Royal Kona Coffee Center

A must stop on Big Island. They offer free coffee samplers. We visited the small but very interesting museum - it's all about coffee! They sell deliciously roasted and locally grown coffee. It's the world-famous Kona coffee. We could not resist and bought two packs. There is plenty of parking in front of the coffee center. Other visitors told us that a lava tube can be visited as well. Obviously, it's just around the corner. We skipped it as we ran out of time.

Great pit stop on our drive to Kona.. they have alot of great coffee samples and also have a tea sample. Also, have a small lava tube which is great little walk to stretch your legs and beautiful views.

Great coffee! We stopped here on our last day. Was a bit bummed to find out that you can't tour the grounds anymore, so all we could do was see it from above at the gift shop. We did get to walk to the lava tube which was cool. There were lots of free coffee samples to try. & I was able to buy lots of things at their gift shop, which I loved. I would definitely recommend making this a stop, unless you are wanting a tour of the grounds.

Taste test all the types of Kona coffee here, see coffee trees and also visit the Lava tubes on the grounds!

Very cute place! There were some free coffee samples, a cute shop that has a lot of merchandise, coffee products made to order, a coffee museum, and even a lava tunnel. So much to see in just one shop and totally recommend checking it out while in Hawaii!

Great place to visit. Fabulous little museum about Kona Coffee. Free tasting of their varieties. Other noice tourist stuff to buy there. Good rest room facilities and a little lava tube to walk through (it was a little unkempt on our visit - which was fine for us but dark in places with uneven path. Not advisable for those with any mobility difficulties)

The Royal Kona Coffee Center is a must-visit for anyone in Kona. The coffee is outstanding—rich and flavorful, with a wide variety to sample. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, making the tasting experience even more enjoyable. The highlight, however, is the stunning lava tunnel. Walking through it is like stepping into another world, offering a fascinating glimpse into Hawaii’s volcanic past. It’s beautifully lit and well-preserved, creating a magical atmosphere. If you’re in the area, don’t miss the chance to explore this hidden gem!

Lot of fun. Went thru lava tube. We tried different coffees and teas. Great little shop attached.

Cool place to stop, staff was very nice, things were cheap! Good free samples. Lava tube was cool to check out!

Good place to visit. Coffee is a little bit expensive. However, there are a variety of coffee you try and buy at the shop. Anyway, It is a good place to visit and chill out. Also, staffs are pretty nice.

This place was fun. Especially if you're running low on cash and just want to explore a little. They give you a quick tour and tell you all about how they produce their coffee. The shop is cute , staff is very friendly and the property is beautiful.

Such a cute little place tucked away on the side of the road. When you first walk up the stairs there are small cups with about 10 different local coffees to try. Even just the aroma of the coffees were sensational. There is a small museum as well that shows the history of Kona coffee as well as how it's made. Then we went to the coffee bar and each person in my family ordered a coffee. I had an iced cold brew with almond milk and toasted marshmallow syrup. This coffee was so incredible and I am not even someone who drinks coffee. My brother and mother were also very satisfied with their drinks. Not to mention that the view from the back patio was gorgeous. We then went to the gift shop where my brother and mother bought 100% Kona coffee as gifts for their friends. It was very reasonably priced. It probably is about a 1 hour stop in total.

The coffee is ok, but Mason who was working today Feb 23, 2023 at Costco (on Ka Uka Blvd on Oahu) selling/promoting Kona Bar's is an imbecile. I will never buy another kona bar, chocolate or coffee from them ever again. And I will tell as many people not to as well. In the future, when someone places an order right in front of you, be sure to give them what they order. There are many other tasty options I'll be going with in the future...Lindt chocolate is a fine example.

If you like coffee take a little detour and visit. You get the opportunity to sample the coffee then make your purchase. Make sure to visit the lava tube on the property. Would definitely visit again.

