$5,970.

Quito Amazon Mindo Choco Cotopaxi | Extension: Galapagos

For details and pricing of the Galapagos extension, please contact us

Tour details

Starting date: April 8, 2023.

Main tour (12 nights): $5,970. $1,190 in single room.

Starting date: April 13, 2024.

Main tour (12 nights): $6,570. $1,310 in single room.

Group size: 4–6 people.

Included: Package based on two people sharing a room. All meals and accommodation. All river and road transfers. Guides and tour leaders. Park entrance fees. Travel money safety insurance. Package based on...Package based on two people sharing a room. All meals and accommodation. All river and road transfers. Guides and tour leaders. Park entrance fees. Travel money safety insurance. Excluded: Additional nights due to flight cancellations. Alcoholic beverages, bottled water and snacks. Health insurance. International and domestic airfares. Laundry. Phone calls or messages. Photo equipment. Visa fees. Additional nights...Additional nights due to flight cancellations. Alcoholic beverages, bottled water and snacks. Health insurance. International and domestic airfares. Laundry. Phone calls or messages. Photo equipment. Visa fees.

Important! Read the rules and recommendations

What to bring? Check out our suggested packing list.

Experts on this tour

Frank Pichardo

Frank Pichardo
Tour leader, photographer, field researcher

Lucas Bustamante

Lucas Bustamante
Tour leader, wildlife conservation photojournalist

Cloudforests

Two hours drive after your return flight to Quito, and you will arrive in Mindo, a charming cloud forest that is a heaven for birds, orchids, frogs, and landscapes.

HighlightsCloudforests
Mindo area has recorded more than 500 bird species, including hummingbirds, tanagers, mountain toucans, and others. Glassfrogs, lizards, and butterflies will be waiting for you.
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Accommodation

Choco

Two hours drive from Mindo and you will arrive at the second most diverse hotspot on Earth, the Choco rainforest. The reserve you will visit protects over 400 species of birds, 300 of moths and butterflies, and 100 of amphibians and reptiles.

HighlightsChoco Forest
Toucans, long-tailed hummingbirds, tayras, and colorfull tree frogs will be waiting for you around the majestic landscape of the Choco. You can explore this canopy "flying" thanks to a cable car and an air bike.
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Accommodation

Cotopaxi

Less than an hour's drive from Quito lies the 5,897 m high snow-capped Cotopaxi summit, the highest active volcano in the world. You will be lodging at its slopes, home to an array of Andean species adapted to the high altitude.

HighlightsCotopaxi
This is one of the best volcanic landscapes and Andean ecosystems in Ecuador. We will look for Andean birds like Andean gulls, Caracaras, and extreme-adapted hummingbirds. An Andean fox also, if we have luck.
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Accommodation

Galapagos

If you join the tour extension, a two-hour in-country flight will take you to the enchanted Galapagos Islands, home to endemic and unique species of birds, reptiles, and mammals, around its colorful volcanic-islands landscapes.

HighlightsGalapagos
Galapagos giant-tortoises, sea lions, land, marine iguanas, Darwin finches, and Galapagos penguins are species you can not find anywhere else on Earth. But also enjoy around Frigatebirds, blue-footed boobies, and a volcanic landscape.
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Accommodation

Rupicola peruviana
Andigena laminirostris
Choeradodis columbica
Aotus vociferans
Chelonoidis porteri
Bothrops osbornei
Callibia diana
Phyllomedusa tomopterna
Alchisme grossa
Acanthops erosula
Hyalinobatrachium valerioi
Melanosuchus niger
Pteronura brasiliensis
Ocreatus underwoodii
Ara macao
Ramphastos ambiguus
Eubucco bourcierii
Odocoileus virginianus
Zalophus wollebaeki
Cotopaxi volcano
Tremarctos ornatus
Gastrotheca pseustes
Bradypus variegatus
Mashpi cloudforest
Boana picturata
Corallus batesii
Eira barbara
Amblyrhynchus cristatus
Trogon personatus
Brotogeris cyanoptera
Saguinus tripartitus
Sula nebouxii
Oreotrochilus chimborazo
Compsus sp
Bothriopsis bilineata
Phoenicopterus ruber
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The talents of Tropical Herping's guides both as photographers and naturalists are amazing, and I feel very privileged to have been able to travel and photograph with them. Our pictures came out exceptional. I recently obtained first place in a contest with one of the clownfrog pictures taken at Guango, Ecuador.

Martha and Sheldon Farwell, United States

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I’ve got home with a stunning set of beautiful and creative photographs, the best memories of this travel I can ever imagine. Both guides were helpful and attentive to my needs at any time, which made this jungle experience even more pleasant and actually completely stressless.

Ulrike Fischer, Switzerland

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The experience with Tropical Herping was unforgettable, not only was the trip itself exciting and full of incredible flora and fauna, but also the guides were passionate and profoundly knowledgeable about herpetology of Ecuador.

Enrique Presburger CEO, Factor Exprés, México

Why join?

DSLR camera icon

Our naturalists and photographers will take you to the best places to admire wildlife, and share our top tips to get the best photos.

See our portfolio

Forest icon

Your visit saves 1 acre of rainforest in the Ecuadorian Chocó region.

Learn more

Planet temperature icon

By protecting that acre, you keep 25 tonnes of CO2e from ending up in the atmosphere.

Learn more

Frequently asked questions

Am I supposed to pay the tour price at once?

You can confirm your booking by making a 50% deposit and pay the remaining balance at least 60 days before departure.

Can I make a reservation for this tour but on 2023?

Yes, you can confirm your booking now by making a 50% deposit and pay the remaining balance at least 60 days before departure.

Does the tour take place during the nights?

The tour includes both diurnal and nocturnal activities.

How do I book my spot?

The first thing you need to do to reserve your spot in this tour is contact us using our booking form. Second, you will need to review and approve the itinerary, invoice, and release of liability we will send you. Finally, you will have to make a deposit to confirm your booking.

Can you get rubber boots for me?

We suggest you bring your own rubber boots as you should test whether they fit comfortably before arriving in Ecuador, where you will used them every night.

Is it possible to join for only part of the trip?

Yes, you can. Just make sure to let us know in advance which parts of the tour are you interested in.

Is there a chance to arrange a private tour?

Yes, most of the tours we offer are private.

Which vaccination certificates do I need?

The three most important vaccines to get before visiting the tropics are against yellow fever, tetanus, and hepatitis. However, you do not need a vaccination certificate to access any reserve or national park during this tour.

Will the guides catch the animals for the participants to take close-up pictures?

Whenever possible, all photography by participants will be done in-situ. Animals will only be handled if they are the focus of a research or conservation project.

Will there be laundry service, electricity, and wifi at all sites?

Yes, there will be.

Will you pick us up at the airport upon arrival?

You will meet a TH representative at Quito airport who will transfer to your hotel.