My Own Willy Wonka Moment: Switzerland’s Cailler Chocolate Factory

April 11, 2017
cailler chocolate factory

So, I was basically a Swiss tourist cliche on this trip, because I managed to tick off cheese fondue and unlimited chocolate within a couple hours’ time.  Travel efficiency FTW.

We spent the late morning in GruyĂ©res (I’m always going to be a fan of places that cheese is named after) and then had a (duh) gooey cheese fondue lunch before driving just 15 minutes up the road to the Cailler chocolate factory.

As you’d expect, the scenery is totally gross…

Switzerland is known for cheese and chocolate, and the Cailler Chocolate Factory is one of the best destinations to indulge your sweet tooth!

Touring Cailler Chocolate Factory in the Geneva area, Switzerland | If you're going to be in the Geneva area you have to make time for a tour of Cailler Chocolate Factory #switzerland #chocolate #geneva

Cailler was founded in the early 1800s in Vevey (on the shores of Lake Geneva), but didn’t become a major player in the chocolate industry until the early 1900s and merged with Nestle in the 1920s.  It’s a Swiss institution.

(Side note, aren’t those little light fixtures below shaped like chocolates the CUTEST?!)

You might also like:  How to Plan Your Trip on Switzerland’s Golden Pass Train

We bought our tickets and then had about 20 minutes to wait until our (English) tour time.  Our visit was in late March, so the wait might be longer during peak tourist season.  While we waited, I sat down and had a cappuccino (with chocolate, naturally) while my mom perused the gift shop.  Then we queued up for the tour.

Delicious chocolate at Cailler Chocolate Factory

cailler chocolate factory

An array of chocolate - Cailler Chocolate Factory

You might also like:  A “Cheesy” Morning in GruyĂ©res

The tour is a little cheesy (think Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean), taking your through both the history of chocolate and then Cailler’s history.  But it’s cute and not too long.

Toward the end you get to see how their iconic branch chocolates are made in the factory and also tour and feel/smell/touch some of the raw ingredients.  This is one tour where the audioguide really adds a lot of value, and I definitely recommend using it heavily (it’s free with the tour ticket).

You might also like:  (Less Than) 24 Hours in Lucerne, Switzerland

And of course this is the highlight—you get to pretend to be a Cailler tester and taste like 6 or 7 different types of chocolates.  The Swiss style of chocolate is definitely a little too rich and sweet for me and I was desperately wishing for some cold water during the tasting.

Overall this wasn’t really my kind of chocolate, but the lemon and coffee flavors (the stripey and coffee bean ones) were my favorite.  And I felt ill by the end due to sugar overload.

Pro tip:  bring a bottle of cold water with you to cleanse your palate and cut the sweetness

Touring Cailler Chocolate Factory in the Geneva area, Switzerland | If you're going to be in the Geneva area you have to make time for a tour of Cailler Chocolate Factory #switzerland #chocolate #geneva

cailler chocolate factory

So many things to try at Cailler Chocolate Factory

Another perfect Geneva day trip:  Visiting Medieval Chateau Chillon & Tiny Yvoire

We stopped for one more cappuccino at the Cailler cafe and then headed back to Geneva.  I couldn’t resist a shot with the scenery before we left…if it weren’t for that random dude back there, it would look like I was in front of a cliche fake Swiss background, right??

Take in the gorgeous scenery and sugar rush of Switzerland's Maison Cailler, complete with chocolate factory tour and unlimited tasting at the end

How to visit Maison Cailler Chocolate Factory

  • I definitely recommend a visit if you’re in the Geneva area!  Here are other great day trip ideas from Geneva.
  • It’s open almost 363 days a year, ticket sales 10a-4p or 5p depending on time of year.  Check the website to be sure.
  • Tickets are 12 CHF (a little over $12 USD), free for kids under 16 if they’re with an adult.
  • The tour itself takes maybe 30-45 minutes, and all the chocolate you eat (all you CAN eat) is at the end.
  • Bring a cold bottle of water (or buy one at the cafe) for the tasting.

What do you think your chocolate-eating threshold is?  (mine is apparently like 5 pieces…)

More gluttony-inspired posts:

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Touring Cailler Chocolate Factory in the Geneva area, Switzerland | If you're going to be in the Geneva area you have to make time for a tour of Cailler Chocolate Factory #switzerland #chocolate #geneva

Comments (3)

  • Allison Joshnston

    March 29, 2022 at 9:34 am

    Hi I sent a comment wondering how big the callier chocolete factorty is so, get back to me when you see this

    1. Jessica

      March 30, 2022 at 8:36 pm

      Hi Allison, thanks for the note! I didn’t receive any other comments or messages, so not sure if your original note had more context? If you mean how large in square footage, I wouldn’t know that kind of information but you could contact them directly.

  • A "Cheesy" Morning in Gruyeres, Switzerland | One Girl, Whole World

    September 18, 2017 at 10:09 pm

    […] Pair with Gruyères for a Perfect Day:  An Afternoon at Cailler Chocolate Factory […]

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