Materuni Waterfalls & Coffee Tour From Moshi
Safari at a Glance
Materuni Waterfall, a Cold Swim and Coffee You Roast Yourself — About 15 km From Moshi
🏆 TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice 2024, 2025 & 2026 · ✅ Kenya TRA Licensed No. TRA1/47/C01/25895 · 🏛️ TOSK (Tour Operators Society of Kenya) Member #0082 · 🇹🇿 Operated in Tanzania by our TALA-licensed partner — licence 037480. Certificate available on request.
Full Day · From Moshi · From $165 per person
Why the Materuni Waterfalls and Coffee Tour?
The Materuni Waterfalls and Coffee Tour is a day trip from Moshi to a Chagga farming village about 15 km up the southern slopes of Kilimanjaro. The waterfall is on the Mware River, on the edge of the Kilimanjaro mountain reserve, at roughly 1,540 m. You reach it on foot: 45 to 60 minutes each way along village track and narrow forest path, through banana groves and coffee smallholdings. At the end of the path the river drops 70 to 90 metres — the figure depends on who is measuring — into a pool you can swim in. The water is cold in every month of the year.
The other half of the day is coffee. Materuni grows Arabica, and the village takes you through the whole process. You pick ripe cherries, pound the beans to hull them, roast them, grind them by hand, then brew and drink the result. The pounding comes with singing. It is not a demonstration you watch from a chair; you do the work, and the cup at the end is yours.
Of our five Moshi day trips this is one of the two gentle walking days — the other is Marangu — and the one we suggest first to anyone with a spare day before or after a climb. It is still a real walk: uneven, muddy in places, with a few hundred metres of up and down over the day. If you want a day with almost no walking, the hot springs at Kikuletwa are the better choice. If you want a proper hike, look at the Mandara Huts day hike inside the national park. Materuni is outside the park, so no park fee applies; the entry fee in your price is the village fee.
📋 Materuni Waterfalls & Coffee Tour at a Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| ⏱️ Duration | Full day — four to six hours in the village, plus 30–45 minutes' drive each way |
| 📍 Start Point | Pickup from your Moshi accommodation · pickup time confirmed with your booking |
| 🗺️ Where | Materuni village, southern slopes of Kilimanjaro · about 15 km from Moshi · outside Kilimanjaro National Park |
| 💪 Difficulty | Moderate — uneven paths, mud after rain, a few hundred metres of up and down |
| 🥾 Walking Involved | 45–60 minutes each way to the falls · roughly 8 km round trip including the coffee farm |
| 👀 What You'll See | Materuni Waterfall on the Mware River, roughly 70–90 m · banana and coffee smallholdings · Arabica coffee taken from cherry to cup |
| 🏊 Swimming | Yes, in the pool at the base — cold all year |
| 📅 Best Months | June–October and January–February are dry · March–May and November–December bring more water over the falls and a muddier path |
| 👶 Children | No published minimum age · tell us their ages when you book and we will say whether the walk suits them |
| 👥 Group Size | Private — your group only |
| 💰 Price | $165 per person with lunch · US dollars · Materuni village fee included |
🗓️ Your Day
The day runs in one of two orders — falls first or coffee first — and you do both either way. Below is the falls-first version.
🚐 Pickup in Moshi
Our guide collects you from your Moshi accommodation at the time confirmed with your booking. The road is paved most of the way; the last stretch into the village is farm track, slow after rain. About 15 km, 30–45 minutes.
🏡 Materuni village
Registration and the village fee, which is included in your price. A local Materuni guide walks with you from here; this is part of the village arrangement.
🥾 The walk to the falls
45 to 60 minutes each way. Village track first, then single-track through banana and coffee plots, dipping into small valleys and across narrow rivulets that you step over or splash through. There is climbing in both directions, and the path is slippery where it is wet. There is no hurry.
🌊 The waterfall
The Mware River drops 70 to 90 metres into a pool. You can swim, stand at the edge of the spray, or watch from the rocks. The water is cold in every month. In the rainy months the spray reaches well back from the pool, so you get wet without going in, and a heavy flow can keep you back from the base altogether. The rocks are slippery; your guide will show you where to stand.
☕ Coffee, from the tree to the cup
Back in the village. You pick ripe cherries from the bushes, pound the beans to hull them, roast them, grind them by hand, brew and drink. The pounding is done to a song and you are welcome to join in. The coffee is Arabica, grown on the same slopes you have just walked through.
🍽️ Lunch
Lunch is included. Tell us about dietary needs when you book.
🚐 Back to Moshi
The same 30–45 minutes back down. You are at your accommodation the same afternoon.
📐 The Walk in Numbers
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| 📏 Distance from Moshi | About 15 km |
| 🚗 Drive time | 30–45 minutes each way · longer after rain |
| 🥾 Walk to the falls | 45–60 minutes each way |
| 🔁 Whole walk | Roughly 8 km round trip including the coffee farm |
| ⛰️ Altitude at the falls | About 1,540 m |
| 📐 Up and down | A few hundred metres over the day — published figures disagree, so we don't print one |
| 💧 Waterfall height | Roughly 70–90 m, depending on who is measuring |
| 🪨 Surface | Village track, narrow forest path, small stream crossings, slippery rock at the pool |
| 🌡️ Water | Cold all year · no reliable temperature or depth figure exists, so we don't print one |
| ⏳ Time in the village | Four to six hours including the coffee |
✅ What's Included
- Transport — pickup from and return to your Moshi accommodation
- Drinking water for the day
- Guide for the whole day, plus a local Materuni guide on the walk
- Lunch
- Entry fee — the Materuni village fee
- Lunch is included. Prefer to skip it? The price drops by $10.
