coffee tour cafe britt

Two Weeks in Costa Rica

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A Classic Costa Rican Coffee Tour at Cafe Britt

• Jenn and Matt

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When our friend Lauren (a.k.a. the Altecocker ) was visiting Costa Rica on her 55th home exchange last year, we knew that we had to make the trip to San José to see her. But with only a couple of days to explore together, we wondered what we could do close to the city. Wanting some kind of cultural activity, we quickly decided on a tour of Cafe Britt, one of the country’s gourmet coffee producers.  Costa Rica has lots of choices for coffee tours and this post will give you a recap of our visit to Cafe Britt to help you decide if it’s right for you. 

Cafe Britt has been growing and roasting coffee in Costa Rica since 1985. They were one of the first producers in the country that saw the value in keeping a portion of their best quality beans in Costa Rica, instead of selling them all abroad. Since then, they have developed a reputation, and their products are now found at many of Costa Rica’s best hotels, restaurants, and even the airport gift shops.

The Cafe Britt Tour

Cafe Britt offers two tours, the Classic Coffee Tour and a longer Coffee and Nature Tour. We were coming for the coffee and weren’t interested in going to an ecological park, so we opted for the Classic Tour.

A Theatrical Spin

The tour started like any coffee tour would with an introduction about how the beans are grown. We learned about the lifecycle of the coffee plant, some of the work that goes into growing and maintaining the crop, and then walked around a small coffee field to see the red berries for ourselves.

It didn’t take much time for us to figure out that this wouldn’t be any ordinary coffee tour. In between details about the growing process, our two guides, who were dressed in traditional attire, constantly cracked jokes, playing off of one another in a very theatrical way. It was clear that their act had been well polished, but we were still laughing at the hokey Tico humor. They were really quite funny.

Afterwards, we all headed into a large theater to watch a short movie about the history of Costa Rica’s coffee industry and to learn about the different regions where coffee is grown. Like the outdoor portion of the tour, this part was also theatrical. The guides would jump on stage and interact with the movie, throwing oversized burlap bags of coffee into a miniature coffee truck. It was a little corny like the previous skit outside, but funny, and kept the whole audience entertained, including the kids.

After the show, our guides brought up some volunteers and had them help brew coffee the traditional way using a wooden contraption and cotton sock called a chorreador . They also taught us about French Press methods and the drawbacks of regular old drip coffee pots, including some of the science behind it all.

Tasting the Glorious Coffee

After having smelled coffee for what seemed like an eternity, we moved to the main building (and gift shop) where we got to taste some freshly brewed java. Inside, all of Cafe Britt’s coffee varieties were spaced out along the walls beside thermoses and tasting cups. Conveniently, bags of coffee and chocolates were available for purchase as well. Some of our favorite blends were the Tres Ríos (Three Rivers) from the Irazú Volcano region and the Fair Trade dark roast from the mountainous Brunca region in the Southern Zone.

After the coffee tasting, we headed into the open-air room next door for lunch. We usually don’t opt for lunch on tours because they tend to be mediocre and overpriced, but figured it was convenient and would give us a chance to spend more time with Lauren. Admittedly, we had very low expectations for this part, but ended up being impressed with the buffet. Over nicely prepared typical food like rice and beans, a choice of meats, sides and salads, and some rice pudding, we chatted with Lauren. As usual, she shared some of her hilarious stories of traveling the world. With a lifetime of swapping her house for places in Australia, Poland, Spain, and of course the one here in Costa Rica, she always has some fascinating stories to tell .

We weren’t quite sure what to expect on the Cafe Britt tour, but really enjoyed it and would recommend it to others. The tour isn’t as intimate and personal as ones we’ve done with smaller growers, but has a much broader appeal. It’s the type of tour that is good for anyone, from younger kids to older adults.

Classic Coffee Tour (1.5 hours): $22 per person or $37 with lunch. Tours are offered four times a day at 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:45 p.m., and 3:15 p.m. Coffee and Nature Tour (4 hours, includes visit to INBioparque): $68 per person, includes lunch. 11:00 a.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only.

For more information and directions, visit CoffeeTour.com .

(Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are connected to affiliate programs we have joined. If you make a purchase using one of the links, we get a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra and helps us keep providing information on this website for free. Thanks for your support!)

Have you taken the Cafe Britt tour? We’d love to hear about your experience. Leave us a comment below.

The Classic Britt Coffee Tour

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Located in the fertile highlands of Costa Rica's central valley, Café Britt has been running plantation tours since 1991. This tour includes visits to both the coffee plantation and roastery, where you''ll watch workers and learn the art of professional coffee tasting.

During the tour you will be accompanied by expert guides who are knowledgeable, personable, and good-humored accompany you during the whole tour. You'll learn about sustainable growing practices as well as the special role that coffee plays in Costa Rica's social and economic spheres. The tour ends with a visit to the well-stocked gift store, where you'll have the opportunity to purchase fresh bags of coffee. You can also choose to have lunch at the on-site restaurant, Don Prospero, which serves up fresh and tasty Costa Rican cuisine.

This tour lasts 1.5 hours. It is appropriate for both tour groups and individuals. There is some walking involved but the route can be navigated by people of all ages and physical abilities.

Note: the tour at 3:00 PM is available only from December to April.

What to Bring

Comfortable clothes and shoes, hat, sunscreen, camera, insect repellent.

What's included

Guide, coffee tasting, and a visit to the plantation and roastery.

Transportation

Many of our tours and activities offer transportation pick up & drop off options from several locations and destinations. Options vary by tour, see “BOOKING REQUEST” for full details.

Traveler Comments

The tour was very cute and entertaining. The food was also good. It was a good tour.

I didn't think it was going to be a humorous, but it was. Very informative. Great products to sell.

The tour was fun and informative. The included buffet lunch in the restaurant afterwards was excellent.

More Comments

Similar things to do

This tour is specifically designed for the serious coffee lover. It includes a tour of the organic farm and an informative coffee tasting.

On this tour you’ll get a good look at some of the environment that makes Costa Rica an ecological wonder. First you’ll see the Britt coffee plantation, and learn about Costa Rican coffee. Then you’ll head to La Paz waterfall gardens for an outdoor lunch and an informative look at local flora and fauna.

This tour allows you to experience the tropical environment of Heredia, Costa Rica, as well as the bright, rich flavors of its native coffee beans. Café Britt coffee farm is a gourmet coffee farm that strives to offer the finest possible Costa Rican coffee.

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Cafe Britt Coffee Tour

Type: Outdoor Activities , Tours and Excursions , Uniquely Here

Last updated on June 29, 2015

10Best Says

Santa Lucia, Heredia Heredia,

506 2277 1600

EXPERT TIPS BY: Sophia LaMonica Costa Rica Local Expert

• Tours and Excursions , Best Attractions & Activities : "Check out the larger-than-life Costa Rican folk-lore puppets and orchid garden walk before the tour begins."
• Best for Tours and Excursions Because: Learn why Costa Rica's coffee is so treasured around the world on this flavorful and educational tour.
• Recommended as Best Attractions & Activities Because: Learning about Costa Rica's important role in the global coffee trade is just one of the perks of this tour.

Best Things to Do in Costa Rica

• 10 White Water Rafting on the Rio Pacuare with Exploradores
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Explore Costa Rica

Café Britt Coffee Tours, Costa Rica

About 20 minutes from Alajuela city and just outside the town of Heredia, is the Café Britt Tour Center. Besides the Classic Coffee Tour, Café Britt offers several other guided tours that are combined with the coffee tour. Check online for tour packages and times. Several tours include lunch and round trip transportation to the Café Britt Coffee Tour Center and other sites like the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. © Flickr/Gray Line Costa Rica

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Quick Facts

• Location : Barva, Heredia
• Altitude : 3,845 feet above sea level
• Area : 6 acres
• Hours : 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily
• Telephone : 2277-1600
• Entrance Fee : $20-$35; reservations recommended

Founded in 1985, Cafe Britt is Costa Rica's first gourmet coffee roasting business. The company purchases high quality beans from the country's best plantations, then roasts the coffee in their own mills under the watchful eyes of experienced roasters. The result is a nationwide cooperative designed to produce bold, rich coffees that are both environmentally friendly and available locally, as well as on the international market.

