9 Irresistible Chocolate Factories in Switzerland to Visit

By Oriana ∘ Posted 22nd May, 2024 ∘

To answer your first question- yes all the chocolate factories in Switzerland include free chocolate taste tests as part of a visit and for most of them you can eat as much as you want.

If you’re planning a trip to Switzerland and looking for the right chocolate factory to visit, you’ve come to the right place- I’ve taken family and friends to many different chocolate factories here over the years.

Here’s 9 Irresistible Chocolate Factories in Switzerland to visit on your next holiday here:

1. Lindt Home of Chocolate (probably the most famous Swiss chocolate!)

chocolate factories in switzerland gigantic chocolate fountain at lindt
Lindt Home of Chocolate
Best for
Close to Zurich, generous taste tasting samples + chocolate tasting fountains
Special because:
There's a gigantic chocolate fountain flowing with 1400kg of real chocolate (nope you can’t eat it but it’s very impressive)
Price (2024)
Adult: 17 chf  Children (8-15): 10 chf  Children under 8: Free  The price includes a personal audio guide tour.
Opening Times
Mon – Sun: 10 – 19 h
Extras & Workshop options 
(extra cost & book in advance!!)
  • Public and private guided tours
  • Make your own chocolate’ workshops, where you can make your own chocolate bar, chocolate truffles or chocolate lollipops
How to get there
  • By car- 20min from Zürich
  • By train/bus- 20-30min from Zürich HB station. 
The Lindt Factory has it’s own bus stop called ‘Kilchberg ZH, Lindt & Sprüngli’.
Tips
Lindt is popular, so online booking is recommended.
Address
Schokoladenplatz 1, 8802 Kilchberg
Website
https://www.lindt-home-of-chocolate.com/en/

Lindt Home of Chocolate: Day Trip Ideas

  • Take a ferry in the morning from ‘Zürich Bürkliplatz’ to the stop ‘Kilchberg ZH’. It’s a beautiful 37 minute trip on Lake Zürich and it’s always fun to be on the water.
  • From ‘Kilchberg ZH’ Take a short stroll along the lake. I like this way of arriving at the Lindt chocolate factory the best because the air will soon be thick with the delicious scent of the chocolate. It smells incredible! And the anticipation is almost as good as the real thing.
  • If it’s summer and especially if you have kids consider taking a dip in the ‘Seebad Kilchberg’ a public pool. They have a cool slide which goes straight into Lake Zürich as well. It costs 4 chf for adults and 2 chf for kids.

2. Maison Cailler

If you look carefully you’ll see the Cailler sign in front of the cloud
Maison Cailler
Best for
Close to Gruyères, Generous taste testing samples + Chocolate Tasting Fountains
Special because:
Cailler is the oldest chocolate brand in Switzerland est.1819 (although it is now owned by Nestle). They're also still use milk in their chocolate (not milk powder).
Price (2024)
Adult: 17 chf, Student: 14 chf, Children (6-15): 10 chf, Children (0-5): Free 
The price includes a personal audio guide tour.
Opening Times
Open everyday 10-17
Extras & Workshop options 
(extra cost & book in advance!!)
  • There are 7 different chocolate making workshops (pralines, truffles etc.) 
  • Escape Game for up to 5 people
  • Free outdoor chocolate game using your phone
How to get there
  • By car- 40 min drive from Montreux, 1 hour 30min from Geneva, 2 hours and 10 min from Zürich
  • By train/bus- 1 hour 40min from Montreux, 2 hours from Geneva, 2 hours 30min from Zürich. Maison Cailler has it’s own train station: ‘Broc-Fabrique’ 
Tips
Cailler is popular, so online booking is recommended.
Address
Rue Jules Bellet 7, 1636 Broc
Website
https://cailler.ch/en

Maison Cailler: Day Trip Ideas

  • It’s common to combine a visit to Maison Cailler with a visit to the beautiful village of Gruyères (home to the famous cheese!) and La Maison du Gruyeres cheese factory.  Gruyères is only a 10min drive away or 15-30min with public transport.
  • There’s a special chocolate train for tourists from May-September going between Montreux- Gruyères-Broc (Maison Cailler). It’s more expensive, 60-70chf for an adult. That includes entrance to the chocolate and cheese factories though.
  • There’s a cool hike you can do through the Gorges of Jogne in the Gruyères region all the way to Maison Cailler. It’s only 3km and is pretty flat as you’ll be walking through the gorge most of the way. It’s beautiful and I really enjoyed it. You’ll smell the Cailler chocolate long before you get there to and it’s heavenly. Find out more about the hike here.

