"DETAILED ITINERARY OF ECUADOR 🇪🇨 PHOTO TOUR"

BEST SEASON TO VISIT OCT 15TH TO APRIL 30TH 

In the information below you will find all the details day by day about you visit to Ecuador for BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR. 

DAY 1

• Arrival to Quito Airport (MARISCAL SUCRE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT)
• I will be waiting for you at the Quito Airport in the arrival gate. After that the driver will take us to the SAN JOSE DE PUEMBO HOTEL. (20 MIN. DRIVE) for resting and to be ready for the next day of the adventure. 

DAY 2

• Early departure to Zuro Loma reserve. (2 h drive). This is one of the best reserves to photograph the best hummingbirds of the Andean Mountains. Some of the target species in this reserve are: sword-billed hummingbird, black tailed trainbearer, sapphire vented puffleg, Chesnutt napped antpitta, equatorial antpitta, an some more like scarlet breasted mountain tanager, hooded mountain tanager and yellow breasted brush finch.  
• In this reserve we will stay as long as we want and after to enjoy of the lunch. We will continue to the next reserve. TANGARA TIGRE RESERVE. To photograph at least 10 different species of tanagers like, golden tanager, golden napped tanager, black capped tanager and the best of this reserve is the saffron crowned tanager. 
• After to visit this reserve. We will drive to the next lodge SACHATAMIA LODGE. The best birding lodge in Mindo area. IN THIS LODGE WE WILL STAY THE NEXT 5 DAYS. 

DAY 3

• This day we will departure early at 5h45 am from the lodge to visit THE BEST SPOT FOR PHOTOGRAPHY. Birdwatchers House. This is the best place to see and photograph one of the endemics toucans of Ecuador Plate billed mountain toucan and we will visit the hide located on this lodge as well, so we could find other beautiful birds like, turquoise jays, masked trogon, tricolored brush finch. Toucan barbet and of course a lot of beautiful hummers like violet tailed sylph, Buff tailed coronet, gorgeted sunangel, velvet purple coronet and other or the rarest antpittas chestnut crowned antpitta. 
• We will stay most of the morning in this wonderful place and after lunch we will drive to our next reserve. To complete the day photographing some other tanagers like. Flame faced tanager, metallic green tanager. Beryl spangled tanager, blue winged mountain tanager and so on. Back to SACHATAMIA lodge in the afternoon  

DAY 4

• We will start the day visiting Amagusa Reserve. This is considered like the best place to photograph exclusive endemic species of the Choco Region like rose faced parrot, orange breasted fruiteater, rufous throated tanager, moss backed tanager, black chinned mountain tanager and the beautiful glistening green tanager and some nice species of hummers: empress brilliant, violet tailed sylph, green thorntail.
• After to spend the morning in this reserve we will drive to our next reserve to get the second session to photograph the ANDEAN COCK OF THE ROCK. We will stay in this reserve at least 2 hours getting the best pictures of this beautiful bird. 

DAY 5

• This day we will visit the first reserve to see and photograph the iconic ANDEAN COCK OF THE ROCK, this is one on the target birds for this day. We will start visiting the LEK of this beautiful bird this place is a unique spot in the forest where those birds come every day to display and performing and to give a nice show to photograph. 
• The rest of the day we will continue in the same reserve photographing other species of birds like, 4 different species of antpittas like giant antpitta, ochre breasted antpitta, yellow breasted antpitta and moustached antpitta. And there are different set ups like banana feeders for photograph hummers, tanagers and toucanets like toucan barbet, rufous breasted antthrush, blue winged mountain tanager, black capped tanager, etc.
• After to spend most of the morning in Refugio Paz de las Aves Reserve. We will drive to our next stop ALAMBI HUMMINGBIRDS PARADISE. This is an amazing hummingbird’s garden with more than 10 different species that are very friendly for photograph, some of the ones are crowned woodnymph, brown violetear, with booted racket tail, purple throated woodstar, green crowned brilliant, and some tanagers too. We will back to Sachatamia lodge late afternoon.  

