Overview
Tour overview
This Vietnam coffee farm tour spends two days in the hills of Son La province, in the northwest, with the people who grow the coffee. You walk between rows of Arabica, pick ripe cherries by hand next to local farmers, plant a coffee tree of your own and then follow the harvest into the processing facility, where the cherries are turned into green beans.
The first day finishes with a hands-on workshop: you roast a batch, grind it and brew it yourself. You sleep one night in a homestay, and on day two you go out to the villages and coffee-growing areas nearby to meet local ethnic communities and hear how they live. The pace is easy and travellers of all ages are welcome.
It suits coffee drinkers who want to see where their cup begins, families who want a gentle two days in the mountains, and anyone heading toward Sapa, since you can carry on from Son La instead of going back to Hanoi. Local Beans Roastery, our own coffee brand, also runs a coffee workshop in Hanoi if you want a session in the city as well. With more days in the north, our Hanoi to Mai Chau guide helps you plan the rest.
You can also book this tour on our TourRadar page. It is the same trip, run by the same Sondax Travel team in Vietnam.
Map
Tour map
Tap the map to enlarge it. It stays one tap away in the corner while you read the days below.
Itinerary
Day by day itinerary
Day 1Son La coffee hills: picking cherries, planting a tree, roasting
If you have added the round-trip transfer, the day starts in Hanoi. Son La city is about 310 km to the north-west, around six and a half hours by road; without the transfer, you join the tour in Son La. Your guide begins with the history of the farm and the rise of specialty coffee in Vietnam. Most Vietnamese coffee is Robusta from the Central Highlands. Arabica needs cooler, higher ground and makes up only a few percent of the crop, and much of it grows on Son La’s hills, at about 600 to 1,200 metres.
Then you walk out over the rolling hills between the coffee rows. Most Arabica in Son La, as elsewhere in Vietnam, is Catimor, a compact, rust-resistant variety that reached the country in the 1980s. Cherries on one branch ripen at different times, so the farmers you pick with take only the red ones and leave the rest for a later round. Before leaving the slope, you plant a coffee tree of your own.
At the processing facility the harvest goes one step further. A cherry usually holds two seeds: the skin and fruit are stripped away, and the seeds are dried and hulled until only the green bean is left, the form in which coffee is traded. In the workshop you finish the job, roasting a batch as the beans turn yellow, then brown, and start to crack, before you grind it and brew a cup. The day ends with a dinner of local specialties and a night in a homestay.
Day 2Villages and coffee growers around Son La, then Hanoi or Sapa
Breakfast comes with fresh coffee, and then you head out to the villages and coffee-growing areas nearby. Son La is home to twelve ethnic groups. The Thai account for more than half of the province’s people, ahead of the Kinh and the H’mong. Their villages are traditionally made up of wooden houses on stilts; Black Thai houses have roofs curved like a turtle shell, and Thai women are known for their brocade.
With your guide you spend time with the communities who live and farm here, and hear about their daily lives and the heritage they keep. Coffee has become one of the province’s key crops, planted on more than 24,000 hectares.
The tour ends in Son La. If you booked the transfer, you travel back to Hanoi. If you are going on to the mountains of Lao Cai, you can carry on toward Sapa instead, a town about 1,600 metres up (optional, arranged on request at extra cost).
Hotels
Where you sleep
Stays may change to similar ones depending on availability for your dates. We will let you know in advance.
Inclusions
What is included
- 1 night in a homestay in Son La
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- English-speaking guide
- Coffee farm visit and cherry picking
- Roasting, grinding and brewing workshop
- Transfer from Hanoi to Son La and back, unless you add the round-trip transfer option when you book
- Onward travel toward Sapa on day two (optional, on request)
- Dinner on day two
- Food and drinks beyond the meals and the one drink listed
- Flights before and after the tour
- Travel insurance
- Tips for your guide and driver, which are optional
- Personal expenses
This tour is also listed on TourRadar. If you would rather book through them, or you want to read what other travellers wrote, the listing is public.
View on TourRadarGood to know
Good to know
Before you go
- The tour itself takes place in Son La. A round-trip transfer from Hanoi is available as an option: add it when you book and we will confirm the price.
- On day two you can travel on toward Sapa instead of returning to Hanoi. This is optional and arranged separately, so ask us when you book.
- Expect easy walking on the hillside farm paths. Wear comfortable shoes you do not mind getting dirty.
- Vegan meals are available if you ask in advance.
- Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the tour ends.
- Travel insurance is not included, so arrange your own before you travel.
- Travellers under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Cancellation policy
If you cancel, we refund what you have paid minus a cancellation fee. The fee is a share of the tour price and depends on how far ahead of your start date you cancel:
- More than 60 days before: 10%
- 30 to 59 days before: 20%
- 15 to 29 days before: 40%
- 8 to 14 days before: 80%
- 7 days or less before, or no-show: 100%
Services you do not use during the trip are not refunded.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How fit do I need to be for this Vietnam coffee farm tour?
Not very. The tour is rated low intensity: you walk along the farm paths between the coffee rows, pick cherries at your own speed and plant one tree. There is no long trek. Comfortable shoes are enough, and you can rest whenever you like.
Does the tour start in Hanoi or in Son La?
The price from $135 covers the tour in Son La. If you are coming from Hanoi, add the round-trip transfer option when you book and we will confirm what it costs. On day two you can also head on toward Sapa instead of going back to Hanoi, on request.
Where do we sleep?
In a homestay in Son La, for one night. The price is per person and assumes two people sharing a room. Staying with a local family is a simple, friendly way to spend the evening near the farms, so expect home comforts rather than hotel service.
Can I get vegetarian or vegan meals?
Yes. Vegan food is available on request, so tell us your diet when you book. The tour includes three meals: dinner on day one and breakfast and lunch on day two. Dinner on the second day is not included.
Can children join the coffee farm tour?
Yes, travellers of all ages are welcome and the pace is easy. Anyone under 18 must travel with a parent or legal guardian. Tell us your children’s ages when you book so we can confirm the child price and how they take part in the picking and planting.
What happens if I need to cancel?
You get a refund minus a fee that rises as your start date gets closer. The fee is 10% of the tour price if you cancel more than 60 days ahead, then 20%, 40% and 80% in the bands that follow, and 100% within 7 days of departure or for a no-show.
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