Rwanda Coffee Tours

Tourists visiting Rwanda often come to experience some of the best coffee in the world, known for its unique flavor that can only be found in Rwanda “the land of thousand hills”. During this visit, you will see and learn about the entire process of organic, natural brew from crop to cup, all made using natural and organic methods.

The adventure starts with a scenic drive from Muhanga (Gitarama) to a peaceful village, where friendly local women welcome you/ together, you’ll head to a coffee farm to pick ripe cherries by hand. After harvesting, the cherries are cleaned in a nearby stream before the pulp is removed to prepare the beans.

You’ll get to enjoy a simple, delicious local meal with your host family, sharing stories and learning about daily life. Later, the coffee beans are roasted, ground, and carefully prepared to produce a perfect cup of Rwandan coffee that captures the country’s rich coffee heritage.

Best places to visit for Rwanda Coffee Tours

Coffee experiences tour in Lake Kivu Rwanda

The lake is safe for swimming because there are no crocodile, hippo or bilharzia. During your visit, you can enjoy some of the Africa’s finest coffee through a special “crops to cup” experience, where you’ll see how coffee is grown, harvested, and prepared. It’s a perfect activity for anyone who loves starting the day with a good coffee. After exploring the coffee process on an island near the lake, you can enjoy a delicious cup of coffee with your lunch.

If you’re a coffee lover, this is your chance to taste some of the best Arabica beans in the entire world, and they are grown here in Rwanda. You’ll go on a journey through the different steps involved in making this amazing coffee, from harvesting the beans to brewing your crop. Most visitors come to Rwanda to see mountain gorillas, bit this coffee experiences offers a special look at the country’s rich coffee culture.

The trip will start with a boat cruise from Gisenyi to Nyamirundi Island. On the way, you’ll enjoy beautiful views of the lake and the surrounding scenery. Once on the island, you can visit the Igoboka plantation, run by a local cooperative that helps many Rwandan families. here, you’ll pick fresh coffee beans, see how they washed in a detailed 20-step process, and even try roasting the coffee over an open fire.

After all the steps, you’ll sit down to enjoy your freshy brewed coffee and a tasty lush in Gisenyi. You’ll also have the chance to chat with a representative from the Igoboka cooperative about Rwanda’s famous coffee and how it brings income to local families and the country. This crop to cup coffee experience will be one of the highlights of your safari time in Rwanda and you will enjoy the taste of the Africa’s best coffee in the land of thousand hills.

Visit Kinunu Washing Station

Kinunu Washing Station is situated on the shores of lake Kivu, a large inland body of water that forms part of Rwanda’s border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It’s a stunning location, with lush Bourbon coffee trees growing down steep that led down to the lake’s beach, which sits at 1,460 meters above the sea level.

At Kinunu, much os the work is done by hand. The workers carefully select only the ripe, red coffee cherries. These cherries are then pulped on the same are day, usually in the evening, using a mechanical pulpier that separates them into three groups. After pulping, the coffee is fermented overnight for approximately 12 hours. Once fermentation is complete, the beans are sorted again using flotation channels, which separate them based on weight—the heavier beans are typically the better quality.

Following this, the beans are soaked for about 24 hours being spread out on elevated screens for manual ‘wet-sorting’, a process often carried out by women. The beans are then sun-dried on special racks facing the lake, known as ‘African beds’, and are sorted multiple times before they are ground.

Visit Huye Mountain Coffee Farm

Visiting Huye Mountain Coffee farm offers a great experience for anyone interested in coffee, especially those visiting Rwanda for the first time. The coffee tour gives an inside look how coffee is cultivated, harvested, dried, roasted, ground, packaged, and ultimately delivered to our customers. Walking through the coffee washing station right on the farm helps visitors understand the entire process of coffee production firsthand.

The Coffee Tour here also includes a hike up the mountain, allowing visitors to enjoy stunning views from above. At the end of the visit, here are opportunities to buy souvenirs like handmade crafts and freshly roasted coffee.

Huye Mountain Coffee’s aim is to promote coffee cultivation as a cash crop in the region and to organize coffee farmers into profitable and saving organizations, as well as to increase the quality and quantity of coffee crop production via best agronomic techniques.

Buf Coffee tours

The Buf Coffee is a group that manages coffee farms across the Southern Province of Rwanda. Visitors learn about coffee production steps and community marketing at Buf Coffee by exploring its farming operations in person. Visitors can walk around the farms, talk with local farmers, and even join in during the busy coffee-picking seasons. They teach visitors about the ethics of environmental protection in farming and show how coffee drives rural development. Guests also get a chance to taste Buf Coffee’s popular specialty coffee, which many people around the world enjoy.

Best Time for Coffee Tours in Rwanda 

The best time to explore Rwandan coffee tours is during the main coffee harvesting session, which runs from March to July. During this time, Visitors have the opportunity to see how coffee beans are harvested and processed exactly as they happen. The dry seasons, between June-September and December-February, are also ideal because the is usually good for touring and outdoor activities.

What to Expect on a Coffee Tour in Rwanda 

A Coffee Tour in Rwanda usually starts with learning how coffee is grown, from planting seeds to harvesting the ripe cherries. Visitors get to walk around coffee farms, chat with farmers, and see how their hard work produces high-quality coffee. The tour then shows how the coffee beans are processed, giving loot at each stage. You’ll also get to tase different types of coffee during before learning about different coffee tastes during tasting sessions called cuppings. Sometimes, you can even try picking coffee cherries or using traditional roasting equipment to get a hands-on experience.

Tips for Planning a Coffee Tour 

To make your coffee tour enjoyable, it’s best to book with a trusted travel company or contact coffee farms directly in Rwanda. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes so you can move around easily while exploring the coffee fields. Don’t forget to pack your camera since you’ll want images of both scenic views and personal memories. Buy space in your luggage to take home coffee beans and souvenirs because these items are sold at both coffee farms and washing stations.

Why Coffee Tours are a must-do while on a safari in Rwanda 

Taking a Coffee Tours while in Rwanda is more than just tasting great coffee; it’s a chance to learn about the country’s history and the hard work of its people. These tours show how Rwandan farmers work tirelessly to grow coffee, which is their source of income. The coffee tours let tourists fund local farmers while helping them grow practices that support the environment.

Rwanda offers a variety of coffee tours, from the scenic areas around Lake Kivu to the rural Southern regions. Whether you’re a coffee lover or just curios about how coffee is made, you’ll find something interesting and memorable during your visit. It’s a great way to connect with Rwanda’s culture and its people’s resilience.