Colombian Coffee Tour 7-Night Itinerary

While we can’t offer you a chance to meet “the” Juan Valdez (after all, he is a just a fictional character), we at Surtrek can promise you an opportunity to discover his spirit.

What we’re saying is that you can encounter his essence by experiencing life in the Colombia coffee region or on a traditional cafetero coffee plantation. What we offer is the chance to experience Juan Valdez’ many real-life counterparts to get a feel for their lifestyle, learn their culture, and perhaps even get a sense for how they view life. We invite you to not only taste one of the highlights of Colombia — café — but to experience one of the most unique tours in South America.

Before we even start with an introductory description of this tour, let’s make it clear: We love this “brown-ambers nectar of the gods,” both in its forms of specialty and “conventional” coffees. Though we wholeheartedly applaud the fruits of the labor of specialty coffee farmers, we also appreciate how conventional blends have almost literally shaped this county’s culture. Because of this, we have combined both experiences, leading travelers to Colombian specialty coffee farms as well as to traditional ones.

With that said, this suggested (meaning customizable) 8-day Colombian travel experience starts as soon as you land in country’s capital: Bogota. Taking advantage of your time here, you can check out the city’s glistening highlights, including its world-famous Museo del Oro (Gold Museum), as well as the colorful Paloquemao market, where you’re sure to get a taste of Colombian day-to-day life.

From there, your coffee-tour experience begins in earnest as you travel deep into the nation’s famous coffee-triangle. While spending time in the town of Armenia and its surrounding countryside, you’ll visit some of the countryside’s quaint and character-filled fincas. These coffee plantations include ones like San Alberto, Recuca and Café Inspiración; though of course we can always tailor your journey with fincas of your choice.

During these visits in Colombia’s coffee region, you’ll witness the painstakingly careful processes of the “caffeinated-cycle.” From bean to cup, you’ll see the varieties, learn the history and experience this authentic coffee culture. Witnessing the various processes of washed, honey and natural coffee, and even drying processes, you’ll be treated to a thorough experience.

We will visit roasters and renowned cafes where internationally acclaimed baristas will share their experiences and, of course, cup. This is the best part! Then too, you’ll come to understand the importance of brewing and extracting methods, and attributes of each of them – drips such as Chemex, Aeropress, and of course, espressos, etc. Be aware though, that after this trip, your palate will most probably have been influenced, and therefore you’ll be much more demanding when drinking any cup of coffee.

Before returning to Bogota, you will also venture to the southern Colombian village of San Agustin. Called “Colombia’s Easter Island,” hundreds of enigmatic stone figures stand sentinel here in the middle of a spectacular landscape, taking you back in time to an era before the Spanish conquest.

While all of this and more awaits you on this Coffee Tour, keep in mind that you can ask one of our Surtrek journey designers how to complement this your Colombian experience. There are so many things to sense in the region, with the nearby Caribbean region alone offering its own warm and exotic side.

So let’s plan now. Soon you’ll be close your eyes and following the subtle aromas!