There is no shortage of coffee farms on the big island but I am so glad we stopped at Royal Kona. Absolutely breath taking views of the ocean as you sit on the deck and enjoy free coffee tasting. They have placards all around explaining their process of making coffee and a museum downstairs, which was fascinating. We picked up some great souvenirs and of course, coffee to bring home! They also have a coffee stand to purchase iced blended drinks. We found ourselves dreaming of packing up our whole lives and becoming coffee farmers on Hawaii. What a fun business to be in!

The old ladies working the store/coffee shop have zero aloha. One was so rude I actually just walked out mid-order, couldn't handle the snarkiness. Bad vibes scare me away But really, as a local I know there are way too many better spots around here to spend money on a cup of coffee (hiCo, kayas, menehune) to put up with that silliness. But the lava tube was cool! This place would be a gem with a new refresh, rebranding, and nicer employees.

Stopped by for a quick pick me up after visiting Pu'ohonua O Hōnaunau Park. The staff were very helpful on helping us decide which coffee we should bring home with us. They also offered samples! And they have a bathroom!

I think this place is just a tourist trap. It's listed as a destination spot on all the paid tours and this place was on the way south to the volcanoes so we stopped by. The restroom is downstairs and the store is upstairs. There must be about 15 coffee and 3 teas that you can sample all you want. There's also rum cake for sample. The store sells everything from towels, coffee, teas, macadamia nuts, candles, clothes, basically a gift shop. Bonsai trees for sale. The museum is free and small. It's cool to see all the antique instruments. You can spend time here to read all the placards for each antique items. There are chairs to watch a documentary that's on replay. There is a great view outside and a paid telescope for a closer look. I did end up getting sucked into buying coffee because it's says it's "exclusive" to Royal Kona. I got the miniature bags that they sell in threes for $15 to give out as gifts. Same thing with the tea. Plenty of parking in the lot. Downstairs hallway towards the restrooms have some cool paintings and facts. For example, macadamia nuts are from Australia. I never knew that!

The last stop on our Best of Kona excursion was to the Royal Kona Coffee Center. We are not really coffee drinkers, but when in Kona... This place is mostly a tourist trap, but they have lots of free samples, including some of their teas and rum cake in case coffee isn't your thing. And there are displays on the deck overlooking the bay explaining how the coffee is grown and processed.Would we have stopped here on our own? Probably not, as our visit to the Place of Refuge was too hurried on the tour.

We had lunch in the surrounding area and decided last minute to stop by the Royal Kona Coffee Center. There's no coffee tour here but they have a small museum and placards to educate you on how coffee is grown and processed. There are so many coffee and tea samples for you to try (and rum cake also). The sales people are 0% pushy which I love. We ended up buying a bag of peaberry coffee. Also, the lava tube at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was closed so it was a treat getting to walk through the lava tube at the Coffee Center. Worth a quick stop if you're in the area!

Hello Kona Coffee...Just in Time... First Tour Stop to check out Locally Grown and Roasted Beans 100% Peabody Bean is Strong but Smooth, Just a little Raw Sugar for Me. The Macadamia Nut Rum Cake is Devine and both Coffee and Cakes are Free Samples until your Tour Leaves. Nice Coffee Bite with energy to Boot. I came away with "Da Captain's Rub" Kona Coffee, Hawaiian Sea Salt Rub, and Secret Seasoning...Yum's going on my next Grilled Steak. Great Little Shop soo expect tourist prices but remember Free Coffee!!

This place never disappoints! Love their coffee and espresso beans covered in chocolate. Will be back every time I'm in Kona.

I absolutely love that the only prerequisite to trying as much coffee as you'd like is that you have to climb a few stairs. (not sure if there's a handicap entrance) You don't have to talk to anyone or anything, just walk up and sample away! If you're not a coffee drinker, they have 3 tea samples. Love the green tea with yuzu, delicious!

