The Best Way to Explore Quito and Beyond - We had an incredible experience exploring Quito and the surrounding areas over the past few days. Every activity felt thoughtfully organized, immersive, and absolutely worth it. One of the biggest conveniences was that each day we had transportation to and from our hotel, the JW Marriott Quito, which made everything seamless and stress-free. We were also able to conveniently book our activities and excursions directly at the hotel, which made planning simple and efficient. Papallacta Hot Springs was the perfect way to relax and recharge. Soaking in the thermal pools surrounded by mountains was unreal. After relaxing at the hot springs, our guide took us on a short hike to see a beautiful waterfall and the private garden of the resort, which made the experience even more special. The scenery alone is worth the trip, but the peaceful atmosphere made it unforgettable. For the two of us, this tour averaged about $250 total, including transportation and entrance fees. Our day in Mindo was equally amazing. Seeing hummingbirds up close was something special, and the hike to the waterfalls gave us that perfect mix of adventure and nature. The trails were beautiful, refreshing, and well worth the effort. We also enjoyed some incredible local food throughout the trip — fresh, flavorful, and authentic. The Mindo tour was also around $250 for the two of us for a full-day private experience. We wrapped everything up with a tour to the Center of the World on the equator, visiting both the traditional French-calculated monument site and the more updated GPS-verified equator location. Learning about the history, the science, and the hands-on experiments at both locations was fascinating and fun. This excursion averaged about $180–$200 total for both of us. Considering the private transportation, knowledgeable guides, full-day experiences, and seamless coordination, we felt the pricing was fair and transparent with excellent value for the level of service provided. A huge thank you to our guides, Karina and Ibeth. They were knowledgeable, professional, and incredibly patient with all of our questions. Their passion for Ecuador’s history and culture truly elevated the entire experience. Highly recommend these tours to anyone visiting Quito. It was the perfect balance of relaxation, adventure, culture, and education.

Ecuador Excellents - Great Horned Owl Adventures & Tours — Highly Recommended Ginny heard about a place where hummingbirds drink from your hands. We’re not birdwatchers, but we love animals (not snakes) and being outdoors. The name “Cloud Forest” clinched it. Our hotel recommended Great Horned Owl Adventures & Tours. For our flexibility, we arranged a private tour. ($125/each) Our guide, Roberto, picked us up right on time and whisked us out of Quito toward Mindo. Along the way, he discussed several options depending on our interests and adjusted the day as it unfolded. With near-perfect weather, our first stop was a stunning waterfall, a quick walk into lush woods—more jungle than forest. Some questionable footbridges added just enough drama and great photos. Roberto pointed out plants and animal tracks, answering every question thoughtfully. Back on the road, we passed through towns buzzing with life: trucks piled with bananas and plantains and open shops resembling miniature Walmarts or Home Depots. Just above Mindo, we stopped at a small section of forest specifically curated to attract birds of all kinds—surprisingly exciting even for us non-birders. At another spot, we found a hummingbird convention—an aerial display not unlike the Blue Angels, if the jets were birds. Holding cups of sugar water, we were instantly swarmed by hummingbirds of every size, color, and temperament. Some shared; others insisted on exclusive access. Only after a break did I notice the incredible valley view, with Mindo nestled among the trees. After a short, winding drive into town, we enjoyed a delicious lunch. Roberto, a truly passionate birder, was determined that we not miss seeing toucans. He knew just the place on the drive back. We rolled slowly down a quiet dirt road, listening for their calls—and unbelievably, we spotted seven. Some were close; others were viewed through his spotting scope. Even with our iPhones, we captured crisp, colorful photos. If you’re considering a day trip to Mindo or the cloud forest, I strongly recommend booking with Great Horned Owl Adventures & Tours and requesting Roberto as your guide. His knowledge, flexibility, and genuine enthusiasm made this one of the highlights of our time in Ecuador.

Birds butterflies and chocolate! - We saw many Tanagers, Toucans, and parrot! Roberto provided an excellent tour! Lovely trek to a waterfall, along with butterflies!

Great team in Roberto and Marco - Roberto and Marco were fantastic! We really had a great day with them visiting the centre of the world, feeding the hummingbirds, riding the cable car and seeing the waterfalls then to a chocolate factory. Roberto made the tour really fun and all about what we wanted to do which was fantastic I 100% recommend him.

Wonderful one-day experience - Great day experience from Quito to San Tadeo to do bird watching. List of 32 species indented thanks to the help of our Guide! Highly recommended

Josue is the best - Josue was amazing! The best tour guide ever and knew so much about everything. A must see experience. We ended up using him for three separate tours.

Mindo Cloud Forest - Feeding the humming birds was absolutely amazing. It was a great day out. Our guide Juan was excellent.

Two Great Experiences in the Mindo Cloud Forest - Roberto and Great Horned Owl adventures were outstanding! First Roberto worked with us to set up two custom trips to the Mindo Cloud Forest for our group of eight. Two of us wanted to birdwatch while the other six wanted to see and do multiple Mindo Cloud Forest activities. Both groups had a wonderful day in the cloud forest. We communicated with Roberto by email before we arrived in Ecuador. He was also thorough in his response and always returned our inquiries within hours. It was so easy to work with Roberto. Roberto conducted the birdwatching tour which visited several birding spots. I gave him a target bird list and he found every bird type on my list (Andean cock of the rock, beautiful tanagers, toucans, hummingbirds, etc). He also found the unexpected common potoo mother and baby. The mother and baby were hard to distinguish from the tree branch (see the attached photo). Roberto has a great passion for birdwatching and is an expert birder. Roberto also organized the second tour with Juan who was an excellent guide for the other group. The group did ziplining, Ecuadorian chocolate demonstration, butterfly sanctuary, beautiful birding spot, etc. If in Quito contact Roberto for your tours. I am confident you will not be disappointed. Thank you, Roberto and Juan, for such a beautiful day in the Mindo Cloud Forest!

Fun, customizable tour! - We had a great time on this trip! Roberto was fantastic, and knew all the great places to go to make our trip special. We saw such incredible bird species, had an amazing waterfall hike, and stopped at a wonderful spot for lunch and a coffee tour. Thanks for the trip, Roberto!

Disappointing trip to the Mindo Cloud Forest - Perhaps our guide could focus on his clients rather than his phone and conversation with the driver. We thought we had arranged to have a one hour trek into the cloud forest but perhaps our guide Roberto did not understand this as he was adamant that we chose instead a 20min round trip to see a waterfall. We did not. We were very disappointed. A visit to the Mariposas de Mindo butterfly garden was an absolute highlight. Beautiful environment full of butterflies and great food too. Other than transport Roberto was not involved in this visit. The two stops on the way to the butterflies were almost insignificant. Roberto was busy either taking selfies presumably to promote his tour company, or busy on his cell phone. Regrettably we can not recommend this tour company.