Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest I 2027

08 Feb 2027 - 15 Feb 2027 (8 days)

USD3,695 NO SPACES AVAILABLE

Tour Leader: Robert Wilcox

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Tour Price (Per person): USD3,695 (GBP2,866 * AUD5,550)

Single Supplement: USD460 (GBP357 * AUD691)

Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest II 2027

18 Nov 2027 - 25 Nov 2027 (8 days)

USD3,795 SPACES AVAILABLE

Tour Leader: Robert Wilcox

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Tour Price (Per person): USD3,795 (GBP2,943 * AUD5,700)

Single Supplement: USD460 (GBP357 * AUD691)

This tour pairs with: Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes II 2027

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Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest I 2028

16 Feb 2028 - 23 Feb 2028 (8 days)

USD3,800 SPACES AVAILABLE

Tour Leader: James Wade Lee

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Tour Price (Per person): USD3,800 (GBP2,947 * AUD5,708)

Single Supplement: USD506 (GBP392 * AUD760)

This tour pairs with: Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes I 2028

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Pricing notes : *All prices are estimated, and dates may change*

Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest II 2028

16 Nov 2028 - 23 Nov 2028 (8 days)

USD3,800 SPACES AVAILABLE

Tour Leader: James Wade Lee

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Tour Price (Per person): USD3,800 (GBP2,947 * AUD5,708)

Single Supplement: USD506 (GBP392 * AUD760)

This tour pairs with: Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes II 2028

Check to include it in your booking.

Pricing notes : *All prices are estimated, and dates may change*

Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest I 2029

14 Feb 2029 - 21 Feb 2029 (8 days)

USD3,900 SPACES AVAILABLE

Tour Leader: Lev Frid

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Tour Price (Per person): USD3,900 (GBP3,025 * AUD5,858)

Single Supplement: USD557 (GBP432 * AUD837)

This tour pairs with: Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes I 2029

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Pricing notes : *All prices are estimated, and dates may change*

Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest II 2029

15 Nov 2029 - 22 Nov 2029 (8 days)

USD3,900 SPACES AVAILABLE

Tour Leader: James Wade Lee

Book Now

Tour Price (Per person): USD3,900 (GBP3,025 * AUD5,858)

Single Supplement: USD557 (GBP432 * AUD837)

This tour pairs with: Ecuador - Northern: Eastern Andes II 2029

Check to include it in your booking.

Pricing notes : *All prices are estimated, and dates may change*

Our classic Choco Cloud Forest tour covers all the important birding sites found north-west of the capital city of Quito. This area is part of the Chocó bioregion that hosts a great number of endemics and specialities that are only shared with neighbouring areas of Colombia to the north. We will be based in the Tandayapa and Mindo valleys from where we will set out to bird the various renowned private reserves, affording us an outstanding opportunity to support local conservation projects for long-term habitat protection. A wide array of habitats will be birded, starting with the mystical elfin forest of the temperate zone, followed by bird-rich subtropical cloud forests. We will also venture deeper into tropical foothill forests to reach the mega-diverse lowlands. Iconic species that we will be searching for include Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Giant Antpitta, Plate-billed Mountain and Chocó Toucans, Toucan Barbet, Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Club-winged Manakin, Glistening-green Tanager, Orange-breasted and Scaled Fruiteaters and Velvet-purple Coronet, to mention but a few. In case rarities such as Banded Ground Cuckoo or Rufous-crowned Antpitta show up in the area, we will do our very best to fit in a twitch. A great network of birding reserves together with excellent infrastructure, unsurpassable scenery and friendly people make the Northwest of Ecuador one of the planet’s most delightful birding destinations.

