Colombia's 11 Best Coffee Tours and Experiences

There are numerous wonderful places to visit and a multitude of sights to see in the Coffee Region, but there are some particular experiences that stand out. Arguably, the most popular destination the Coffee Triangle is the lovely little town of Salento in the Quindio department. With its colorful traditional architecture, excellent variety of restaurants and coffee tours, Salento is already established as a must-visit spot on the Colombian traveler trail. Equally popular is the nearby Cocora Valley hike – a stunning trail through the mountains that passes through farms and cloud forest to arrive at a surreal valley full of the tallest palm trees in the world.

Salento is probably the most visited town in the Colombian Coffee Region, so it’s where most people end up taking a coffee tour. There are two excellent coffee tours available in and around the town (see the second below), and Finca El Ocaso’s tour is one of them. Taking place on a lovely little traditional farm, the tour offers a comprehensive introduction to the growing process of Colombian coffee.

The WakeCup Experience Coffee Tour by Experiencia Cafetera has been called ‘Colombia’s best coffee tour’ and it’s easy to understand why when you take the tour: a truly immersive coffee tour based out of the lovely little town of Pijao – like Salento with no tourists – the tour spends time with local farmers, jeep drivers, and coffee entrepreneurs, and gives you a real insight into the culture of Colombian coffee.

Other top tourist highlights in the Coffee Triangle include the beautiful hot springs of Santa Rosa de Cabal, trekking in the mountains of Los Nevados National Park, birding in the area’s many diverse bird reserves – including Rio Blanco, Otun Quimbaya and Montezuma – and taking a hot-air balloon flight over the stunning landscape. Those interested in the coffee and culture combination so unique to the region will want to be in the town of Calarcá in July for the annual Yipao Jeep Parade, where the Jeeps of the region are celebrated with parties and daredevil jeep stunts.

Bogota’s best coffee tour is this excellent Specialty Coffee Tour, which takes you on a tour around the best independent cafes in the city, explaining in the process the culture behind speciality coffee in Colombia. The guides are passionate coffee-lovers, and their insights – along with those of the baristas serving you – will prove invaluable, especially if you’re new to the coffee scene.

If you only have a short time in Colombia and don’t have time to make it to the Coffee Region then this day-tour of a coffee farm from Bogota is a must. Taking you to the stunning Cerro del Quinini a few hours south of Bogota, the tour explores the plantations of a local collective of farmers producing truly environmentally-friendly, shade-grown coffee in a stunning natural setting.

Catacion Publica in Usaquen neighbourhood is one of Colombia’s best cafes, whilst also running some of the city’s best tasting and cupping workshops and experience, ranging from introductory tasting sessions where participants taste three regional coffees to full-on barista training courses. The perfect coffee experience if you are a professional or maybe looking to become one.

Jardin in Antioquia department might just be one of the most beautiful coffee towns you’ll ever visit, so it makes sense to take a coffee tour while you’re there. At the lovely Finca Milena coffee farm, not only can you stay in an authentic traditional coffee farmhouse, but you can also take an informative tour to learn all about the coffee process.

Just outside the Coffee Region city of Manizales is Hacienda Venecia, a typical coffee farm containing some truly stunning typical buildings of the region. You can stay in the main house – a delightful example of local Paisaarchitecture – and take the coffee tour of their beautiful farm.

The other top coffee tour in Salento takes place on the little coffee farm of Don Eduardo, a local Colombian coffee farmer with a lifetime of knowledge and experience, all of which he brings to the tour with his passion and enthusiasm. It’s perhaps a more authentic experience than El Ocaso, and the positive reviews for Don Eduardo and his tour just keep coming!

Medellin’s best coffee tour is run by Toucan Cafe and Tours – they offer a variety of coffee experiences, including coffee tasting at their cafe, a barista workshop, and a coffee tour to a local coffee plantation in the mountains around the city. If you want to learn about coffee in Colombia’s second city, then this is the tour for you.