Chocó Foothills & Andean Highlands

Discover exceptional Chocó foothill diversity, with opportunities for colorful tanagers, regional endemics, and an impressive range of hummingbirds across multiple elevations.Enjoy close views of antpittas and other forest specialties at reserves known for reliable sightings and thoughtful habitat management.Experience rich mid‑elevation birding at Amagusa Reserve, home to Indigo Flowerpiercer, Glistening‑green Tanager, and other sought‑after foothill species.Witness signature high‑Andean birds in Antisana National Park, including Andean Condor, Carunculated Caracara, Andean Ibis, and high‑altitude hummingbirds.Discover Ecuador’s remarkable elevational turnover as species communities shift dramatically from humid foothill forest to cloud forest to páramo.Enjoy excellent photographic opportunities at feeders and forest edges, with vibrant tanagers, toucanets, and hummingbirds at close range.With access to cloud forest, Chocó foothills, and high-Andean páramo, this itinerary delivers exceptional diversity with 350+ species possible.

While we cannot guarantee sightings of the birds listed below, we believe that encountering these species is quite likely during this tour. Long-wattled UmbrellabirdBlack-tipped CotingaIndigo FlowerpiercerGlistening-green TanagerMoss-backed TanagerScarlet-and-white TanagerOrange-breasted FruiteaterChoco ToucanPlate-billed Mountain-ToucanToucan BarbetBlack SolitaireGolden-collared HoneycreeperAndean-Cock-of-the-rockGiant AntpittaYellow-breasted AntpittaWhite-faced NunbirdOlive FinchOcellated TapaculoGiant HummingbirdAndean CondorCaranculated CaracaraAndean IbisAndean LapwingAndean GullShining SunbeamEcuadorian HillstarStout-billed CinclodesRufous-crowned AntpittaWhite-whiskered HermitSword-billed HummingbirdVelvet-purple CoronetChestnut-crowned Antpittaand many, many more!

OSCAR CARMONA

Overall Difficulty: Moderate. No technical hiking or mountaineering is required, but guests should be comfortable walking on uneven, sometimes muddy forest trails for 3–4 hours at a time. Terrain varies from well-maintained lodge paths to steeper, root-laced cloud forest tracks, particularly at Bellavista, Refugio Paz de las Aves, and Zuro Loma. A reasonable level of physical fitness is recommended, as early starts and full field days are the norm throughout the tour.Days begin early, typically between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. to take advantage of peak bird activity in the first hours after dawn. Morning birding sessions run approximately 3–4 hours and are followed by a mid-morning break or lunch before an afternoon session at a second site. Guests typically return to the lodge by late afternoon, leaving time to rest, review field notes, and enjoy the lodge feeders before dinner. Evening recaps with the guide are informal and optional. Pace on the trail is relaxed and birding-focused with frequent stops to observe, photograph, and identify species. Guests should be able to walk 2–3 miles per day on variable terrain, stand for extended periods while scanning the canopy, and manage occasional elevation changes, particularly on Day 2 (Zuro Loma, ~3,200 m / 10,500 ft) and Day 3 (Bellavista, ~2,000 m / 6,600 ft). Altitude acclimatization on Day 1 in Quito is built into the itinerary for this reason.

The tour price is $3,950 USD per person based on double occupancy. The single supplement is $420 USD and will be applied if you request single accommodations, or if you prefer to share a room but no roommate is available and we are unable to pair you with another participant.To register for this tour, please complete an online reservation form. A non‑refundable deposit of $300 USD per person is required to secure your space. All payments—including deposits and final balances—may be made by credit card, check, or bank/wire transfer.Deposits are due within 14 days of submitting your reservation form. The remaining balance is due as soon as the tour is confirmed or 90 days prior to the tour start date, whichever comes first. We will invoice you accordingly.

The tour package includes:Expert guidesMeals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) Ground transportation during the tourEntrance fees to parks/preserves as outlined in the itineraryLodge / accommodations as outlined in the itinerary The tour package does not include travel and pre-tour expenses including but not limited to:Airfare to and from the tour destinationExtended stays (before and/or after the tour)Airport transfers Travel insuranceTips/Gratuity for birding guides, driver, and lodge staffAlcoholic beveragesItems/expenses of personal nature

