Would you travel halfway across the globe just to try some of the best chocolate in the world?
If the answer is yes, you’ve come to the right place.
I have asked fellow chocoholics and travel bloggers to recommend an amazing chocolate attraction that they have visited, and we are now sharing them with you in a post packed with mouthwatering photos.
From Willy Wonka-esque chocolate factories to popular chocolate festivals, here are some of the best chocolate attractions in the world.
1. The ChocoMuseo in Cusco, Peru
“What better place in the world to discover the darkest and richest flavours of chocolate than in South America. Heart of the Andes, the chocolate plantations are not far from the cultural capital of Peru: Cusco. When I was in Cusco, I strolled around town and found a small sign, directing me to the ChocoMuseo in Cusco.
The museum is located in a colonial building and shows educational displays about the history of chocolate, the production process and about sustainability. They had several varieties of chocolate liquors and pastes for tasting. That is right – the young man asked me if I wanted to taste and fed me spoon after spoon of the delicious indulgent chocolate. I was in heaven. They also have a cafe where you can hang out and try some of their house-made treats.
The chocolate museum in Cusco is free to visit but they also provide workshops where you can make pralines or different products made of chocolate. Unfortunately, I visited quite last minute so the workshop was full but it seemed like a very fun activity to do in Cusco.”
Naomi from Probe Around the Globe
2. Maison Cailler Chocolaterie in Broc, Switzerland
“If there’s one place to embrace your inner Willy Wonka, it’s Switzerland. In order to truly indulge our taste buds and our knowledge of chocolate, the Swiss family we were staying with recommended Maison Cailler Chocolaterie in Broc.
Established by Francois Louis Cailler, who set up the first Swiss chocolate factory in 1819, for a mere 12 CHF you can enjoy a chocolate history lesson in the in-house cinema, an interactive quiz, an insightful tour and the best part – unlimited samples!
From cacao bean to bar, Maison Cailler guides you through the entire chocolate-making process, with tours available in eight languages. No wonder it welcomes over 400,000 visitors through it’s scrumptious smelling doors every year!”
Lauren from Faramagan
3. Shiroi Koibito Factory in Sapporo, Japan
“Shiroi Koibito (literally “White Lovers” in English) is a famous chocolate brand in Japan. I visited the Shiroi Koibito Chocolate Park in Sapporo, the origin city of this renowned confectionery.
The park is a Willie Wonka-like wonderland with many exciting attractions. You can go on a factory tour to witness the making process of their most classic treat, the European-style white chocolate cookie sandwiches. There are also workshops on creating your own sweets. The ground also features cafes, gift shops, and a super Insta-worthy rose garden.
Don’t forget to pick up your own box of delicious Shiroi Koibito, one of the must eat treats of Sapporo!”
Viola from The Blessing Bucket
4. M & N Chocolate Museum in Ooty, India
“The first chocolate museum in India, M & N Chocolate Museum offers a variety of chocolates, as well as tours that introduce you to the process implemented by experts in the niche to make these different chocolates alluring and mouthwatering.
The chocolates vary in colour, shapes and sizes, but most of them come in biscuit-sized shapes. You will also find a selection of chocolates made with fruits and raisins, although they are a bit pricier than normal ones.”
Somnath from Travel Crusade
5. Mirzam Chocolate Makers in Dubai, UAE
“When you think of going to Dubai, you hardly think of it as a place to get your chocolate fix. The city has one hidden gem it is supremely proud of, called Mirzam Chocolate Makers. It’s the perfect place to grab your Dubai food souvenir.
At Mirzam, you will be able to observe the entire chocolate-making process from bean to bar for free, assisted by a tour guide. This artisan chocolate store let’s you sample all of their chocolate for free. They also make really great brownies and truffles served with fair trade coffee, and they have recently started a new vegan selection.
Some picks I would encourage you to try is their camel milk chocolate and pretty much anything from their Emirati chocolate range – there are so many new textures and flavors, you will love it!”