Bottom Line: Lots of free coffee samples, an informative video and some artifacts. I really liked this place. For me the highlights were the video about Kona coffee and all of the free samples. Regarding the video, it talks about how coffee is made and the requirements for coffee to be labeled Kona coffee. Understanding the manual labor and quality standards really helps me appreciate the 100% Kona coffee I purchased earlier in the week. I thorough enjoyed the video and then headed to the lanai for free samples of tea, 10% Kona coffee, 100% Kona coffee and even some decaf. I must say that all of the teas and coffees were tasty. Ordinarily I "pollute" my coffee with cream and sugar but there was no need to do that with any of the samples. The visitors center also included some antiques from old coffee farms and a whole wall of photographs of Miss Kona Coffee Queen from several decades. Hot coffee and hot girls, what's not to love?!? In all seriousness, I love how the photos show the pride the community rightfully has for their beloved Kona coffee.

Dont waste your time. All the tourist books talk about this place so we stopped on our way heading south. There's absolutely nothing here no tours no phone and it looks like a half stocked ABCConvenientStore. There were two employees on the property they were both sitting on the back porch playing on their phones not wanting to work or ring anybody up it's just a small convenience store with a bunch of coffee you can sample. Only plus is nice view out back porch

People are nice and helpful. You can purchase coffee and tea here. You can sample several of the flavors. You can also purchase snack type things, post cards, cards, sunglasses, and a few other things. You can also order fancy coffee drinks. I think you can do tours but we haven't done that. I'd really like to give the 4.5 stars. The only thing I'd take 1/2 star off for is the parking. Kind of tight and if you're not used to the area, you might miss the place .

OK, it's not much of a museum, but the continuous loop movie did give a rundown of what makes Kona coffee unique. The coffee bean plant itself is not unique, being an Arabica brought to the Big Island 175 years ago. What gives Kona it's special flavor and richness is the mild climate, rainfall, volcanic soil and farming practices. At the top of the heap of coffee beans is the Peaberry bean. Only 5% of the harvest is this cremé de la cremé of coffee beans. After sampling this super rich brew, the flavor just transports you to the top of the fire mountain and you swear you can taste the volcanic essence of the islands. At $60 per pound, it was really rich for my wallet, but how often do you get to treat your tastebuds like this?

We wanted to learn how coffee is made by taking a tour. Go elsewhere for that; there is no tour. What this little gem does offer is about a dozen different blends of Kona coffee that you can sample, self-served, at your leisure. I kept expecting someone to come pressure us to buy something, but it never happened. Very rare these days, and much appreciated. If you want to learn about coffee-making, there are signs and a movie. I was too busy enjoying my 100% Kona coffee samples, coupled with a great ocean​ view.

Beautiful views, and over 15 different samples. I was here about 45 minutes sampling the same thing over and over 100% Kona Peaberry and enjoying the view.

Super awesome young girl that works here who knows the product very well. Lots of samples.

This place was a huge disappointment! The roasting was sub par, with the beans being over roasted and oily. There were also just a few roast available for purchase with no light roast. You also need to pay attention to the percent of Kona coffee they use, with some roast being 10% Kona coffee and the other 90% being cheaper filler beans from other parts of the world. Not the type of thing you would expect in Kona. The inside seemed very outdated and and tacky, with cheap knick knacks for sale. The museum was had good content but looks like it hasn't been updated in 30 years and was a bit dusty. The only thing going for this place is the view which is stunning overlooking Captain Cook. If you're visiting coffee farms on the Kona coast I would highly advise against the Royal Kona Coffee Center unless you like the taste of oily, burnt, bitter coffee.

There really isn't a lot of charm to this place. Feel like walking to an ABC store. There were more tourist junk than coffee in their main store - which I found confusing. You are definitely better off visiting one of the smaller coffee plantations. At least you'd have a story/memory worth relating to whomever you're gifting the coffee.

A neat little place to stop for FREE KONA COFFEE during that long drive from one side of the island to the other. They have a small museum and gift shop in which you can learn all about Kona coffee and buy bags of either 10% or 100% Kona coffee, as well as coffee mugs, stuffed animals, hats, shirts, and fine jewelry.