Tour Facts

Top Birds

Dark-backed Wood Quail; Indigo-crowned Quail-Dove; Pacific Parrotlet; Rose-faced Parrot; Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl; Sword-billed & Purple-chested Hummingbird; Golden-breasted Puffleg; Purple-bibbed Whitetip; Empress Brilliant; Brown Inca; Velvet-purple Coronet; White-booted Racket-tail; Violet-tailed Sylph; Golden-headed Quetzal; Chocó Trogon; Barred Puffbird; White-whiskered Puffbird; White-faced Nunbird; Orange-fronted & Toucan Barbets; Pale-mandibled Aracari; Plate-billed Mountain & Chocó Toucans; Olivaceous Piculet; Cinnamon & Guayaquil Woodpeckers; Pacific Tuftedcheek; Black-crowned Antshrike; Checker-throated & Pacific Antwrens; Chestnut-backed Antbird; Black-headed & Rufous-breasted Antthrushes; Giant, Moustached, Yellow-breasted & Ochre-breasted Antpittas; Nariño & Ocellated Tapaculos; Chocó Tyrannulet; Black-capped Pygmy Tyrant; Andean Cock-of-the-rock; Orange-breasted & Scaled Fruiteaters; Golden-winged, White-bearded & Club-winged Manakins; Beautiful Jay; Black Solitaire; White-capped Dipper; Chocó Warbler; Yellow-tufted, Scarlet-thighed & Scarlet-breasted Dacnises; Indigo Flowerpiercer; Yellow-collared Chlorophonia; Glistening-green, Moss-backed, Grey-and-gold, Rufous-throated, Blue-whiskered, Black-chinned Mountain, Scarlet-browed & Ochre-breasted Tanagers.

Top Mammals

Olingito; Tayra; White-fronted Capuchin; Spectacled Bear (rare)

Habitats Covered

temperate tree line forest, subtropical cloud-forest, tropical foothill forest and tropical lowland forest all in the Chocó bioregion

Expected Climate

chilly to hot and humid (very pleasant temperatures on most days)

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper leader & local birding leader

Tour Pace & Walking

easy/moderate pace

Accommodation

comfortable lodges

Ease of Birding

easy birding with some tricky skulkers

Number of Species Expected

300 - 350

Photographic Opportunities

excellent at sites with feeders

What our clients say about us

DK & NK, Ecuador 2021

We really enjoyed the tour. Lev did a great job. We will look forward to booking again

AG, Ecuador 2022

All the participants were nice and helpful in pointing out birds to others. Dusan was great and worked hard to get everyone on a bird. His expertise makes you realize how much you miss! But it also helps know what to try to find.

MW, Ecuador 2023

What a tour! We ended up with nearly 700 species seen and heard, and I ended up with almost twice as many lifers than I had anticipated. Dusan was excellent: Attentive to those having difficulties, enthusiastic, energetic, indefatigable, and a complete whiz at the birds. He was as excited about each new sighting as was the rest of the group, right through to the last day. We saw many very special birds, birds that I have missed over three previous trips to Ecuador as well as quite rare birds that, although specialties for this tour, require great effort and skill to unveil (think Buff-fronted Owl). Climate change affected the tour to a certain extent, but Dusan always had a clever plan or an alternative site to try for the bird again. The tour was a bit more strenuous than the itinerary led me to believe, but all at the participants willingly went the extra mile with Dusan every time. We were fortunate to have a pretty good group, a great driver, and good luck with the weather.

SW - Ecuador 2024

Dušan is a very knowledgeable, passionate, dedicated and high-energy leader. He is also very cognizant of his charges and tries to ensure that each of us sees the target birds. At one point, it was to his detriment not being able to photograph a very rare bird so I could catch up to him as it flew away. Dušan’s easy-going personality and humorous life and birding stories not only had us in awe of his experiences but also helped create a dynamic rapport within our group which enhanced our interpersonal interactions and travels that much more. Dusan was not immune to some gentle (or not so gentle) ribbing either. All was in good fun and tolerated admirably. We however will remember fondly the “Dušan mile”.

MN - Ecuador 2021

"This tour was great and Dusan was fabulous, an incredible birder, guide and person. I don't need to say more because I'm sure you've heard many accolades about him. It was a great tour though harder than I expected but I'm old and age makes a difference. I definitely would go again with Dusan. There was a disparity of physical abilities among the clients and Dusan handled the situation very well, taking care of the one person who could do the least physically and I think keeping her happy under the circumstances. This really speaks to his people skills. The three of us who were the weakest physically were the oldest. I was elated because I saw the oil birds and Sapayoa(s!!) and why I signed up not even considering the difficulty of canopy birding and what hilly jungle trails entailed. I'm so glad I went and would have hated being dissuaded. So thank you..."

Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest I 2027

Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest II 2027

Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest I 2028

Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest II 2028

Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest I 2029

Ecuador - Northern: Choco Cloud Forest II 2029