Planning · Seasons

The best time for a coffee tour in Colombia

Harvest and dry season fall in different months. Pick the one that suits your day.

Top picks

Finca El Ocaso Salento · 1.5 hours Salento coffee farm tour at Finca El Ocaso (English)

★ 4.8 (401) from $22

Book now

Finca La Arrinconada · About 4 hours Medellín coffee tour with hotel transfers and lunch

★ 4.8 (268) from $81

Book now

The True Colombian Experience · About 7 hours Be a farmer for a day on a coffee farm near Bogotá

★ 4.9 (206) from $360

Book now

Compare all 4 tours

In Risaralda, in the heart of the coffee region, the main harvest runs from September to December and a smaller second one, the mitaca, follows in April and May; in practice coffee is picked there for most of the year. The drier months in the Andes are December to early March and July to August. So the busiest picking months are wet, and the driest months are also the main travel season.

Tours where you pick coffee yourself

On these tours the listing or several reviewers mention picking cherries by hand, so the season shows most here. Sorted by number of reviews.

Tour	Region	Farm	Getting there	Total time	Reviews ↕	Price ↕	Book
El Ocaso farm tour Finca El Ocaso Salento	Salento	El Ocaso, Salento	No transfer	1.5 h	★ 4.8 (401)	$22 per person	Book now
La Arrinconada farm day Finca La Arrinconada	Medellín	La Arrinconada, Palmitas	Hotel pickup	4 h	★ 4.8 (268)	$81 per person	Book now
Farmer for a day near Bogotá The True Colombian Experience	Bogotá	La Campesina, per reviews	Start at Cranky Croc	7 h	★ 4.9 (206)	$360 per person	Book now
Don Elías organic farm Finca Cafetera Don Elías	Salento	Don Elías, Salento	No transfer	1.5 h	★ 4.9 (125)	$19 per person	Book now

Coffee tour prices are per person and refresh from GetYourGuide and Viator; your date and group size set the final amount on the booking page.

The picking tours in detail

Each tour with its farm, how you get there, the total time and the group size. Open a card for the full details.

Finca El Ocaso Salento

Salento coffee farm tour at Finca El Ocaso (English)

Farm tour on site

Total time: 1.5 hours
Farm: Finca El Ocaso, about 4 km from Salento
Getting there: No transfer: Willys jeeps leave from the main square in Salento, paid separately
Drive or time on the farm: The whole tour takes place on the farm
Language: English

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from $22 ★ 4.8 (401 reviews)

Book on GetYourGuide

Everything in this tour

Highlights

Guided farm tour in English
Café and viewpoint at the farm

About this tour

El Ocaso is a farm geared to day trips, about four kilometres from the town. The English-language tour runs at the farm itself.

You get there on your own, most people by Willys jeep from the main square.

What’s included

Guided tour

Not included

Transport to the farm
Food

Meeting point

Finca El Ocaso, Vereda Palestina, km 3.8 on the road from Salento

Good to know

The Willys jeep from the main square is paid separately

Farm, transfer and inclusions as stated on the tour’s booking page; review remarks are marked as such.

Finca La Arrinconada

Medellín coffee tour with hotel transfers and lunch

Farm visit with hotel pickup

Total time: About 4 hours
Farm: Finca La Arrinconada, San Sebastián de Palmitas
Getting there: Hotel pickup between 8:40 and 9:00 in El Poblado or Laureles
Drive or time on the farm: About 45 minutes each way between Medellín and Palmitas
Language: Spanish, English

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from $81 ★ 4.8 (268 reviews)

Book on GetYourGuide

Everything in this tour

Highlights

Traditional outfit for photos
Aperitif and coffee tasting
Fiambre Paisa lunch
Souvenir from the farm

About this tour

La Arrinconada is a family farm in San Sebastián de Palmitas, in the same hills as D'Arrieros but on a shorter programme. The hotel pickup runs in the morning from El Poblado and Laureles.

The visit includes an aperitif, a tasting and a fiambre, the Paisa lunch wrapped in leaves.

What’s included

Hotel transfers
Aperitif, tasting and lunch
Souvenir

Not included

Horse ride
Tips

Good to know

Horse riding is listed as not included, although the itinerary has a riding stop; check before booking
Steep paths on the farm, wear closed shoes

Farm, transfer and inclusions as stated on the tour’s booking page; review remarks are marked as such.

The True Colombian Experience

Be a farmer for a day on a coffee farm near Bogotá

Day trip from Bogotá

Total time: About 7 hours
Farm: La Campesina, a women-run organic farm in Choachí (named in reviews)
Getting there: Start at the Cranky Croc hostel in La Candelaria; hotel pickup is not included
Drive or time on the farm: Reviewers mention a long drive
Group: Minimum 2 guests
Language: English, Spanish

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from $360 ★ 4.9 (206 reviews)

Book on GetYourGuide

Everything in this tour

Highlights

Seasonal work on the farm
Olleta and French press coffee
Breakfast on the farm
125 g of coffee to take home

About this tour

A day on an organic farm in Choachí, east of Bogotá, run by women farmers according to reviews. You help with the seasonal farm work and brew coffee the traditional way in an olleta.

