Cloud Forest tour! The day began with a long drive from Quito to the Mindo region where we began by hiking to a beautiful waterfall and then took a cable car back to our van to travel to the next activity. Our guide Julie was extremely knowledgeable, pointing out flora and fauna during our hike and making sure everyone in our group was comfortable. Unfortunately, we didn’t spot any birds but the hike was still lovely. We stopped for lunch at a delicious restaurant then headed to a chocolate factory. At the chocolate factory, we learned how cocoa beans are grown, harvested and processed plus we got to try ~20 different chocolates, hot cocoa, cocoa tea, and a brownie. The guide at the chocolate factory made us feel welcome and we enjoyed all the treats we tried. Finally, we traveled to a hummingbird sanctuary. This part was our absolute favorite! Immediately upon arrival, we were given hummingbird nectar and the tiny creatures landed on our hands. This was such a neat experience and something we will never forget. Very thankful for how well this tour turned out!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you very very much!!

Mindo Cloud Forest and More

Eliza_E, Mar 2026

Mindo Cloud Forest be prepared for a full day of light hiking with spectacular experiencing hummingbirds waterfalls butterflies a delightful lunch and a chocolate factory experience. So much to experience treasure your experience.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you!! And welcome to Mindo!!

A truly personalized tour...

John_B, Mar 2026

A truly personalized tour that let's you shape your own adventure. Ximena Andrade was a fantastic guide and very helpful and knowledgeable. A perfect day.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you very very much!!

Mindo Rainforest

Michael_E, Feb 2026

Fun day exploring the Ecuadorian rainforest! Our guide was very knowledgeable and accommodating to our wishes. We had a nice hike through a rainforest canyon along a mountain stream up to a beautiful waterfall. We did a chocolate tour and tasting which was very interesting. Lastly, we visited a hummingbird area that had about 15 different species of hummingbirds and we were able to feed them nectar from our hands. How fun!

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Welcome to Ecuador!! Thank you!

A day in Mindo

Anne_D, Feb 2026

Our driver, Fredy: 5/5 Mindo: 5/5 Seeing only a couple of birds 3/5, but you can’t predict that. We had a nice day with Fredy. He is very knowledgeable about Mindo’s flora and fauna. As importantly, he is an amazing driver. Because we were on a private tour, Freddy gave us several choices of what to do in Mindo: hummingbirds, butterflies, hiking to a waterfall, cable car, chocolate tour, or zip lining. We chose hummingbirds, cable car and hiking down to the waterfalls. Then when we crossed Río Mindo by bridge on our way up to the cable car, Fredy said that the local trout are delicious. We added having a trout dinner at a local restaurant. So, we started our day at Alambi Reserve (cost: $5.00 USD per person) where there are several species of hummingbirds. I chose to feed a few. I was given a mini hummingbird feeder that I held on the palm of my hand, and was soon experiencing hummingbirds up close. While we were driving to the next stop, Fredy pulled his vehicle over, grabbed his binoculars, and had us get out. He spotted a Choco toucan, and we got to see it. Besides the hummingbirds, this was the only other bird species we saw. The cable car across a river gorge was next (cost: $5.00 USD per person). We rode it one way, then walked the trail down to the waterfalls, crossed the bridge and hiked back up to the parking lot. Fredy is very knowledgeable about the flora. We heard a finch and another bird, but didn’t see them. Then, Fredy dropped us off in the centre of Mindo, where we could stroll the shops on the street. We met him at Serenity Restaurant, where we enjoyed a delicious grilled trout meal accompanied by a salad and fried plantain. We were happy with our choices, and enjoyed meeting Fredy. The tour site provides a list of items to bring, which is helpful. If you get car sick (we don’t), they should add motion sickness pills as the road in and out is steep and windy. Also, the site is clear about add on expenses. Everything you choose is an add on cost.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

We are glad to know that loved your trip. Thank you!!

Mindo Guide - Diana

Julie_D, Feb 2026

Diana was such a great guide for this experience and was happy to accommodate our wildlife viewing desires. The walk to the cascades was also a great. Would highly recommend Diana as your guide.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you very very much!! It was a pleasure!

Family trip to Mindo

Jessica_H, Feb 2026

Wonderful day trip with Fredy as our guide. He was fantastic. He know so much about the area and the places to stop. He tailored the trip to our needs and helped us look for birds. He was wonderful to chat with and is a warm and welcoming person. We had a great day!

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you very much for choosing the best experince in Mindo!! It was a pleasure!!

Beautiful visit to cloud forest with many activities

Marty_S, Feb 2026

Wonderful day filled with hummingbirds, butterflies, cable car ride over cloud forest, and chocolate tour/tasting! Ivan was a fantastic guide! Each activity costs extra so be sure to bring extra cash. Big highlight of our visit to Quito.