A tall forest waterfall above Moshi, reached on foot through the Chagga village of Materuni, often paired with a coffee tour
Materuni Waterfalls drop in a single long ribbon of white water down a fern-hung cliff into a pool at the bottom of a deep, green gorge. The falls lie on the Mware River at about 1,540 metres, on the southern slopes of Kilimanjaro, and are reached by a footpath that winds down from Materuni village through banana groves, small farms and patches of forest.
The village sits at around 1,900 metres and is the last settlement before the boundary of Kilimanjaro National Park, so on a clear day the views stretch up to the mountain and down over the plains around Moshi. A visit is usually guided by local villagers and combined with a coffee tour, in which you follow beans from bush to cup. It makes a gentle introduction to the area before or after a climb, or a rewarding day out for those who are not climbing at all.
Materuni is a village of the Chagga people, who have farmed the fertile lower slopes of Kilimanjaro for generations. Their traditional homestead, the kihamba, combines a house with a banana grove underplanted with other crops, and the Chagga developed an elaborate system of channels that carry water along hillsides from distant streams to their fields.
Coffee became an important cash crop on the mountain during the German colonial period in the late nineteenth century, and smallholder coffee remains part of the household economy in villages such as Materuni. In recent decades villagers have organised community-based cultural tourism, guiding visitors to the waterfall and sharing coffee-making and village life, so that income from tourism stays in the community.
Materuni is a working farming village rather than a resort. Families grow bananas, coffee, beans and vegetables on small plots around their homes, livestock is kept close to the house, and paths double as routes to school, market and church. The waterfall walk and coffee tours are run as community tourism, so hiring a guide from the village and buying coffee directly from the families who grow it are the simplest ways to make your visit count locally.
Most visits start in Moshi with a drive up the mountain, first on tarmac and then on a rough dirt road through farms and villages. From the trailhead a local guide leads the way down to the falls on a path that can be steep and slippery, crossing streams and passing coffee bushes and banana plants. At the bottom there is time to sit by the pool and feel the spray; the water is cold, and swimming is only for the confident.
Back in the village, coffee tours show the whole process: picking ripe cherries, removing the husks, roasting the beans over a fire and grinding them by hand before you taste the result. Some tours include a simple local lunch, and half-day options suit those who want to rest before or after climbing Kilimanjaro. The walk is also useful light exercise for acclimatisation, as the village is already at around 1,900 metres.
The falls can be visited all year. In the drier months, roughly June to October and January to February, the path is easier and views of Kilimanjaro are more likely. During the rains, especially from about March to May, the waterfall carries more water but the trail becomes muddy and slippery, so good footwear is essential.
Checked against the sources on 28 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.
General guidance from our specialists, not official information.
Moshi, the main base for Kilimanjaro climbs, lies below the village and has hotels, restaurants, banks and markets. The national park boundary is just above Materuni, and other Chagga villages on the slopes, including Marangu, offer similar walks and coffee experiences. Kilimanjaro International Airport and the road to Arusha are within easy reach of Moshi.
Tanzania · 10 nights5★ LodgeTanzania · 8 nights5★ LodgeTanzania · 5 nights5★ LodgeThis guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 28 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image.