Plan for a full day: the tour lasts about seven hours including the drive.

What’s included

Breakfast
Coffee to take home

Not included

Lunch
Hotel pickup

Meeting point

Cranky Croc hostel, La Candelaria, Bogotá

Good to know

The price shown can be for a different option or group size; check the price per person on the booking page
Minimum of two guests

Farm, transfer and inclusions as stated on the tour’s booking page; review remarks are marked as such.

Finca Cafetera Don Elías

Salento tour at Finca Cafetera Don Elías

Farm tour on site

Total time: 1.5 hours
Farm: Finca Cafetera Don Elías, Salento
Getting there: No transfer: you make your own way to the farm
Drive or time on the farm: The whole tour takes place on the farm
Group: Private group available
Language: English, Spanish, French

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from $19 ★ 4.9 (125 reviews)

Book on GetYourGuide

Everything in this tour

Highlights

Organic growing
From picking to the cup
Tasting and seasonal fruit
Optional walk to a river and waterfall

About this tour

A small organic farm near Salento where the tour follows the coffee from picking to the cup, with a tasting and seasonal fruit at the end.

Guides speak English, Spanish and French. A walk to the river and a waterfall can be added.

What’s included

Guided tour
Tasting
Seasonal fruit

Not included

Transport to the farm

Meeting point

Finca Cafetera Don Elías, Vereda Palestina km 4, Salento

Farm, transfer and inclusions as stated on the tour’s booking page; review remarks are marked as such.

The year at a glance

	Weather	On the coffee plants	Travel
Dec to early Mar	Drier	Main harvest ends in Dec	Peak season, book ahead
Apr to May	Wetter	Mitaca harvest	Outside the peak
Jul to Aug	Drier	Between the two harvests	Busy again
Sep to Dec	Wetter	Main harvest	Busy from December

Harvest months for Risaralda according to the Barista Hustle harvest calendar; dry and wet months according to kimkim. Busy months in Salento according to Wikivoyage.

If you want to pick coffee

Go between September and December, or in April and May for the mitaca. Several tours make picking part of the visit. At Finca El Ocaso near Salento one guest called picking the beans the best part. Reviewers of La Arrinconada in Palmitas mention picking on the side of the mountain, which also means steep ground. On the farmer day in Choachí from Bogotá you join whatever seasonal work is due, and one guest writes that they picked their own cherries. Don Elías near Salento follows the coffee from picking to the cup.

If you want dry paths

Choose December to early March or July and August. Farm paths are often steep and get slippery after rain, as reviewers of the Palmitas farms near Medellín point out, so the dry months are easier on foot. They are also when travel within Colombia is busiest, and Wikivoyage recommends booking farm stays and tours around Salento in advance for that period.

Regions with their own rhythm

The months above describe the Andes and the coffee region. Bogotá, at about 2,640 metres, is cool all year (Wikivoyage), and the farm days from there are long whatever the season. Minca, above Santa Marta, is cooler than the coast; we have no harvest calendar for it. The Cartagena tasting takes place indoors in the city and does not depend on the season.

Wherever you go, bring closed shoes with grip and a light rain jacket. The tours by region: Salento, Medellín, Bogotá and Pereira and Jardín.

Picking coffee, in guests’ words

Hands-on picking is what guests remember. The three-star review praises the picking but found the visit rushed and the farm a bit out of town.

★★★★★

“This was such an amazing day learning about coffee from planting the seed to brewing a cup. Our guide was so knowledgeable and we not only learned a lot but we also got to participate. We even picked our own cherries. …”

Ambar · United States · Apr 2026 Farmer for a day near Bogotá · The True Colombian Experience

★★★★★

“This was a fun morning at the coffee farm. Be prepared because the walk from the drop off point is pretty steep and there is some side of the mountain coffee picking involved. Daniela and Sophia were great hosts and taught us a lot about coffee. …”

Todd · United States · Aug 2026 La Arrinconada farm day · Finca La Arrinconada

★★★☆☆

“Tour was fine, a bit rushed. The farm is a bit out of Salento. Best part was picking the coffee beans”

Kate · Ireland · Jul 2026 El Ocaso farm tour · Finca El Ocaso

Reviews by travellers after their farm visit, from GetYourGuide.

FAQ

When is the coffee harvest in Colombia?

In Risaralda the main harvest runs from September to December, and the smaller mitaca harvest from April to May. Coffee is picked there for most of the year.

What is the mitaca?

The smaller second harvest of the year. In Risaralda it falls in April and May.

What is the best month for a coffee farm tour?

For picking, September to December. For dry paths, December to early March or July and August, which are also the busiest travel months, so book ahead.

Can I pick coffee on a tour?

On several, yes: at El Ocaso and Don Elías near Salento, at La Arrinconada near Medellín and on the farmer day in Choachí from Bogotá. How much there is to pick depends on the season.

Does the season matter for a tour from Bogotá?

Bogotá is cool all year at about 2,640 metres, and the day trips to the farms are long in any month because of the drive.

Ready to pick a region?

The best-reviewed coffee tour of each region, side by side.

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