Aneesha from Om Nom Nirvana
6. Salon du Chocolate in Seoul, South Korea
“Make no mistake, South Korea has never been a big hub for quality chocolate. It still isn’t. But at least in the capital city of Seoul, quality chocolate is becoming easier to find. At the Salon du Chocolat, held every January in downtown Seoul, the country’s chocolate makers and chocolatiers come together to celebrate the growing industry of small-scale chocolate.
The 4-day festival offers hourly chocolate tastings, daily fashion shows, chocolate making displays, and a wide range of chocolate bars & confections from the country’s leading chocolate experts. All of this, and it’s less than $9USD to get in – and it’s actually free to attend if you pre-register online! So even though Korea’s citizens don’t know it yet, their chocolate is quickly undergoing an overhaul of epic proportions. The country now has seven small-scale chocolate makers, and dozens of chocolatiers, as well as an annual festival to show them off to the world.
Currently one of just three Salons du Chocolat in Asia, Seoul’s celebration of all things cacao is not to be missed. The 2019 show will be held January 10-13th.”
Max from Dame Cacao
7. San Ginés Chocolatería in Madrid, Spain
“No trip to Spain is complete without eating as many churros as you can. Ok, you don’t have to make yourself feel a little ill after like I usually do, but make sure you give chocolate con churros a try.
San Ginés Chocolatería in Madrid is an absolute haven for chocolate lovers. It is also the most famous churros café in Spain. It opened back in 1894 and they still use the original methods to prepare and fry their yummy churros, which are served alongside a cup filled to the brim with delicious, warm, thick, dark chocolate sauce. The only way to eat churros here is to dunk it lovingly into the chocolate and get into a bit of a mess.
Located in the heart of the city centre, there is no excuse to miss this amazing chocolate lovers experience in Madrid.”
Perri from Seeking the Spanish Sun
8. Imhoff Schokoladenmuseum in Cologne, Germany
“For chocolate lovers the world over, a visit to the Imhoff Schokoladenmusuem in Cologne just might be in order.
The museum and factory was founded by Hans Imhoff, a German chocolatier who wanted to not only build a factory to make chocolate, but also wanted a place to showcase 4,000 years of chocolate history. He opened the museum in 1993, and Lindt signed on as a partner 12 years later. If Lindt’s involved, you know the chocolate’s good!
The Schokoladenmuseum has become so popular that it’s ranked one of Germany’s top ten museums to visit. I was lucky enough to stumble across it during a free afternoon in Cologne, and I’m so glad I did. I ate enough free samples that even Willy Wonka would’ve been proud!”
Carrie and Travis from Two Small Potatoes
9. Chocolatique in Seoul, South Korea
“Open since September 2017, Chocolatique is a tiny basem*nt chocolate shop located in the hipster area of Seoul; Mapo-Gu. In the shop you’ll have the option to choose from a range of hot chocolates or a small selection of coffees or teas.
Not in the mood for a drink? You can pick from one of the delicious pralines, chewy caramel or chocolate bars which are all handmade by the owner, Tae Hee Lee.
The extremely friendly owner of Chocolatique, who started her own chocolate shop after having more than 10 years of experience working at a premier dessert shop in Gangnam, makes all the chocolate herself and handcuts chocolate for your fresh cup of hot chocolate.”
Marie from Be Marie Korea
10. Hotel Chocolat in Copenhagen, Denmark
“One of the last places I would have expected to find a chocolate paradise is Denmark. But in the heart of Copenhagen you can find just that: Hotel Chocolat, a bar serving chocolate-inspired co*cktails!
While they also serve regular drinks such as bellinis and martinis, it’s their soothers which really stand out. Their praline soother is made with white chocolate and hazelnut, while their salted caramel soother is based on a sweet caramel chocolate. It’s hard to choose which one’s better, but personally, I tend to lean towards their praline soother. Although their drinks aren’t particularly cheap, they do pack a punch – something you wouldn’t guess considering how delicious they are.
For non-spirit lovers, they also have beers which are either infused with cocoa shells or made with cocoa pulp. Yum! The bar is located on Strøget, only steps from Kongens Nytorv and very close to the metro.”