3. Maestrani Chocolarium

Maestrani Chocolarium
Best for
Best for Families with kids! It's also my favourite as an adult. Generous taste testing samples + Chocolate Tasting Fountains
Special because:
You get to see the actual chocolate factory where the chocolate is produced (best to go during workdays). I love their chocolate too, especially the ladybugs!
Price (2024)
Adult: 14 chf, Student: 10 chf, Kids (6-15): 8 chf, Kids (0-6) Free
Opening Times
Tues-Fri: 10-18, Sat-Sun: 10-17, CLOSED MONDAY
Extras & Workshop options 
(extra cost & book in advance!!)
  • Decorate your own chocolate bar during the museum visit for an extra 10 chf 
  • Make your own chocolate’ workshops where you can make a chocolate bar or cast your own chocolate figures 
  • Free outdoor chocolate game using your phone, in the nature reserve behind the factory
  • Spend the night in a chocolate themed room at a nearby hotel
How to get there
  • By car- 50 min from Zürich
  • By train/bus- 1hour 20min from Zürich. The chocolarium has it’s own bus station: Flawil, Maestrani 
Address
Toggenburgerstrasse 41, 9230 Flawil 
Website
https://www.chocolarium.ch/en

Chocolarium: Day Trip Ideas

  • Consider walking the 40 minutes from the Flawil trainstation to the Chocolarium. The path is clearly marked along the way, it’s called the ‘Schoggiweg’ (Chocolate path).
  • Play the Outdoor Game in the nature reserve behind the chocolate factory with your phone (1-2 hours).
  • If you have a car The Appenzeller Cheese Factory is only a 30min drive away (it’s 1 hour and a half via public transport). You can get a special combo ticket for the Chocolarium and the cheese factory.
  • The town of St. Gallen is only 30 min away with both car and public transport which you could also check out. My favourite thing to see in St. Gallen is the Abbey Library of St.Gall- it’s the most beautiful library I’ve ever seen.

4. Camille Bloch

Camille Bloch
Best for
Chocolate Tasting Fountains, including one with their dreamy praline filling. Camille Bloch also makes my favourite chocolate- Ragusa. Even if you don’t make it all the way to their factory you have to try it!! 
Special because:
It’s a bit more up close and personal than the other chocolate factories. You get to see the chocolatiers make their signature chocolates (Ragusa & Torino) by hand as they explain the process. You can ask questions as well and then try the handmade chocolates at the end, which is neat!
Price (2024)
Adult: 15 chf, Student: 13 chf, Kids (6-16): 9 chf, Kids (0-6) Free
Opening Times
Tues-Sun: 9.30-18, CLOSED MONDAY
Extras & Workshop options 
(extra cost & book in advance!!)
  • You can engrave a personal message on a Ragusa chocolate in the shop
  • Guided tours available
  • Escape game for groupd of up to 4 people
  • 6 different chocolate workshops to choose from, where you can make chocolate blocks, hearts and flowers. There’s even macaroon and tart making workshops.
How to get there
  • By car- 1 hour 35 min drive from Zürich, 1 hour from Bern
  • By train/bus- 1hour 45min from Zürich, 1 hour from Bern. It’s a 400m walk from Courtelary train station 
Tips
They don’t offer packaged taste test samples, which means there’s no sneaking chocolate into your pockets for later!
Address
Grand-Rue 21, 2608 Courtelary
Website
https://camillebloch.ch/en/visit/

Camille Bloch: Day Trip Ideas

  • If you have a car take a 20 min drive up one of the nearby hills to Chasseral Ouest. From there you have an amazing view of the alps, and three lakes (the Biel lake, Neuchatel lake and Murten lake) as well as a view of the Jura mountains on the other side. The drive up is also an adventure as well.
  • If the weather’s nice take a picnic up there or go for a hike- there’s plenty of paths. It can get windy up there though so take a jacket just in case.
  • By public transport, the town of Biel is only 20-30min away depending on your connection. If you’re interested in watches, Biel is the place to be- it’s the home of Rolex, Tissot, Swatch and Omega to name a few.

