Published August 16, 2026
Long before Kilimanjaro became a famous trek, its fertile lower slopes were home to the Chagga people, one of Tanzania's largest ethnic groups. They still live and farm there today.
The Chagga have farmed Kilimanjaro's rich volcanic soil for generations and built clever irrigation channels that carry mountain water across their terraced fields, knowledge developed for this particular mountain.
Coffee reached the area in the late 1800s and became a central part of Chagga farming. Many families still grow it alongside bananas and other crops, often on the same plots their grandparents worked.
A visit, such as those in Materuni village, takes you through every step: picking ripe cherries, pulping and roasting the beans over a fire, then grinding and brewing them. You finish by tasting coffee made from beans picked that morning.
The Chagga have their own language, traditional homes and customs. Come with curiosity, and the visit becomes much more than a coffee demonstration.
A half-day Chagga village and coffee visit fits nicely the day before or after a Kilimanjaro trek, active enough to be fun and gentle enough not to affect your climb or recovery.
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