DETAILED ITINERARY OF ECUADOR 🇪🇨 AMAZON REGION PHOTO TOUR

"BEST SEASON TO VISIT OCTOBER 15TH TO 31ST APRIL "

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

DAY 1

• Arrival to Quito International Airport (MARISCAL SUCRE)
• 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. 
• Depending your arrival time to Quito. We can go to the WILD SUMACO LODGE or we can stay overnight in Quito to start the nest day early in the morning.
• WE WILL DECIDE ABOUT THIS DAY ONES YOU HAVE THE FLIGHT TICKETS. 

DAY 2

• This day we will start with our trip to the eastern slopes of Ecuador.
• Early departure to BAEZA where we will visit a new hummingbirds garden that is located on our way, Chontas birding Reserve is the place where we can get some beautiful hummers of this part of cloud forest like: GREENISH PUFFLEGS, BRONZY INCA, LONG TAILED SYLPH, PERUVIAN RACKET TAIL, GORGETED WOODSTAR (one of the smallest in Ecuador) and some more. 
• After to spend the morning in this reserve, we will continue with our journey to Wayra reserve. In this place we will visit the banana feeders where we can get some nice birds like, RUFOUS BREASTED WOOD-QUAIL, SILVER BEAKED TANAGER, WHITE LINED TANAGER, PARADICE TANAGER AND SOME MORE. 
• In the afternoon we will drive to our nest LODGE where we will stay the next 2 days.
• Hotel WILD SUMACO LODGE.   

  DAY 3

• This day we will stay all day long in the lodge.
• Early in the morning we will visit the hide that this lodge has. Is it a mots trap where we can photograph some other species of birds like: WESTERN FIRE EYE, PLAIN ANTVIREO, BLACK STREAKED PUFFBIRD, COLLARED TROGON, BLACK FACED ANTBIRDS. ETC.
• This lodge has a good hummingbird feeder station. In here we can photograph some hummers of the low lands of ECUADOR like. WIRE CREASTED THORNTAIL, GOLDEN TAILED SAPPHIRE, MANY SPOTTED HUMMINGBIRDS, NAPO SABREWING, VIOLET HEADED HUMMINGBIRDS, GOULD’S JEWELFRONT, FORK TAILED WOODNYMPH AND SOME MORE. 
• In this area we will have the last chances to photograph some hummingbirds that’s why we will have a full day of photography. 
• In the afternoon we have the chance to photograph a couple of rare antpittas that feed in this lodge. PLAIN BACKED ANTPITTA, OCHRE BREASTED ANTPITTA. 
• HOTEL WILD SUMACO LODGE.

DAY 4

• Early departure to a RESERVE located 30 min away from the lodge. The mail objective in this reserve is photograph the ICONIC ANDEAN COCK OF THE ROCK (PERUVIAN) it is a sub specie that has an ORANGE COLOR instead of RED COLOR like is in the northwest of ECUADOR.
• In this place we will stay the morning looking for other species like: ANDEAN MOTMOT, AMAZONIAN UMBRELLA BIRD, GRAY COWLED WOOD-RAIL, COMMON SCALE-BACKED ANTBIRD. AN OTHERS. 
• After that visit we will go back to the lodge and after lunch we will start driving to our next hotel in SHUSHUFINDI TOWN. (3 HOURS DRIVE)
• HOTEL GRAN HOTEL DEL LAGO SHUSHUFINDI.

DAY 5

• This day we will start in the morning driving to LIMONCOCHA RESERVE. This protected area is one of the places with the best wild life in the area.
• We will do something like PHOTO SAFFARI in the LIMONCOCHA LAGOON. We will get a great chance to photograph all kind of birds like: SNAIL KITE, WATTLED JACANA, RED CAPPED CARDENAL, RINGED KINGFISHER, HOATZIN, PURPLE GALLINULE, AZURE GALLINULE, GREATER ANI, AMERICAN PYGMY KINGFISHER, BLACK CAPPED DONACOBIUS, SCARLET CROWNED BARBET, WHITE EARED JACAMAR, ETC.  
• In the afternoon we will get lunch in a very basic restaurant in the area and after that we will go visiting the antpitta feeder to photograph WHITE LORED ANTPITTA, BLACK BANDED CRAKE AND OTHERS.
• LATE AFTERNOON TRANSFER TO OUR HOTEL.
• HOTEL GRAN HOTEL DEL LAGO SHUSHUFINDI. 

