Materuni Waterfalls & Coffee Tour from Arusha: Roast your own cup

Roast coffee in a Chagga village, then swim beneath a towering waterfall

This full-day tour from Arusha combines a hands-on coffee experience in Materuni village with a hike to a 80-meter waterfall and a final soak in the naturally warm Chemka Hot Springs. You'll roast and grind your own coffee with local farmers, walk through plantations and Chagga settlements, swim in the waterfall pool, and float in turquoise spring-fed pools surrounded by palms. The guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and one additional language. Private transport and lunch are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Materuni hike, coffee tour, hot springs

• Depart after breakfast to Materuni village
• Walk through coffee plantation and roast coffee
• Hike to Materuni Waterfalls
• Swim in waterfall pool
• Enjoy lunch
• Relax at Chemka Hot Springs
• Return to lodge in Arusha

The experience

If you have a free afternoon or morning in Arusha and want to step away from the safari circuit, this day trip packs three distinct stops into one outing. You depart after breakfast and head to Materuni village on Kilimanjaro's slopes: a place that sits outside the usual tourist routes. The first stop is a coffee plantation where you learn the full process from bean to cup, then roast, pound and grind your own coffee while talking with the Chagga farmers who grow it. That hands-on piece is what sets this apart from a simple tour: you're not watching someone else work. You're doing it.

From the plantation, you walk toward the Materuni Waterfalls, passing through local fruit and vegetable plantations and small settlements along the way. The waterfall itself drops roughly 80 meters into a clear pool at the base, and you get time to swim there before lunch. The walk is moderate (you're moving through cultivated land and village paths, not scrambling up steep terrain), and the guide points out the vegetation and local life as you go. Lunch happens after the swim, giving you a chance to dry off and refuel before the final leg.

The day ends at Chemka Hot Springs, where you soak in naturally warm, turquoise pools fed by groundwater from Kilimanjaro. The water is not hot despite the name. It's a gentle warmth, comfortable for floating and swimming. The setting is quiet: palms and fig trees ring the pools, and the pace here is pure relaxation after the morning's activity. You can swim, try the fish pedicures if you want, or simply float. The return to Arusha happens in the late afternoon, giving you time to rest before dinner.

What’s included

• Private transport from your Arusha hotel.
• lunch and fresh local snacks.
• all entry fees and taxes.
• a live guide in English, Spanish, Italian, French or another available language.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:00, 07:30, 08:00 and 08:30

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (16 to 89 years) · Youth (5 to 15 years) · Child (under 5)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Audio guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by African polecat safaris

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and one additional language, so you can follow the commentary comfortably in whichever language suits you best. This works well if you want a full day of varied activity (coffee work, hiking and swimming) without the early starts and long drives of a safari excursion.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (5 to 15 years); Child (under 5).

What's the coffee experience actually like, do I really get to roast my own beans?

Yes. You work directly with local Chagga farmers at the plantation, learning each step from bean to cup, then roast, pound and grind your own coffee to taste. You also sample fresh local snacks while you're there, and the farmers explain how they grow and process the crop.

How difficult is the hike to Materuni Waterfalls?

The walk is moderate. You pass through coffee plantations and Chagga village settlements on your way to the waterfall, moving through cultivated land and village paths rather than steep terrain. The pace is leisurely enough to take in the local surroundings and vegetation along the way.

Can I actually swim in the waterfall pool, or is it just for looking at?

You can swim. The waterfall has a clear pool at its base where you get time to cool off after the walk. Lunch happens afterward, so you'll have dried off by then.

What are the Chemka Hot Springs like? Are they actually hot?

Chemka (also called Kikuletwa) Hot Springs are naturally warm pools fed by Kilimanjaro's groundwater, not hot in the way a thermal bath might be. The turquoise water is comfortable for swimming and floating, and the setting is peaceful, surrounded by palms and fig trees. You can swim, try fish pedicures, or simply relax.

How long is the full day, and what time do I need to be ready?

The tour runs 8 to 10 hours total. You depart after breakfast from your Arusha lodge and return in the late afternoon. Private transport is included, and your guide will speak English, Spanish, Italian, French or one of the other available languages.