Big Island: Craft Chocolate Tasting And Farm Tour In Hilo

It was one of the best food tous I've ever been on. Jude was amazing, knowledgeable and funny.

Good experience in Hilo. Learned a lot about growing cocoa and the struggles to grow this crop in Hawaii. Wonderful chocolate tasting with highly interactive hosts.

Exceptionally poor customer service. We ended up showing up early because the directions on-line indicated it would take longer to get to the farm than it did. The guide told us to leave and come back later, she wouldn't let us wait. She was rude and not willing to accommodate our request even after we explained the situation. We even offered to wait in a grassy area out of the way but she told us to come back. We have been on tours with Viator in Ireland and Ecuador and they were terrific. This guide was rude and impolite.

What a great education and tasting experience. We really enjoyed seeing and learning about the farm, the growing process and of course tasting all the chocolate.

My wife and I booked a tour for the Craft Chocolate Tasting and Farm Tour and we were was not disappointed. The Chocolate Tasting and Farm tour were both very informative and detailed. For the Farm Tour, Jude our Guide, explained from the beginning of how he became friend's with the owner's son Colin, how the cacao farm came into existence, the planting of the cacao trees, all the way through the total processing of making the cacao from the pods. The cacao shop offered the tasting of numerous chocolates from the Island of Hawaii and Oahu, numerous types of specialty chocolate bars and even chocolate nibs for an alternative to coffee and tea. Well worth the money ...

We learned so much about the history of the farm and about cocoa farming itself. The staff was friendly, patient and welcomed questions. We loved the farm tour and the delicious and educational chocolate tasting! We were there over 4 hours but the time flew by! Would def recommend!

Fantastic experience! I went with my grandson for his first excursion of third grade. He’s home schooled, and we are locals. So we are fussy about tour experiences. This was a very welcoming atmosphere. Our hosts were friendly and knowledgeable. The tastings were very flavorful. Our group had several families with a variety of ages, and everyone was accommodated for levels of curiosity.

We were looking for something to do on our last day on the island and this was the perfect choice. Jude and April were incredibly nice and also knowledgeable. It was evident that the people working at the farm really care about the process and the products. The tasting was very extensive and fun. The way they run it is interactive and overall just a really good time. We arrived a bit early and went overtime on the tasting a bit, so the total time we spent at the farm was close to 4 hours.

I wanted to try a fresh chocolate pod, different varieties of the final product, and learn how they grow. I got all these wishes met and learned a lot about life in hawaii and farming and all kinds of interesting stuff. Jess and Jude were excellent - charming and knowledgeable. There were some annoying children children on our tour and I was really impressed with how they were kind and tactful while managing to keep everything going smoothly. The chocolate was also delicious.

Chocolate lovers, this tasting experience was awesome! Lots of chocolate to sample with great presenters who had a great deal of choco info.

This was an even better tour than I had hoped for. The 2 young men leading the tour were personable and friendly. They were also surprisingly knowledgeable about the entire cacao to chocolate process as well as the industry in Hawai’i. We tasted 14 different types of chocolate and got to see the trees first hand. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who loves chocolate and/or has an interest in Hawaiian agriculture.

This was an even better experience than I had hoped for. The 2 young men leading the tour were very personable and friendly. They were also surprisingly knowledgeable about the entire cacao to chocolate process as well as the industry in Hawai’i. We were able to taste 14 different types of chocolate and see the trees first hand. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone who loves chocolate and/or has an interest in Hawaiian agriculture.

Amazing tour. Guides are friendly and knowledgeable. They love what they do. The farm is beautiful and the views are excellent. You can get hand crafted soaps and vanilla along with chocolate bars. Prices are very reasonable. Highly recommend this experience.

We had an incredible experience at Honoliʻi Orchards’ farm tour and chocolate tasting 🍫🌿 Jude and Wren truly made the visit unforgettable. Jude led the tasting with the depth and elegance of a fine wine or bourbon experience, guiding us through chocolates from eleven Hawaiian cacao farms and three from beyond the islands. Each sample told its own story. Each sample had distinct flavor notes. Jude and Wren help us discern the unique flavor profiles Wren took us through the farm with passion and clarity, explaining the craft and process behind the chocolate, as well as the vision of founder Colin Hart—farmer, innovator, and driving force behind this award-winning operation. Spending 3½ hours immersed in the world of craft Hawaiian chocolate was absolutely worth it. The knowledge, enthusiasm, and genuine love for what they do really stood out. If you’re on the Big Island, this is not to be missed. 🌺

It's a little out of the way, but well worth the trip. We did the tour, which lasted about 4 hours, including a two-part tasting of 13 different chocolates and a very detailed tour of the farm and fermentation area. Colin was a very gracious host and patiently answered all our questions which was a great educational experience. Jude was a very entertaining tasting guide, inviting us to sample some cacao tea (smelled great!). Highly recommended if you're a chocoholic.

