The Maui Chocolate Tour in Lahaina – Tasting Hawaiian Chocolate in a Beautiful Setting

Farm tours are so interesting to me, so we always include them when we’re planning our travels, and the Maui Chocolate Tour is a really unique one. So many people come to Maui and enjoy the beaches and snorkeling, or heading up to Haleakala National Park, but there is a huge farm industry on Maui that’s very special and unusual. The Maui Chocolate Tour is a part of that, and between getting to learn about how chocolate is made AND seeing how cacao is integrated into the island is a fun way to mix things up on your Aloha trip.

Have you gotten to do the Maui Chocolate Tour and try the different Maui-grown Kuia chocolates? Did you know that Hawaii actually has several cacao farms that you can visit? We’ve got the full scoop on what you’ll experience on the Maui Chocolate Tour as well as more agritourism opportunities for your visit. If you have any questions about this chocolatey experience or need help planning your time on Maui, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan an amazing time in Hawaii.

Highlights of the Maui Chocolate Tour

The Maui Chocolate Tour really is interesting and gets you into the heart of the chocolate. Departing from their factory and tasting room on the hillside above Lahaina, you’ll help up into the cacao farm to learn all about both how it’s grown and how they harvest and process the cacao beans. It’s really fascinating, and observing other people learning about chocolate is itself a unique experience. Guests are welcome to ask anything about the farm or chocolate production as you do your tour, and you’ll be surprised by some of the details of creating the special Maui chocolates.

As a gardener and agriculture nerd myself, I loved hearing about the growing process and trial and error of planting cacao on Maui. It’s such a dry climate for a rainforest product, but they make it work in an ecologically responsible way. If you did the Maui Pineapple Tour, you’ll see a totally different style of farming, but still eco-conscious in a different way.

Besides the learning and conversation elements, the highlight of the Maui Chocolate Tour is for sure trying all the chocolates. I am not a huge chocolate fan (I love gummy candies) but treating chocolate tasting like a wine or cheese tasting gave me a completely new appreciation for both the growing and processing of cacao and how that translates into chocolate treats. During our treehouse chocolate tasting (yes, up above the cacao trees; it was beautiful!) we got to sample nine (9) different varieties of Maui-grown Kuia chocolate products (Kuia is the brand of chocolate they create). My favorite was the dark chocolate with the local mapulehu mango in it. Wow.

Book the Maui Chocolate Tour here!

Tips for a Great Maui Chocolate Tour

When you’re planning your Maui Chocolate Tour, know that from check-in until you’re all done it’s about two hours. It’s a very relaxed experience and you’re not doing a ton of walking, but it is active in that you’re walking around in the cacao grove and it is an active farm, so there is uneven ground in places. Also, there are stairs up to the tasting area so you’ll need to be able to go up and down them. It’s very chill though and the Maui Chocolate Tour guides are very mellow and patient. The information purveyed is really interesting, so pay attention and engage with the tour guide as you go. That’s how you’ll get the most from your tour.

Even though the Maui Chocolate Tour is a food tour, you’re not eating food that sticks with you, but you’re trying lots of types of chocolate. If you’re anything like me, it may be very helpful to have a solid snack before you begin your tour. I’m very sensitive to chocolate, so after a few of the samples I was feeling a bit amped up and needed a small snack from my backpack to counteract the chocolate. Eating a little something before your tour should make the experience more smooth if you’re sensitive to chocolate. Throughout the chocolate tasting there is plenty of water to cleanse your palate (like a wine tasting). You’ll stay hydrated and begin each sample with a fresh mouth ready to try something new.

TIP: As a courtesy to the staff at the Maui Chocolate Tour, bringing up the Lahaina fires of 2023 or asking questions about the fires is not a good idea, although you may be curious. This goes for any tourism you’re participating in when you visit Lahaina. Many of the staff here and all around were deeply impacted by the tragic fires and do not want to talk about it. The fire that took Lahaina had a tremendous impact on the community and it’s still very difficult for residents to talk about.

Being Prepared for the Maui Chocolate Tour

Since we are talking about visiting an active farm when you do the Maui Chocolate Tour, wearing sturdy, close toed shoes is a good idea. Slippers / flip flops are fine too if you’re feeling it as it is a very comfortable, informal setting, but I prefer a solid pair of shoes or sandals. While most of the tour is shaded, there are times when you may be in the sun for a few minutes. I didn’t feel that sunblock was necessary, but I’m not very sensitive to sunlight, so use your best judgement.

Something we do get asked about a lot when we’re talking about farm tours is the need for bug spray. I didn’t feel there was any need for it while we were doing the Maui Chocolate Tour. If you plan to use bug spray, you’ll need to apply it in advance before being in the cacao grove, as we don’t want to introduce any chemicals when using insect repellant.

For photographers doing the Maui Chocolate Tour, there are some interesting photos to capture during your time in the cacao grove. Because it is a rather condensed area with the rows of trees being close together, you won’t need a large lens for capturing the grove and the cacao beans. I feel that just up to a 50mm lens is good, and this is perfect if you want to do some macro photography of the cacao flowers. In general, a good camera phone should do nicely to capture the experience.

Parking for the Maui Chocolate Tour and Shop

You’ll love this. There is free covered parking at the Maui Chocolate Tour. Since the factory is up the hill from Lahaina instead of downtown, there is a parking garage and street parking available when you visit. If you’re parking on the street, just pay attention to parking signs as there are some restrictions on different parts of the block.