Coffee Tours: 

Become one of more than 500,000 visitors to Cafe Britt in Barva de Heredia, a small town just seven miles north of San Jose. Since Cafe Britt is a coffee roaster, not grower, the grounds are a replica coffee plantation, reproducing the elements of authentic fields, a coffee mill, and a roaster. Part education, part entertainment, the tour employs professional actors to inject humor and theater at every turn.

The tour begins with a greeting from Don Prospero, the plantation's fictional owner. Leading guests to the coffee nursery, Don Prospero and his assistants – his knowledgeable family members – delve into the lifecycle of a coffee bean. If the plants are ripe, visitors are invited to taste raw coffee cherries while tour guides explain why Costa Rica's unique climate, volcanic soil, and shade-bearing trees produce such high quality coffee beans. 

Progressing through the green-and-red fields, guests are introduced to the harvesting process. Armed with just two hands and a large, woven basket, a guide demonstrates the cherry-picking process – and explains why handpicked fruits are far superior to machine harvested. Lured by the scents of delicious java roasts, the next stop is at Britt's roasting headquarters. Here, visitors watch the five-step roasting process: bean selection, peeling, soaking, drying and roasting. 

The excursion ends at the Cafe Britt Theater, where the tour's guides don their theatrical finery and put on a humorous show to illustrate the history of coffee, particularly in Costa Rica. Diehard coffee connoisseurs will enjoy the four-hour Coffee Lovers Tour, which combines the Classic Coffee Tour with a visit to a working wet mill in San Rafael de Heredia, a presentation on how to select the best beans, and coffee brewing classes with a professional barista.

Cafe Britt's popular Classic Coffee Tour begins at 9:30 and 11 a.m. daily; there is an additional 3 p.m. tour December 15-April 30. The Coffee Lovers Tour begins at 11 a.m. daily. Roundtrip transportation and buffet lunches are optional add-ons.

Facilities: 

There is a large souvenir shop, coffee bar, and restaurant in Cafe Britt's main building. The Classic Coffee Tour navigates mostly paved trails, so closed footwear is not necessary. Hiking shoes are recommended for the Coffee Lovers Tour.

Typical daytime temperatures run 75 to 80°F. Take a raincoat or umbrella during the rainy season (May-November).

Getting There: 

Car: From the National University in downtown Heredia, follow Route 3 north until it ends at a T-intersection. Turn left, drive five blocks and make a right on Route 126. Pass the Auto Mercado supermarket on the right side and Barva castle on the left, and follow signs to Cafe Britt.

Cafe Britt in Pictures

Drying beans doka coffee estate - costa rica.

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Cafe Britt Coffee Tour

What to Expect

This fascinating tour is beyond the typical; just about 30 minutes from San Jose , guests arrive at the working farm in the middle highlands, of this lush tropical land to enjoy a renewing nature walk through verdant foliage, surrounded by tropical scents and sounds, capped with a lighthearted live stage play about working with coffee, the value of the crop, and life in Costa Rica.

Throughout the tour, visitors learn about the entire cycle; from a small, green bean, to your local coffee bar. A cupping demonstration lends enlightenment into what makes a coffee “gourmet” , and how to properly taste, detect and assess its characteristics.

Coffee means a lot to the people here, and is recognized as a major contributor to democracy of this nation, but more than that, it’s also a major thread through the cultural and economic tapestry of Costa Rica. This is all brought to life in a most enjoyable way throughout the tour, where visitors enjoy the unfolding story of two farm workers and how this precious bean has affected their lives. Like the Costa Rican people in general, these are warm, friendly people that are quick to share their pride-and story-with a dramatic flourish.

While it sounds like a lot of walking, this a leisurely-paced tour over easy terrain, and can easily be undertaken by anyone in good health. Families with children are not only welcome, but parents will appreciate the structure of the entire tour, as it easily entertains even those with short attention spans.