I cannot recommend this tour highly enough. The hosts were friendly, knowledgeable, and generous. I learnt so much and had a great time. Also, loved Darwin the dog. He was also a great host. Don't hesitate to book this tour.

We thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate tasting and farm tour, and highly recommend the experience to everyone. Wrenn, Jude and April were great – and Wrenn’s knowledge of cacao was astounding! Thanks so much!

This cocoa tour and chocolate tasting was an excellent experience. Wrenn has a comprehensive knowledge of the cocoa plants and the industry. He explained topics thoroughly and in an understandable manner. Honolii is committed to the cacao industry being successful locally. They are involved in collaborative research to ensure the craft industry thrives on the Hawaiian Islands. Jude led the chocolate tasting, and we learned so much about the different qualities and characteristics of craft chocolates. Along with April, the three of them shared information with facts and humor. Most of the chocolate making process is done through collaboration with other organizations. Aside from that, if you want to improve your chocolate eating experience, this helps.

This was a very worthwhile tour. Wrenn, Jude, and April were excellent tour and tasting guides, giving a wealth of information about cacao pods and how to turn them into chocolate. We tasted more than 12 varieties of craft chocolate from various farms around Hawaii and Oahu. And we were offered a chocolate beverage and various fruits during the tour. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves chocolate!

Excellent experience. Guides were so enthusiastic and wanted to please. Very informative and their knowledge was superb. The only difficulty we had was finding it. Perhaps some signs on the way would help

The tasting that we attended had 10 participants. It lasted almost 4 hours. Wrenn was our guide. It was a fabulous immersive experience. Wrenn knows his history , farming in Hawaii, and the complicated process of making some of the best chocolate in the world. We toured the property and learned so much about the making of chocolate. Most of our time was spent in tasting chocolate which was a great experience. Expect to be WOWed.

Wrenn and Collin do an excellent job of introducing the public to the budding art of Craft Chocolate. Providing a bit of science to help you understand the complexities of the work they all do to bring their product to market and the healing properties in cacao. They are the bosons in the chocolate universe - the force carriers quietly reshaping how the entire system behaves, from a tiny point on the Big Island. BRAVO!

This was our first craft chocolate experience and our hosts, Ren and Jude were great. The tour of the cacao farm was engaging and informative. Ren and Jude shared a lot of information about craft choclates and made the experience fun and informative. The chocolates were delicious. The farm and tasting area were in great condition, weather was good. We stayed near Kona, and the location for this is near Hilo - about a 2 hour drive, definitely worth it if you have the time.

Very informative and beautiful setting. I learned all about the emerging craft chocolate industry. ☺️

Really fun and interesting! Lots of chocolate during the tasting. Great insights into local Big Island company and the craft chocolate business. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and both of our kids (18, 20) were engaged for the entire 3 + hours!

Wrenn and Jude were so wonderful! You can see and hear their passion for cocoa throughout everything they do. We got to learn all about cocoa farming, harvesting and even research being done at the orchard. Plus of course, sampling so many different kinds of chocolate!!! I am generally a milk chocolate person, but sampling the high quality cocoa bars of dark chocolate really changed my mind! Highly recommend the 3.5hour tour so you get the full picture — so interesting

This tour was one of the top tours that we have ever taken. The amount of insight into the farm operation, and the ongoing development of the Cocoa trees was amazing. The description and overview of the process from fruit to chocolate bar was very informative and easy to understand. On top of all of this, we sampled 14 single source chocolate bars, tasted the raw fruit, had hot cocoa tea, and were able to purchase bars as well. What a wonderful way to spend four hours.

This immersion experience was absolutely top notch. Rem is extremely knowledgeable and so passionate about cacao—from the orchard to fermentation to tasting. I would highly recommend as a must-do when visiting the Hilo side of the Big Island.

