City Tours · Arusha
Arusha Coffee & Village Tour
From the coffee bush to the cup, and a walk through the village that grows it.
- Duration
- Full day (approximately 7 hours)
- City
- Arusha
- Travel style
- Private
- Price
- On request
- Itemised quotation — no hidden costs.
The volcanic soils and altitude around Mount Meru suit arabica coffee, and the slopes above Arusha are a patchwork of smallholdings growing coffee alongside bananas, maize and beans. On a farm visit you see the whole chain in one morning: the bushes and the ripening cherries, picking and pulping, drying, hulling, roasting over a fire, pounding and finally brewing. Most of the work is still done by hand, and you are expected to join in.
The second half of the day is a walk rather than a tour. You follow footpaths between the shambas with a local guide, stop at the village market, see how banana beer is brewed where it is made, and sit down to a plate of local food. What is on offer varies with the season and with who is around that day, so we describe it honestly rather than promising a fixed programme. The visits we use are run by the communities themselves, and the fee you pay goes to them.
Highlights
- A guided walk through a working coffee farm on the slopes of Mount Meru
- Hands-on roasting, pounding and brewing, followed by a tasting
- A footpath walk between smallholdings, with banana, maize and bean plots along the way
- A village market, at its liveliest on market days
- Banana beer and local food tasting, where the village offers it
- Views towards Mount Meru, and Kilimanjaro on a clear day
The day
Where we’ll stop
- 1
Coffee farm walk
A guided walk among the coffee bushes, with an explanation of planting, shade trees, picking and the seasons. Harvest is seasonal, so what you see on the bushes depends on the time of year.
- 2
Processing and roasting
Pulping, drying and hulling explained step by step, then roasting the beans over a fire and pounding them in a wooden mortar. You do most of it yourself, usually to some amusement.
- 3
Coffee tasting
Brewing and tasting the coffee you have just roasted, with a chance to buy beans directly from the farm if you would like to take some home.
- 4
Village and footpath walk
A walk with a local guide through the village and between the smallholdings, seeing irrigation furrows, banana plots and daily life. Distances are short and the pace is easy.
- 5
Village market
A stop at the local market for fruit, vegetables, spices and household goods. Markets run on set days, so your guide will tell you whether the day of your visit is a market day.
- 6
Local food and banana beer
A simple Tanzanian lunch, and a taste of locally brewed banana beer where it is being made. Both are offered where available rather than guaranteed, and nobody minds if you decline the beer.
Included
- Private vehicle with a professional driver-guide for the day
- Coffee farm and community visit fees, where stated in your quotation
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off within Arusha
Not included
- Tips for your guide, driver and village hosts
- Meals and drinks, unless stated in your quotation
- Coffee and crafts you buy to take home
- Camera fees, where a community or site charges them
Request a quote
Book this tour
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are. We’ll send an itemised price — what’s included, what isn’t, and nothing hidden.
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