Transfer from Quito International airport to your hotel in a private transportation. Your guide will go over the itinerary with you while you enjoy a welcome cocktail. Dinner at your discretion and overnight stay in a charming hotel (Hotel Rincon de Cantuña). No meals included

Hotel Rincon de Cantuña

Today, accompanied by our guide, we’ll visit the old districts and colonial sites of the city of Quito at our own pace. This city, a World Cultural Heritage Site, has many delightful places of interest to offer the traveler: colonial architecture, scenes from everyday life in Quito, street vendors offering a variety of goods from lottery tickets to handicrafts, narrow alleyways, numerous churches rich in décor, colorful facades of colonial buildings, as well as a view of Pichincha, Quito’s active volcano. We’ll stop for lunch in Independence Square, the nerve center of the Colonial District. In the afternoon we’ll visit a number of sites of historical interest, such as La Ronda Street, one of the oldest streets in the city, the spacious Plaza San Francisco, and La Compañia Church, one of the best-known churches in the city. Free evening, then overnight stay in the same hotel (Hotel Rincon de Cantuña). Breakfast and lunch included. Read more

Hotel Rincon de Cantuña

Transfer from your hotel towards the eastern cordillera. The Antisana is without a doubt the best site in the country to observe Andean Condors. We will spend most of the morning watching and taking shots of this mythical animal from the highest picks of the Andean mountain chain. Back to the Lodge around noon for lunch. The afternoon will be dedicated to the exploration and photographing of a unique vegetation of plants mainly in the Asteracea and Poacea families. The Paramo is a higher elevation Andean ecosystem which owns one of the most particular type of vegetation in the world. We will explore those vast extents of Andean steps looking for the White tailed Deer and Andean Fox, the Masked Ibis (here lives the only population found on Ecuadorian soil), Caracaras, Gaucho, Humming birds…. Briefing on our next destinations. Diner and night in a comfortable hacienda located at 3740m. (Hacienda Guaytara - Charming category). Breakfast lunch and dinner included. Read more

Hacienda Guaytara

In the morning we´ll leave for one of the highest peaks in Ecuador. A walk around the lower elevation zones of the Cayambe-Coca Reserve will allow us to observe high altitude birds such as the Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe and the Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle. A large number of mammals, such as the white-tailed deer, the mountain tapir, and the rare spectacled bear, also inhabit this reserve, and we may be able to spot them amongst the vegetation. On our walk, our guide will explain the importance of conserving these ecosystems. After the walk we’ll head back to the Papallacta thermal hotel to enjoy the hot spring of this amazing place, located just in front of the Antisana volcano. Overnight stay in a thermal hotel. (Termas de Papallacta). Breakfast and lunch included. Read more

Termas de Papallacta

Departure after breakfast towards Guango Reseve (2500 mtrs) where we will be able to observe many humming bird species on the feeders (Collard Inca, Great Sapphirewings, Violet-tailed sylh, not to mention the outstanding Sword-billed Hummingbird. After lunch we will walk along the Papallacta River, searching for Torrent duck and Ehite-capped Dipper. We will leave the Reserve after lunch to go down the Andean slopes, keeping our eyes open for few colorful Tanagers. Late afternoon, we will reach our next destination: San Isidro Lodge (2000m). Diner and night in this charming Lodge. (San Isidro – Superior category). Breakfast lunch and dinner included. Read more

San Isidro

After an early breakfast, we will follow one of the reserve´s trails in search of some emblematic bird species from the higher slopes of the Amazonian basin as well as a great number of mixed groups of Antpitta, Tanagers, Flycatcher, Jays, Caciques and Brush-finches. In the afternoon we will head another direction by following a different trail on which we will observe new species. We will also go on a night walk, looking for Owl’s species (Strigidae) and particularly a species in the genus Strix which couldn’t be categorized yet. More nocturnal birds, frogs and mammals are other species we will focus on. Diner and night at San Isidro Lodge. Breakfast lunch and dinner included. Read more

San Isidro Lodge

An early start twill take us to Yanayacu Scientific Station (2000m). Along the dirt road we will try to spot some of the area´s most outstanding birds. José Simbaña, Director of the research center, will welcome and show us to the different study sites. Lead by scientists and biologists, we will learn more facts about the various investigation projects currently in place like “Reproductive biology of Ecuador´s bird species”, “Interrelations and adaptation of parasites specialized on lepidopteran species”, and other projects of which one involving very attractive caterpillar individuals. In the afternoon we will attend a conference related to reproductive habits of several bird species native to the area. Diner and night in comfortable Lodge (San Isidro Lodge). Breakfast lunch and dinner included. Read more