Our tour bus stopped at this coffee place. I hoped more authentic, interesting Kona place. Everything in this place was just ok. Didn't buy coffee here. though I bought coffee at the other Kona place..

One of our favorite coffees is Kona Coffee. So we were excited when we got the opportunity to visit the Royal Kona Mil where it is actually grown and producedl. This is a very nice attraction. When you walk up the stairs the first thing you see is the coffee sample bar. You can try any or all of their varieties. They provide the small cups, sugar and cream. They also have tea to sample as well. I tried many of the coffee flavors but, my favorite was the macadamia nut. They have a wonderful gift shop where you can purchase the coffee, tea or souvenirs. They have a small roasting area on the side and a small museum. There are restrooms downstairs which are very clean. You should try this if you enjoy coffee.

The Royal Kona Crystal Meth Visitor Center Mill and Museum was closed..... so we went to this place instead for our stimulant/caffeine fix. The passion pound cake was edible.... http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/jkKTKLJN8n6Y_Byuk-BG2w?select=qzdme4dWEOO-K1mg64O9uA but can someone please tell me why the FU*K I'm awake at EIGHT AM whilst I am supposedly on vacation!?!?

This was my first stop on a self guided road tour of coffee plantations on the Big Island. I probably could have skipped the others and just visited here. When you walk towards the main building, you can smell cakes baking - in addition to being a coffee plantation, it is the home of the Kona Gold Rum Co. who produce awesome macadamia nut rum cakes. Mmmm. But the coffee is what I came for and coffee was what I had. They had no less than 10 different samples for tasting, along with a couple of tea tasting carafes. So I sampled just about everything. There wasn't a bad one in the bunch. Also, they do seasonal coffees and the pumpkin spice was sooo good. The tour and museum is self guided and free, which is nice. Their gift store has a ton of stuff besides coffee - a good place to get some Kona specific cookies/chips/bath soaps and what not.

Compared to a few other Kona coffee plantations we visited, Royal Kona was just okay. There was a self-guided tour through their museum, about 10 coffee tastings, and a gift shop. The museum included old farming equipment and a short video on the history of Kona coffee farming on the island. At the end, we did not buy anything at the gift shop. We wanted estate peaberry beans, but they were out. Admission and tastings are free.

Even though this is a bit of a tourist trap, you do learn a thing or two about Kona Coffee. Parking is available in the back. There's the occasional tour bus here and there, but the lot has plenty of space. There isn't too much signage, so if in doubt, follow the busloads of tourists. The upstairs is a giant gift shop, with tons of coffee goodness. The coffee is reasonably priced (but identical products can always be had for less at places like Wal-Mart). There is a small but hidden museum on the other side of the cafeteria. I found it by accident while looking for the washroom (which is actually downstairs around the back). At the back of the gift shop are several pots of coffee for you to try. Some good stuff there. A couple of random tips: a) If you really want to try Kona, be sure to buy the "100% Kona Coffee" bags. There are some others (such as Hazelnut coffee) but if you look at the label they're only 10% Kona! Almost had me there. b) The mango tree in the parking lot out back (where they built the treehouse) drops some seriously ripe mangoes. Yes, I think the best few mangoes I have ever eaten in my entire life came from the ground in a parking lot.

This place was a cool find on our way to our AirBnB. We stopped in here to get some souvenirs and learn about the local coffee industry. They have a very laid back approach. There are placards that detail the steps they take in harvesting and roasting the coffee beans. They also have a short film in the back that gives more detail. The gift shop was very nice and everyone was very friendly. They had tons of free samples of all different types of Kona coffee blends. They also have a fine jewelry section and you can pick your own pearl, very unique. We also walked the Lava Tube here, very cool! I would definitely recommend this place! There was ample parking, we often saw busses parked here as we drove by!

