Chocolate Tourism in Italy
PERUGIA
Etruscan Chocohotel Hotel Perugia
Type of experience: chocolate-themed hotelDetails: Hotel with milk chocolate, gianduia chocolate and bitter chocolate-themed floors. The restaurant offers a "Choco Menu", in which chocolate is used in some way in every course. Non-chocolate dishes are also available. The hotel store sells chocolates, and chocolate themed gifts, as well as chocolate beauty products.
External reviews: Trip Advisor | Chocablog
La Casa del Cioccolato Perugina
Type of experience: chocolate museum and factory tourDetails: The "House of Chocolate" includes a chance to see the Perugina chocolate factory in operation, as well as a visit to the Museo Storico (Historic Museum). The museum explains the process of converting cocoa into chocolate, and introduces the history of the Perugina chocolate company. Period advertising and marketing materials are also on display.
Note: The website is only available in Italian
External reviews: EuroBimbo | Slow Travel Italy
TURIN (TORINO)
ChocoPass
Type of experience: chocolate tourist passDetails: Special 3-day pass for tourists, giving access to over 20 chocolate tasting options in the cafes and patisseries of Turin and the surrounding area. The pass can be purchased at the Turin tourist information office.
External reviews: Washington Post
ELSEWHERE IN ITALY
Museo del Cioccolato Antica Norba
Location: NormaType of experience: chocolate museum
Details: Learn about cocoa plantations, see chocolate packaging and advertising from the early 20th century, view an old chocolate factory refurbished with original equipment, and taste molten chocolate from the chocolate fountain. Visits must be booked in advance.
Note: The website is only available in Italian
"Chocolate World" School of Chocolate Package
Location: Hotel Corona d'Oro, BolognaType of experience: chocolate tasting and hotel stay
Details: An evening chocolate-tasting session led by two experienced chocolatiers, and including a dozen different types of chocolate, combined with an overnight stay at the hotel in bed and breakfast accommodation.
SPECIALIST TOURS
Cooking Vacations
Type of experience: chocolate sightseeing and cooking toursDetails: Cooking Vacations offers a range of chocolate-themed sightseeing and cooking tours, combining the opportunity to learn the art of chocolate-making with chocolate tastings and sightseeing visits. Tours are centered around Positano, Ravello, or Perugia.
Crazy for Cacao
Type of experience: chocolate sightseeing toursDetails: Unescorted 4 day/night tour with a chocolate theme. The multi-day tour is centered around Florence, and includes various pre-arranged activities, such as visits to Pisa and Lucca, and 6 chocolate-related activities including chocolate-making workshops and a behind-the-scenes look at the production of fine Italian chocolates.
ChocoTravels
Type of experience: chocolate sightseeing toursDetails: ChocoTravels arranges a variety of group multi-day chocolate-themed sightseeing tours to destinations in Italy and beyond. Their Italian destinations include Tuscany and Sicily.
Note: Most of the website is in Italian, though there are a few pages in English if you click around.