Pick-up from your hotel at 5:30 am. This trip will take you through a great scenery in the Ecuadorian Andes. Leave Quito early in the morning for a one-hour drive east toward Hacienda Antisanilla – Chakana Reserve, a 7,000-acre conservation area managed by the Jocotoco Foundation to protect the most important population of Andean Condors in Ecuador. In the company of a specialized guide, you’ll explore this reserve in search of both the majestic Andean Condor and the elusive Spectacled Bear, the only bear species in South America. From a privileged lookout, you may observe condors gliding at eye level and bears foraging among the Andean vegetation. The altitudinal range covered is from 10,000 to 12,000 ft asl. You’ll spend the day surrounded by breathtaking highland scenery, watching condors (should be easy!) and other beautiful birds like the Ecuadorian Hillstar feeding on the Chuquiraga, “the flower of the Andes.”

Antisana Ecological Reserve

After exploring the Chakana Reserve, you’ll continue to Antisana National Park, where you’ll have the opportunity to admire Ecuador’s fourth-highest peak, crowned by the largest ice cap in the country. This area stands out for its vast, unspoiled landscapes and the tranquility of being surrounded by nature, away from crowded tourist sites. You’ll then visit the beautiful “La Mica” Lagoon, a serene highland lake reflecting the grandeur of the surrounding volcanoes. With the help of a good spotting scope, your guide will reveal some of the most emblematic wildlife of this important reserve. Along with condors and bears, you may also spot Andean foxes, white-tailed deer, and other high-altitude species inhabiting these dramatic páramo ecosystems. After a rewarding morning, you’ll head to Tambo Condor for lunch. Besides its delicious food, the restaurant offers a privileged view of the condor cliffs and excellent chances to observe several species of hummingbirds right from the terrace.

Today you will head toward Papallacta Pass to explore different sections of Cayambe-Coca National Park, a high-elevation páramo with tundra-like scenery. On clear days, the views of the surroundings and nearby volcanoes are breathtaking; a stop at the pass is one of the best spots to photograph the snow-capped Antisana Volcano towering over the mountains below. Andean bears are among the most emblematic and elusive mammals of Ecuador’s highlands and cloud forests. It is in the páramo northeast of Quito where you can increase your chances of an encounter with bears and other Andean wildlife, sometimes close enough for wonderful views and photographs. The area to visit covers the surroundings of Cayambe-Coca National Park, a natural feeding site where the presence of bears is frequent all year round. The páramo is rich in food sources for the bears’ mostly herbivorous diet; Puya plants are abundant in this ecosystem, also covered with grasslands, small bushes, and elfin trees.

In the afternoon, you’ll drive to Guango Reserve and walk the trails around the lodge to experience the beauty of the Andean temperate forest. Colorful mixed flocks with species such as Lacrimose and Hooded Mountain Tanagers, Blue-backed Conebill, and Black-capped Hemispingus can often be seen nearby. This is also a good place to find rarer species like the Mountain Avocetbill, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Andean Guan, and Northern Mountain Cacique. Along the Papallacta River, you’ll look for one of the most fascinating residents of fast-flowing streams—the Torrent Duck. You’ll enjoy lunch and dinner at the lodge and spend the night at this peaceful refuge in the montane forest.

Embark on an unforgettable journey through the contrasting ecosystems of Ecuador’s Andean eastern slopes, from the windswept highland páramo to the lush green montane rainforest below. Discover where crystal-clear streams are born, flowing down from the Andes to feed the mighty Amazon Basin. This spectacular region forms a vital wildlife corridor and shelters one of the highest concentrations of biodiversity on the planet. A dazzling variety of hummingbirds makes this day truly special. Visit gardens filled with flowers and feeders that attract a breathtaking number of species, offering close encounters and wonderful photo opportunities. After lunch, return to Quito, where you’ll be dropped off at the hotel of your choice.