For sweet-toothed visitors, Paris offers plenty of cause for excitement, including a wide choice of chocolate-themed tours and experiences to pick from.
The French capital may be better known for its enticing patisseries, but it’s chocolate shops are not far behind. And Paris’s penchant for chocolate goes beyond these saliva-inducing shopfronts, with the city also home to a huge selection of tours and experiences that take you deep into the world of chocolate making. If you’d like to get hands-on with the delectable cocoa-based confectionary – and try some of it for yourself, of course – check out our list of 5 unique tours and experiences currently available across the city.
Chocolate-Making Workshop at Choco-Story
Situated in the 10th arrondissement, Choco-Story Paris is the kind of museum that will leave your kids wide-eyed – and wide mouthed – with excitement. Among the venue’s attractions is a popular chocolate-making workshop that invites guests to learn dipping techniques and try your hand at creating your very own chocolate treat. The 45-minute tour also includes access to the rest of the museum’s three floors of exhibits that you can explore in your own time either before or after. From €39 per person.
Pure Chocolate Walking Tour
If simply admiring Paris’s chocolate shops isn’t enough, this two-hour walking tour lets you sample their wares as you go. Taking place around the elegant Right Bank, the small-group experience leads guests through the fashionable neighbourhoods surrounding Place de la Concorde, the Tuileries Gardens and Madeleine Church. Along the way, you’ll visit five master chocolatiers, tasting a selection of artisan creations while learning about the history of chocolate and how the sweet stuff is produced. Even better, tastings at each boutique are included in the tour price. From €109 per person.
Cocoa cube/truffle making workshop
Rather make chocolate than just eat it? This hands-on workshop at Rrraw Cacao Factory should fit the bill. Based at the company’s artisan workshop-boutique in the 2nd arrondissement, the 90-minute experience starts with an introduction to the world of chocolate before it’s time to get stuck into making your own cocoa cubes or fancy truffles. Rrraw specialises in chocolate made using gently roasted cacao, and you’ll learn about its distinctive production methods as you work. Best of all, once your creations are complete, they’re yours to take home – assuming you can resist eating them on the way. From €29 per person.
Saint-Germain Chocolate, Pastry & Sweets Walking Tour
Few Parisian neighbourhoods are better suited to a leisurely chocolate crawl than Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and this three-hour walking tour invites visitors to do just that. With groups limited to just 10 guests to ensure everyone feels engaged, the experience sees you stop at up to eight tasting stops, with your guide regaling you with tales and facts about the area’s history, architecture and food culture as you go. At each stop, you’ll sample a range of handcrafted chocolates, macarons, salted caramels and other seasonal treats. The route also passes notable landmarks such as Saint-Germain-des-Prés Church and Saint-Sulpice, before finishing with tea, coffee or a gourmet hot chocolate at renowned local café, Pierre Hermé. From €99 per person.
Private Wine & Chocolate Tasting
Chocolate and wine aren’t classic bedfellows, but this two-hour private tasting experience does its best to prove how well they can work together when placed in the right hands. Hosted by a professional oenologist in an atmospheric Parisian setting, the session introduces guests to the basics of French wine tasting, from grape varieties and production methods to the sensory art of sight, smell and taste. During the experience, you’ll sample three expertly chosen wines, each paired with a chocolate designed to bring out its flavours. From €175 per person (minimum 2 people).