Jacky from Nomad Epicureans
11. Raaka Chocolate Factory in Brooklyn, New York
“Raaka Chocolate is an artisan chocolate brand with their factory located in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighbourhood. What’s unique about the chocolate bars they produce is that they’re made from unroasted cacao unlike most chocolate that’s available today. And, they’re also organic & dairy-free.
The factory offers tours and chocolate making classes, where you learn about their processes and the art of the chocolate making. The chocolate making class is very comprehensive and walks you through Raaka’s process of making their signature chocolate bar. They source their cacao beans from cooperatives in the Dominican Republic, the Congo, and Belize that use sustainable agro- forestry practices to help protect the natural environment and produce high-quality crop.
Once the cacao beans end up at the factory, they go through a process known as winnowing, which separates the husk from the nib. The husks are not wasted, instead they are donated and end up as compost. The nibs are what become chocolate after the following steps – grinding and mixing, milling, tempering and pouring, and finally demoulding and wrapping.
The class walks you through the chocolate-making steps and teaches you the procedure of pouring chocolate into the moulds. You also get to make three of your very own dark chocolate bars!”
Christabel from Where’s Bel
12. La Loma Jungle Lodge and Chocolate Farm in Bocas del Toro, Panama
“Visiting the national park and marine sanctuary at Bocas del Toro is a must if you are visiting Panama. For a unique stay and experience you should try visiting and staying at a local cacao plantation.
I booked a luxury stay at La Loma Jungle Lodge which offers excellent luxury experiences, starting with a boat trip to the national park on Bastimentos island. Everything is eco-focused, with delicious food and chocolate desserts served in gorgeous presentations.
A visit to the farm plantation and a cacao processing experience allows you to see the detail and all the hard work put into preparing beans or nibs for sale.”
Noel from Travel Photo Discovery
13. The Chocolate House in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
“The Chocolate House in the middle of Luxembourg City is a cafe and bakery that specialises in chocolate. They also serve healthy lunches and baked pastries.
Their most famous item to order is a chocolate spoon. There are probably at least a 100 different flavours of hard chocolate spoons. Order one and you will be served a beautiful spoon with a cup of hot milk to dip it in. I loved watching the chocolate melt in front of my eyes.
The Chocolate House is a three-story quirky building, but it gets quite busy. On weekends I would recommend making a reservation or be prepared to wait.”
Natasha and Cameron from The World Pursuit
14. Chocoversum in Hamburg, Germany
“So Hamburg might not be the first place you think of when you think about chocolate. But it is actually home to the Chocoversum which is an interactive chocolate museum. You get a 90-minute tour of the museum with a fully fledged chocolate expert.
The cool thing is you get to see the whole process of how the cocoa bean becomes the chocolate bar. And the best bit is there is a lot of chocolate tasting in between. You even get to design your own chocolate bar. You put whatever ingredients you want into a melted tray of chocolate.
At the end of the tour you are reunited with your bar, which is a great souvenir. Although ours didn’t last long at all!”
Lizzie and Dave from Wanderlust and Life
15. Cadbury World in Birmingham, UK
“Incredible chocolate experiences in the UK don’t get much better than Cadbury World, in Birmingham! Cadbury’s chocolate was first made in the city in 1824.
Cadbury World is a celebration of that history and of chocolate in general. It is essentially a chocolate centred leisure attraction that, where you learn all about chocolate and how it’s made, as well as seeing it for yourself and actually giving it a go…not to mention the free tasters and giant chocolate shop at the end!
As a kid it was literally a dream come true and used to feel like being in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It is an epic, fun-filled, educational and chocolate fuelled day that’s perfect for a family day out or a visit with friends.”
Danny from Coddiwomp
16. Pod Bali Chocolate Factory in Bali
“Some of the best chocolate I’ve ever tasted was from Pod Bali, a small-batch chocolate producer with a factory and a few shops scattered across the island. I came across Pod quite by accident – I’d had a long day on a packed Bali itinerary and was pretty shattered. We were driving back to base – all of a sudden, the sign for a chocolate factory caught my eye. Who doesn’t stop for chocolate? It was a great decision.