International travel includes several important practical considerations that guests should review before registering for this tour. The notes below outline key documentation requirements and general travel expectations to help ensure a smooth, well‑prepared experience. Passport & Visa:  A valid passport is required for entry into Ecuador. Your passport must have a minimum of six months' validity beyond your travel dates. Citizens of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and most other Western nations do not require a visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days; entry is granted on arrival at no cost. No advance visa application is necessary. Immigration officers may request proof of onward or return travel (a printed or digital copy of your return flight itinerary is sufficient) and, occasionally, proof of sufficient funds for your stay. Guests are encouraged to confirm current entry requirements with their government's travel portal prior to departure, as policies are subject to change. Altitude Awareness: Quito sits at approximately 9,200 feet (2,800 m) above sea level, and this tour visits Antisana National Park at elevations approaching approximately 12,500 + feet (3,800 m). Altitude sickness is common among visitors not acclimated to high elevations and may include symptoms such as headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, and nausea. Day 1 in Quito is intentionally designed as a rest and acclimatization day. Guests are encouraged to stay well hydrated, avoid alcohol, and limit strenuous physical activity upon arrival. Remedies such as acetazolamide (Diamox) are available by prescription and may be discussed with a physician prior to travel. Guests with a history of heart or respiratory conditions should consult their doctor before registering for this tour.Travel Insurance: Travel insurance is strongly recommended for all participants and should include, at minimum: trip cancellation and interruption coverage, emergency medical coverage, medical evacuation coverage (particularly important for remote cloud forest locations where ground transport to major hospitals may take several hours). Guests should verify that their policy covers adventure travel activities including hiking and wildlife excursions in remote locations.

Cancellations must be submitted in writing. The following schedule applies:Cancellations made 120 days or more before the tour start date: Full refund of payments made minus the non-refundable per person deposit and any supplier cancellation penalties. Participants may choose a one-time transfer of payments made beyond the non-refundable per person deposit and any supplier cancellation penalties to another tour within 12 months, subject to availability. Cancellations made 119–91 days before the tour start date: 50% refund of payments made minus the non-refundable per person deposit and any supplier cancellation penalties. Cancellations made 90 days or less before the tour start date: No refund.We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance to protect your investment in the event of unexpected circumstances.For full details, please review Terms and Conditions before booking any of our tours or services. Our Terms and Conditions include important information about how we operate our tours, including cancellation policy, travel insurance, health and fitness requirements, and other essential guidelines to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience.