❌ What's Not Included
- Tips for your guide and the local village guide — at your discretion
- Travel insurance
- Accommodation in Moshi before or after the trip
- Drinks other than the water we provide
- Souvenirs and anything you buy in the village
- Anything not listed as included
🎒 What to Bring
- Closed shoes with grip — trainers with proper tread at minimum; the path is uneven and slippery when wet
- Swimsuit, worn under your clothes — the quickest way in and out of the water
- A small towel
- A dry change of clothes for the drive back
- A light rain jacket — cloud and showers are common on the southern slopes, not only in the rainy months
- Sunscreen and a hat
- Insect repellent
- A dry bag or sealed plastic bag for your phone and camera — the spray at the pool can be heavy
- Cash in small notes for tips and anything you buy in the village
- Walking poles if your knees dislike descents
- Any personal medication
👍 Who This Trip Suits — and Who It Doesn't
It suits anyone who can walk for an hour on uneven ground and then do it again; families whose children are used to walking; people who want a gentle day before a climb, or a short day after one when the legs want something easy; and anyone who cares where their coffee comes from.
It does not suit wheelchair users — the route is a footpath with mud, rock and small stream crossings. It is a poor choice for anyone who needs flat, even ground, and the ups and downs will tell you quickly if your knees are unhappy. Non-swimmers lose nothing: you don't have to go in. Anyone hoping for a warm swim should book Kikuletwa instead; Materuni is cold.
🔗 Combine it: Materuni is the gentle day. With another free day, add the Kikuletwa Hot Springs Day Trip From Moshi for warm water and almost no walking, or the Marangu Waterfalls & Chagga Caves Cultural Day Tour for another Chagga village and the refuge caves beneath it. For a real hike inside the national park there is the Marangu Day Hike To Mandara Huts & Maundi Crater, and higher still the Shira Plateau Day Trip Via Londorossi Gate. All five are listed on our Moshi Day Trips page. Materuni also works as a rest day added to your Kilimanjaro climb — see the 7-day Machame route and the 7-day Lemosho route, and ask us to build it in.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can I swim at Materuni Waterfall?
Yes. The pool at the base is open for swimming and the water is cold in every month. After heavy rain the flow and spray increase, and on those days your guide will tell you how close is sensible. You don't have to go in; plenty of people stand at the edge and get wet from the spray alone.
How hard is the walk to Materuni Waterfall?
Moderate. 45 to 60 minutes each way on village track and narrow forest path, a few hundred metres of up and down across the day, and slippery sections after rain. Anyone who walks regularly manages it. Poles help on the descents if your knees are a concern. One local account describes an upper drop-off point that cuts the walk to about 15 minutes each way; if a shorter walk matters to you, ask us and we will confirm whether it is available on your date.
What time is pickup?
Pickup time is confirmed with your booking, together with where in Moshi our guide collects you.
What is Materuni like in the rainy season?
The waterfall is at its most powerful, and the path is at its muddiest. March–May and November–December are the wet months: the walk is slower, the last part of the drive is slower, and heavy spray can keep you back from the pool. The dry months are June–October and January–February.
Is lunch included? What if I'm vegetarian?
Yes. If you would rather skip it, the price drops by $10. Tell us about vegetarian or other dietary needs when you book and we will confirm what can be arranged.
Do I pay anything at the village?
Nothing for entry. The village fee is included in your price, and the coffee session is part of the tour. Bring small notes only for tips and anything you want to buy in the village.
Can I cancel or move the date?
Yes. Full refund with 14 days' notice, and flexible rescheduling within 12 months. If heavy rain is forecast, ask us about moving the day: the falls are fullest in the rains, but the path is at its muddiest.
Can I do Materuni and Kikuletwa in one day?
We sell them as separate days. If you only have one day and want both, ask us and we will tell you honestly whether the timing works for your dates.
📞 How to Book
A 50% deposit confirms the booking. The balance is due 14 days before the trip. Booking inside 14 days: full payment confirms it.
Cancellation: full refund with 14 days' notice, and flexible rescheduling within 12 months — the same terms as our Kenya trips.
Payment details are sent with your written invoice. We accept M-Pesa and bank transfer.
We never request payment through social media, personal phone numbers, or any account or link not confirmed in writing by our office. If in doubt, call us before paying anyone.
📱 WhatsApp / Call: +254 729 257 317 · +254 734 417 496
🇦🇹 Austria: +43 650 702 1313 · +43 676 676 8130
Or write to us through the contact page. Tell us your dates, how many you are, where you are staying in Moshi, and whether you want lunch.
Operated in Tanzania by our TALA-licensed partner — licence 037480. Certificate available on request.
Where You Will Visit
This safari explores the following regions in