DAY 6

• This day we will take the chance to enjoy of the set ups of Sachatamia lodge. This lodge is well organized and focus in bird watchers and bird photographers. We already have a private reservation to stay in the moth hide of the lodge. Where we can photograph some interesting species like rufous motmot, masked trogon, rufous breasted antthrush, strong billed woodcreeper, slaty throated redstart, tree striped warbler, ornate flycatcher and some more.
• After to enjoy breakfast in the lodge. We will have a photo session in the hummingbird feeder station where could photograph the beautiful white booted racket tail, brown Inca, purple bibbed whitetip, Andean emerald, violet tailed sylph, and of course we will get the chance to star in the banana feeders and photograph the red headed barbet and some more. 
• Depending how active in the area we will decide the time to stay in the area or we have the chance to visit other reserve where we can photograph other types of hummers and some species of woodpeckers like, golden olive woodpecker, black cheeked woodpecker and lineated woodpecker and orange fronted barbet. 
• Late in the afternoon we will drive back to QUITO city.
• Hotel SAN JOSE DE PUEMBO

DAY 7

• Early departure to our next reserve CHACANA RESERVE. This is the best place to photograph the iconic national bird of Ecuador. The Andean Condor. And we will visit the ANTISANA NACIONAL PARK which is the best place to photograph other species of raptors of the Andean Mountains like, Caranculated Cacacara, black chested buzzard eagle, Andean ibis, Andean gull, and for sure some other hummingbirds that are located at high altitude like, Ecuadorian Hillstar, Tyrian metal tail, shining sunbeam, and the biggest hummingbird in Ecuador GIANT hummingbird and some more. 
• After to photograph in the feeders in Tambo Condor Restaurant we will drive to our next lodge GUANGO LODGE. 

DAY 8

• Full day of photography in GUANGO LODGE. This day we will stay all day long in the lodge. It has some good set-up for photography.
• We will start the day at 6 am visiting the hide of the lodge, in this hide we could photograph some nice Jays: turquois Jay, green jay (Inca) and some other species of birds like, chestnut capped brush finch, slaty brush finch, pale napped brush finch and some flycatchers like cinnamon flycatcher.
• The rest of the day we can stay photographing some other hummingbirds like long tailed sylph, tourmaline sunangel, chestnut breasted coronet, white bellied Woodstar, buff tailed coronet and collared Inca.  
• During the day we can look for the beautiful TORRENT DUCK that always is along the river that cross next door of the lodge. 
• And late in the afternoon we will drive to our next LODGE where we will stay the last 2 days of our trip. 
• HOTEL QUIJOS ECOLODGE.

DAY 9

• This day we will start visiting a reserve that is located near by the lodge. “Concierto de aves” reserve has a very good number of hummingbirds of this area. In here we can photograph PERUVIAN RACKET TAIL, GREEN BACKED HILLSTAR, VIOLET FRONTED BRILLIANT, TAWNY BELLIED HERMIT, AND SPECKLED HUMMINGBIRDS AND OF COUSE one of the targets birds of the trip. The small GORGETED WOODSTAR. 
• In the afternoon we will go visiting a couple of reserves that are around in the area. 
• After lunch we will have the chance to visit the LEK OF THE ANDEAN COCK OF THE ROCK (peruvian). This is a sub specie of the bird that we will have the chance to see in the western side. In this area the coloration of the feathers is ORANGE instead of RED. 
• In the afternoon back to the Hotel. QUIJOS LODGE.        

DAY 10

• In the morning we will stay at the lodge photographing some of the species of birds that arrive to the feeders station some birds like:  Inca Jay, blue gray tanager, golden tanager, red headed barbet, golden eared tanager, scarlet rumped cacique and some species of flycatchers.

• During the rest of the day, we can visit some places near by the lodge or depending de season we can look for other species of birds that arrive to the area like spangle coquette, paradise tanager, rufous breasted wood-quail and wire crested thorntail. 

• Late in the afternoon we will drive back to Quito to catch you flight back home. 

  The departure time depends of your flight shcedule.