Day 1: Arrival at Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) anytime today.  Quito sits at 9,350 feet above sea level in a high Andean valley, cradled between volcanic ridges and steeped in colonial heritage. It holds the distinction of being the world's second-highest capital city and was among the first two cities ever designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a status earned by its extraordinary historic center of perfectly preserved Spanish colonial architecture, plazas, and churches. Dinner tonight is at your leisure; guests are encouraged to take it easy on the first evening, allowing the body to acclimate gently to the altitude before the active birding days ahead. Overnight: Hotel Mercure Alameda, Quito. Day 2: Zuro Loma, Alambi Reserve & Guaycapi Lodge. We depart Quito and head northwest into the Pichincha highlands, the volcanic province that cradles the capital and gives way, on its western flank, to one of the most biologically astonishing landscapes on the planet. Our first stop is Zuro Loma, a high-elevation site where páramo grades into cloud forest at a remarkable ecological frontier. The cool mist rolls over rolling ridges blanketed in mosses, cushion plants, and bromeliads, and the bird community here is fundamentally different from what awaits in the valley below. From Zuro Loma, the route descends toward the legendary Tandayapa Valley and the entrance to Alambi Reserve, a lush private reserve nestled along the Alambi River. Feeders here attract a rotating cast of hummingbirds alongside tanagers, barbets, and an ever-changing parade of mixed-flock species drifting through the forest edge. The forest trails at Alambi offer some of the most productive mixed-flock birding in the region, with cloud forest antbirds, woodcreepers, and foliage-gleaners. We then continue to our home base for the next five nights, the Guaycapi Birding Lodge, perched above the Guaycapi River in the heart of the Tandayapa Valley. This lodge was designed and built specifically for birdwatching guests, and every detail reflects that singular focus; from the balconied cottages overlooking the forested valley to the Quetzal Owl restaurant, whose wraparound feeders and tanager platforms transform every meal into a birding experience. The afternoon is spent at leisure, exploring the Mirador Guaycapi and the adjacent trail network as the valley light shifts from afternoon gold to the deep green of dusk, with the feeders alive with activity until the last light fades. Overnight: Guaycapi Birding Lodge. Notable species for the day include Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Blue-capped Tanager,  Green-tailed Trainbearer, Andean Guan, Red-crested Cotinga, Mountain Velvetbreast, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Golden-headed Quetzal, Chestnut-naped Antpitta, Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, Shining Sunbeam, Masked Flowerpiercer, Sapphire-vented Puffleg, Tyrian Metaltail, Spectacled Redstart, Equatorial Antpitta, Barred Fruiteater,  and Golden-crowned Tanager, among many others. Day 3: Refugio Paz de las Aves & Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve. We depart early and travel down the valley to Refugio Paz de las Aves, a legendary family-run reserve that has become one of the most famous birdwatching destinations in the country. The story began when local farmer Angel Paz discovered a Giant Antpitta in his property, one of the most coveted and notoriously secretive birds in the Neotropics. He realized that if he dug up worms and made a specific calling noise, these highly secretive birds would learn to associate him with food; earning the trust of these elusive birds. Here, Giant, Yellow-breasted, Ochre-breasted, Moustached and Chestnut-crowned Antpittas may approach guests to within just a few feet, pausing with almost theatrical composure as cameras click and binoculars are lowered in astonishment. The Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek at Paz de las Aves is equally extraordinary. Brilliant scarlet males, their heads enveloped in a rounded orange-red crest that covers the bill entirely, perform competitive courtship displays at close range, bobbing, bowing, and posturing in the dappled undergrowth as females observe with calculated reserve. In the afternoon we visit Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, a renowned property perched on a ridge along the historic Nono–Tandayapa road. Bellavista's trails plunge through primary cloud forest draped in hanging mosses, wild orchids, and bromeliads that festoon every available surface, and the elevation gradient shifts the bird community remarkably over very short distances.  We return to the lodge in the early evening for dinner and a species recap session. Overnight: Guaycapi Birding Lodge. Other notable species found throughout the day may include Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Toucan Barbet, White-faced Nunbird, Flamed-faced Tanager, Spillmann’s Tapaculo, Turquoise Jay, Orange-breasted Fruiteater, Rufous-breasted Antthrush, Powerful Woodpecker, Striped Treehunter, Collared Inca, Olivaceous Piha, Black-capped Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Tawny-bellied Hermit, White-booted Racket-tail, Dark-backed Wood-Quail, Black-and-white Owl, Red-billed Parrot, and Scaled Fruiteater, to name a few. Day 4: Milpe Bird Sanctuary & Sendero Frutti Tour. Today we descend below the cloud forest belt into the foothill forests of the western Andes, where the Chocó bioregion begins to assert its extraordinary influence on bird life with an entirely new cast of species. Our first destination is Milpe Bird Sanctuary, a private reserve protecting a precious remnant of foothill forest with a remarkable tally of more than 500 recorded species. Milpe's network of shaded trails leads through undergrowth where antbirds, woodcreepers, and flycatchers bustle through leaf litter and fallen branches, while overhead, toucans, aracaris, and manakins animate the forest canopy with movement and sound. The sanctuary's hummingbird garden and feeding stations provide sustained, close-range views of species that would otherwise require hours of patient forest stalking - Andean Emerald, Green Thorntail, Crowned Woodnymph, White-whiskered Hermit, Green-crowned Brilliant, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, Speckled Hummingbird, and White-necked Jacobin are among the species that perform reliably here. In the afternoon, we continue to the Sendero Frutti Tour, a private birding trail where thoughtfully managed fruit feeders and native plantings have created a visually stunning photography site in the Mindo region. The property attracts an extraordinary diversity of tanagers, honeycreepers, and cotingas, many of which would be almost impossible to observe at close range without such exceptional habitat management.  