DAY 6

• We will have a second day of SAFFARI PHOTO TOUR in the Limoncocha Lagoon. This time we will try to get some new species that we didn’t have the chances to photograph the previous day.
• In this day we will be focus to get some specific birds like: CRESTED OWL, GREEN IBIS, RUFOUS SIDED CRAKE, GRAY BREASTED CRAKE, LONG BILLED WOODCREEPER, CREAM COLORED WOODPECKER, LITTLE BLUE HERON, PLUMBEOUS ANTBIRD, GREAT POTOO, CAPPED HERON, SPOT BREASTED WOODPECKER, ETC. 
• This day after to enjoy of the lunch we will continue our journey to EL COCA CITY. Where we will stay overnight to arrange the speed boat the nest day. 
• HOTEL EL AUCA EL COCA.

DAY 7

• In this day all the activities will start in the afternoon.
• After to enjoy of breakfast in the hotel. We will drive to the NAPO WILDLIFE CENTER LODGE PRIVATE PORT where we have to take the boat that will take us to the lodge. In this boat we have 2:30 hours journey.
• Ones arriving to the Lodge and after all the welcome of the staff. We will meet our private local guide that will be with us during our visit. 
• The activities in the afternoon will be organized for our local guide that will take the best options for us. 
• Hotel NAPO WILDLIFE CENTER LODGE

DAY 8

• Full day of photography around the LODGE 
• After breakfast, experience the bird life on the tree tops from the 36-meter (118 ft.) observation tower. Your leaders will paddle on the Challwacocha Lake for 30 minutes, followed by a 10-minute walk to get there. Over 590 species of birds have been registered so far, including colorful birds such as macaws, toucans, honeycreepers, tanagers, flycatchers, hummingbirds, and the rare Harpy Eagle. 
• Mixed groups include: Turquoise, Flame-crested, Opal-rumped and Opal-crowned tanagers, Golden & Orange-bellied euphonias, Green & Purple honeycreepers, Lemon-throated barbet, Spangled & Plum throated Cotinga, Great potoo, Great jacamar, Crested eagle
• Once the treetop activity is over, we head down to spend the rest of the day in the understory, searching for antbirds and manakins, Lunulated antbird, Fulvous antshrike, Long-tailed potoo, Wire-tailed manakin, Lunch will be served at the lodge
• More birding spots: The bar & three-storey dock. Have your binoculars and cameras handy to spot Silver-beaked tanager, Long-billed woodcreeper, Masked – crimson tanager, the infallible Hoatzin besides Yellow-rumped cacique, White-throated Toucan, Many- banded aracarí
• We will walk on the Chorongo trail in the afternoon with the possibility to watch, brownish twisting, Chestnut- belted gnateater, Black-tailed leaftosser, Thrush- like antpitta, Wire-tailed manakin, Blue-crowned manakin, Screaming Piha, Rusty- belted tapaculo

DAY 9

• Full day of photography around the lodge visiting some amazing places. 
• After breakfast, depart to the Napo River to board the boat and visit the parrot-clay lick at Yasuní National Park for a beautiful view of hundreds of parrots searching for a gap to land to eat the earth. You will see Mealy Amazon, Yellow-crowned, Orange-winged, and Blue-headed parrots, besides Dusky-headed parakeets. 
• The other clay-lick is a cave where hundreds of Cobalt-winged parakeets ingest dissolved minerals in the water accumulated on the ground with the companion of Scarlet Macaw and Orange-cheeked parrot.
• Another alternative is a hike south of the Napo inside Yasuní National Park, considered by scientists the most biodiverse area in the world; here, some species that cannot be found in the north might be spotted: White-plumed antbird, Lunulated antbird, Blue-backed Manakin, Ochre-striped antpitta, Chestnut-headed crake, Yellow-billed jacamar, Purplish jacamar, Ash-throated gnateater, Rio Suno Antwren, Rufous-tailed Antwren, Brown-backed Antwren
• Return to the lodge in the late afternoon for dinner.

DAY 10

• Considering that this is our last day of this AMAZING TRIP. We have to start with an early breakfast at the Lodge.
• We will board the boat to navigate to back to EL COCA city to be on time on the COCA airport. All the flight from COCA CITY departure in the morning that’s why we have to start very early that day.