This was our first experience in Hilo which started our 10 day journey exploring the Big Island of Hawaii. Ren was an amazing facilitator who was a wealth of knowledge, with a friendly smile and demeanor and made the experience of understanding the process of growing quality cacao on their beautiful farm fun. The length of the tour was just enough time to get a full sense of the history of cacao, the current process they use to grow and harvest the cacao, and having fun while learning and most important experiencing eating the best chocolate ever!!! The experience was like wine tasting except with various flavors of chocolate not just from their farm but from others in Hawaii. I am highly recommending this tour as worthwhile, fun and yummy!!

I should preface this review by stating that I grow Cacao on my little farm on Maui, and over the years I have developed my own methods for making chocolate from my tree’s pods. I am always looking for more information on improving my process and end results. Therefore I seek out and attend these types of tours and lectures whenever I can. Most often what I find is bits and pieces of the process, like a video to watch followed by a visit to the gift shop. Or even worse wrong or misleading information. This tour was different. Of course we attended the 3 1/2 hour tour (which I highly recommend). We spent time in their amazingly productive orchards, learning all about the cultivation, growing and harvesting of cacao. Yes I learned things I didn’t know. We visited the fermentation shed and again more learning. We had two tasting sessions where they were gracious enough to include samples that I brought. And to me the most interesting part was the lecture given by Wrenn on the origins of Cacao and the development of chocolate. Starting with giant sloths foraging in ancient cacao forests, to the cultivation of cacao by the Olmecs, to the discovery of cacao by the conquistadors who brought it back to Europe where it eventually became what we now know as chocolate. Mind blown. For anyone who has the slightest fondness for chocolate, this tour may just be the highlight of your trip. And if you live here, good to know what’s going on in your area and make new friends.

Make sure you do the farm tour not just the chocolate tasting as it was a joy to learn about the farm and to entire process of how chocolate is created. The tour guides are knowledgeable, kind, and very enthusiastic to make sure you get the best experience possible. Next time I go to Hawaii I will be back

Wonderful! Wonderful experience! We visted the farm in October and it was amazing! We have visited different farming tours throughout the Hawaiian Islands and by far this is well worth to visit. Our tour was led by the owner, Colin Hart, and you can see the passion that he has over the quality care of his product. The tour was very interactive and educational. As our group learned about the process of chocolate making, not ony was there was chocolate tasting, but there was the opportunity to taste cacao fruit and drink the nectar it produces. The set up of the u-shaped bar, allowed for personal interaction. Walking through the as a group, Colin maintained positive personal dialogue for easy communiction, and ensuring that everyone shared the experience. My husband and I enjoyed the thoughtfulness of the way customers were treated. Not only were umbrellas available for the sun or rain, but bug spray, sunsceen, water , and other types fresh fruit was readily available to all at no extra cost. I highly recommend the tour not only for adults but for school age children too!

This was absolutely the highlight of our vacation on the big island. Absolutely worth it - our tour guide Wren was so knowledgeable, and he and Jude made this experience so memorable. It was fascinating to learn about the history of chocolate and process of chocolate making from flower to bean to bar, and each one we tried was so different from the next. You HAVE to try this!!! They are doing so much exciting research too.

The knowledge about the farming experience was amazing. We learned so much. In addition, it was incredible to learn how to taste chocolate and learn all the nuances from one type to another. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone!

What an interesting and enjoyable experience. The main host, Ren, was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and engaging. The other folks on the ‘tour’ also made it better by asking questions and participating in discussions. I learned more about chocolate than I ever knew, and as a major chocolate consumer it was very enlightening. The setting is fantastic, with distant ocean views down the verdant valley from the comfortably breezy ‘tasting’ room. We even got to sample the sweet juice surrounding the beans inside the cacao pods that originally made them interesting to people and animals. If you like wine tasting (which we don’t) you may enjoy this as well as the approach to cacao cultivation influences the flavors in a similar manner as vines and wines. Also, based on what we saw and learned, this farm and what it has to share is just going to continue to grow, so we will be back!

