Materuni Falls

Materuni Falls drops about 80 metres into a fern-lined pool on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro, above the town of Moshi. The walk in passes through the banana and coffee gardens of the Chagga village of Materuni.

Why visit Materuni Falls

Most visits end with a coffee ceremony: picking, roasting and grinding beans with a Chagga family, to the rhythm of a song. Brave swimmers can take a dip in the cold plunge pool.

Best time to visit Materuni Falls

June to October is dry and clear for the walk; the falls are fullest from March to May.

How to get to Materuni Falls

Materuni is about 45 minutes by road from Moshi. It makes an ideal first or last day of a northern Tanzania safari.

The walk and the coffee

Materuni village sits on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro, about 45 minutes above Moshi. The walk to the falls takes about an hour each way through banana and coffee gardens, with views towards the plains on a clear day. The falls drop about 80 to 90 metres into a cold pool where you can swim. Back in the village, a Chagga family shows you how coffee is picked, roasted and ground by hand.

Practical information

Materuni is usually visited as a half-day or full-day trip from Moshi with a local guide, who arranges the community entrance fee. The path can be slippery in the rains (March to May and November), so wear good shoes. It works well as a gentle first or last day around a safari or a Kilimanjaro climb.

Pair Materuni Falls with a safari

Start our 7-day Kilimanjaro falls and safari here before Tarangire, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro.

Tips for visiting Materuni Falls

Wear shoes that can get wet: the trail crosses streams. Combine the walk with a coffee ceremony and arrive back in Moshi by mid-afternoon. It makes an ideal acclimatisation day before or after a Kilimanjaro climb. For planning, see our Tanzania guide and the month-by-month water levels, or compare it with Africa's two most visited falls, Victoria Falls and Murchison Falls.

National parks and sights nearby

• Kilimanjaro National Park
• Arusha National Park
• Tarangire National Park