Available Tour Packages

The Classic Coffee Tour includes a leisurely, but educational guided walk through the farm, with discussion of growing, harvesting, sustainability practices, and more, and includes a stop at the aromatic roasting plant. Following the walk, guests enjoy a witty live play, and then lunch at Don Prospero, the lovely on-site buffet restaurant. After lunch, spend some time to wander a little or buy coffee & more in the gift shop. This tour lasts approximately 1 1/2 hours.

The Cappuccino Tour is the same as the classic, but with an espresso presentation and demonstration, with instruction in making that perfect cup of espresso. Add an hour for the demonstration, for a total time of 2 1/2 hours.

The Coffee Lover’s Tour is for those that hunger for even more knowledge and coffee experience. This tour combines the Cappuccino tour with a ride to Tiera Madre, where guests visit the wet mill and enjoy a “cupping”, or coffee tasting. The mill adds an hour to the total time, for a time total of about 3 1/2 hours.

The drama is scheduled daily at 11:00AM, every day, all year long. In high season, from December through April, the show also runs at 3:00PM. All tours, presentations and discussion are conducted simultaneously in English and Spanish. Cafe Britt offers transportation from all of Costa Rica’s hotels, or transportation can be arranged locally. Most cruise lines offer pre-arranged shore excursions that may be purchased onboard.

Helpful Tips

Naturally, given the tropical climate, participants will want to wear cool, light, breathable clothing and certainly good walking shoes. A hat and sunblock are always recommended in tropical climates, too.

Guests should plan to take group transportation, not only for safety, but also for economy and logistics, too. If visiting from a cruise ship, take the excursion offered onboard rather than planning to “go it alone”, as any mishaps could leave passengers stranded. In such circumstances, it is far better to have the cruise line solve the problem.

This tour captures what travel is all about; despite the acting, it introduces visitors to real people and real situations. Sure, it may be a bit campy, but its fun and its real, and if taken for a good time in the volcanic Costa Rican jungle, the Cafe Britt Coffee Tour is well worth the time-and coffee.

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VIRTUAL FARM TOUR

October 23, 2023

A coffee farm is much more than just a bunch of plants, it also contains all of the machines and processes needed to harvest those beans and deliver them to your door. Let’s start our tour of the coffee fields in the processing facilities.

The plantations is the area where the coffee plants grow and looks very different depending on the time of year. After the first rainfall, the plants will bloom and soon, ripe, green beans will appear. Soon after that, the coffee trees will b

Once the coffee is picked from the trees, it is brought to the recibidor to be weighed and placed in cars that will transport the beans to the beneficio for processing.

BENEFICIO / MILL

The beneficio (or mill) is where the magic happens. This is where the magic happens. Here are the processes the beans will undergo at the mill:

• Depulping: the process of separating the coffee seeds from the outer layer of flesh
• Fermenting: after being depulped, the beans are dropped into large, clean tanks made of cement, wood, or occasionally plastic receptacles. The beans are left in these vats to liquidize the natural sugars in the bean’s mucilage. This process enhances the flavor of the finished beans.
• Wet processing: After the fermentation is complete, the beans are washed off in concrete or wooden channels.
• Drying: Once washed, the coffee must be dried either naturally in the sun or using a machine. Drying the beans in the sun can take up to two weeks.
• Rest: the beans now need to rest before being roasted.

Although roasting does not always take place at the farm, it is important to highlight it as an important step in the process. It is during roasting that the flavors and aromas of the beans are brought out to the fullest degree.

THE BASICS OF COFFEE CUPPING

COSTA RICAN DARK ROAST COFFEE

Whole Bean / 12oz

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Cafe Britt Coffee Tour Review: An Entertaining and Caffeinating Experience (Heredia, Costa Rica)

I still remember my first sip of coffee from my dad’s mug when I was a kid. I thought it was disgusting. It’s a bit like beer: you don’t really develop a taste for it until college. By now I must have brewed hundreds of batches and ordered hundreds of cups at local shops, but I didn’t know how coffee was made until we took a tour at Cafe Britt in Heredia, Costa Rica.

