Coffee Roasting & Brewing in Chiang Mai: Forest to Cup

You roast the beans over flame, then brew what you made.

A coffee roasting and brewing workshop in a shade-grown Arabica forest near Chiang Mai, where you hand-roast green beans, master the V60 pour-over method, and take home your own roasted batch. The experience splits into two rotating groups of eight, so you walk the forest while others roast, then swap: no waiting, no crowds. Hotel pickup is included, along with a farm-to-table Karen vegetarian lunch and all entry fees.

Step-by-step itinerary

Chiang Mai Coffee Forest Experience

• Hotel pickup near Old City
• Welcome coffee and briefing
• Travel to Karen Highlands by van and 4WD
• Coffee forest trek and seedling planting
• Enjoy farm-to-table Karen vegetarian lunch
• Learn coffee roasting process
• Hands-on roasting masterclass
• V60 pour-over brewing workshop
• Return to hotel

The experience

The day starts with pickup from your hotel in Chiang Mai's Old City before dawn. After a welcome coffee and briefing, you'll travel by air-conditioned van into the mountains, then switch to a rugged 4WD for the final climb into a remote Karen community where tour buses don't reach. The forest itself is the classroom: you'll walk through 70–80% canopy shade where wild Arabica grows, learn to spot coffee plants, and plant a seedling with your own hands as part of the community's forest restoration work.

While your group walks the forest, the other eight guests are already at the roasting station, hand-turning a custom drum roaster over an open flame and learning how heat transforms green beans into fragrant roast. When you swap, you'll stand at that same roaster, controlling the fire yourself under your guide's instruction: no simulation, no watching a demo. The guide walks you through each stage, explaining what's happening to the bean and why, so you leave understanding the craft, not just having done it. After lunch (a wholesome vegetarian meal seated with your booking party), you'll move to the V60 workshop and learn the pour-over method step by step, then brew a cup from beans you roasted an hour earlier.

Only 16 guests come daily, split into two groups of eight, which is why you never feel crowded. The roasted beans you make are yours to take home, along with the V60 technique and the memory of a forest most visitors to Chiang Mai never see. Hotel drop-off happens between 4 and 5:30 p.m.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off within 3 kilometers of Chiang Mai Old City.
• off-road 4WD transport to the remote Karen community.
• guided coffee forest trek and tree planting with an English-speaking host.
• hands-on roasting workshop where you roast your own batch of green beans over flame.
• V60 pour-over brewing workshop and guided coffee-tasting session.
• farm-to-table vegetarian lunch seated with your group.
• your roasted beans to take home.
• travel accident insurance and all community entrance fees.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (14 to 75 years) · Child (6 to 13 years) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupUp to 16

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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 yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Chiang Mai Hill-tribe Coffee tour

Is this one for you?The day runs eight to nine hours with an early pickup and a rugged 4WD climb into the mountains, so it suits someone with a full morning and afternoon free and comfort with off-road travel. The roasting and brewing are hands-on but not strenuous, the guide leads each step, so the pace works for most fitness levels, though it's not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnancy.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 13 years). Children under 6 can't be included in the booking.

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.

What's the actual coffee forest like when I get there?

The Arabica grows under 70–80% forest canopy in a Karen mountain community, so it stays cool even in afternoon sun. You'll walk through it with a guide, learn to identify the plants, and plant a coffee seedling yourself as part of the community's forest restoration work.

Do I actually roast the coffee myself, or does the guide do it?

You hand-turn the custom drum roaster over the flame yourself. The guide explains each stage (what's happening to the bean, why the heat matters, when to listen for the crack), so you understand the process, not just perform it.

How does the two-group rotation work during the day?

Eight guests walk the forest while the other eight roast and brew at the farm. Then you swap. Both groups get the full experience (forest trek, roasting, brewing, and lunch) just in a different order, so nobody waits and the groups stay small.

What's included in the farm lunch?

A farm-to-table vegetarian meal prepared with fresh ingredients from the village farm, seated privately with your booking party. It's simple, organic food rooted in the Karen community's traditional diet.

What do I take home at the end?

Your own roasted coffee beans (the batch you made over the flame), the V60 brewing technique, and hotel drop-off between 4 and 5:30 p.m.