12 Delicious Chocolate Factory Tours And Tastings

True chocoholics rejoice! There may be a new way to indulge in the sheer delightfulness that is chocolate. All around the world, there are boutique chocolate factories and large-scale companies that provide factory tours and tastings. From Switzerland to Las Vegas to Australia, chocolate lovers all over their world can not only get a treat, but also an education.

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A high-quality factory tour will show guests around the factory facilities, provide a thorough education on how to make chocolate, including the ingredients used and the type of equipment utilized, and finally, provide a tasty sample at the end of the tour. On a thorough tour, visitors can also learn about the history of chocolate and the secrets of chocolate-making.

Switzerland and Belgium are both home to some of the finest chocolates in the world. The Stettler Chocolate Factory in Geneva and Maison Cailler in Broc, Gruyère, are highly praised. Tours that are as in-depth and authentic as these ones are will open the eyes of chocolate lovers who might ordinarily reach for a Hershey bar and might not know the difference. 

The Temple of Chocolate in Côte D'or Belgium may be the holy grail when it comes to tasting chocolate like the professionals do. The Temple of Chocolate tour is the ultimate educational tasting event that is geared toward children who have fallen in love with the idea of chocolate-making. In Italy, there is a Perugina chocolate factory and school that opened its doors in 2007 to cater to those who want to take their chocolate education to the next level.

And other places like Las Vegas are getting into the chocolate-making tour business as well, with Ethel M Chocolates. The factory offers self-guided tours and tastings as well as an adjacent Botanical Cactus Garden on premises.

So, while traveling across the United States or touring through Europe, amateur chocolatiers and enthusiasts alike can experience a one-of-a-kind chocolate-making experience, just as Veruca Salt did in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.