Cacao Farm Tours: 10 Plantations Worth Flying For

1.Maui Ku’ia Estate Guided Cacao Farm Tour and Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,103 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $99Our pick

Meet at Ku’ia Estate Chocolate Factory in Lahaina, then ride to a 20-acre cacao farm in the West Maui foothills. A guide such as Mandy, Steph, Brandy, or Shawn explains cacao growing and harvesting before a nine-piece chocolate tasting in a treehouse. Plan for stairs, a 20-minute walk, and mostly dark chocolate.

“Arrive early in order to watch a video. Plan on tasting a delicious variety of chocolates while learning the history of chocolate making.”

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2.Award Winning Farm Tour: Coffee, Chocolate and Unique Gifts

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 484 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $50

At 1,200 feet above Kona, Greg Colden and his team lead a three-hour walking tour through a working coffee and cacao farm. You’ll learn about biodiversity, taste farm-made coffee and chocolate, see natural soap production, and browse ceramics, soaps, sprays, and other gifts. The tour is in English and ends where it begins.

“We had an amazing time on our tour. We learned so much about the history of the land, the biodiversity, and development of the farm by owners Greg Colden and Marty Corrigan. Our tour was both educational and entertaining. The soap, chocolate, and coffee that they produce is truly unique and of the highest purity and quality. It’s a very impressive business and like many others who have left reviews, I highly recommend visiting.”

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3.Maui Ku’ia Estate Guided Cacao Farm Tour & Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 137 reviews · 1h 30m · from $99

Meet at Maui Ku’ia Estate Chocolate in Lahaina, then ride 10 minutes to a private 20-acre cacao farm. Your English-speaking guide explains growing, harvesting, and chocolate making before a nine-piece tasting with a cocoa drink in a treehouse above the cacao trees. Guides such as Brandy, Dakota, and Sean have led especially lively tours.

“Loved the smell of the cacoa tree field. Very knowledgeable staff and personable. Loved sitting in the tasting treehouse above the canopy!”

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4.Boti Falls, Umbrella Rock, Aburi Gardens & Cocoa Farm Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 72 reviews · 7 hours · from $94

Travel from Accra into Ghana’s Eastern Region with a live English-speaking guide such as Emmanuel, Eben, Moses, or Peter. Walk through Aburi Botanical Gardens, hike or drive to Umbrella Rock, visit twin Boti Falls, and taste fresh cocoa pods at Tetteh Quarshie Farm. Expect a full day of nature, local history, and road time.

“Saying that this was the best day of my trip is an understatement. My favourite was the botanical gardens with our learned botanist as a guide who showed us all the beautiful flora & was able to explain in detail. It was nice to have a knowledgeable guide. The cocoa farm experience was also really good & our guide as well, also knowledgeable. Also the sweet treats were great! Eben then took us to the falls which were really majestic. Great trip & day with Eben & I really appreciated how he explained the sites. You can tell he’s really proud of his country & loves it.”

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5.Cocoa farm and Chocolate making!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 62 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $155

Leave Guayaquil by private vehicle for a family-run cacao farm. Walk among the trees with guides such as Mario, Alison, or Antonio, harvest a pod, and follow the beans from fruit to chocolate. The visit is hands-on and often includes a generous three-course lunch served beside the grove.

“Mario was absolutely amazing and has so much knowledge about the agriculture of the crops grown on the farm. He friendly personality, combined with the breathtaking scenery, hands on experience and delicious meal at the end, make this tour a MUST DO!!! If you only have time for one tour, make this the one you choose.”

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6.Cuenca to Guayaquil one-way tour with Cajas Park and a Cacao Farm visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 50 reviews · 6 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $73

Turn the trip from Cuenca to Guayaquil into a full-day Ecuador experience. Hike near Laguna La Toreadora, cross the Andes, stop for lunch and tropical fruit, then visit Cacao Loma for fresh cacao and handmade chocolate. Guides including Wilson, Genero, Luis, and Javier are known for local plant knowledge and flexible service.

“Pleasant drive from Cuenca to Guayaquil. The stops were nice, lunch was good and our driver, Luis, was excellent, friendly and informative.”

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7.Guayaquil to Cuenca one-way tour with Cajas Park and a Cacao Farm visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 49 reviews · 6 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $73

Ride from Guayaquil to Cuenca with a licensed guide-driver, stopping at a family cacao farm, a local fruit market, a mountain restaurant, and Laguna La Toreadora in Cajas National Park. Guides such as Wilson, Javier, and Louis explain local life, chocolate making, plants, and history. Lunch is available, and hotel drop-off in Cuenca is included.

“The guide was outstanding and very accommodating to our interests. We chose to travel to Cuenca with a local person in order to learn about the culture and the places we drove through. For this the tour was perfect. He is bilingual as are we so the conversations were fun and informative. We were able to visit a cacao farm though not the regular one because the guide convinced a nearby farmer so spend some time with us which we enjoyed immensely. Cajas Park is stunning but the top of the pass is at 11,000 feet so we did not spend time there due to the cold weather and elevation.…”

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8.Floating Market, Canal, Cacao Farm & Mekong’ Life

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 45 reviews · from $24Best value

Start at 5:45 AM with guide Nick or another English or French-speaking guide, then take a small boat to Cai Rang Floating Market. Eat breakfast on the river, visit a rice noodle workshop, cruise water coconut canals, walk through villages, and taste cacao milk and cacao wine. Groups are limited to six.

“It was a very nice trip and the guide was very friendly. We saw so many different things in 6 hours and it is really worth the money!”

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9.Experience Boti Waterfalls, Aburi Botanical Gardens & Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 38 reviews · from $175

Travel from Accra into Ghana’s Akuapem countryside with a private guide such as Michael, Isaac, or Kofi. Visit Aburi Botanical Gardens, taste fresh cocoa at Tetteh Quarshie’s farm, then hike to Boti Falls, Umbrella Rock, and the three-headed palm tree. Asenema Falls adds one more scenic stop.

“Isaac was my tour guide and he was great. He was very knowledgeable and took awesome pics of me. The garden was so beautiful and nice to learn about all those trees. Cocoa tasted great. The waterfalls was beautiful. The canoe ride I enjoyed.”

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10.Boti Falls, Umbrella Rock, Aburi Gardens & Cocoa Farm Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · from $150

Travel from Accra to Boti Falls, Umbrella Rock, Aburi Botanical Gardens, and Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm in an air-conditioned vehicle. You’ll hike, see twin waterfalls, learn about local plants, climb a remarkable rock, and taste fresh cocoa. A moderate fitness level is needed, and lunch is not included.

“It was a great trip with very good communication. There was no water in the Boti Waterfalls due to the dry season, but we knew that in advance because the guide informed us about it. We added a stop at tetteh quarshie cocoa farm which was a great addition to the trip.”

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