Coffee Origin Trips to Guatemala
De La Gente’s coffee origin trips are a chance to travel to the places where coffee is cultivated, meeting the farmers who grow it, and experiencing firsthand the landscapes, traditions, and communities that shape every bean to better understand the coffee value chain.
Coffee origin trips serve as a magnifying glass, allowing us to see how relationships between producers, roasters, and everyday coffee drinkers can shift the balance towards commercial justice. For us, origin trips are about people: a barista seeking to understand your craft more deeply, a coffee enthusiast curious about where your beans come from, or a traveler who loves authentic, community-based experiences.
*If you’re looking for a customized trip to any of the four producing regions in Guatemala where we work, contact us at pete@dlgcoffee.org
Cultivating Relationships
De La Gente’s coffee origin trips will take you to explore three distinct coffee regions in Guatemala and visit four diverse cooperatives, each with its unique history and stories to tell.
Begin by settling into a coffee producer’s homestay at the base of a dormant volcano. We’ll start our activities by going to one of our signature Coffee Tours to meet and interact with members of the Coffee Growers of San Miguel Escobar cooperative. Later on, you’ll have the chance to have a conversation with another cooperative in the same community, La Familia Collective. This is a family of four generations that has closed the circle by producing, brewing, and selling their coffee at their coffee shop, followed by a cupping to taste the coffees from the cooperatives you’ll visit. The next morning, a five-hour drive to Santa Anita La Unión to meet with the coffee producers from APCASA and help them with processing their coffee. Early in the morning the next day, put your boots on for a walk through the coffee fields and continue helping with processing. The next day, a three-hour drive to San Lucas Tolimán to meet with Ija’tz cooperative, where you’ll see the reception and weighing of the coffee from the harvest. After breakfast of day 6, a two and a half hour drive will take you back to San Miguel Escobar, and you will have some free time to wander in Antigua before a farewell dinner.
Collective Trip Description
Pricing & Participation
We handle the logistics, scheduling, and all the details in between so that all trip participants can focus on engaging with coffee people and experiencing the richness of Guatemalan culture.
TRIP LENGTH: 7 days and 6 nights
DATES: Feb 22nd - 28th
PRICE: USD 1,300.00 per person
HOLIDAY DISCOUNT!
Get USD 100 OFF with the code: GUATE2026. Valid until Dec 21st
*If you’re looking for a customized trip to any of the four producing regions in Guatemala where we work, contact us at pete@dlgcoffee.org
Contact us with questions or for additional information at pete@dlgcoffee.org
Coffee Origin Trips Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and Check-in at Homestays
Let us help you get settled in San Miguel Escobar. We arrange lodging for all participants at the houses of the coffee producers. This is a unique opportunity that will open the door to the community to better understand the way the producers live and be part of the community (for a few days).
We provide private transportation for participants, arranged according to their time of arrival.
Photo by Sara B. Giliam
Day 2: Introduction to Coffee in Guatemala
We begin with our signature Coffee Tour, where you will establish personal connections with the producers to truly understand what coffee growing means to them. Next, learn from the experience of a family of coffee producers who closed the circle by opening a coffee shop, and conclude with a cupping where you will taste coffee from the cooperatives you’ll visit.
Day 3: Learn to Process Coffee
Prepare for a five-hour drive to Santa Anita La Unión in the San Marcos region to meet with the coffee producers from APCASA and help them with processing their coffee. Whether helping to depulp, wash, dehull or roast the coffee, this is a great opportunity to get involved in the journey from seed to cup.
Day 4: A Day as a Coffee Producer
After breakfast, head out for a walk to the coffee fields including a visit to a waterfall where you can dip in the cold water and relax for a while. Return to the town to help with the dry milling process and also roasting coffee. This is an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and knowledge with the coffee producers.
