Chocolate Tourism in New Zealand

CHRISTCHURCH

Bean to Bon-bon Chocolate Tour

Type of experience: chocolate sightseeing tour
Details: Chauffeured tour, including a session with a top chocolatier, learning to work with and taste chocolate, followed by chocolate fondue, a visit to Hagley Park and a light lunch. The tour is rounded off with a visit to a fudge factory.

DUNEDIN

Cadbury World Dunedin

Address: 280 Cumberland Street, Dunedin, New Zealand
Type of experience: chocolate factory tour
Details: Situated near the famous Dunedin Railway Station, Cadbury World offers a small museum covering the history of chocolate, followed by a guided tour of part of the factory (note that production lines may not be running on weekends and holidays). If you're lucky, you'll get to witness a ton of molten chocolate thundering down the center of a silo. The shop at the end of the tour is only open to tour participants, and sells just about every Cadbury product imaginable at discount prices.
External reviews: Exploring New Zealand

NAPIER

Silky Oak Chocolate Company Museum and Factory Tours

Address: 1131 Links Road, Napier, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Type of experience: chocolate museum and factory tour
Details: The museum covers the 3000-year history of chocolate-making, and presents various historical chocolate artefacts. Factory tours are available by advance notice, and subject to a 10 person minimum.

WELLINGTON

Chocolate Espresso

Location: Tours start and finish at the i-SITE Visitor Centre in Civic Square
Type of experience: walking tour
Details: Morning walking tour of central Wellington, with various coffee tasting and chocolate tasting opportunities, including a visit to a commercial kitchen producing innovative chocolate dishes. Reservations required.

Wild About Chocolate Tour

Type of experience: chocolate sightseeing tour
Details: Guided walking, cable car and (public) bus tour of downtown Wellington, taking in 3 chocolateries, a stop for hot chocolate or roasted coffee, and a walk through Courtenay Place, as well as a trip on the Cable Car.

ELSEWHERE IN NEW ZEALAND

Makana Confections

Location: Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands, and Blenheim in Malborough
Type of experience: chocolate making viewing
Details: Makana Confections hand makes chocolates, truffles, toffees, jellies and other sweet treats. Visitors to one of its two boutique chocolate factories can watch the chocolates being made, taste a few samples, and shop for gifts at the factory outlets.
External reviews: Chocolate in Context