Ecuador Photo Tour 

• Photo Tour | October 6-20, 2026 & October 6-20, 2027

• Amazon Extension | October 20-25, 2026 & October 20-25, 2027

Maximum Participants: A maximum of 6 photographers

 

Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world and a paradise for wildlife photography. This small country is crossed from north to south by the Andes Mountain Range, which generates a variety of climatic floors and therefore a great variety of wildlife.

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One of the main characteristics of Ecuador is that you will not have to travel long distances to enjoy a large number of different bird species. This means that on the same trip you can enjoy photographing birds of the Chocó Forest, Cloud Forest, Temperate Forest, Páramo, and Amazon basin.

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Cost and Logistics

Photographer $6,950, nonphotographer spouse/companion $6,200, single supplement $600.  This includes all lodging, meals, transportation within Ecuador, guiding, instruction.  It does not include airfare to and from Quito, Ecuador which is the beginning and ending point of the tour.  It also does not include personal expenses such as tips or drinks. To reserve your spot a deposit of $2,500 is required. The balance is due 90 days prior to the tour.

 

The cost of the Amazon extension is $2,995, nonphotographer spouse is $2,695 and single supplement is $400.

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Itinerary

Oct 6th – Arrival to Quito, transfer to Zayant Ecolodge, 15 minutes from the airport.  If time allows a bit of afternoon bird photography in the garden.  Vermillion Flycatcher and Western Emerald are usually around.  Zayant Ecolodge

 

Oct 7th – After a bit of morning photography in the garden, we will check out and have a morning stop at Alambi Lodge, where there feeders attract a wide variety of hummingbirds and other birds including Brown Violetear, White-necked Jacobin and many other species, then we will arrive to Sachatamia Lodge in the afternoon and have our first multi-flash hummingbird photography session.  Sachatamia Lodge

 

Oct 8th – We will spend the full day at Sachatamia today.  There is a morning blind which attracts woodcreepers, trogons, Long-wattled Umbrellabird and other insectivores to feed on moths.  Then we will do multi-flash hummingbird photography, up to 15 species are possible here usually with good numbers of Booted Rackettail and Violet-tailed Sylph.  Sachatamia Lodge

 

Oct 9th – Today we will visit Birdwatcher’s House.  This is the best location to photograph the amazing Plate-billed Mountain Toucan.  There are reflecting pools here which make for amazing images for the toucan as well as several tanager species.  We return to Sachatamia Lodge in the late afternoon.

 

Oct 10th – After a session in the blind at Sachatamia, we will head to the Milpe area to photograph other species including Choco Toucan, Green Thorntail, Elegant Trogon, Club-winged Manakin and many other species, we will return to Sachatamia in the afternoon.

 

Oct 11th – We will have a morning multi-flash photography session at Sachatamia and then check out, we will visit an Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek on our way to our next lodge, Mashpi Amagusa.  

 

Oct 12th – We will spend the full day at Mashpi Amaguso Reserve.  The fruit feeders there attract some different species including Glistening-green and Moss-backed Tanagers as well as Golden-collared Honeycreeper.  We may run into Black Solitare and Rosy-faced Parrot, two rarities.  We will also do some more multi flash hummingbird photography here.  Mashpi Amagusa

 

Oct 13th – We will do a bit of photography around the lodge in the morning then transfer to Zuroloma Reserve for hummingbird photography.  This is the best location for Sword-billed Hummingbird.  Other interesting hummers there include Shining Sunbeam and Great Sapphirewing among others.  We stay at a large house near the reserve.  

 

Oct 14th – We will visit Zuroloma to photograph three species of Antpitta in the morning, then do set up hummingbird photography as well as photography at the fruit feeders where the stunning Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager often feeds.  Then in the late afternoon we will transfer to our next lodge: Guango Lodge

 

Oct 15th –  Chestnut-breasted and Buff-tailed Coronets as well as Tourmaline Sunangels are the most common species at the hummingbird feeders but many others are around including Sword-billed Hummingbird and Long-tailed Sylph.  Walks along the river often yield Torrent Duck and White-capped Dipper.  We will also visit a high altitude location to try for Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe and Tawny Antpitta  Guango Lodge

 

Oct 16th – Morning at Guango with Gray-breasted Mountain Toucans often visiting the feeders, then we will check out and head to our next lodge, Rio Quijose Lodge.  The feeders here attract a wide variety of birds including Andean Motmot, White-throated Quail Dove, Inca Jay and many other species.  Rio Quijose Lodge

 

Oct 17th – We will spend the full day photographing at Rio Quijose.  We will do multi-flash hummingbird photography.  Some of the species at the lodge include Booted Rackettail (golden booted race), Violet-fronted Brilliant, Green-backed Hillstar and Long-tailed Sylph.  Rio Quijose Lodge

 

Oct 18th – Cock-of-the-Rock can usually be found near the lodge.  The lodge also has fruit feeders which attract birds such as Golden-eared Tanager and Red-headed Barbet.  Then we will check out and head back over the Andes to our next lodge Zaysant where we will arrive in the late afternoon.  Zaysant Ecolodge

 

Oct 19th – Today will be a special day as we will visit the Antisana Reserve.  At this high elevation reserve we will photograph Ecuadorian Hillstar and very likely Andean Condor as well as other scare birds like Black-faced Ibis.  The reserve is good for raptors.  In the afternoon we will return to Zaysant Lodge. 

 

Oct 20th – Transfer to the airport for your return trip home or start the Amazon Extension.

Amazon extension.

Oct 20th – Morning flight from Quito to Coca, Ecuador.  Then we have a 4 hour boat transfer down the Napo River to beautiful Sani Lodge.  We will have an afternoon boat trip on the lagoon here.  Sani Lodge

 

Oct 21st-23rd – We spend 3 full days at this fabulous lodge which is run by the local indigenous community.  Boat trips on the oxbow lakes provide excellent photos of the amazing Hoatzin, several kingfishers and many other birds.  They have a hide in the forest for the fantastic Wire-tailed Manakin and feeders which attract Scarlet-crowned Barbet and Crimson-collared Tanager and Masked Crimson Tanager.  Trips to the canopy tower in a massive Kapok tree add lots of other species including often the Golden-collared Toucanet and Aracaris.  We visit the clay licks at Yasuni National Park which attract Scarlet Macaws, Orange-cheeked Parrots and large numbers of parakeets. The local guides are excellent at spotting roosting owls and it’s a great location for macro photography, there are optional night walks and boat trips.  Sani Lodge

 

Oct 24th – We will transfer back up the river to Coca and fly back to Quito, spending the afternoon at Zaysant Ecolodge, doing a bit of birding or resting in the garden.  Zaysant Ecolodge 

 

Oct 25th – Transfer to the airport for your return flight home.

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If you want more information about my private tours in this country please do not hesitate to contact me.