5. Aeschbach Chocoworld

Photo: Obi-waldi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Aeschbach Chocoworld
Best for
Close to Luzern, Generous taste testing samples  + Chocolate Tasting Fountain
Special because:
You get to see the actual chocolate factory where the chocolate is produced (best to go during workdays). They craft incredible intricate chocolate displays, from castles and railways to under the ocean scenes, all made of chocolate
Price (2024)
Adult: 15 chf, Kids (6-16): 9 chf, Kids (0-6) Free
Opening Times
10.00-17.00 everyday (last entry at 16.00)
Extras & Workshop options 
(extra cost & book in advance!!)
You can decorate your own chocolate bar for an extra 10 chf  
How to get there
  • By car- 15 min drive from Luzern, 35 min drive from Zürich
  • By train/bus- 11 min from Luzern, 50min from Zürich. The chocolate factory is  in front of the Root D4 train station. 
Address
ChocoDromo 1, 6037 Root
Website
https://aeschbach-chocolatier.ch/chocowelt/

Chocoworld: Day Trip Ideas

This chocolate factory is practically right next to Luzern and the lake of Luzern, one of the most touristy places in Switzerland! I don’t think ideas are necessary here 😊

6. House of Läderach 

Läderach is famous for their rustic looking slabs of chocolate
House of Läderach
Best for
Cheapest chocolate museum visit (5 chf), Taste testing samples  + Chocolate Tasting Fountains- they have 4 flavours to choose from!
Special because:
They have an outlet chocolate shop where you can get discounted chocolate- pretty good because Läderach can be pricey
Price (2024)
Everyone (no discount for kids): 5 chf
Keep in mind, it's pretty small. It'll only take you 30min or so to go around
Opening Times
9.00-18.00 everyday
Extras & Workshop options 
(extra cost & book in advance!!)
  • You can combine the museum visit with creating a chocolate bar/mold 
  • Guided factory tours in English at 12.30 and 16.00, which is combined with a museum visit and making your own chocolate
  •  2 hour chocolate course available, although it’s a flat rate of 450chf for up to 12 people,
How to get there
  • By car- 40 min from Zürich
  • By train/bus- Between 70 min – 1 hour 25 min from Zürich, depending on your connection. The House of Läderach is a short walk from the bus stop ‘Bilten, Grabenstrasse’. 
Address
Grabenstrasse 6, 8865 Bilten
Website
https://houseofladerach.com/en/

House of Läderach: Day Trip Ideas

  • Stopover in Uznach on your way to the House of Läderach to see the storks. There’s a stork colony there year round and you can’t miss these massive birds and their nests in the rooftops. They live behind the Church of the Holy Cross (Kreuzkirche).
  • You can also cycle or skate across the Linth Plain between the Lake of Zürich and the Walen Lake (Walensee)
  • The Walen Lake (Walensee) is beautiful and definitely worth a trip. It’s only a 10 minute drive there from Läderach, or 30min by public transport. You could even take the ferry over the lake and walk up to the Seerenbach Waterfall. It’s 3.5km loop and a good place to picnic too. If it’s warm you could go for a dip in the lake as well!

7. Villars Maître Chocolatier

Martin Thurnherr, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Villars Maître Chocolatier
Special because:
They only have a virtual reality tour of the Villars Factory- you can't visit the factory physically
Price (2024)
Everyone from 12 years old: 27 chf 
Opening Times
9.00-18.00 everyday
Extras & Workshop options 
(extra cost & book in advance!!)
  • You can combine the museum visit with creating a chocolate bar/mold 
  • Guided factory tours in English at 12.30 and 16.00, which is combined with a museum visit and making your own chocolate
  •  2 hour chocolate course available, although it’s a flat rate of 450chf for up to 12 people,
How to get there
  • By car- 10 min from  Freiburg, 33min from Bern, 1 hour 49 min from Zürich
  • By train/bus- Between 70 min – 15 min from Freiburg, 32min from Bern, 1 hour 33 min from Zürich, depending on your connection. 
Address
Rte de la Fonderie 18, 1700 Fribourg
Website
https://www.villars.com/en/workshops-la-fabrik/

Villars Day Trip Ideas

The town of Freiburg is so close to Villars it only makes sense to explore it as well! Check out the Farmer’s market, climb to the top of the St.Nicholas cathedral, try some cheese fondue and wander around the old town and across the medieval bridges.

