3 Top-Rated Coffee and Tea Tours in Cabarete

Cabarete is famous for its wind-swept beaches, world-class kitesurfing, and lively beach bars, but most visitors never make it past the coastal strip to explore the lush, rolling hills that rise just a short drive inland. Those hills are home to small-scale coffee and tea farms that have been operated by local Dominican families for generations, growing beans and herbs in rich volcanic soil that gives their products a flavor you won’t find anywhere else. If you’ve only ever sipped mass-market coffee or generic herbal tea, these tours will completely change how you think about your morning cup.

Explore local experiences and attractions here

View available car hire options here

These tours aren’t just about drinking good coffee and tea, either—they’re a chance to connect with local agricultural traditions, meet the people who grow your food, and get a look at a side of Cabarete that rarely makes the travel brochures. We rounded up the three highest-rated, no-gimmick coffee and tea tours in the area, all run by local families with a genuine passion for their craft, so you can skip the overpriced, crowded tourist traps and get an experience you’ll actually remember.

1. Mountain Grown Organic Coffee Farm Day Trip

This day trip is the gold standard for anyone who wants to learn everything there is to know about Dominican coffee, from seed to cup. You’ll get picked up right from your hotel or Airbnb in Cabarete in a small, air-conditioned van, and the 45-minute drive up into the mountains is beautiful in its own right, with views of jungle-covered peaks and small rural villages along the way. The farm itself is family-owned and operated, with three generations of the same family working the land, and they’ll walk you through every step of the process: you’ll get to help pick ripe coffee cherries during harvest season, see how the beans are dried and sorted, and even roast your own small batch to take home with you. All the coffee served on the tour is grown right on the farm, and you’ll get to taste five different roasts, from light and fruity to dark and chocolatey, paired with fresh homemade guava pastries made by the farm owner’s wife.

It’s perfect for coffee nerds who want to nerd out about growing conditions and roast profiles, families with kids who love hands-on activities, and anyone who wants to support small local businesses instead of big corporate farms. The pace is relaxed, so you don’t have to be in great shape to participate, and the hosts are more than happy to answer even the most niche questions about coffee farming.

See photos and travel highlights here

Rent a car for your adventure here

• Best time to go: Plan your visit between November and February, the dry season in the Dominican highlands. Roads up to the farm are far less muddy during these months, and it’s the official coffee harvest season, so you’ll get to participate in picking and processing fresh cherries if that’s something you’re interested in.
• Booking tip: Skip the big third-party tour sites and book directly with the farm via their Instagram or WhatsApp page. You’ll save roughly 15% off the standard tour price, and the small team will customize the itinerary to your interests, whether you want a longer deep dive into roasting techniques or a shorter, more relaxed trip with extra time for tasting.

2. Coastal Herbal Tea and Spice Garden Tour

If you’re not a big coffee drinker, or you’re interested in traditional Dominican plant medicine and cooking, this small garden tour is the perfect pick. It’s run by a local family who started the garden 12 years ago as a way to grow native herbs and spices for their home cooking, and they’ve since expanded to offer small, low-key tours to visitors. The garden is just a 15-minute drive from central Cabarete, and it’s completely flat and accessible, so it’s a great option for anyone with limited mobility or small kids who don’t want to deal with steep hikes. During the 90-minute tour, you’ll walk through rows of lemongrass, mint, hibiscus, soursop, and even native annatto and cacao plants, and the owner will explain how each is used in traditional Dominican remedies and dishes.

After the garden walk, you’ll sit down at a small wooden table under a shaded pergola to make your own custom tea blend with whatever fresh herbs you like best, and you’ll get to taste it alongside small snacks made with garden ingredients, like hibiscus iced tea with salty fried plantain chips and cinnamon-spiced mango slices. This tour is ideal for herbal tea lovers, anyone curious about traditional wellness practices, and travelers who prefer shorter, low-effort activities. It’s also a great pick if you’re looking for a unique souvenir: you can buy small bags of the garden’s dried herbs and teas to take home, all grown without synthetic pesticides.

• Best time to go: Visit between May and October, when the garden’s plants are at their peak growth and fullest. Morning tours are best, as the afternoon rain showers that are common in these months usually roll in after 2pm, so you’ll get to explore the garden in dry, sunny conditions.
• Booking tip: Ask your hotel or Airbnb host to book the tour for you. Most local accommodations in Cabarete have a standing arrangement with the garden owners, and they’ll often throw in a free small bag of dried herb tea as a welcome gift when you arrive for your tour.

3. Sunset Coffee and Tea Tasting Hilltop Experience

This is the perfect pick if you don’t want to commit to a full day trip, or you’re looking for a laid-back, social activity to add to your Cabarete itinerary. The tour is hosted at a small eco-lodge perched on a hill just 10 minutes outside of town, with unobstructed views of the Cabarete coast and the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll arrive around 4pm, and the 90-minute tasting will walk you through three single-origin Dominican coffees and three herbal teas grown by local small-scale farmers, each paired with a small, carefully chosen bite: the light roast coffee is paired with 70% dark chocolate grown in the Dominican mountains, the hibiscus tea is paired with sweet ripe mango slices, and the lemongrass tea is paired with coconut macaroons made by a local baker in Cabarete. After the tasting, you’re free to hang out on the lodge’s open-air patio, order a drink from their small bar, and watch the sunset over the water with other tour guests if you’d like.

This tour is perfect for couples looking for a low-key date activity, solo travelers who want to meet other people visiting Cabarete, and anyone who loves learning about food and drink flavor pairings. It’s also a great option if you have limited time in Cabarete, as the whole experience only takes about two hours, and the hilltop location means you’ll get some of the best sunset views in the area without having to fight the crowds on the main beach.

• Best time to go: Plan your visit between December and March, when the trade winds are calm and the sun sets directly over the ocean, making for unobstructed, colorful sunset views. The hilltop is also significantly cooler during these months, so you won’t get uncomfortable tasting hot drinks in the afternoon heat.
• Booking tip: Reserve your spot at least 48 hours in advance, as the lodge only runs the tour for groups of six or fewer to keep it intimate and low-key. They sell out almost every day during peak tourist season (December to April), so booking early is the only way to guarantee your spot.

Cabarete has a way of surprising visitors who only come for the beaches and water sports, and these coffee and tea tours are just one example of the hidden gems the area has to offer. Whether you spend a full day learning about coffee farming on a mountain trip, or just a couple of hours sipping tea while watching the sunset, you’ll leave with a new appreciation for the local culture and a ton of great recommendations for places to eat and drink during the rest of your trip.