Gatura Greens Purple Tea Farm Tour.
Discover the rare and extraordinary world of purple tea — a uniquely Kenyan superplant grown in the highlands of Murang'a, rich in antioxidants and fascinating history.
Overview
Purple tea is one of Kenya's most exciting agricultural innovations — a rare cultivar of the same Camellia sinensis plant that produces green and black tea, but with a striking purple hue from naturally high levels of anthocyanins (the same powerful antioxidant family found in blueberries and red cabbage). Gatura Greens, in the lush highlands of Murang'a County about an hour and a half north-east of Nairobi, is the first commercial purple tea farm in the world and an award-winning agri-tourism destination.
This guided day tour gives you an inside look at the science and the craft of purple tea, lets you pick and process your own leaves to take home, takes you on a forest walk to a waterfall with an optional swim, and finishes with a three-course lunch grown almost entirely on the farm. It's a perfect change of pace from the safari circuit and a brilliant introduction to Kenya's farming heartland.
Highlights
- Learn the science and story behind Kenya's unique purple tea variety
- Walk through the distinctive purple-hued tea fields at the world's first commercial purple tea farm
- Pick your own leaves, then process them into tea you take home as a souvenir
- Hike to a beautiful highland waterfall with the option to swim in its natural pool
- Sample purple tea and discover its powerful antioxidant properties — anthocyanins, the same compounds that make blueberries a superfood
- Enjoy a 3-course lunch featuring fresh produce grown on the farm
- Round-trip transport from your residence in Nairobi
Sample Day Plan
- 07:30 — Pickup from your Nairobi residence
- 09:30 — Arrive at Gatura Greens, welcome with purple tea and a farm orientation
- 10:00 — Guided tea field walk, picking, and processing demonstration
- 12:30 — Three-course farm lunch and tea tasting
- 14:00 — Forest walk to the waterfall, optional swim
- 16:00 — Departure for Nairobi (arriving by ~18:00)
Pricing
Option | Price Per Person |
|---|---|
Per Person | From $110 |
What to Bring
- Comfortable closed walking shoes
- Swimwear and a towel if you plan to swim at the waterfall
- A light rain layer (Murang'a sees afternoon showers in green season)
- Sun hat, sunscreen, insect repellent
Duration
Full Day (approximately 10 hours including transport from Nairobi)