In this  review of the Cafe Britt Classic Coffee Tour , you’ll find an overview of our tour experience and my thoughts on the tour. Is it worth seeing? Is it worth the price? I’ll answer these questions here. You may also see a photo of a cute fuzzy that made a brief appearance — giving our tour an extra splash of flavor.

We visited Cafe Britt on a Tuesday afternoon in February, joining two tour guides and just five other tourists for the 3:15 tour. After purchasing tickets ($22/adult, $17/student) at the ticket booth, we were welcomed to enjoy a sample of coffee and sit in the shade while we waited for the tour to begin. Cafe Britt also takes online reservations .

The Classic Coffee Tour began with a brief overview of the history of coffee growing and roasting throughout the world. This was probably the least interesting part of the tour, but it was very brief and included visual aids — it would have kept my attention even if I was 20 years younger (i.e. it’s a kid-friendly activity). From there everything was interactive or hands-on, and we were moving along to something new every few minutes.

It’s a kid-friendly activity.

The Lifecycle of Gourmet Coffee

While Cafe Britt doesn’t grow their own coffee (they roast and package coffee that’s shipped from other regions in Costa Rica), they’ve created a small-scale setting that gives you a good idea of what coffee farming looks like. There are real coffee plants of a variety of ages that you’ll see on the tour, and we saw and had a chance to handle both the berry-like coffee fruits and the dried coffee beans.

They even had several cacao trees, which are typically grown in conjunction with coffee bushes on a plantation. On our tour we spotted a squirrel climbing in one tree, attempting to snack on the cacao hanging from its branches.

We sat down twice for brief demonstrations on coffee harvesting, fermentation, and the sorting process used for selecting only the high quality beans from a harvest. Our tour guides used helpful props to illustrate the process, making it easy to understand.

Did you know? Microwaving coffee releases its waxes which in turn gives you gas. (Yikes!) We learned this and many other coffee facts on Cafe Britt’s Classic Coffee Tour.

After a peek into the roastery and an explanation of how different roasting times affect the characteristics and flavor of the coffee, we were led into a small theater (maybe 50 seats) for a video showing the various sources of Cafe Britt’s beans as well as a tasting demonstration — the final step in determining whether a particular batch of beans makes the cut.

I particularly enjoyed this part, as I volunteered to be a taster!

The size of the theater made it obvious that our small group size was probably not the norm; I’d imagine the midday tours are more crowded since lunch is available then, which caters toward larger tour groups. Perhaps the afternoon tour is a fantastic secret we discovered!

Yes, you exit through the gift shop. While it may be cliché, it didn’t come off as pushy in the least.

The tour concluded in the gift shop, where our guide showed us directly to the free tasting area in the back. He quickly explained the deals they were offering and then left us to stay and sample or shop as we pleased. While some people have found this off-putting (according to at least one review on TripAdvisor), I really didn’t find this pushy at all. I quite enjoyed the opportunity to taste all of the coffee flavors — and they had samples of their chocolates, too! So yes, you exit through the gift shop. While it may be cliché, it didn’t come off as pushy in the least.

A Lighthearted, Fun Experience

There are many reasons I enjoyed and would recommend this tour to Costa Rica visitors, but here are the main ones:

• The guides are talented (and funny) actors that are GOOD at keeping you entertained. I’d say it’s near Disney in performance quality.
• It never got boring. The tour lasts 90 minutes and the pace was just right.
• Student pricing — a $5 student discount
• Transportation and/or lunch can be booked along with a tour for an additional cost. (We’re staying locally and didn’t need either.)
• Interactivity (always a plus)
• Visual aids (not just good for kids)

Is this tour worth seeing? I’d say absolutely. Is it worth the price? Another yes. In short, I give the Cafe Britt Classic Coffee Tour  two thumbs up!

A few more photos from our tour:

2 Replies to “Cafe Britt Coffee Tour Review: An Entertaining and Caffeinating Experience (Heredia, Costa Rica)”

I guess I wont be microwaving my coffee anymore then… Lovely photo of the squirrel. 🙂

Thanks Katie — I liked that photo best because it looks like he’s smiling for the camera. 🙂

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