8. Chocolat Alprose

Nicetry, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Chocolat Alprose
Best for:
Cheapest chocolate museum visit (2-5 chf), Taste testing samples in the shop
Special because:
You get to see the actual chocolate factory where the chocolate is produced (best to go during workdays), It’s in the Italian part of Switzerland, not far from the Italian border. Note that it is small!
Price (2024)
Adults: 5 chf, Adults (65+): 2 chf, Kids (7-16): 2 chf, Kids (0-6): Free
Opening Times
9.00-17.00 everyday
Extras & Workshop options 
    none
    How to get there
    • By car- 10 min from  Freiburg, 33min from Bern, 1 hour 49 min from Zürich
    • By train/bus- Between 70 min – 15 min from Freiburg, 32min from Bern, 1 hour 33 min from Zürich, depending on your connection. 
    Address
    Via Rompada 36, 6987 Caslano
    Website
    https://alprose.ch/en

    Alprose: Day Trip Ideas

    • There’s a small zoo in the same town called Zoo al Maglio-Neggio, only a 20 minute walk from Alprose.
    • There’s a golf club as well, ‘Golf Club Lugano’ or you could also swim in the nearby Lake Lugano- both within walking distance from Alprose.
    • You could also go for a little hike around Monte Caslano and stop at a restaurant with a view of the lake

    9. Not Quite Chocolate Factory Experiences, but worth a visit

    Here I just wanted a list a few other options where you can enjoy a chocolate workshop experience, although they are not connected to a chocolate factory visit. Note that this isn’t the be all and end all- there are more, Switzerland is home to a lot of chocolatiers.

    • Funky Chocolate Club (Interlaken)
      • Here you can go to an hour long chocolate making workshop in English while eating as much chocolate as you can handle. 69 chf for adults and 59 chf for kids
    • Max Chocolatier (Zürich and Luzern)
      • Here there are over 6 workshops you can attend, ranging from making your own chocolate bar to truffle stamping. Prices are around 100 chf and upwards.
    • The Honold Chocolate Tram (Zürich in November)
      • If you’re in Zürich in November definitely book a ride on the Schoggitram. It’s only 25 chf and you get to ride a vintage tram around Zürich while drinking hot chocolate and eating chocolate. Doesn’t get better than that!
    • Felchin Factory Shop (Schwyz)
      • Another Swiss chocolate brand, they have a chocolate shop right next to their chocolate factory. Unfortunately, you can’t visit the factory but you can enjoy the shop

    A Final Tip

    Don’t forget to bring a bottle of water to your chocolate factory visit!! It really helps when you’re trying so much chocolate… I always seem to forget and always regret it.

    Best chocolate factories in Switzerland in a nutshell

    • Most famous, popular & biggest chocolate factories: Lindt Home of Chocolate & Maison Cailler
    • Best chocolate factory for kids: Maestrani Chocolarium
    • Cheapest chocolate factories: House of Läderach & Chocolat Alprose
    • Chocolate factories where you can actually see the factory and the chocolate being produced in real time: Maestrani Chocolarium, Aeschbach Chocoworld & Chocolat Alprose
    • Chocolate factory with the most intimate experience: Camille Bloch
    • Closest chocolate factory to Zürich: Lindt Home of Chocolate
    • Closest chocolate factory to Luzern: Aeschbach Chocoworld

    Just a quick note on a misnomer- it might be more accurate to call some of these chocolate factories ‘chocolate museums’. That is, you visit a chocolate themed exhibition next to the factory, rather than the factory itself.

    I don’t think you miss out on anything by visiting a chocolate ‘museum’ but if it’s important to you to see inside the actual chocolate factory (producing chocolate in real time for market) I’ve made a note of which ones you should see in the tables.

    Looking for something to do after your chocolate feast? Why not check out my post:

    7 Crazy Things to do in Switzerland

    Oriana

    Oriana was born in Zürich and is currently working as an English Teacher in Basel, in northern Switzerland.

    This travel blog is is her newest project with her twin sister. Their mission is to give everyone the confidence to travel Switzerland with ease.