Ecuador family trip: Amazon & cloud forest fun

Itinerary in brief:

• 1 night in Quito 
• 2 nights in Mindo cloud forest     
• 1 night in Quito
• 3 nights in the Amazon   

Day 1: Arrive Quito  

Upon your arrival in the city, you will be met by your private driver and driven to your hotel in Quito. After check-in, the rest of the day will be at leisure.              

Day 2 and 3: Mindo Cloud Forest      

This morning, you will be picked up at around 6:30 am and driven to Bellavista Lodge, deep within Mindo cloud forest. The journey takes around 2 hours, passing through beautiful scenery along the way. You’ll arrive at the lodge in time for a tasty breakfast and check in for two nights.

The three-day package included in our Ecuador family trip is the perfect way for your kids to learn about the cloud forest’s special environment. You can choose from a variety of guided activities, or you can choose to explore on your own. Visit a butterfly or orchid farm, spot hummingbirds in the cloud forest reserve, try canopy zip-lining or go river tubing – it’s totally up to you!

Your lodge is nestled in the heart of the reserve, so you’ll be surrounded by tropical birds, including several species of hummingbird and toucan. There are also several resident mammals here, such as the endangered spectacled bear, pumas, Andean coatis and tayras. We’ve included all meals during your stay and the lodge’s comfortable accommodation will offer your family a peaceful setting to wind down after the day’s adventures.              

Day 4: Back to Quito     

This morning, you can try a few more family activities at the lodge before departing at around 3 pm and arriving back in Quito at about 5 pm. In the capital, you will check in into your accommodation for one restful night. Tomorrow, the Amazon jungle awaits!   

Day 5: Amazon       

After breakfast, you will be collected from your hotel and driven to Quito airport for your short flight to Coca, the gateway to Ecuador’s Amazon jungle. When you land, you’ll be greeted and taken to your lodge. The journey will take roughly two hours.

Sacha Amazon Lodge sits deep in the jungle within a vast reserve that is six times as big as New York’s Central Park! Here, you’ll find an eye-popping biodiversity of bird species and exotic creatures.

When you arrive at the lodge, you will decide with your family and your guide what activities you would like to book. You’ll tuck into an arrival buffet lunch before taking your first excursion this afternoon. In the evening, you'll enjoy an a la carte dinner.

Day 6 and 7: Life in the Amazon jungle 

A typical day at Sacha starts at sunrise (or earlier!) because the temperature is cooler and the wildlife is more active. Today, you’ll set out on your chosen Amazon adventures with your guide. You might begin the day paddling dugout canoes or riding the motorised canoe along the Napo River. You can also visit a local community, learn about the Amazon way of life and let your kids try the indigenous cooking techniques.

The adventures and encounters awaiting your whole family are endless and will leave both youngsters and grown-ups in awe. Whatever you do, be sure to climb the 30 metres up to the Canopy Walk. The view from this network of bridges over the jungle canopy is simply out of this world.  

Day 8: Depart the Amazon   

Depending on your flight time this morning, you will have breakfast and join a final activity before travelling back to Coca airport to catch a flight to Quito.