Guests return to the lodge as the cloud forest settles into its evening chorus, with species lists that have grown considerably longer since breakfast. Overnight: Guaycapi Birding Lodge. Notable species for the day include Black-throated Mango, Great Antshrike, Little Tinamou, Red-headed Barbet, Maroon-tailed Parakeet, Dusky-faced Tanager, Bronze-winged Parrot, Esmeraldas Antbird, Green Honeycreeper, Slaty Antwren, Collared Trogon, Golden-winged Manakin, Pale-mandibled Aracari, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Blue-tailed Trogon, Choco Warbler, Silver-throated Tanager, Rose-faced Parrot, Rufous Motmot, and Speckled Nightingale-Thrush, among others. Day 5: Umbrellabird Lek & La Victoriana. We are on the road well before dawn for the drive to the Umbrellabird Lek Reserve, where the extraordinary Long-wattled Umbrellabird gathers each morning to perform its remarkable lek display in the misty foothill forest. The male Long-wattled Umbrellabird is one of the largest passerines in the world; draped entirely in jet black plumage with an iridescent sheen, he wears a sweeping umbrella-like crest that fans forward over the bill and a pendulous wattle of black feathers that hangs from the upper chest and can stretch to nearly a foot in length. During display, this wattle is extended, inflated, and held forward as the male booms and postures for females with an intensity that feels almost primordial; part sound, part spectacle, part pure evolutionary theatricality. To stand in a forest at dawn and witness this display at close range is an experience that simply cannot be replicated. After the lek display winds down, we continue to Finca La Victoriana in the Santa Elena area, a beloved and reliable site where a second lek of Andean Cock-of-the-Rock provides another round of close-range lek theater, vivid crimson males bobbing, bowing, and vocalizing from low perches as the forest resounds with their characteristic rasping calls. The contrast between the two leks — the dark, booming gravity of the Umbrellabird and the bright, electric chaos of the Cock-of-the-Rock — could hardly be more dramatic, and experiencing both on the same morning creates an unforgettable start to the day. The surrounding forest at La Victoriana is productive for a broad range of foothill specialties, and we search the canopy and undergrowth for hawks, wood-quail, and flycatchers before the drive back to the lodge. Overnight: Guaycapi Birding Lodge. Notable species for the day may include Gray-lined Hawk, Club-winged Manakin, Empress Brilliant, Swallow Tanager, Wattled Guan, Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl, Ornate Flycatcher, Masked Water-Tyrant, Dusky Chlorospingus, White-capped Dipper, Golden Tanager, Orange-bellied Euphonia, Rufous-fronted Wood-Quail, Bat Falcon, Bicolored Hawk, Laughing Falcon, Pacific Hornero, Yellow-collared Chlorophonia, and Choco Brushfinch, just to name a few.Day 6: Silanche Bird Sanctuary & Las Cotingas. The final full day from Guaycapi Lodge carries guests into the ecological climax of the western Andes: the lowland Chocó, the tropical forest at the base of the Andean foothills, one of the most biodiverse and biologically distinctive ecosystems on the planet. The Chocó bioregion, spanning Ecuador and Colombia, is globally recognized as one of the world's premier biodiversity hotspots, distinguished by extraordinarily high levels of endemism among plants, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. Here, the forest canopy is dense and dripping, the humidity palpable, and the sheer number of species active in any given patch of habitat is almost overwhelming to the senses. Silanche Bird Sanctuary protects a critical and irreplaceable patch of lowland Chocó Forest where the species diversity is genuinely staggering. The forest trails at Silanche wind through primary lowland vegetation where the target list includes some of the most coveted birds in all South America. In the afternoon we visit Las Cotingas, where cotingas, manakins, and specialty flycatchers are the primary attractions. The afternoon session here is a fitting complement to the morning's lowland immersion, with the forest edge and secondary growth offering a different set of opportunities than the primary forest interior. The day closes with a final evening at Guaycapi Lodge's feeders, a perfect occasion to revisit any lingering gaps on the list and to savor the lodge's unique atmosphere one last time before tomorrow's departure to the Mashpi area. Overnight: Guaycapi Birding Lodge. Notable species for the day include Masked Trogon, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Rufous-winged Tanager, Velvety Manakin, Tawny-crested Tanager, Orange-fronted Barbet, Chestnut-fronted Macaw, White-tailed Trogon, Choco Black-throated Trogon, Yellow-Tufted Dacnis, Scarlet-breasted Dacnis, Dusky Pigeon, Guayaquil Woodpecker, Blue-headed Parrot, White-bearded Manakin, Red-rumped Woodpecker, Scarlet-browed Tanager, Choco Tyrannulet, Purple Honeycreeper, and Cinnamon Woodpecker, among many others. Day 7: Transfer to Amagusa Reserve. After five wonderful