San Isidro Lodge

Today we will head towards the eastern part of the Antisana Reserve, to the Macaw Cordillera (2200m). The trail along the edge of the mountain range twists and turns between subtropical levels and foothill forest of the eastern Andes. We will explore those habitats during most of the morning before carrying on our trip towards Narupa Reserve (1200m), owned by the Jocotoco Foundation. As we drive down towards the Amazonian plains, we will stop at this newly created private reserve. Here the birdlife is characteristic of the foothill forests located on the eastern Andes and holds an incredible diversity. We will have lunch at the reserve and spend the rest of the day on its trails. In the afternoon, it will be time to keep going down the Andes until we reach the City of Coca. Free Diner and night in regular Hotel. (Hotel El Auca). Breakfast and lunch included. Read more

Hotel El Auca

This morning it will be time for us to carry on our trip down the Andes towards the lower parts of the Ecuadorian Amazonian Basin. After loading our luggage on the mules and making sure we don´t leave anything behind, we will start the hike back trying to spot our last bird species from the area (Hawks, Araçaris, Caciques, Kites, and important flocks of colorful Tanagers and Euphonias). Our transport will wait for us at the end of the access road and will take us to the city of Coca. From the deck, we will go down the Napo River for a 3 hours speed boat ride. The location of our new Lodge will enable us to discover, through various means and from the first day, the endless resources of this ecosystem. From the Challuayacu Canal, we will start our first hike which will last for about 20 minutes until we get to Sani Lodge. After settling down in our tents and becoming familiar with the installations, our first excursion will take us to an area of Varzea, around the Laguna. Diner and night in tents. If we are not too tired, we will have the opportunity to organize a night walk in search of nocturnal lowland rainforest creatures. Breakfast lunch and dinner included. Read more

Sani Lodge

After early and copious breakfast, we´ll go back to the banks of the Napo River to observe many species of parrots on the clay cliffs known as Licks, as the Dusky-headed Parakeet, Yellow-crowned Amazon and the Blue-headed Parrot. An unforgettable festival, full of colors and sounds. After visiting the first clay lick, we will head to the second one where new species will be present: Cobalt-winged Parakeet and Orange-cheeked Parrot, which like a whirlpool of colors go down from the canopy to the clay cavity located at the bottom to drink the mineral water. We will have no hurry and will try to get the best shots of this unusual show. Back to the lodge for lunch, we will use one of the trails to look for new species of primates, as the squirrel monkey or one of the three marmosets species living in the area. Back to the Lodge in the afternoon for a rest before diner. Here, nocturnal herpetofauna is extremely rich: Hylids, Boas and other night crawling snakes are a common sight. Night at Sani Lodge. Breakfast lunch and dinner included. Read more

Sani Lodge

Early departure to the deck to go to one of the richest « Oxbow » lagunas in the region. The fact of using a rowing pirogue on the Pañacocha Laguna will allow for better observation of local fauna, of which many birds species usually found around water habitats, like the astonishing Hoatzin, but also Giant Otters, Sloths, and the legendary Pink Dolphins. The exploration of this new riparian ecosystem will make us understand the fundamental difference between flooded forests and « Terra Firme » forests. After lunch, we´ll enter some of the trails which look like tunnels dug into the forest itself, a wealthy biotope where Centrolenid frogs, understory birds, and not to mention an endless variety of insects new to science, are to be found. Back to the Lodge midafternoon. Diner and night in the same Lodge. After diner, we will go and set up a few camera traps on key sites in order to try and capture evidence of the presence of a nocturnal and normally invisible fauna. Breakfast lunch and dinner included. Read more

Sani Lodge

Early breakfast and off for a short hike to reach the observation tower buit around a Kapok Tree and located 38 metres high. From there, we will get an incredible view on the surrounding Amazonian canopy and, with a bit of luck, we will spot some Wooly Monkeys or Howler Monkeys Troops. Additionally, we won´t miss the mixed flocks of Tanagers and other colorful Thraupids who usually perch on the Kapok´s foliage, often accompanied not only by several Picidae species and noisy Oropendolas, but also by superb tree lizards and other creatures who come here to enjoy the sun rays on the canopy. On our way back to the Lodge, our native guide will help us to better understand the secrets of those ecosystems. Pirogue ride on the Laguna adjacent to the Lodge looking for the mysterious Saki Monkeys. Diner and night at the Lodge. Breakfast lunch and dinner included. Read more

Sani Lodge

Early departure from the Lodge to row across the Laguna before joining the Napo River banks, and a 3 hours boat ride to go back to the town of Coca around noon to catch our flight back to Quito. If weather allows, we will observe the Amazonian plains and the eastern cordillera and its impressing snowy peaks from the plane. We will reach Quito early afternoon and get a transfer from the airport to our Hotel in the inter-Andean valley. Overnight in a classic Hacienda near the airport. (Hacienda La Jimenita). Breakfast ands lunch included. Read more

Hacienda La Jimenita

If the flight times allow us to do so, we could find out more about a very interesting project (known as ‘balsa de los sapos’, or ‘life raft for frogs’) focusing on the diminishing reptile and amphibian life around the world. A group of researchers aims to find and breed some of the most endangered amphibians and reptiles in an attempt to conserve the species before they disappear. Airport transfer for the return flight. Breakfast included. Read more