Lahaina Maui Ku'ia Estate Chocolate Factory Experience
Description
Join us from Bean to Bar! We invite you to get the inside story of how chocolate is made from Founder and CEO, Dr. Gunars Valkirs. Walk through the chocolate factory as he explains the steps of production! Along the way, you will taste samples from different steps of the chocolate manufacturing process that are not otherwise available to the public. Then taste the finished chocolate, 3 squares of our Maui Grown chocolate and 4 more of your own choosing! For an additional charge, enjoy alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage pairings with your tasting. You will also receive a $25 gift card to purchase chocolate in the factory store or on our website. For those 21 years of age and older, alcoholic beverages are available in the upstairs pavilion for pairing with the chocolate tasting selections for an additional charge. A valid photo ID will be required for any alcoholic beverage service.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Explore the Ku'ia Estate Chocolate Factory and taste stages of our cacao beans not otherwise available. We will learn about the different stages in the chocolate making process, from sourcing beans to forming finished neapolitans and bars. We will then head upstairs to enjoy a chocolate tasting in our open air pavilion. Wine and Spirits pairings are available to those over 21 with a valid physical ID for additional charge.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Closed toed shoes are recommended
- Minimum age requirement of 6 years old
Reviews(147)
Today we went to the chocolate estate farm tour. It was amazing!. Our tor guide was Nicole, a sweet girl from Ireland. She was kind, thoughtful and extremely knowledgable. We were never rushed and took time for questions. The tour was great. We got to go to the farm and see the cocoa plants and learn about the fermentation process. We then went to a treehouse with beautiful views and tasted 9 different chocolates. It was a wonderful day!
Awesome tour and place! Employees and owner so very nice. Awesome rooftop deck. Did pairings and they were informative
It was very interesting and educational about the Chocolate making process. You learn what great Chocolate is. It was fun to see how it was made and packaged, and then the tasting event event was super fun also! Even our grandkids, mostly teenagers, enjoyed the tour.
This was a fun change of pace on our Maui vacation. The owner gave us a thorough tour of the factory and his knowledge and passion shine through. We learned a lot. Afterwards, we did a tasting with like ten different chocolates. It was delicious! And we got gift cards for chocolate to bring home, which was a welcome surprise! It was a fun way to spend some time in between swimming.
We did both the factory tour and the farm tour. Other than eating too much chocolate, we had a fantastic day. Gunnar was a delightful tour guide (he owns the place!) who spent a good amount of time with us explaining the process and answering questions. The story of the company is absolutely beautiful and the fact that it is there bringing joy to the island and delicious chocolate to all of us is profound. We have been serving this chocolate to dinner guests for a couple of years and decided to see just how the magic happens!
The factory tour was very interesting and informative. The chocolate was amazing.
This was absolutely amazing! The people are the best and the experience was perfect for our large group! Everyone was well accommodated for and I would highly recommend for groups of all ages.
An absolute must-do in Maui! This was so much more than just a chocolate tasting, was an incredible journey from tree to bar. Walking through the lush orchard and cracking open a fresh cacao pod to taste the raw pulp was an unforgettable experience. Our guide Nichole was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about sustainable farming. The chocolate tasting at the end was the perfect finish, allowing us to sample so many amazing, locally-made varieties. Highly recommend this to any foodies or nature lovers!
Dr. Valkirs leading the tour personally makes the experience special —he's deeply passionate about every aspect of the craft. I now understand the difference between mass-produced chocolate versus Ku'ia Estate chocolate. The difference is huge. Dr. Valkirs’ company controls the complete process – from the planting of the trees to the processing of the final product. Commercial chocolate is heavily processed, loaded with additives, and often uses lower-quality beans blended from many sources. What Ku'ia does is fundamentally different — a true bean-to-bar operation where they control every step from growing the cacao on their West Maui farm to the finished product. Varieties include: Maui Dark Chocolate beans, cocoa butter, and sugar, Maui Dark Milk Chocolate, Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate without artificial sweeteners and Flavor-Infused Chocolate like Maui Mango. The tour ends with a tasting where you choose your own samples. A great personal touch. And on that happy note, I am ready to place my online order!
About 1.5 hrs touring the factory and hearing all about the process from the owner/CEO which was suprisingly interesting. He's basically the Willy Wonka of Maui! Last 30min was tasting 8 pieces - 4 of your choice, 4 of their choice. Plus we got a sample of a chocolate sorbet they are testing on the menu. And they gave everyone a $25 gift card to use in their shop - no conditions of purchase. We used our cards and spent only $2 of our own money. Best for couples or families with teens or older. Still wishing I bought a chocolate milkshake at the snack bar.
