5 Amazing Chocolate Museums, Tours and Experiences

When you’re in the mood for a sweet treat, what do you reach for? Do you make a beeline for the sour candies, or do your eyes dart toward the display of chocolate bars? It’s the latter for us, largely because there are so many options to choose from.

Whether we go to a corner store, grocery store or specialty store, the options range from dark chocolate to pink chocolate, caramel-filled chocolate to peanut-stuffed chocolate and everything in between. (And yes, sometimes we’ll buy two or three different kinds at once).

Needless to say, this obsession with chocolate doesn’t disappear when travelling. It may actually be heightened, especially if we’ve gone to a destination that’s known for producing some of the world’s most delicious bars, truffles and novelties — like those listed below.

• From bean to bar: A brief history of chocolate
• Chocolate experiences around the world
  • Chocolate Valor Museum, Spain
  • Lindt Home of Chocolate, Switzerland
  • Hershey’s Chocolate World, United States
  • Cadbury World, United Kingdom
  • Kakao Chocolate Factory, Mexico 

If you’re the type of person who searches for the best chocolate in every destination you visit, take note! These chocolate museums, tours and experiences are guaranteed to sate your appetite — whether you prefer solid white, milk or dark chocolate, or bars filled with fruits and nuts.

Spain may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of chocolate, but the country has a long history with the product. In fact, the Spanish were the first people to mix the bitter xocolatl drink with sugar — helping it evolve into the sweet hot chocolate that we’re familiar with today. 

Since then, Spanish chocolatiers have continued to leave their mark on the industry. This includes Chocolates Valor; established in 1881, the company has been run by five generations of expert chocolate makers. 

While you can find the brand’s confections in almost every supermarket in Spain, chocolate lovers should try to visit the small resort town of Villajoyosa, where one of the original factories now operates as the Chocolate Valor Museum. Here, you can learn about the cacao bean, discover the history of the chocolate-making process and take a look at an impressive collection of industry machinery, including Valor’s original grinding stones.

When it comes to mass production, the United States takes the (triple chocolate) cake. Three of the world’s top five leading chocolate manufacturers are based on US soil, including Mars Wrigley Confectionery, Mondelēz International and the Hershey Company.

The wonderfully Wonka-esque Hershey’s Chocolate World attractions can be found in New York, Las Vegas and Hershey, Pennsylvania. From stocking up on unique flavours of Kisses to making your own one-pound REESE’s Peanut Butter Cup, there are plenty of ways to satisfy your sweet tooth. 

But that’s not all! Kids and adults can also enjoy educational tours, cinematic adventures and zany theatre shows that provide an inside look at Hershey’s history and chocolate-making processes. There doesn’t seem to be a chocolate river though…

Cadbury has a long and interesting history, beginning in the United Kingdom with John and Benjamin Cadbury. As Quakers, the brothers decided to launch a chocolate drinks business as a way of offering non-alcoholic beverages to Birmingham, England residents — but it wasn’t long before they began producing bars and other chocolate products. 

They were so successful that, in 1854, they received a royal warrant to manufacture chocolate products for Queen Victoria. And they only went up from there! Today, the company is basically synonymous with Easter (it’s the genius behind Mini Eggs and Creme Eggs). And despite being purchased by Hershey in 1988, is still recognized and loved around the globe…which brings us to Cadbury World.

Located in Bourneville Village on the very ground that the Cadbury family moved the business to in 1878, the attraction invites everyone to dive into a “chocolately world” complete with rollercoasters, 4D experiences, Cadbury cafes and more. Of course, no visit is complete without stopping by the Cadbury World Shop, where you can pick up novelty confections including chocolate soccer balls, teapots, and shoes.

Let’s finish where we started: Mexico, the home of the cacao bean. Situated on the island of Cozumel, Kaokao Chocolate Factory is a small, family-run operation that specializes in artisanal chocolate products.

Upon arriving, you’ll be invited to make your own chocolate from scratch. As you learn about the cacao’s sacred place in Mayan culture, you’ll get to grind beans, try cacao at various stages of its processing, and discover how chocolate can be combined with other local ingredients. Before leaving, you’ll also get to try a traditional xocolatl drink.

However, the chocolate tasting doesn’t need to end there. Before you leave Mexico, remember to enjoy a plate of mole — a dish comprised of meat and veggies in a sauce made of (you guessed it!) chocolate.

So, which country has the best chocolate in the world? It’s hard to say definitively whether Switzerland, Belgium, Mexico or Ivory Coast create the best confections — but if you’re anything like us, you’re keen to find out (in other words, you’ll continue eating chocolate in every new place you visit). 

Ready to go on a chocolate-fueled adventure? Speak with a travel consultant or check out our top deals.