We had an amazing time here -- it's super cheap, a great bargain. But, book a month or so in…read moreadvance!! It books-up! Do NOT use the third party vendors who buy up the tickets and resell them for 3x the price... get it yourself but plan. We didn't, though... we didn't know what our schedule was. On their website, it says to not try to come if you don't have a reservation but they were nice enough to get us tickets for our family.
We really took the time to listen to each and every thing on the audio guide and it was really impressive learning about things that we take for granted, like what it takes to just gather cocoa beans and the stages that goes through. Then, chocolate history in Europe then over to Switzerland and the region's history. It really makes you appreciate it.
The tasting room is really fun, where it comes out as liquid and you try a variety of chocolate. Then, you see the other side of the room with the different flavors that go into the chocolate and it breaks you off different varieties of chocolate, which you can taste how fresh the different ingredients are.
It really feels like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, but, like Willy Wonka, I wish they had trap doors for the many, many 'Augustus Gloop' types who steal sooooo much chocolate. You're supposed to check-in your bags for guys like the one we were following who was stuffing the samples over and over again into every pocket, then little bags he brought. It was crazy and so greedy. Then, later, you take a sample of each of their Lindor varieties but, yet again, the greedy people can't help but steal like crazy. It's a little depressing, honestly, how people can't just behave.
Anyway, sorry about the rant... I just hate seeing them getting ripped off. It's a really nice tour and just being on the only site the company has ever been on is amazing history. Also, the café at the end is really great too... we had a great lunch.
If you take the time to really listen to the history, you'll need a solid two hours, possibly three if you want to relax and have lunch. This is the perfect rainy-day activity.