14 Days Ecuador – Fauna & Flora

Ecuador – Fauna & Flora

14 Days / 13 Nights

TOUR INCLUDES:

Accommodation with daily breakfast
Domestic flights and ground transfers
Guided tours with English-speaking guides
Entrance fees to national parks and reserves
Birdwatching and nature excursions as per itinerary
Farm visits and chocolate tastings
All activities mentioned in program
Meals as specified (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)

Ecuador – Fauna & Flora

14 Days / 13 Nights

ITINERARY:

Day 1 – Guayaquil

Welcome to Guayaquil, Ecuador’s vibrant Pacific metropolis. Transfer to your hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure to explore the city’s tropical charm, riverside promenade, and lively culture.

Day 2 – Guayaquil

Spend an unforgettable day at a historic coastal hacienda. Tour lush cacao plantations, float down the river on inflatable rafts, or go biking through nature trails. Visit the organic garden and enjoy a delicious farm-to-table lunch amid the peaceful countryside.

Day 3 – Guayaquil

Venture to the Manglares Churute Ecological Reserve, one of Ecuador’s most biodiverse regions. Cruise through mangrove forests, take a short hike in the tropical dry forest, and enjoy lunch at a local family-owned finca. Learn about Ecuador’s world-famous cacao and taste freshly made chocolate.

Day 4 – Guayaquil → Cuenca

Travel to Cuenca, one of Ecuador’s most charming colonial cities. En route, visit El Cajas National Park, a breathtaking landscape of glacial lakes, wetlands, and misty highlands—home to more than 125 bird species. A paradise for hikers and birdwatchers alike.

Day 5 – Cuenca

Discover Aguarongo Reserve, where local communities lead reforestation and orchid preservation projects. Continue to Ecuagenera Orchid Laboratory, one of the world’s top orchid research centers. See hundreds of orchid species up close and learn about Ecuador’s floral biodiversity.

Day 6 – Cuenca → Mindo

Fly to Quito, then travel to the subtropical paradise of Mindo. The Bosque Protector Mindo-Nambillo Reserve is alive with toucans, hummingbirds, monkeys, and colorful orchids. Visit Mindo’s waterfalls and a butterfly farm, where you can observe the full life cycle of butterflies.

Day 7 – Mindo

Spend the day birdwatching in the Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Reserve, home to over 4% of the world’s bird species. During the fruiting season, this is one of the few places on earth where you may spot spectacled bears in the wild.

Day 8 – Mindo → Otavalo

Start the morning at Refugio Paz de las Aves, a bird sanctuary famous among ornithologists. Meet the Paz brothers, who protect dozens of rare bird species. En route to Otavalo, stop at the Pahuma Orchid Reserve to admire rare blooms in their natural habitat.

Day 9 – Otavalo

Explore the El Ángel Ecological Reserve, a landscape of lakes, high-altitude páramo, and unique vegetation. Walk among towering frailejones plants and visit the Voladero and Potrerillos Lagoons—a serene, untouched Andean paradise.

Day 10 – Otavalo

Visit Laguna Cuicocha, a crater lake surrounded by steep volcanic cliffs, then continue north to Salinas, home to Ecuador’s Afro-descendant community. Return aboard the scenic Tren de la Libertad, crossing bridges and tunnels through lush valleys.

Day 11 – Otavalo → Papallacta

Stop at Condor Park for a chance to see the majestic Andean condor in flight. Visit a rose plantation to learn about one of Ecuador’s top exports. Continue to Papallacta, famous for its natural thermal springs. Relax in the warm, crystal-clear mountain waters.

Day 12 – Papallacta

Excursion to the Antisana National Reserve, a high-altitude haven for wildlife. Enjoy a 2-hour walk across the Andean páramo, spotting wildflowers and Andean birds. If you’re lucky, you may catch sight of the elusive Andean condor. Picnic lunch included.

Day 13 – Papallacta

Spend the day birdwatching in the San Isidro Reserve, home to more than 320 bird species. Located in lush cloud forest at 2,000 meters elevation, this privately owned sanctuary is a paradise for bird lovers.

Day 14 – Papallacta → Quito

After breakfast, transfer to Quito Airport for your international flight home — or continue exploring Ecuador’s wonders with an optional Galápagos or Amazon extension.