Coming soon
Tea, coffee, flowers and food heritage, from the farm to the table.
- Food & drink travelers
- Agricultural delegations
- Cooperatives & buyers
Who it's for
Food lovers, agricultural groups, cooperatives and buyers.
Ideas for your trip
Tea & Coffee Country (6 days): Kericho tea estates, Nyeri coffee farms, a cupping session with growers. Naivasha Flower Farms (3 days): Behind the scenes of the world's flower supply. Every itinerary is a starting point, adjusted to your dates, group and budget.
Best time of year
Year-round. Harvest visits by arrangement.
Why Kenya for agritourism
Farming is Kenya's largest economic sector and the work of most rural families, which makes a farm visit one of the most honest ways to understand the country. Kenya is the world's leading exporter of black tea, and it supplies more roses to the European Union than any other country. Its coffee is famous because of SL28 and SL34, varieties selected at Scott Agricultural Laboratories in the 1930s, and the Nairobi Coffee Exchange still sells much of the crop at weekly auctions during the season. The farms are close to the parks, so a farm day slips easily into a safari.
How a farm visit works
A half-day visit suits most travelers. At a tea estate you walk the rows, learn to pick two leaves and a bud, then follow the leaf through withering and the crush, tear and curl process most Kenyan tea goes through. At a coffee farm you follow ripe cherry through pulping, fermenting, washing and drying on raised beds, then taste at a cupping table. Professional groups can go further over several days, meeting cooperatives, research stations, agritech startups, county markets and exporters.
Where to go
Kericho and Nandi are tea country, green from ridge to ridge. Limuru and Kiambu, close to Nairobi, have tea and coffee estates within an easy day trip. Nyeri, Murang'a and Kirinyaga on the slopes of Mount Kenya are the heart of smallholder coffee. Naivasha is the center of flowers and horticulture. The highlands of Nyandarua, Nakuru and Uasin Gishu are dairy and grain country. On the coast, Kilifi grows cashews, coconuts and mangoes. Most farm routes pass a park, so a game drive is never far away.
When to go
Tea is picked year-round close to the equator, so estate visits work in any month. The main coffee harvest usually runs from about October to December, with a smaller crop around May to July. Flower farms are busiest in the weeks before Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, when visits may be harder to arrange. The Agricultural Society of Kenya runs shows in county towns through the year, and the Nairobi International Trade Fair usually takes place in late September or early October. The long rains, usually April and May, can make farm roads muddy.
Who it suits
Coffee and tea lovers who want to meet the people behind the cup. Roasters, importers and buyers looking at sourcing. Farmers, extension agents and agricultural cooperatives comparing notes. University agriculture and food-systems programs, and youth farming clubs such as 4-H and FFA chapters. Families who want children to see where food comes from. Diaspora families showing friends the family shamba. Pack closed shoes for muddy rows, a rain jacket and a warm layer, since the highlands are cool.
Plan it with us
Kenya Experience is Kenyan-led, with two U.S. companies behind it and Kenyan guides who know the farming counties. Ask for a farm day or a full study tour through Plan a trip, and a specialist replies within two business days. Pay in full or monthly with no deposit.
What to expect
- Best timeYear-round.
- Who it's forFood & drink travelers and Agricultural delegations.
- Led byRoundtrip Safaris, with 24-hour support in Kenya.
- Reply timeA specialist answers within two business days with a real itinerary and quote.
Your questions
Can I visit a coffee farm in Kenya?
Yes. Nyeri and Kiambu farms run tours from cherry to cup with a cupping session, and the money reaches smallholder cooperatives.
Where are Kenya's tea plantations?
Kericho in the west and Limuru near Nairobi, both with estate and factory visits.
What does Kenya AA mean on a coffee bag?
AA is Kenya's largest bean-size grade. It describes bean size only, so the farm, cooperative and processing matter as much as the grade for flavor.
When is the best time for a farm tour in Kenya?
Any month works for tea. For coffee, the main harvest usually runs from about October to December, when you can see picking and processing in full swing.
What does Kenya grow besides tea and coffee?
Cut flowers, avocados, French beans, macadamia nuts, maize, dairy and sugarcane, among many other crops. Horticulture is one of the country's biggest export earners.
Can visitors tour Kenya's flower farms?
Some farms around Naivasha host visits by arrangement, mainly for groups. Expect hygiene rules in the greenhouses and no visits in the busiest export weeks.
Panga
Be first to know about Agro-Tourism
Panga means plan. Tell us who is going and what you love. A Kenya specialist replies within two business days.
