Ecuador
Birding Day Tours from Quito
The highest bird diversity per square kilometre on Earth — Chocó cloud forest, high páramo and the eastern slope, all within a few hours of Quito.
Photo © Jess Findlay
Quito day tours
Four short routes, four different habitats
The same format as our Lima day trips: expert-guided, small-group departures from your Quito hotel, each targeting a distinct band of the Andes. Run them back-to-back over a few days and the trip list climbs fast — without ever sleeping outside the city. Combine them with our Northern Peru tours for a single Tumbesian-and-Chocó crossing of the border.
EcuadorAntisana & the Andean Condor
A relaxed high-páramo day tour from Quito to Antisana — the closest reliable site for Andean Condor, Ecuadorian Hillstar and Silvery Grebe, on paved roads with almost no walking.
easy fitness
EcuadorYanacocha Reserve
High-Andean forest and a legendary hummingbird garden an hour from Quito — home of the critically endangered Black-breasted Puffleg, Sword-billed Hummingbird and high-altitude tanager flocks.
easy fitness
EcuadorTandayapa & Mindo
The heart of the Chocó cloud forest 90 minutes from Quito — Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, Andean Cock-of-the-rock, tanager flocks and the hand-fed antpittas of Refugio Paz de las Aves.
moderate fitness
EcuadorPapallacta & Guango
The eastern slope in a day — from the wet páramo of Papallacta Pass down to the temperate forest and feeders of Guango, with Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, Giant Conebill and Sword-billed Hummingbird.
moderate fitness