The factory talks about the brand’s origin and the pride they take in producing low-carbon footprint, high quality (and utterly delicious) chocolate using natural Balinese ingredients.
I particularly loved their Nectar range, which uses lontar flower nectar instead of refined sugar to sweeten the bar. It comes in a number of flavours (you have to try the ginger and lemongrass bar, it’s incredible), subtly sweet to allow the real star of the show, the chocolate, to shine through. Of course, I couldn’t resist bringing a few bars home.”
Julianna from The Discoveries Of
17. Grenada Chocolate Festival in Grenada
“If you’re a chocoholic, you can’t get much better than a chocolate festival in the Caribbean! Grenada is the perfect destination for a chocolate festival, home to all three kinds of cocoa bean and the birthplace of ‘tree-to-bar’ chocolate.
Grenada Chocolate Festival is held annually in May and showcases the so-called Island of Spice’s organic and ethically produced cocoa and chocolate. Other highlights include a chocolate-themed lunch, chocolate beer, a bean-to-bar tour, and a chocolate beach party – to mention just a few.
Kacie from The Rare Welsh Bit
18. Museu de la Xocolata in Barcelona, Spain
“Museu de la Xocolata in Barcelona is a small museum dedicated to all things chocolate. Purchase your admission and receive a fun treat – the ticket is a QR code printed on the back of a chocolate bar. Exhibits include an impressive collection of intricate models made entirely of chocolate, including many characters kids of all ages will love.
Next wander through the interactive displays and learn the history of chocolate, including its uses by the Mayans and Aztecs, beliefs tied to chocolate throughout time, and the journey that brought the treat to Spain. The museum also houses a kitchen, where you might spy artists working with some creamy goodness or teaching a class in chocolate work.
This small museum is a great spot for chocolate lovers, located near the Arc de Triomf and the Picasso Museum, at Carrer Comerc 36.”
Crysta from Well Worn Suitcase
19. Antica Dolceria Bonajuto in Modica, Sicily
“The island of Sicily is known for having a cuisine of its own, and chocolate is no exception. In the southeastern Sicilian city (say that five times fast, will you?) of Modica, you’ll find a chocolate that is about as different from its northern European cousins as you can imagine.
Modica-style chocolate, which came to the Mediterranean island from Aztecs via the Spanish, is “cold-pressed.” Rather than being melted at high temperatures with butter, milk and sugar, Modica chocolate never reaches a temperature above 40 Celsius and is essentially ground together with sugar and flavorings.
To find out what this mix tasted like, I headed to Modica’s highly-rated Antica Dolceria Bonajuto for some samples and a tour. It did not disappoint! When you bite into the chocolate, it doesn’t melt – it crumbles. It is a strange sensation, at first, but delicious. While Antica Dolceria Bonajuto flavors this chocolate with a lot of different combinations, the best – in my opinion at least – are vanilla and chili. If you are headed to Sicily, it can’t be missed!”
Kasey from Babies with Backpacks
20. IXCACAO Maya Belizean Chocolate in San Felipe, Belize
“The chocolate tour in Belize was part of a full day tour I did with Taste Belize, and it was one of the best tours I’ve ever been on. We visited Ixcacao Maya Belizean Chocolate from Placencia and met the owner Juan, who explained to us how cocoa pods grow. Then we went upstairs to taste some of their delicious chocolate, in all sorts of flavours like ginger, mint, orange and chilli. We also tried the chocolate in a drink, the same way the Mayans used to take their chocolate, which was too bitter for my taste.
Juan explained the chocolate making process from the cocoa pod to roasting the cocoa beans, then showed us how chocolate is made by grinding the roasted beans on a large pestle and mortar. The ground beans quickly turned into a thick paste, which is the beginning of chocolate. The paste was still bitter and a little grainy, but after adding a bit of sugar, he ground the sugar into the paste, which became smoother and shinier, and tasted much more like the chocolate we know and love. We each took a turn grinding the chocolate, which was much harder than it looked.
After all that hard work, I couldn’t resist buying several bars of the final product, which were all delicious!”