nights in the Tandayapa Valley, Day 7 brings a change of scenery and a new chapter in the expedition. The drive westward toward the Mashpi area is itself a journey worth savoring; the road winds through coffee farms, past secondary forest patches and river valleys alive with bird activity. Our  destination is the Amagusa Reserve, also known as Mashpi Amagusa, a private reserve operating within Ecuador's Chocó Andino UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and protecting cloud forest at approximately 3,900–5,200 feet, a subtly different elevation band from Guaycapi that shifts the species composition. The lodge is family-run, with home-cooked meals featuring ingredients from the Mashpi region. The afternoon and early evening are spent exploring the reserve's trail network and hummingbird gardens, orienting guests to the key feeding stations, forest overlooks, and productive understory patches that will be worked more deeply on the following morning. Overnight: Mashpi Amagusa Reserve. Target species include Pacific Tuftedcheek, Rufous-brown Solitaire, White-tipped Sicklebill, Moss-backed Tanager, Uniform Treehunter, Bronze-olive Pygmy-Tyrant, Barred Becard, Bay Wren, Ochre-breasted Tanager, Flame-rumped Tanager, Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Cinnamon Becard, Broad-billed Motmot, Short-tailed Nighthawk, Green-fronted Lancebill, Velvet-purple Coronet, Zeledon’s Antbird, and Smoky-brown Woodpecker - to name a few. Day 8: Amagusa Reserve & Sacha Guatusa. Today is a full day of birding within and around Amagusa Reserve. The morning begins over the reserve's ridgelines, birding transitions to the forest trails, where mixed-species flocks drift through the canopy. In Neotropical cloud forest, these mixed flocks function as roving cooperative foraging parties, with different species occupying different positions and feeding niches within the same moving assemblage. Joining a good mixed flock and moving with it through the forest for thirty minutes can produce twenty or more species in rapid succession, an experience simultaneously exhilarating and technically demanding as birds appear and disappear in the dense vegetation. The reserve's trail network passes through distinct forest types and microclimates along its length, ensuring a continuously refreshing cast of species throughout the morning session. In the afternoon, we travel to Sacha Guatusa, a private farm and forest corridor in the Mashpi region where several Chocó lowland species reach their upper elevational limits, creating an overlap zone of unusual richness.  We return to Amagusa for a home-cooked dinner, sharing the day's highlights over the warmth of the lodge, tallying the expedition's final list, and reflecting on a journey through one of the most extraordinary bird communities anywhere on Earth. Overnight: Mashpi Amagusa Reserve. Targe species include Indigo Flowerpiercer, Olive Finch, Black-chinned Mountain Tanager, Black-billed Peppershrike, Violet-tailed Sylph, Black Solitaire, Plain-backed Antpitta, Glistening-green Tanager, Golden-collared Honeycreeper, Black-tipped Cotinga, Choco Vireo, Emerald Tanager, Yellow-green Tanager, Brown-billed Scythebill, White-throated Quail-Dove, and Golden-naped Tanager. Day 9: Amagusa Reserve, Antisana National Park & Transfer to Quito.  After a final sweep of the feeders and forest edges, we depart the reserve and begin the scenic return toward the Andes. The destination is Antisana Ecological Reserve, and the contrast with the world left behind at Amagusa could not be more complete or more exhilarating. Dominated by the brooding, glacier-capped mass of Antisana Volcano, one of Ecuador's highest peaks at over 18,700 feet, the reserve encompasses an extraordinary altitudinal range from highland humid forest at its lower margins to open páramo grasslands and glacial wetlands stretching to the horizon. The first stop is the reserve's entrance zone, where patches of highland humid and elfin forest hold mixed-species of striking Andean birds: Red-crested Cotinga, Black-crested Warbler, Spectacled Redstart, Tufted Tit-Tyrant, Andean Tit-Spinetail, Black-tailed Trainbearer, and Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant are all reliable here in the morning hours. From the forest, the route climbs into open páramo toward the Mirador del Cóndor and the Chakana Reserve, a Jocotoco Conservation Foundation sanctuary established to protect the Andean Condor along the sheer Isco Cliff face. This is among the most reliable sites in all of Ecuador for sustained, close-range views of the Andean Condor, the largest flying land bird in the world, riding effortlessly on thermals that rise off the volcanic rock below. The golden blooms of Chuquiragua across the surrounding hillsides mark prime territory for the Ecuadorian Hillstar, a high-altitude endemic hummingbird of exceptional beauty, while Great Sapphirewing, Giant Hummingbird, Shining Sunbeam, Carunculated Caracara, Stout-billed Cinclodes, Streak-backed Canastero, and Tawny Antpitta are all strong targets across the open grasslands. The wetlands at Laguna La Mica round out the afternoon beautifully, drawing an impressive cast of high-altitude waterbirds including Andean Duck, Andean Teal, Yellow-billed Pintail, Andean Gull, Andean Lapwing, Silvery Grebe, and the Andean Ibis, which breeds at La Mica in one of its only confirmed nesting sites in the country. The group makes the final drive into Quito, arriving in the capital as the city lights begin to come on across the valley below. Overnight: Hotel Mercure Alameda, Quito. Day 10: Tour Conclusion & Departures from Quito.  After breakfast at the hotel, the tour concludes. By the end of the journey, guests will have experienced a rich blend of Ecuador’s landscapes, conservation stories, and signature birdlife—an engaging and memorable exploration of one of the world’s premier birding regions. Participants may depart Quito at any time today.

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