Private Tour
Venture into Rio Quijos scenic Valley
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Venture into an unparalleled journey throughout different ecosystems in the Andean Eastern Slopes, from a high altitude tundra-like habitat to lush green vast mountainous rainforest. Witness the origin of the exceptional water path between the Andes and the refreshing network of rivers that actually flows to the mighty Amazon basin. This area acts as a very important continuous corridor between the Andes and the vast tropical rainforest of the Amazon Region. Due to its location on the Equator, the steep Andean foothills, and the close proximity of the Amazon, the Quijos Valley area hosts one of the richest diversity records in the world.
Our specialized guides will make sure that you get the best out of this day. They all know the right places to increase your chances to admire some of the most emblematic species of flora and fauna. You'll even take time to search for Andean Bears along the way. An amazing diversity of hummingbird species will also make this a memorable experience.
Additional Info
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Pick-up at 7:00 am. Some 65 km (41 miles) East of Quito the road brings us into the high elevation paramo at Papallacta, a very tundra-like habitat. On clear days the views of the surroundings and various volcanoes are breath-taking; a stop right up at the pass is one of the best spots to photograph the snow-capped Antisana Volcano as it towers over the mountains below. The surroundings of Quito provide different opportunities to find wild bears and other emblematic fauna with good chances of close encounters. Bears can be found in the cloud forests and paramos (highlands) around the District of Quito.It is in the paramo, north east of Quito where you can increase your probabilities of a great encounter with bears and other Andean wildlife, sometimes close enough to have wonderful views and photographs. The area to visit covers the surroundings of two national parks with special natural feeding sites where the presence of bears is frequent all year around.
Later you’ll drive towards one of the most amazing ecosystems in the Tropical Andes, surrounded by forested mountains and drained by a refreshing network of rivers that actually flows to the mighty Amazon basin. Today you will explore different reserves in the the Quijos Valley. An amazing diversity of hummingbird species will make this a memorable experience. Green-backed Hillstar, Violet-fronted Brillant, Peruvian-booted Raquetail, Gorgeted Woodstar, Bronzy Inca, Tawny-bellied Hermit among other species are common at different locations of this valley. This area acts as a very important continuous corridor between the Andes and the vast tropical rainforest of the Amazon Region. Due to its location on the Equator, the steep Andean foothills, and the close proximity of the Amazon, the Quijos Valley area hosts one of the richest diversity records in the world.
What‘s Included
with soft drink, purified water
Gratuities
Pickup points
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Options
Venture into Rio Quijos scenic Valley
Pickup included
Photo/Birding Early Start
Specialized tour: For birdwatchers or photographers who want to make the most of early morning activity and light conditions, start at 5:00 am
Pickup included
Reviews
8 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
An outstanding tour guide and wonderful day trip
martinrP750IW,,May 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were in Quito for two weeks and arranged for several day tours, including this one with Santiago S. His deep knowledge of the region, flora, and fauna and his personal enthusiasm and passion all contributed to a fantastic outing for us. For example, he spotted this small dot on a hillside while driving along a major road on our way to the Valley, pulled over the car, got out powerful binocs and a monocular, and enabled us to see our one and only spectacled bear, which we watched as it fed on a bromeliad. He also took us to a private bird sanctuary in the forest where we saw many birds (including numerous hummingbirds) up close, and enjoyed a fine meal prepared by the owners. We traveled along the Rio Quijos Valley, and saw more birds, including a rare duck that lives on the river. His company offers a variety of trips/tours, some of which are multiple days, and they are looking at adding more trips on the Amazon side. We strongly recommend Santiago and his company (Neotropical Nature and Birding Trips) for anyone wanting to have a great experience viewing wildlife of all kinds.
Majestic and unforgettable birds
AngelicaS517,,Dec 22, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Beautiful place, and a unique experience, being able to observe the Torrente duck, and many more species of multicolored birds, with the magnificent guidance of the guide Santiago Salazar from @Neotropicalnature&birding
Pure nature in the cloud forest of the Eastern Andes
trogonoptera,,Sep 8, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00During our 14-day expedition with Neotropical we also got to know the Quijos Valley. Our guide Santiago was fantastic, we saw an incredible number of birds, especially hummingbird species, but also the famous Cock of the Rock. Rio Quijos Ecolodge was a beautiful place for the Andean Motmot and the Gorgeted Woodstar. We came home with fantastic photos. The whole tour was worth every dollar. If at all possible we will come back to wonderful Ecuador!
