Destinations: Major Tourist Routes
Tour Name: Coffee Tour in Ethiopia
Mode of Transportation: Surface
Duration: 12 days/11 nights
The 12 Days Coffee Tour in Ethiopia offers an immersive journey through the birthplace of coffee, exploring the country’s most iconic coffee regions such as Sidama, Yirgacheffe, Guji, Jimma, and Kaffa. Travelers experience traditional coffee ceremonies, visit family-owned farms and cooperative plantations, and learn about harvesting, processing, and roasting techniques directly from local experts. The tour blends rich cultural encounters with stunning landscapes, historic sites, and authentic community experiences, making it the perfect adventure for coffee lovers seeking to connect deeply with Ethiopia’s coffee heritage.
| DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION |
Addis Ababa |
| DEPARTURE TIME |
9:00 am. |
| INCLUDED |
- All ground transportation with a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle
- Professional English-speaking tour guide
- Accommodation for 11 nights (hotel/lodge/eco-lodges based on itinerary)
- Daily breakfast throughout the tour
- All entrance fees
- Coffee tasting sessions at major coffee regions
- Local guides and farm experts at each coffee site
- Bottled water during the tour
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- All government taxes and service charges
|
| NOT INCLUDED |
- International and domestic flights
- Lunches and dinners
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses (souvenirs, drinks, laundry, etc.)
- Optional activities not listed in the itinerary
- Tips for guides, drivers, and local staff
- Any services not mentioned in the “Included” list
|
Day 1: Arrival in Addis Ababa
Arrive in Addis Ababa in the morning via Bole International Airport. Meet your guide and driver, then transfer to your hotel for rest. After lunch, explore the historic Entoto Mountains site of Emperor Menelik II’s early capital. Visit Entoto Maryam Church and the Memorial Museum, and enjoy sweeping views of Addis. On the return, stop at Tomoca, the city’s oldest and most iconic coffee house. Refresh at the hotel, then enjoy a traditional Ethiopian dinner in the evening.
Day 2: Addis Ababa to Jimma (350 km)
After breakfast, depart Addis and head southwest toward Jimma. Enjoy a coffee stop in Woliso before descending to the Omo River Gorge and climbing through scenic hills with granite outcrops and acacia woodland. Enjoy stops for photography and landscape views. Arrive in Jimma and see the notable Coffee Statue before checking in.
Day 3: Jimma to Limu Kossa to Jimma
Visit the Limu Kossa Coffee Plantation, located at 2,000 meters above sea level. Observe workers tending the 300-hectare farm using traditional and organic methods. Continue to the Harewa Gatira Wet Mill to see coffee processing up close. In the afternoon, explore the Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC), Ethiopia’s National Coffee Research Center. Conclude with a guided visit to the historic Aba Jiffar Palace and Museum, a fine example of traditional Ethiopian wood architecture.
Day 4: Jimma to WushWush to Mizan Teferi to Bebeka
Depart Jimma for the lush WushWush Tea Estate and factory, where black tea is cultivated on 1,249 hectares at 1,900 meters elevation. Continue through areas known for painted Bench (Konta-Sheko) houses toward Mizan and Bebeka. If time allows, take an introductory walk on the Bebeka Coffee Estate.
Day 5: Bebeka Full Day Exploration
Spend the full day exploring the Bebeka Coffee Estate the largest and oldest in Ethiopia now managed by the MIDROC Group. Covering 5,556 hectares of coffee within a 10,030-hectare estate, Bebeka also produces honey and spices such as ginger and pepper. If time permits, visit nearby organic coffee producers.
Day 6: Bebeka to Jimma to Sheki to Chida to Waka to Sodo (450 km)
Begin early, leaving the Kaffa region for Jimma, then continue through Chida, crossing rivers and mountain passes toward Tercha and Sodo. Ascend the Waka mountain pass and pass villages with traditional bamboo fenced tukuls. Descend toward the Omo River Canyon and stop near the bridge the only crossing before Sodo to enjoy magnificent views.
Day 7: Sodo to Awassa (155 km)
After breakfast, travel to Awassa via Shashemene, passing vibrant Wolaita villages along the way. In the afternoon, relax at Lake Awassa with an optional boat trip to see hippos and waterbirds.
Day 8: Awassa to Sidama Coffee Projects to Awassa
Visit the lively Awassa fish market in the morning, then explore the renowned Sidama coffee region. Tour the Kolla Washing Station and visit the Efico Foundation’s project at the Ferro Cooperative in Yirga Alem. Enjoy lunch in Yirga Alem or en route.
Day 9: Awassa to Yirga Alem to Yirga Cheffe
Take a morning lakeside walk starting at the old Midroc Zewed Village to spot birds. Continue to Yirga Cheffe, stopping for lunch upon arrival. In the afternoon, visit the Yirga Cheffe Coffee Union and explore the famous Kochere region, celebrated worldwide for its premium Yirgacheffe coffee profiles.
Day 10: Yirga Cheffe to Addis Ababa (395 km)
Drive north along the Ethiopia–Kenya highway, passing Shashemene and Arsi Negele. Stop in Ziway for lunch and fresh fish by the lakeside and enjoy sightings of waterbirds. Continue to Addis and stop in Debre Zeit for a relaxing cup of coffee at Ethio Dreamland Hotel overlooking the crater lake of Bishoftu.
Day 11: Addis Ababa
Visit Kaliti, an important industrial hub in the southern part of Addis and tour the dry mills of Kuru Ethiopia Coffee Development PLC. In the afternoon, visit the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX), where Ethiopian coffee is graded and traded.
Day 12: Addis Ababa to Departure
Spend the morning visiting the National Museum, home of the famous fossil “Lucy,” and the Ethnographic Museum within the Institute of Ethiopian Studies. Continue to the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the final resting place of Emperor Haile Selassie. In the evening, transfer to Bole International Airport for your departure.
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