Day 5: Travel to Atitlán
After breakfast, a three-hour drive will take you to meet the coffee producers from Ija’tz cooperative, where you’ll see the reception and weighing of the coffee from the harvest. With this last visit, you will have a deeper understanding of how each group organizes its work, shares responsibilities, and makes decisions together to understand the diversity of cooperative work in Guatemala.
Find out what happens next! Download the full itinerary.
HOLIDAY DISCOUNT! Get USD 100 OFF with the code: GUATE2026. Valid until Dec 21st
Contact us with questions or inquire about customized trips at pete@dlgcoffee.org
More Information
-
From Sunday 22nd February to Saturday 28th February
-
$1,300 USD per person for a standard 7 day, 6 night trip.
50% Deposit payable on sign up, and complete payment due by January 21st.
-
Comfortable lodging at homestays in San Miguel Escobar and Santa Anita La Union, and in a three star hotel in San Lucas Toliman. Let us know if you would like to see some photos.
3 meals a day
Translation (English/Spanish) and a DLG staff member at all times
Guides
Transportation
-
Souvenirs
Alcoholic beverages
Flights and travel expenses prior to and following the Origin Trip
Traveler insurance
Tips
Activities you choose to partake in during free time that are not included in the itinerary
-
Anyone! But, of particular interest to:
Baristas, cafe owner, roaster, Q graders or any other coffee professionals.
Fans and lovers of coffee with an interest in it - where it comes from, how it is grown and how it reaches our cups.
Minors (under 18) must travel with an adult.
-
Cancellation policy
If you cancel on or before December 21st, we can process a full refund.
If you cancel after December 21st but before January 19th, the 50% deposit is non-refundable.
If you cancel on or after January 19th, we’re unable to refund any payments.
There is a 5 person minimum. If there are less than 5 people signed up, we reserve the right to ask for a surcharge of cancel the trip (to be notified by December 21st)
Trip Changes
We cannot accommodate changes to the published itinerary.
De La Gente reserves the right to change an itinerary due to local circumstances, natural disaster, illness, or events outside of our control. In the event that itinerary changes are necessary, De La Gente will notify participants and make necessary adjustments to keep everyone safe and comfortable.
Additional Expense
De La Gente is not responsible for expenses incurred for activities outside of the planned itinerary. Participant groups are responsible for arranging and purchasing their own air travel. If participants arrange flights for dates outside of the agreed-upon dates in the contract listed in the trip information, De La Gente is not responsible for arranging or covering the costs for additional lodging, meals, or activities.
Participants are responsible for understanding the coverage and limits of their travel and medical insurance policies and providing up-front payment for emergency services when required.
Liability and Insurance
It is suggested that travelers purchase traveler’s insurance.
Trip participants are required to sign a liability waiver prior to the Origin Trip start date.
Participants will also receive a media release form (signing is optional) to have their photo and/or videos taken during the trip for De La Gente marketing and publicity materials.
Contact us with questions or inquire about customized trips at pete@dlgcoffee.org
Testimonials
“For me, it’s important to meet the producers in order to make the industry one that values people. That’s why I decided to travel to Guatemala to personally meet various producers, interact with them, and understand their work and professionalism… In Canada, we drink coffee but we know very little about the work that goes into a cup of coffee. I want to be that link [between producers and consumers].”
- Daniel Bernard
Les Cafés du Paysan, Canada
“I’ve already been working with these coffees [sold by De La Gente] and I wanted to see where they come from, what are the differences between Manuel [microlot producer] and his situation, and what’s going on at La Suiza [cooperative], what is the reality of coffee production in Guatemala, how does it look in this country [?]. I came hoping for that and that’s exactly what I got.”
- Kyle Rohling
Coffee proffessional, United States
"The stories from the coffee producers I’ve met during this trip have been very inspirational. I’m blown away by their drive and what they’ve achieved so far in spite of the circumstances. I hope things work better and better for them."
