For many, Vietnam conjures images of vast rice paddies, ancient temples, and exquisite cuisine. But this country is also the world's second-largest coffee producer, and this beverage is far more than just an agricultural crop; it's the beating heart of the rural economy and a pillar of Vietnamese culture. While Vietnam is best known for its robust and intense Robusta, it actually hides a fascinating diversity of terroirs and flavors, especially with the rise of Arabica micro-lots.

► Coffee plants and hop fields
 

Coffee was first introduced to Vietnam in the 1870s during French colonization, and it had a difficult start due to the climate and diseases. By the 1930s, its cultivation became significant in  Dak Lak, a central region of the country considered the cradle of Vietnamese coffee. Since then, local agriculture has largely favored Robusta for its productivity, disease resistance, and low production cost.

As the dominant variety in Vietnam, making up over 90% of production, this coffee stands out for its powerful body, strong, earthy taste, and pronounced bitterness. It's also the most resistant variety to diseases and climate variations. Its high caffeine content and low acidity make it an ideal choice for espresso blends, instant coffee, and traditional Vietnamese coffee.

Less commonly cultivated, this high-altitude coffee (300-2,000 m) offers a softer, slightly more acidic taste with notes of chocolate and fruit.

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Over the past decade, a new trend has emerged: a growing demand for specialty coffees. This has encouraged producers to cultivate small plots under optimal conditions, focusing on superior quality and craftsmanship. The harvesting is selective, and the traceability is exemplary, often revealing complex flavors. These coffees focus on unique flavor profiles and are produced in limited quantities, often from Arabica or experimental varieties.

In addition to these two varieties, Vietnam also offers Culi, a rare and unique coffee bean, predominantly of the Robusta type. Unlike typical beans that grow in pairs inside the coffee cherry, Culi develops only a single, usually rounder, seed. This singularity gives it a greater concentration of aromas, with a more pronounced intensity and richness of flavor. Due to a potential lack of flavor consistency, the beans are often used in blends and dark roasts, primarily for the domestic market.

Cà phê chồn, better known by its Indonesian name Kopi Luwak, is one of the rarest and most surprising coffees in the world. This coffee is produced from coffee cherries consumed by the Asian palm civet, a small mammal. The beans go through a fermentation process in the animal's digestive system, where enzymes modify their chemical and aromatic composition. After excretion, the beans are cleaned, dried, and roasted. The result is a coffee known for its sweet notes of caramel, chocolate, and sometimes fruit, highly sought after for its unique taste and rarity. Be careful of counterfeits! To avoid blends with regular coffee and other fakes labeled "chồn," demand proof of origin, traceable batches, and samples for cupping.

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Traveling through Vietnam via coffee means exploring terroirs with distinct identities.

The mountainous provinces of Sơn La and Điện Biên are the kingdom of high-altitude Arabica. The cool climate of this region is perfect for cultivating beans with delicate aromas, vibrant acidity, and complex notes, highly prized by specialty coffee lovers for their fine quality.

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Considered the cradle of Vietnamese coffee, the Tây Nguyên region is the nerve center of production. Its vast provinces, such as Đắk Lắk and Lâm Đồng, benefit from volcanic soil and an ideal tropical climate for growing coffee plants.

This city is the perfect starting point to understand the large-scale coffee industry. You can visit iconic plantations, the World Coffee Museum, and coffee bean markets here.

Located at an altitude of 1,500 meters, the Đà Lạt region is famous for its superior quality Arabica, offering more acidity and aromatic complexity. Here you'll find small farms and independent roasters that offer roasting workshops and sensory tastings.

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In provinces like Nghệ An and Quảng Trị, coffee is often the Catimor variety, which is adapted to more demanding climatic conditions. The coffees from this region are distinguished by a pronounced aroma, a slight astringency, and a subtle salty note, which sets them apart from the sweeter profiles of Tây Nguyên.

The best time depends on what you want to see.
Flowering season (March-April): This is the ideal time for the senses. The coffee trees are adorned with white flowers with an intoxicating fragrance, creating a landscape that is both beautiful and fragrant.
Cherry development season (May-September): The fruits grow larger, offering a lush green landscape.
Harvest season (October-February): If you want a total immersion, this is the busiest time. You can watch, or even participate in, the picking of red coffee cherries. Note that harvesting mainly takes place from November to January in the Highlands and from October to December in the North. However, be prepared for crowds and higher prices during this period.

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Beyond the plantations, Vietnamese coffee is a true tasting experience and an excellent excuse for a gastronomic exploration of the country.
Taste the specialties: The cà phê phin, prepared with a traditional filter, and the cà phê sữa đá, an iced coffee with condensed milk, are absolute must-tries. Don't miss the surprising cà phê trứng (egg coffee), a Hanoi specialty, for a unique experience.
Workshops and encounters: For a total immersion, visit ethnic cooperatives in the highlands or participate in roasting workshops in Đà Lạt.

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What if you transformed your trip into a true caffeine-fueled sensory escape? We can create themed itineraries, designed for the most curious coffee lovers.

This journey explores the mountainous provinces of Sơn La and Điện Biên, the kingdom of high-altitude Arabica. The itinerary continues to Đà Lạt, where the cool climate nurtures beans with delicate and complex aromas. Visits to micro-farms, roasting workshops, and meet-and-greets with producers highlight the artisanal craftsmanship, traceability, and aromatic finesse of the coffee profiles.
Our “Coffee-Lover’s Treat”: Beyond the plantations, these regions lend themselves, each in their own way, to authentic explorations, offering the chance to discover the often-unseen stories and faces of local communities.

An immersion into the heart of Vietnam's coffee tradition, focused on the Central Highlands, Tây Nguyên, considered the cradle of coffee in Vietnam. The ideal starting point is Buôn Ma Thuột, the "coffee capital," where you can visit iconic plantations and the World Coffee Museum. This tour helps you better understand the importance of Robusta—which makes up more than 90% of national production—and appreciate its powerful body and earthy notes.
Our “Coffee-Lover’s Treat”: For total immersion, this tour allows you to delve into the ethnic communities of the highlands, where meeting and sharing ancestral know-how are at the heart of the cultural and sensory experience.

How do you like your coffee? For an itinerary that's a perfect fit, combine these tours or opt for a tailor-made version, rafted to your taste and pace !

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Venturing into Vietnam's coffee regions is a true immersion into ancestral knowledge and lives shaped by this unique crop. It’s an authentic journey, from the plantation to the cup, that reveals often-unseen stories and faces.

By choosing a responsible approach, you directly support local producers. You won't just bring back flavors, but also the feeling of having contributed to a fairer and more equitable economy.

This sensory journey resonates well beyond the last sip, leaving a lasting and meaningful memory.