This is THE place to go if you're looking to bring some authentic Kona coffee back home. They have every single coffee they offer on sale brewed in tiny thermoses to try. You can try all the coffees before you buy them - they even offer sugar and milk for mixing! I really liked the macadamia nut coffee blends they offered. They also have amazing green tea for sale. It's a bit pricier than Walmart but it's the good stuff so I think it's worth it.

Needed to get some Kona coffee to bring back from my trip. Stopped by here and there was a LOT of coffee to choose from. Not only that but they had thermoses with all the different coffee roasts that were available so you can taste before you buy anything. The view from the back deck was really beautiful. It wasn't crowded when I stop, which made shopping easy. They also had other souvenirs and jewelry for sale. I didn't bother with the museum part. Didn't care to. Overall, great place to get Kona coffee. It's pricey but it's the good stuff.

They have many coffee samples for you to taste for free. Many is about 15 different coffees. I love how they operate this place like a rest spot for people who drive by to enjoy some coffee, get to know coffee producing process and walk around their warehouse.

Free samples are ample and staff is knowledgeable. Try their iced coffee. Don't miss out the walk around the grounds...there's a lava tube at the bottom!

Small museum, large gift-shop. A lot of different coffees to sample so a great place to stop for coffee.

I love coffee. This place has many different brews available to sample. I definitely recommend it to the less frequent and seasoned coffee drinkers. There is something for everyone and a cute little gift shop.

Fun little place to see the process, try free coffees, and maybe buy some other coffee beans or grounds if you find something you really like. Their prices are on par with Safeway, Walmart, etc. for beans and grounds. We looked after we bought the coffee thinking we may have paid too much, nope. The staff was very friendly, and it doesn't have to cost you a dime. Neat video and walk through on the coffee growing/processing process.

I do not drink coffee, we went there thinking their coffee price would be cheaper than Target, CVS of sort. But after checking their prices, they were more expensive than buying from CVR by $6.00. They have coffee and tea tasting and my husband had a ball trying out their coffee. A cute place to visit and try free samples if you are passing by.

I have been ordering coffee from the Royal Kona Coffee Visitor Center for years. We love that this is 100% Kona Coffee. We get the bags of whole bean, medium dark roast. I usually order 10 bags at a time and Shawna roasts it the same day and it arrives to us in CA within two days. Liz is also happy to help if Shawna is out for the day. Wonderful coffee, great customer service, our favorite!!

The visitor center is not as large as you may think from its name, but it is worth going to. They have a huge table of about 15 different types of coffees and teas for sampling. There are also some snacks that you can sample, too. My favorite was the peaberry kona coffee and the chocolate kona coffee. It's been awhile since I've had such delicious coffee! Even my coffee-indifferent boyfriend couldn't get enough of it. They also have lilikoi and chocolate bark that was very good. This is a great place for buying consummable gifts for friends and family back home.

I exploited my coffee fix here. While I was shopping, my friend was having a ball trying every coffee sample in the back. I bought way too much food and coffee and don't regret it. Lilikoi passion cake was the best (non-coffee) buy.

Great Coffee, lots of artifacts, and a poppin' gift shop.

Probably would not go again, but you know the grammas gotta have their tourist stuff. Nice selection of coffee and you can taste them all prior. The reason I am giving it good reviews is two-fold: 1: you get to walk through a huge lava tube. Cool. 2: It's a tourist gift shop, but I know you are buying souvenirs anyway, so I will tell you that the selection is so cheap for a tourist trap! And, pretty nice stuff, too. Gourmet salt, mac nut butter, fancy oils, fancy soap. I swear everything is $6. Stock up on local-produced stuff for all your co-workers back home without spending much.

We stopped at Royal Kona after our visit to the City of Refuge (Pu'uhonua) and it was a nice rest stop. Lots of free coffee samples, great view, laid back attitude, friendly sales people, nice assortment of foodstuffs and souvenirs and a small museum, made for a nice mid morning. The only downer was that the Tree House is no longer open to the public : p

Depends on what you want. Definitely worth stopping by and getting caffeine fix. But coffee beans could be bought somewhere else at considerably lower price.