- William Schaefer
Nossa Familia Coffee, United States
Contact us with questions or inquire about customized trips at pete@dlgcoffee.org
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Parts of Guatemala, such as some areas of Guatemala City and towns on the border with Mexico do struggle with high levels of violence. Rest assured, the communities and towns we will be visiting (San Miguel Escobar, Santa Anita and San Lucas Toliman) are perfectly safe. Antigua is the most popular tourist destination in Guatemala and is safe to wander, we encourage you to do just that.
Just like you would in any new place, please always be mindful of your surroundings and keep an eye out for petty theft.
-
Feel free to bring a laptop or any other electronics you may need. In San Miguel Escobar and San Lucas Toliman (but not Santa Anita), our accommodations have WiFi. Many cafes and restaurants in Antigua and Lake Atitlán have internet as well. If you have a roaming cell plan, cellular data coverage is widespread and connectivity good.
-
Guatemala uses the same electrical outlets as the U.S. with a voltage between 110-120V.
-
Most meals eaten with farmers and in restaurants will be a combination of rice, sauce (not spicy!), meat, and tortillas. In Antigua, restaurants and cafés provide a wide variety of options.
-
We can accommodate dietary restrictions, but it does require some planning ahead! Let us know if you have any dietary restrictions.
-
Those who will be preparing food during our trip have taken a food safety and hygiene course and understand the extra steps necessary to cook for visitors who may be less accustomed to the local food. Additionally, any beverage you’re served will have been prepared with purified water.
-
Do not drink water from the faucet or use it to brush your teeth, rather use purified water, which will be available throughout the trip. If you prepare any food yourself you should use purified water.
-
Traveling and eating new foods always increases your risk of getting sick, but we take precautions to minimize this possibility. We will have access to pharmacies throughout the trip for over the counter medicine and encourage you to tell us how you’re feeling throughout the trip so we can help you get the right medicine, fluids, rest, etc. you need to start feeling better! Some people find starting on probiotics before traveling helps them avoid getting sick.
-
We suggest that you review THIS WEBSITE to stay up to date regarding immunization recommendations for traveling to Central America.
Please note that we highly recommend getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
-
We recommend preordering Guatemalan currency, either sent to your home or picked up at your bank. This is a service offered with various banks so we suggest you look into this option with your bank to avoid the hassle once you’re here
Also recommended is to withdraw from an ATM. To use an ATM, you will need a 4-digit PIN. If yours is more than 4 digits, please change it prior to coming to Guatemala. The withdrawal limit is usually Q2000 per day. Let your bank and credit card company know you will be withdrawing in Guatemala.
You can exchange dollars at the airport (not recommended due to very poor rates) or at banks in Antigua. The banks in Guatemala are very particular about what dollars bills/what amounts they will exchange. Any tear, mark, or stain will be rejected and this can be quite a time consuming process. The daily exchange limit is $120 and the monthly limit is $500, and bills of only $20 and above are accepted.
Please note:
1 USD is approximately 7.6 Guatemalan quetzals
-
Dry season is generally from November to May—the weather is pleasant, around 75 to 80 degrees (F) year round with temperatures falling to 55-65 degrees (F) at night. The temperatures are similar in the rainy season which is from May through August. Expect daily showers and even some heavy rains, which makes the air feel much cooler. In September and October it is common to have rain all day, every day.
-
You will have an interpreter with you for all group activities and travel during the trip. It’s always appreciated if you attempt to speak Spanish, even if it is the basics (hola, buenos días, gracias), and you will want to review the Spanish words and phrases document that we will provide.
-
If you have a passport from the U.S., Canada, and most European countries, you will receive a 90 day tourist visa upon arrival. You don’t have to do anything prior to your trip for this tourist visa. If you hold a passport from another country please check THIS WEBSITE.
-
The group size is 5-10 people.
-
Yes, but if you want private accommodations, let us know. Please note that there will be an additional fee for private rooms.
-
No. Minors (under 18) must travel with an adult. Families are welcome!
We’re sure you have some questions about the trip before you dive into your origin experience. If you still have any lingering questions after reading this feel free to contact us!
