Whether you’re a coffee enthusiast or not, whenever you’re on the Big Island, never miss the chance to embark on one of the many Kona coffee tours available!
Kona coffees are world-famous coffees that are grown on the slopes of the Hualalai and Mauna Loa volcanoes nestled in the north and south Kona district on the Big Island. For many years, Kona coffees have been constantly rated among the finest gourmet coffees on the planet.
Experience the Remarkable Kona Coffee Tours
Unlike what some visitors assume, Kona coffees aren’t produced from just one coffee farm. In fact, currently, there are over 650 coffee farms of various sizes located along about 20 miles of beautiful roads on the slopes of two volcanoes on the Big Island. Interestingly, many of the coffee farms in this region offer Kona coffee tours to the public.
While you’re on a Kona coffee tour, your guide will take you around coffee plantations so you can see the growing coffee in the field. Afterwards, you’ll get the chance to see the processes that are required from growing coffee beans to making (dry, processing, and roasting) a tasty cup of coffee. Interestingly, many coffee tours are concluded with a free tasting of the coffee from the farm that organized the tour. You may as well get the chance to see a showroom or even a visitor center if you intend to buy the local coffee.
Many coffee tours in Kona start on coffee farms and this means you have to choose your preferred farm and probably drive down there. Most Kona coffee tours lasts for about 30 minutes on the average. So, you can spend your day visiting more than one coffee farm.
As expected, you will spend some of your time walking, though tours vary from one farm to the next, the experience is often similar. Though some Kona coffee tours are absolutely free, you should consider scheduling your tour ahead to ensure there’s a tour guide to show you around.
When are coffee farms open for tours on the Big island?
The Big Island is popular for its great weather the whole year round. So, Kona coffee tours are organized by coffee farms on the island from January to December. Regardless of the time of the year you plan to go on a coffee tour in Kona, make sure you visit the farm before noon. That’s the best time of the day to enjoy your tour. Thankfully, tourists are entertained with fresh tasty coffee and there’s never a wrong time to stop by.
Nonetheless, coffee on the Big Island has an annual growing cycle and based on the time of the year you intend to visit, you may get the chance to see many fascinating things on the farm. If you’re wondering what coffee farms to visit during your stay here, take a look at these five coffee farms.
PS: Here’s a list of other coffee farms that offer Kona coffee tours on the Big Island:
- Holualoa Kona Coffee Company
- Sunshower Coffee Farm
- Heavenly Hawaiʻian coffee farms
- Greenwell Farms
- Mountain Thunder Kona Coffee
- Buddha’s Cup
- Kona Coffee Living History Farm
- Kona Joe:
- Rooster Farms
- Hula Daddy Kona Coffee
- Hala Tree Coffee
- Kuaiwi Farm
- Ueshima Coffee (UCC)