The Invitation
Visit the origin of your own coffee. Step onto the farms, meet the growers, and feel the connection from their hands to your roast.
The Journey in Stages
First impressions of Guatemala & colonial charm.
You’ll land in Guatemala City, where our driver will welcome you and take you on a scenic one-hour drive to Antigua Guatemala, a UNESCO World Heritage site framed by estate coffee farms and the majestic Agua Volcano.
We’ll check in to a restored colonial hotel where cobblestone streets and courtyard gardens set the tone for the days ahead. When everyone has arrived, we’ll share our first evening together over una cena chapina, a traditional Guatemalan meal celebrating local flavours and hospitality.
Discovering the other side of coffee production.
After a traditional breakfast, we’ll visit one of Antigua’s historic coffee estates — a window into large-scale production and export. You’ll tour the fields, wet mill, and coffee museum, learning how estate methods contrast with smallholder practices.
The estate grounds include botanical gardens, a craft brewery, and small restaurants where we’ll spend the day between volcanoes, sharing a fresh lunch and discussions about coffee’s complexity and scale.
That evening, back in Antigua, participants are free to explore: whether a lively salsa bar, a romantic colonial eatery, or a bowl of new-age ramen — we’ll provide recommendations for every mood.
Journey through changing cultures and landscapes.
After an early breakfast, we’ll set out toward the Ixil highlands — a full-day road trip through breathtaking valleys and Maya heartlands. Traveling with Diego, our driver, in a comfortable van, we’ll stop for food, photo breaks, and glimpses into how language, dress, and landscape shift from the colonial south to the rural north.
By evening, we’ll arrive at Barefoot College, home to the women’s coffee cooperative that partners with Mayan Mountain. The campus, surrounded by misty mountains, will be our base for the next three nights. We’ll meet the local staff, solar students, and share dinner in the communal dining hall.
Meeting the farmers and tasting your coffee at its source.
The schedule depends on weather, but one day we’ll visit Xecotz, the remote village where your coffee is grown by the women of the Mayan Mountain collective. You’ll walk the farms, see the processing, and share a meal with the farmers whose work fills your roaster and cups.
On the other day, we’ll explore nearby communities — Cotzal, Chajul, or Nebaj — visiting markets, cooperatives, and local coffee initiatives. These free-form days offer time to absorb the rhythm of rural Guatemala and connect deeply with the people behind your beans.
Accommodations are simple yet comfortable: dorm-style rooms (private rooms available by request), limited hot water, and plenty of peace, safety, and inspiration.
Reflection & comfort.
We’ll journey back toward Antigua, stopping for a hearty lunch along the way. Back in the city, you’ll return to your colonial hotel, where hot showers and comfort await.
The evening is yours to rest, reflect, or enjoy one last dinner with new friends before departure.
The most picturesque lake in the world.
Instead of returning to Antigua, extend your stay at Lake Atitlán, surrounded by three volcanoes and villages of the Tz’utujil and Kaqchikel Maya peoples.
Stay in San Marcos La Laguna, a sun-soaked village of art, cafés, and farm-to-table eats. Here you’ll meet Mayan Mountain’s first client, whose early collaboration helped launch the women’s coffee collective.
Nearby Tzununa thrives as a hub of regenerative farming — fresh sourdough, handmade cheeses, and an abundance of local produce grown with care.
A perfect open-ended chapter for rest, reflection, and inspiration.
Faces and Places of the Journey
Finca La Asotea
A historic coffee estate and cultural museum in Antigua, La Azotea offers a rare glimpse into Guatemala’s large-scale production and export history. Here, we explore how coffee evolved from local heritage to global trade — and reflect on what smallholder farming means in contrast.
Juana from Xecotz Village
Juana leads the women’s cooperative in Xecotz, a village of 150 families in the municipality of Nebaj — the origin of your coffee. Her team hand-picks, processes, and dries beans with care rooted in tradition and community. Meeting Juana means meeting the spirit of Mayan Mountain itself.