One of the best chocolate tours you’ll ever experience, largely thanks to Wrenn, whose knowledge of cacao history is unmatched. The farm itself is stunning and welcoming, equally suited for curious tourists wanting to learn about cacao and for growers seeking insight into developing their own properties. The chocolate samples are as generous as they are delicious. The pace of the tour is relaxed, allowing you to make it a memorable part of the day with friends or family. Highly recommended, an excellent value and an unforgettable experience.

I had a fantastic 3-hour solo immersion adventure learning about Hawai'i cacao - from tree to bar - with Wrenn at Honoli'i Orchards in July.

Such a fun and informative tasting. This was something of a last-minute add to our schedule, and it will wind up being a major highlight of our Hawaii trip. If you want a break from beaches and/or hiking, this is it. Our group leader was passionate and informative about cacao and chocolate, and made the tasting fun for our whole family. Can't recommend this enough.

I had the most enjoyable experience today thanks to Wren, Jude and Darwin the loving Aussie Shepherd who accompanied us throughout the tour. Wren is an amazing guide whose knowledge is extensive and delivered with passion and enthusiasm. He had a spark in his eyes that conveyed his love for what is happening there at Honolii Orchards and truly enjoys sharing all the new ideas they are developing. Before the tour I had a mild interest and after the tour I came away with a desire to invest more time and money in enjoying craft chocolate. Jude was a charming host seeing to our comfort with ease and grace. He kept the chocolate coming along with beverage to clear our palate. The chocolates were delicious and the tasting experience was superb. Thank you Wren and Jude for such a great treat. If you love chocolate this is a MUST!

The tour guide wrenn was an amazing tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and could answer any question. What was really impressive was that he was able to Taylor the tour to the questions and interests of his guests.

Very informative tour, the guide is enthusiastic about the farm and the work they do there. The chocolate tasting was also excellent. Wouldn’t change a thing!

We were in the Big Island for a vacation and to celebrate our anniversary. We actually had booked a tour with another company a couple of days earlier that had to cancel our tour because not enough people would be in our tour. Our host at our B&B told us about this one, and we were able to book a tour on our anniversary. It was a great tour and in a great location. The farm was nice. He walked us through part of the farm area and explained all about the cocoa trees and how chocolate is made from the tree to the tasty treats that we enjoy. He knew all about it. Our guide (Wrenn) was very nice and was always smiling. We could tell that he loves his job. The other guy (sorry...forgot his name) was very helpful too. At the end of the tour, we sampled 12 different types of chocolate from Oahu and the Big Island. We ended up buying some chocolate to take home. We had a great experience. We would recommend this tour.

It was educational and informative. It was fun! The farm is beautiful. Wrenn and Colin give you a very personilized experience, different from any other tour. Totally recommended! You get to taste 12 different chocolate flavors, sugar cane cubes and cacao tea which smells like hot chocolate (delicious).

Cannot recommend the tour enough, learneda ton And incredibly impressed by the passion of those involved, and would highly encourage anyone to take this tour. Also, they will feed you a ton of chocolate!

Very educational! I learned more about chocolate than I thought possible. It was awesome. Ren and Jude were awesome! The farm is set in a beautiful location.

This was an amazing experience from beginning to end! Wrenn and Jude were amazing hosts. Our half-day event started with an interesting and informative walk through the beautiful cocoa orchards where we learned about the terroir, sustainable practices, and important work to bring artisan cocoa to Hawaii and the world. We moved to the tasting area and enjoyed 12 delicious samples. It was like tasting wine where we learned the nuances of the different chocolate. Highly recommend!!

Fantastically educational tour which was presented in a very engaging and entertaining manner. The tour was 3 hours, but time flew by. Wrenn and Jude were very attentive and helpful. Very impressive farm with a sustainable approach. Lots of information and absolutely fascinating. The tasting was similar to a wine tasting, which was unique and fun. Delicious chocolate in a beautiful setting. Completely worth it!

Such an amazing experience with guides that have so much knowledge. The best chocolate I’ve tasted! You roam through the farm before the 12 rounds of chocolate tasting. It’s an informative, fun, and small group experience.

Definitely worth taking the drive out to Hilo if you are staying on another part of the island. Scenic drive down a small road that leads you to a quaint farm that exudes a familial and welcoming vibe. An extremely knowledgeable host guides you through the orchard and everything they can do with cacao. You end the tour with a large variety of chocolate sampling from around Hawaii and happiness. The only thing that could make it better is a slushie machine. 😂