The 11 Best Coffee Experiences in Rwanda

1.Traditional Coffee Experience ( Bean to Brew)

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 54 reviews · 150 minutes - 3 hours · from $50Our pick

Meet at Umurishyo Arts Gallery for a 150-minute to 3-hour coffee workshop led in English, French, or Swahili. You will process beans, try traditional and modern roasting, pound coffee, and taste local blends with guides such as Gilbert, John, Deborah, and Chaplan.

“This is a must do activity on your trip to Kigali!! We had so much fun, it is not to be missed. We were welcome by some drums and then we got to execute all steps of a traditional coffee experience from opening the fruit to roasting the beans and pounding the coffee. Afterwards we drank coffee (both black and prepared with ginger) and chatted with the owner. She and her husband opened the center to fund their NGO. They also use the money they make to get kids off the streets and back in school. The artisan crafts they are selling are made by those kids. Spread the word…”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Specialty Coffee Masterclass

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 33 reviews · from $50Top rated

At Question Coffee Gishushu in Kigali, you’ll trace coffee from cherry to cup, pick cherries in the garden, taste five Rwandan coffees, and make a blend to take home. Instructors such as Patrice, Keziah, and Patty guide the two-hour class.

“We loved it! So informative and followed the coffee experience from start to finish. A great experience in Kigali”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Women-led Coffee Farm Trek

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · from $150

Start at Question Coffee Gishushu in Kigali for an 8-hour outing to a women-run coffee cooperative near Akagera National Park. Meet the farmers with guide Patty, watch coffee production, enjoy lunch at Urugo Eco-Lodge, and visit the Women’s Opportunity Center.

“After traveling to Kigali for a work conference, my colleagues and I decided to book this tour and I’m so glad that we did! It was truly a once in a lifetime experience and you shouldn’t hesitate to book! Our guide was friendly and inviting and did such a great job answering oRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Full Day Shared Akagera Safari Tour with Lunch and Coffee

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · from $390

Leave Kigali at 5:00 a.m. for a full day in Akagera National Park, with a 4x4, park entry, lunch, drinks, coffee, water, and an English or French-speaking guide. Guides such as Christian, John Bosco, Chadi, Sayed, and Kennett have led past departures, though assignments vary.

“we were in Business trip in Rwanda and We booked the one day akagera safari as friends/ colleagues , it was a fun and relaxing day , the safari went beyond our expectations and we sow a Ton of wild animals, the company was super professRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Rwandan Coffee Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $90

Join Azizi Life near Muhanga for a hands-on coffee day led by a local guide such as Bona. Pick ripe cherries, fetch water, wash and pulp the beans, eat a family lunch, then roast and grind your own coffee. Transport from Muhanga is included, while Kigali pickup costs extra.

“The organization was excellent. We were picked up from our apartment and brought to Azizi, where we could grab a coffee with some pastry and buy items from the local artisans. We had some introduction and then departed to the villagRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Painting with Delicious Coffee

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 2 hours · from $30Best value

Spend two hours at NuttinTODO’s Kigali studio, sketching freely on paper before painting a canvas with guidance from an English- or Swahili-speaking artist. You receive all supplies, refreshments, and room to work at your own level. Ask about artist King, praised for patient step-by-step teaching.

“Unique painting experience that catered to all skill levels. The studio provided a relaxed environment, and the instructor was patient and encouraging. Loved the vibrant colors and techniques explored. Definitely a memorable creative journey.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Local Community Tour(Cultural, Coffee,Village walk,Local food)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $170

Meet your guide Serge and head from Kigali into village life. Choose from home-host activities, coffee or banana beer production, cattle and milking, drumming, local cooking, plant knowledge, village walks, and Mount Jali hiking. Transport, lunch, drinks, and guiding are included.

“Serge was a great guide, but I think it's overpriced for what's included. However, I'd still recommend it, the drumming lesson was definitely a highlight of my trip.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Traditional Coffee Experience ( Bean to Brew)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $50

Start at Umurishyo Arts Gallery, then follow coffee from Rwandan fields to the roastery and a Kigali tasting. Learn traditional and modern roasting, prepare your own beans, and share the cup with local coffee specialists. The two-hour experience costs $50 and excludes private transport.

“I love coffee. At home I grind my own beans and often make special blends. OneCup coffee experience has given me a much greater insight and even more appreciation for coffee and the business of how it is produced. The OneCup staff JoRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Private Half-Day Guided Kigali City Tour with Coffee Break Included

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $100

Spend four private hours seeing Kigali through its memorial, art, coffee, and community work. Your guide may be Oscar, Jamal, Denis, or Eugene, with hotel pickup, private transport, a Rwandan coffee, and room to request extra local stops.

“Oscar our tour guide was excellent in every way. He is a professional who takes his job seriously. He made sure we saw all the interesting sites, including the national genocide museum, an art gallery, the city market and Mt. Kigali. Oscar knowRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Tea and coffee tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $80

Start in Rubavu at 8:00 am for a three-hour tea or coffee visit with Beyond the Gorillas Experience. You may see local harvesting, processing, and packaging, with Kinunu Coffee Washing Station and Lake Kivu among the featured places. Pickup is offered, lunch and water are included, and groups are capped at eight.

“What an incredible experience the tea tour is!! I went with some friends and we had a great time, the knowledge of our guide was incredible! We got to meet some local, learn about the tea process from harvesting to the packaging and we gRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.1-Day Lake Kivu Karongi Boat Cruise & Coffee farming with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · from $380

Leave Kigali at 6 a.m. for Ndaba Rock and Karongi, then cruise Lake Kivu to Amahoro and Napoleon islands. You’ll hike, eat lunch by the water, and choose an Environmental Museum visit or coffee-farming tour. Guide Augustine may lead the day, with hotel and airport transfers included.

“Beautiful Lodge on the edge of Lake Kivu, Stunning views, I was staying with my Daughter and family in Rubengera, so we went a for dinner at this venue three times. Food was good, although the menu is rather limited, but considering the remoteness, I’m not surprised, Pretty Rustic Hotel.”

Check availability →Read our full review