Barefoot College
In the Ixil highlands, Barefoot College serves as our base for learning and exchange. It’s where Mayan Mountain’s women’s coffee program began — a campus that trains rural women in solar energy, leadership, and entrepreneurship, surrounded by mist and mountain air.
Walk the land behind your coffee.
A glimpse into large-scale production that shaped the country’s export legacy.
From there, we travel north into the Ixil highlands, where your coffee is grown in the village of Xecotz. Along the way, each stop reveals a different side of Guatemala’s coffee story — from heritage estates to smallholder women’s cooperatives sustaining life in the mountains.
Be able to say "We go to origin for our coffee"
Join the Journey
A five-day (six-night) immersion for baristas and roasters to connect directly with the farmers of Xecotz — the village where your coffee is grown.
Target arrival: 1st or 2nd week of February
Airfare and travel insurance not included. Limited to 6–8 participants.
Single Traveler
$1,950.50
Baseline (five-day) journey
CAD | per person
You’ll spend three nights in a private colonial-style room in Antigua and three nights sharing a simple dorm at Barefoot College.
Lake Atitlán
*Optional (two-day) extension
CAD | per person
$490.00
Unwind the last two nights in a private boutique lake-side hotel ringed by the volcanoes Atitlán, Tolimán and San Pedro.
Couple Package
$1,678.30
Baseline (five-day) journey
CAD | per person (shared room)
Together you’ll stay three nights in a private room for two in Antigua and three nights in shared dorms at Barefoot College.
Lake Atitlán
*Optional (two-day) extension
CAD | per person
$375.00
Share the last two nights in a private boutique lake-side hotel ringed by the volcanoes Atitlán, Tolimán and San Pedro.
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Antigua (3 nights): private colonial-style room (for one or two, depending on package) for the first two nights and the final night of the journey.
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Barefoot College (3 nights): shared dormitory with fellow participants on campus in the Ixil highlands. Life here is modest and inspiring — the campus is set in a mountain village of fewer than fifty families, where comfort is simple and nights are peaceful.
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*Those who add Lake Atitlán will also have two nights in a boutique lakeside hotel in San Marcos La Laguna
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All in-country ground transportation, including airport pickup, transfers between Antigua and the Ixil region, and return travel.
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*Those joining at Lake Atitlán will also have transportation from the highlands to the lake and to the airport included.
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Breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided throughout the trip, except for two free evenings in Antigua — intentionally open so you can explore local restaurants, cafés, and nightlife on your own.
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*Meals during the Lake Atitlán extension are not included, allowing you to explore at your own pace.
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Guided tour of a traditional Antigua coffee estate and museum, exploring large-scale production and Guatemala’s coffee history.
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Visit to Xecotz village, home of the women’s coffee collective that grows the beans roasted by Mayan Mountain partners.
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Market and cultural excursions to nearby Ixil towns such as Nebaj, Cotzal, or Chajul (weather permitting).
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Informal discussions with farmers and facilitators about cultivation, post-harvest practices, and the cooperative model.
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*During the Lake Atitlán extension, you'll have the opportunity to visit a local roaster and café serving Mayan Mountain Coffee. Coordination and daily support will not be provided during the Lake visit so that you can be free to roam the village on your own and choose from a myriad of activities and events to participate in.
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Full bilingual facilitation (English–Spanish).
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On-site coordination and cultural orientation.
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Safety briefing and assistance throughout the journey.
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Included in all packages:
How This Works
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Complete the Reservation Form (let us know if you’re joining as an individual or a couple).
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After reviewing your submission, we’ll reach out for a short debrief — a chance to answer your questions, confirm it’s a good fit, and explore any special needs or preferences you may have.
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Once confirmed, we’ll send you a final invoice to reserve your spot.
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We require a minimum of 5 confirmed reservations from Mayan Mountain baristas & roasters to launch the journey.
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If you need to cancel after payment:
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90% refund if canceled more than 60 days before departure
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60% refund if canceled between 14–59 days before departure
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No refund if canceled with less than 14 days’ notice
Refunds help cover non-recoverable costs already incurred in Guatemala.
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