[Chiang Mai Coffee] A 4-Day, 3-Night Tour: Savoring Coffee from Bean to Cup

2025年8月7日 2026年7月6日

チェンマイ坂田

Why not savor your everyday "coffee" more deeply and more richly?

The stage is Chiang Mai, the ancient capital of northern Thailand. Today it is one of Asia's premier coffee origins, drawing the attention of coffee professionals worldwide.

On this journey, you'll visit the villages of mountain ethnic minorities, walk through Arabica farms grown in harmony with nature, and take part in roasting and cupping at a local roaster.

We'll also weave in stylish café-hopping around the city and cultural experiences, guiding you on a Chiang Mai coffee tour you savor with all five senses.

Who this trip is for
Highlights of the Chiang Mai Coffee Tour
The story behind the Chiang Mai Coffee Tour
Sample itinerary (4 days / 3 nights)
What to know before you join
Gallery

Who this trip is for

People who love coffee
Those interested in coffee origins and fair trade
Those who dream of opening their own café
Working baristas and those interested in roasting
Those who want to travel with coffee as their theme

Highlights of the Chiang Mai Coffee Tour

We've planned five experiences unique to this trip!

①Visiting & harvesting at a mountain-tribe coffee farm

Visit the pesticide-free farm of the Karen — a Thai mountain people who live in coexistence with nature — and learn about the environment in which coffee grows.

②Coffee processing experience: washing ～ drying ～ roasting

With your own hands, experience washing (water sorting → removing unripe beans), fermentation (breaking down the pulp and removing mucilage), drying (sun-drying), and roasting (small-batch roasting with a hand net or small roaster). You'll learn the "bean's journey" from harvest to a finished cup by moving and feeling it firsthand.

③A professional workshop at Akha Ama Coffee

At "Akha Ama Coffee," one of Thailand's leading specialty coffee brands, take part in a barista-led brewing workshop. You'll gain practical, in-depth learning in hand-drip precision, recipe differences, and extraction theory.

④Café-hopping around stylish Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai's cafés are truly stylish, distinguished by their inventively designed spaces. Sustainable, ethical, design-driven — we'll visit cafés brimming with character.

⑤Sightseeing and cultural experiences unique to Chiang Mai

For those who wish, we can also arrange market strolls and traditional temple visits as accents to the journey.

The story behind the Chiang Mai Coffee Tour

Nice to meet you! I'm Naoto Sakata, representative of Mani Tabi and the planner of this tour.

"Chiang Mai coffee isn't just delicious — it has a story." With this tour, we've poured in our wish for you to savor that story in full.

Let me share the three reasons behind planning this tour.

① From "opium mountains" to "coffee forests"

Northern Thailand's mountains were once a major producer of the poppies used to make opium. What changed this situation — with its serious health consequences — was a Thai royal project in the 1980s. His Majesty the King championed coffee cultivation, wishing for "crops that let people live with pride."

Forty years on, the trees that took root through much trial and error now color the forest and sustain the lives of ethnic minorities.

② The "true taste" delivered by hand-picking bean by bean

While mass-produced beans are harvested all at once by machine, Chiang Mai's small farms hand-pick only the deep-red, fully ripe cherries.

And with washed, honey, and natural methods, let's enjoy the flavors that these diverse processes create.

③ Sharing "the wonder of Thailand" through coffee

On this tour — from harvesting at the farm to a roasting experience, a professional barista workshop, and a tour of the city's cutting-edge cafés — you'll trace the "journey of the coffee bean" with all five senses.

"Through getting to know coffee, I want you to come to know the history, culture, and human warmth of Thailand and Chiang Mai."

I'm no coffee professional, but through coffee I share the charm of northern Thailand and Chiang Mai.

Below is the itinerary.

Sample itinerary (4 days / 3 nights)

Day	Details
Day 1 Coffee harvesting & processing tour	• Meet around 9:00 in Chiang Mai city / at the airport, then take a chartered van to the village with the coffee farm • Harvest coffee cherries at the forest farm and observe the washing → fermentation → drying steps
Day 2 Roasting & exploring Chiang Mai cafés	• After breakfast and a rest, roast the coffee beans • After roasting, a drip lesson and a taste of the fresh brew • After lunch, leave the village and spend the afternoon exploring stylish Chiang Mai cafés
Day 3 Specialty coffee workshop	• A coffee workshop at Chiang Mai's popular “Akha Ama Coffee” • From extraction techniques to Thailand-only items like orange coffee • Dinner at the northern-Thai restaurant “Chawee”
Day 4 Chiang Mai café-hopping OR free sightseeing	• Free time until departure (sightseeing, café-hopping, shopping) • The schedule can be adjusted to your wishes

Here are the details.

Day 1｜Coffee harvesting & processing tour

Around 9:00 a.m., meet on site in Chiang Mai city or at the airport (we'll suggest recommended flights).

We'll hop straight into a chartered van and head about 90 minutes from the city to the coffee farm of the Karen mountain people.

On arrival, enjoy a cup at the owner's handmade café, followed by a handmade lunch.

Khun Kui carefully brewing a cup — Owner Khun Kui (left) carefully brewing a cup

In the afternoon, we climb into the hills for a harvesting experience at a shade-grown coffee farm.

We travel in the back of a pickup truck.

It's a moving moment to see up close that the coffee you drink every day comes from bright-red coffee cherries!

After returning from the farm, we take our time observing the washing, fermentation, and drying steps with careful explanations from the farmers.

We make dinner with the villagers. Gathered around the hearth, we talk about coffee together.

Day 2｜Roasting & exploring stylish cafés in Chiang Mai

In the morning, stroll through the village and glimpse the life of the mountain people.

After breakfast and a short rest, it's the roasting experience — the final step of coffee processing.

Once roasting is done, we reach the final chapter of the coffee journey. Khun Kui will also teach you how to hand-drip a cup.

A cup enjoyed in the midst of great nature is truly exceptional.

After a coffee and a moment's rest, we have lunch. Then, with fond farewells, we leave the village behind.

For the Day 1–2 farm tour, see the details here 👇

In the afternoon, we visit stylish cafés around Chiang Mai.

Here's our article on recommended cafés 👇

Day 3｜A workshop at Akha Ama Coffee

On Day 3, we visit Chiang Mai's popular Akha Ama Coffee.

Over a full day, you'll learn about the brand's background and, through a workshop led by a professional barista, the techniques and philosophy of extraction and brewing (a half-day option is also possible).

You'll also learn about coffee menus unique to Thailand, such as orange coffee.

Finally, we close at a traditional northern-Thai restaurant recommended by Sakata.

We'll also hold a closing session to look back on the trip and share our "best coffee."

Day 4｜Sightseeing and souvenir shopping in Chiang Mai

Until each person's departure, explore Chiang Mai's cafés, go sightseeing, and shop for souvenirs. You're free to spend the time as you like; we'll adjust flexibly to your wishes.

What to know before you join

When the tour runs

In Chiang Mai, the coffee harvest season runs from November to February.

Estimated budget

On-site fee: approx. ¥90,000–120,000 (includes lodging, activities, meals, and transfers; varies by group size, so please inquire — student and group discounts are also available)
- This tour is available for groups of 6 or more.
Airfare is separate: a round trip from Japan to Chiang Mai runs roughly ¥60,000–100,000.