Medellín: Private Coffee Farm Tour & Roasting Class

Twenty minutes from the city, you're learning how coffee actually gets roasted

You spend a half-day on a family coffee farm outside Medellín learning to pick, process, and roast beans, then taste the same coffee prepared three ways to understand how method changes flavor. Hotel pickup, a bilingual guide, snacks and coffee are included, and the small group size means you're not following a crowd through the steps.

Step-by-step itinerary

Private half-day coffee farm tour

• Pick up at Airbnb or hotel
• Drive 20 minutes south of Medellín
• Arrive at family coffee farm
• Learn coffee process from plant to cup
• Pick ripe coffee cherries
• Depulp coffee cherries
• Ferment coffee beans in tanks
• Wash coffee beans thoroughly
• Dry beans on patios or raised beds
• Thresh to remove parchment layer
• Roast coffee beans to perfection
• Taste different coffee preparation methods

The experience

Most coffee tours near Medellín pack you into a van with a dozen other people and rush through the steps. This one doesn't. You get picked up from your hotel or Airbnb, and the drive south takes you out of the city noise into a completely different landscape: farmland, tropical fruit trees, the Andes rising up around you. Twenty minutes and you're somewhere else entirely.

The family farm sits in that countryside, and it's small enough that you're not walking behind a crowd. Your bilingual guide walks you through the whole process: picking the ripe cherries (they're red, not green, that's the first thing most people get wrong), depulping them in the machine, then fermenting, washing, drying, threshing, and finally roasting. Each step changes the bean. You'll see it happen. The guide doesn't just tell you. You handle the cherries, watch the beans turn color in the roaster, smell the difference between a light and dark roast.

Then comes the part that sticks with you: tasting the same coffee prepared three different ways, using the exact same beans and water, just changing the method. One tastes bright and acidic, another smooth and heavy, another somewhere between. That's when you realize how much skill goes into what you've been drinking without thinking about it. The farm serves snacks and coffee throughout, so you're not standing around hungry while someone lectures.

The whole thing is half a day, which means you're back in Medellín by early afternoon with time to do something else. Private transportation means no waiting for other pickups, no set departure time that doesn't match your flight or your plans. If you want to ask the guide something specific (about the water quality, the altitude, why this farm does fermentation differently than the one next door), you actually get an answer instead of being herded to the next stop.

What’s included

Your half-day includes hotel or Airbnb pickup in a private vehicle, transport to and from the family farm, a bilingual guide who walks you through picking, depulping, fermenting, washing, drying, threshing and roasting, hands-on time with the beans at each stage, coffee and tea tastings using multiple preparation methods, snacks on the farm, and return transport to Medellín by early afternoon.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day9 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 14:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (6 and older) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by The Andes Adventure Travels

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to understand how Colombian coffee is actually made without spending half the day in a van or following a crowd through the steps: the private format and small farm setting mean you move at your own pace and can ask questions as they come up.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How far is the farm from Medellín?

About 20 minutes south of the city by private car.

What's included in the tour?

Private transportation from your hotel, a bilingual guide, snacks, and coffee or tea throughout the tour.

Do I need coffee experience to join?

No. The tour covers the entire process from picking to roasting, so beginners learn the full story.

How long does the tour take?

It's a half-day tour, typically a few hours including pickup and return to the city.

Can I bring children?

Yes. Infants can ride in a stroller, and small children can sit on an adult's lap during transport.

Is this a group tour or private?

Private. You're not grouped with other travelers. It's just your party and the guide.

What if I want to customize the tour?

The guide can adjust the pace and focus based on your interests, since it's a private tour.

Do I get to taste the coffee?

Yes. You'll taste the same coffee prepared using different methods to understand how each one affects flavor.