Wonderful adventure
mjmb94,,Mar 22, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had an amazing trip with our guide Santiago. We spent the morning looking for bears and the afternoon looking for birds. We did not have luck finding bears but we did see plenty of birds and beautiful scenery. We saw a tiger heron, torrent duck, many hummingbirds and green jays. The best part was seeing the cock of the rock. We also enjoyed a delicious lunch. We would highly recommend this experience.
Lots of birds
Matthew M,,Feb 26, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00We had a great trip with our guide Santiago. We spent the day looking for bears and birds while seeing beautiful scenery. We did not have luck seeing bears, however we saw lots of birds and the beautiful scenery. We saw a tiger heron, torrent duck, many hummingbirds and the cock of the rock. And a great lunch too.
Amazing tour and amazing guide.
patrickmM4826ZX,,Apr 20, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Amazing day with Santiago. We couldn't have been happier with the experience. Book Neotropical - they're the best!
Spectacular tour!
418kitam,,Apr 20, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00If you enjoy the natural world, Ecuador should be at the top of your “must see” list and Neotropical your tour guides. Communication with Maria Zambrano, Operations Manager, as we tried to decide what full day-tours to take was prompt, friendly, helpful and ever-courteous. We had intended to do a single day of touring to Antisana to see the condors, but after one day with Santiago Salazar, we quickly booked a second day for this tour. We don’t generally spend this kind of money for a private tour, or any tour, but this was worth every penny. Santiago’s knowledge of both the natural world and the history and culture of his country gave us an insight into Ecuador that we would never have attained on our own. Likewise, his focus on our needs and hopes in exploring the area was unwavering. We couldn’t have felt more fortunate and well taken care of! The drive into the Andes is a spectacular visual symphony of color and texture. And then there are the birds! The highlight of this trip was meant to be the hummingbirds, and we saw many. From the booted racket-tail (my personal favorite!) to the long-tailed sylph and sword billed, we were more than satisfied that we had been privileged to observe as wide a variety of these extraordinary birds as was possible. But this tour was more than that! Despite an overcast and rainy day, with some patience and excellent spotting by Santiago, the afternoon turned out to be a tour-de-force of smaller birds as they moved through the tops of the trees. It was an incredible experience and, all told, we saw 66 species of birds. My husband was also interested in seeing a spectacled or Andean bear, the only bear native to South America. We stopped in several likely locations with no luck. Santiago was kind enough to lengthen the time of our tour to stop on the side of a freeway (of all places!) with a view to the side of a mountain known to have a profusion of the particular epiphyte these bears like to eat. Within minutes I spotted a bear ambling across the hillside. Santiago pulled out his spotting scope for us to take a good look as well as his camera with long range lens so we would all have a record of this extraordinary sighting. (Thanks to Santiago for sending us a photo!) In every way, our two days with Neotropical was satisfying. Next time we head for Ecuador, we hope to take part in a ten-day tour in search of wildlife and into the Amazon. I highly recommend these folks. They are the whole package: competent, professional, knowledgeable, and with an excellent command of the English language. Tour with Neotropical Nature and Birding Trips and discover the beautiful and fascinating world of Ecuadorian nature. It’s an opportunity and life-experience you don’t want to miss.
ANDEAN ADVENTURE
amandadK2542QM,,Mar 19, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The start of our journey began with us driving up to Cayambe Coza National Park and up 4400m above sea level to search for spectacal bears and rufuss bellied snapes, but the weather was less than desirable (windy, cold and rainy) that none of the animals wanted to come out and be admired. As we made our way back down the mountain we spotted the rainbow-bearded thornbill (an iconspicuous little humming bird). We then contiuned our way to the Qiujos Valley with the history of Ecuador being explained to me by my guide Santiago. We made stops along the way to see humming birds as well a cock of the rock lek. Quijos lodge is very nice and is situated along the Quijos river. The property is large and has a wide varitey of birds to be on the lookout for.
Related Experiences
Operated by Neotropical Nature and Birding Trips