Medellín Coffee Farm Tour: Tram, Metrocable & a Family Farm in La Sierra

Quick answer: A guided visit to a family coffee farm in Barrio La Sierra, on Medellín's eastern hillside, reached by tram and Metrocable. Shared: 200,000 COP per person. Private: 300,000 COP per person (minimum 2).
  • About 4 hours, starting at 9:00 am or 1:00 pm, 7 days a week.
  • Meet at San Antonio Metro station downtown (an Uber there is easiest). No hotel pickup.
  • Included: tram and Metrocable fares both ways, farm entry, a guide from the farm family (English or Spanish), a cup of coffee and a snack. Coffee bags are for sale at the farm.
  • Fitness: an uphill walk and about 250 steps. Ages 7 and up. Runs rain or shine.
  • Pay in full online when you book (+3.5% card fee).
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What you'll do

  1. San Antonio station. Meet your guide, a member of the coffee-farming family, at San Antonio Metro station in downtown Medellín. Your tram and Metrocable fares are included, both ways.
  2. Ayacucho tram. Ride Medellín's tram east along Ayacucho Avenue to Oriente station.
  3. Metrocable Line H. Take the cable car up from Oriente to Villa Sierra. Line H opened in December 2016 and climbs about 1.4 km up the hillside of Comuna 8, with wide views over the city.
  4. Walk up through La Sierra. From the station you walk uphill a few blocks, then climb about 250 steps to the farm. You'll see everyday barrio life on the way, and you can buy cold drinks, fruit or snacks along the route if you like.
  5. The family coffee farm. In a shady spot, the family tells the story of their coffee operation in La Sierra. Then you learn the whole process from seed to cup, hands-on.
  6. Coffee and a snack. Enjoy a cup of the farm's coffee with a snack. Bags of coffee are for sale; Justin, our founder, calls it the best coffee he's had in Medellín.

Watch the coffee tour

Watch: the tram, the cable car and the family coffee farm, from seed to cup (under 1 minute).

Prices

TourPriceGroupStart times
Shared200,000 COP per personJoin other travelers; no minimum, up to 50 people9:00 am or 1:00 pm, daily
Private300,000 COP per personYour group only; 2 to 50 people9:00 am or 1:00 pm, daily

You pay the full price online when you book, plus a 3.5% card fee. Policy: no cancellations or refunds; you can reschedule with at least 7 days' notice.

Good to know

  • Getting there: hotel pickup isn't included. Take an Uber to San Antonio Metro station.
  • Walking: there's an uphill walk and about 250 steps. Wear comfortable shoes.
  • Rain: the tour runs in the rain, though it's less pleasant. Bring a rain jacket.
  • Your guide: a member of the farm family, in English or Spanish.
  • Age: 7 and up.
  • Groups: up to 50 people.

Photos from the tour

Stairs in Barrio La Sierra
The walk up through La Sierra: an uphill stretch, then about 250 steps to the farm.
Travelers looking out over Medellín from a Metrocable cabin
Riding Metrocable Line H up to La Sierra, with the city below.
Travelers at a viewpoint above Medellín in La Sierra
Views over Medellín from the hillside.
The coffee family telling their story to visitors
At the farm, the family shares the story of their coffee.
Freshly picked red coffee cherries in a basket
Ripe coffee cherries, the start of the seed-to-cup process.
Coffee beans drying in raised beds
Coffee drying at the farm.
Two travelers tasting coffee at the farm
Your cup of coffee, served with a snack.
A visitor learning a step of coffee processing
Learning the process step by step.
Visitors with picking baskets among coffee plants at a family farm in La Sierra, Medellín
Among the coffee plants on the hillside farm, baskets ready for picking.
Two visitors picking coffee on a green hillside above Medellín
Picking coffee on the slope, with the mountains around Medellín behind.
Red picking baskets lined up beside coffee plants
Picking baskets waiting by the coffee plants.
Coffee beans drying on raised wooden beds at the farm
Beans drying in the sun on raised beds.
A member of the farm family running coffee cherries through a hand depulper
Removing the pulp from the cherries with a hand depulper.
Visitors roasting and grinding coffee with the farm family
Roasting and grinding: the last steps before brewing.
A fresh cup of black coffee held in a visitor's hands
The payoff: a fresh cup of the farm's coffee.
Bags of the farm's coffee on shelves in the farm shop
Bags of the farm's coffee are for sale if you want to take some home.

A coffee farm inside the city

Most coffee tours from Medellín drive out to the countryside. This one stays in the city: you ride public transport up the eastern hillside and visit a family that grows and processes coffee in La Sierra, a neighborhood once known for violence that now welcomes visitors. If you want a bigger rural landscape, Colombia's UNESCO-listed Coffee Cultural Landscape is in Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda and Valle del Cauca, a long trip from Medellín.

Planning more of the city? Our Comuna 13 tour tells another neighborhood transformation story, and the one-day Medellín city tour covers the highlights. Read more about La Sierra's history.

Colombian coffee in brief

  • The National Federation of Coffee Growers (FNC) was founded in 1927 to represent Colombia's coffee growers, and its research center, Cenicafé, followed in 1938.
  • The FNC opened its office in Tokyo in 1962, the start of a long relationship with Japanese coffee drinkers.
  • Colombia produced about 13.7 million 60-kg bags of green coffee in 2025.
  • Antioquia, Medellín's department, normally produces around 2.2 million bags a year and is the country's second-largest producer after Huila, with about 75,000 coffee-growing families.
  • "Café de Colombia" is a protected Denomination of Origin.

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Coffee tour FAQ

How much is the coffee tour in Medellín?

The shared tour is 200,000 COP per person. The private tour is 300,000 COP per person, with a minimum of 2 people. You pay in full online when you book, plus a 3.5% card fee.

How long is the tour and when does it start?

About 4 hours. It starts at 9:00 am or 1:00 pm, 7 days a week.

Where does the tour start?

At San Antonio Metro station in downtown Medellín. Hotel pickup isn't included; an Uber to San Antonio is the easiest way to get there.

Is there really a coffee farm inside Medellín?

Yes. The farm is run by a family in Barrio La Sierra, on the eastern hillside of the city (Comuna 8), reached by tram and Metrocable.

How much walking is there?

After the Metrocable there's an uphill walk through the neighborhood, then about 250 steps up to the farm. Wear comfortable shoes.

What's included?

Tram and Metrocable fares both ways, farm entry, a guide from the farm family (English or Spanish), and a cup of coffee with a snack.

Can I buy coffee at the farm?

Yes, bags of the farm's coffee are for sale. Justin, our founder, calls it the best coffee in Medellín.

What languages do the guides speak?

English and Spanish. Your guide is a member of the family that runs the farm.

Does the tour run in the rain?

Yes, it runs rain or shine. It's less pleasant in the rain, so bring a rain jacket.

Is there an age limit or a maximum group size?

The tour is for ages 7 and up, and groups can be up to 50 people.

Shared or private: what's the difference?

On the shared tour you join other travelers, and there's no minimum group size. The private tour is just your group (2 people minimum) at 300,000 COP per person.

What is the cancellation policy?

No cancellations or refunds. You can reschedule with at least 7 days' notice.

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