Claire from Tales of a Backpacker
21. Laima Chocolate Museum in Riga, Latvia
“Laima confectionery was first sold in Riga back in 1921. The company’s chocolates are now exported from Latvia to 23 countries around the planet. The story of the company’s establishment and evolution into one of the best-loved Latvian brands is told at the Laima Chocolate Museum.
Visiting the museum gives you opportunities to taste chocolates, custom print a message onto a chocolate bar wrapper and see how packaging has changed over the decades. You also get an opportunity to see and hear about how cocoa is turned into chocolate. As you’d expect of a museum, you’ll also be able to visit a shop where you can buy chocolate bars, sweets by weight or presentation boxes. Locals joke it’s ‘the sweetest museum in Riga’.”
Stuart from Go Eat Do
22. Mourne Coubaril Estate in St. Lucia
“The gorgeous Caribbean island of St. Lucia has enough sights to please any world traveller, from adorable fishing villages to a drive-through volcano. But any chocolate lover who visits St. Lucia should be sure to stop at the Mourne Coubaril agricultural estate to see how chocolate is still made on the island. I visited this delightful spot as part of a shore excursion called “The Island’s Delights” while on a Royal Caribbean cruise.
Mourne Coubaril is the perfect place to get a glimpse of all the steps involved in making chocolate, from growing the cocoa to making the bars. You’ll even get to suck on a cocoa pod, which tasted a little like lychee to me.
At the end of the tour you can buy the estate’s products, including fresh cocoa butter and bars of their very own delicious, not-too-sweet chocolate. In fact, I’m enjoying a bite of their mint chocolate as I write this.”
Stella Jane from Around the World in 24 Hours
23. Perugina Chocolate Factory in Perugia, Italy
“In Italy’s central region of Umbria there’s one the biggest paradises for chocolate lovers, the city of Perugia. In Perugia you can find the Perugina Chocolate Factory, home to the famous Italian chocolates Baci Perugina.
If you visit Perugia in October, you may have the chance to also experience the Eurochocolate Festival. This is one of the biggest chocolate festivals in Europe. Chocolatiers from all over the world set up their exhibitions in the centre of the city during this week-long festival. The Eurochocolate Festival is totally free but you can buy tokens that allow you to sample products from different exhibitors.”
Brenda from Traveleira
24. Damson Chocolate in London, UK
“One of the most exciting trends in the chocolate industry this decade has been the rise of bean-to-bar chocolate makers, such as Damson Chocolate in Angel Islington, North London.
Traditionally, most big chocolate brands don’t actually make chocolate from cocoa beans. Instead, they buy it in from manufacturers, before blending and moulding it to create their products. Although some liaise with manufacturers on choice of beans and specifications of the finished product, they are not hands on in the actual production.
The best way to control quality from start to finish is to buy cacao beans and process them yourself, exactly what Damson Chocolate do in their little professional kitchen. Their small-batch chocolate is amongst the best I’ve ever tasted, with an incredible intensity of flavour drawn out from the beans.
For novice chocolate lovers, a mini tasting tour provides an introduction to both the kitchen and the chocolate. For serious afficionados, a half day professional workshop gives you hands-on instruction on the full end-to-end process from bean right through to bar.”
Kavita from Kavey Eats
Looking for more delicious desserts in London? Check out these top suggestions.
25. Taza Chocolate Factory in Boston, US
“A tour of the Taza Chocolate Factory is a must for chocolate lovers visiting Boston. Though it’s not an opulent Willy Wonka-esque factory, a gust of wind imbued with the sweet smell of cocoa greets you when you open Taza’s nondescript doors, and you know you’re in the right place.
Before the tour even begins, you can start munching on samples of several chocolate varieties in the gift shop. Taza’s chocolate probably differs from any you’ve had before, thanks to the traditional Mexican stone grinding wheels used to produce a very gritty texture.
But there’s more to the tour than just tasty treats. The tour starts with an overview of the world’s chocolate-growing regions and how the beans are processed. From there, the tour winds its way along the factory floor, stopping to describe the various machines and their role in the process. Each step of the way, visitors are permitted to taste the intermediary product and marvel at how it transforms throughout the processing.
Ryan from Passions and Places
