The Best Boston Chocolate Tours & Shops to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Looking for the best Boston chocolate tours or shops? You’ve come to the right place!

Did you know? The very first chocolate company in the United States, The Baker Chocolate Company, was founded in Boston back in 1780. Since then, the city has been home to many high-quality chocolatiers.

If you’re interested in learning more about Boston’s chocolate history or you just want to sample a bunch of the city’s chocolates in a short period of time (sounds like a pretty awesome goal to me), book one of the Boston chocolate tours below!

I’ve also included a list of the best chocolate shops both inside and outside of the city. Whether you enjoy dark or milk chocolate, classic flavors or something more unique, there is an endless array of delicious treats to choose from.

🍫 FUN FACT: The factory building in Boston where The Baker Chocolate Company once produced its chocolates has since been converted into an apartment building that maintains the original architecture. I wonder if the tenants can still smell traces of chocolate…

Chocolates galore at Beacon Hill Chocolates

Top five Boston chocolate tours

1. Cocoa Beantown, Back Bay

Tour length: 2.5 hours
🛑 Number of stops: 6
👫Group size: 16 people max
💰Cost: $55 per person

Cocoa Beantown offers several different chocolate-related tours and experiences, but I recommend trying their Back Bay walking tour

Back Bay is one of the best places to sample delicacies from numerous chocolate shops. The neighborhood is home to the famous Newbury Street, where you’ll find a few of the chocolate shops I list later in this post. 

Guests have raved about the plethora of chocolate treats they were able to taste during this tour while also gaining historic and cultural insights about the area. You’ll get your money’s worth with this one!

2. Secret Chocolate Tour, Back Bay

Tour length: 2 to 2.5 hours
🛑 Number of stops: 6
👫 Group size: 12 people max
💰 Cost: $69 per person

Another Back Bay tour option is the Secret Chocolate Tour, where you’ll learn the history of Back Bay and the earliest days of Newbury Street, as well as how chocolate was introduced to America. 

You’ll get to walk past iconic sights like the Boston Common, Boston Public Library, Trinity Church, and the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Some of the treats you’ll try on this tour include a couple of classic Boston desserts, a unique truffle from a Swiss confectioner, drinkable chocolate, a red velvet bite, a lemon pastry, and their “Secret bite.”

3. Harvard Square Chocolate Tour, Cambridge

By Off the Beaten Path Food Tours

Tour length: 1.5 hours
🛑 Number of stops: 4
👫 Group size: 12 people max
💰 Cost: $45 per person

Experience the chocolatey goodness of Harvard Square through this highly-rated tour. You’ll learn all about the history of the area, hear some fun facts about chocolate, and of course, try a bunch of chocolate, including chocolate bars, donuts, gelato, and cookies. 

You’ll also have the chance to sip cacao juice directly from the chocolate fruit.

Harvard Square is just off the Red Line of the Boston subway (the “T”), a short ride across the Charles River from Boston.

4. Taza Chocolate Factory, Somerville

Tour length: 1 hour
🛑 Number of stops: 1 (entire tour takes place at the Taza factory)
👫 Group size: 10 people max
💰 Cost: $12 per person

Taza Chocolate Factory produces chocolate inspired by Mexican traditions, using granite millstones to grind cacao into organic dark chocolate. Taza has pioneered ethical cacao sourcing and was the first U.S. chocolate maker to establish a third-party certified Direct Trade Cacao Certification program. 

Book a tour to visit the Taza factory for their “Intro to Stone Ground Chocolate,” where you’ll learn how they make their chocolate — and then you get to taste it! Be sure to reserve a slot online before you go. The factory tours are available Wednesday-Sunday. 

If you plan to go with kids 10 years and younger, they encourage booking the Cacao Scouts Scavenger Hunt that takes place at 10 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

5. Vegan Chocolate Treats Tour, Jamaica Plain

By Off the Beaten Path Food Tours

Tour length: 1.5 hours
🛑 Number of stops: 4
👫 Group size: Public group tours currently not available, but private tours can be booked upon request
💰 Cost: $40/person

Jamaica Plain is a neighborhood in Boston that’s known for good vegan food, so it’s the perfect place for a vegan-friendly chocolate tour, though this tour company is confident that even non-vegans will enjoy the assortment of treats provided.

You’ll get to try a variety of chocolates without animal products from small, local shops throughout Jamaica Plain’s historic Centre Street, including bonbons, freshly roasted chocolate, and ice cream.

Boston chocolate tour: Beacon Hill Chocolates

Best Boston chocolate shops

If you want to skip the tours and hunt for the best chocolate in Boston on your own, here are some excellent shops to include in your itinerary:

Beacon Hill Chocolates

91 Charles Street

Beacon Hill Chocolates is located on the charming Charles Street in the heart of Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. They source artisan chocolates from around the world, including Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, and Brazil, as well as from high-quality chocolatiers in the U.S. 

You’ll find special flavors in many of the chocolates, including lavender, ginger, blood orange, Arabica coffee, bacon, chilies, and lemon.

Boston chocolate tours: L.A. Burdick

L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates

220 Clarendon Street

L.A. Burdick was founded in 1987 by Larry Burdick, who returned from training in Bern, Switzerland with inspiration to create high-quality chocolate that was different from mass-produced varieties. 

Some of L.A. Burdick’s signature items include chocolate mice and chocolate ducks (in honor of Boston’s iconic Make Way for Ducklings statues 🦆).

The setting of L.A. Burdick might be just as worth seeing as the chocolates themselves. How cute is this shop? Note that lines are often out the door for this place, especially on the weekend.

Teuscher Chocolates Newbury Street

162 Newbury Street (recently moved from their old location at 230 Newbury Street)

Teuscher Chocolates is a gourmet chocolatier founded in the Swiss mountainside more than 90 years ago.

They are best known for their Champagne Truffle with a dark chocolate ganache center enriched with Dom Perignon Champagne, and a creamy milk chocolate exterior. Just writing this makes me want to sneak down there now to grab one of these.

ROYCE’ Chocolate Boston

251 Newbury Street

This boutique shop features one-of-a-kind chocolates from Japan. If you enjoy chocolate that isn’t too sweet, this might be a good choice for you! Customers have commented that these chocolates aren’t as sugar-filled as brands like Lindt but they are still amazingly soft and delicious.

Boston chocolate tours & shops: Au Chocolat

Au Chocolat

35 High Street

Au Chocolate is in the heart of Boston’s Financial District, and they are the exclusive retailer in Boston of the fine Neuhaus Belgian chocolates.

Another popular item is their stuffed Oreos that are filled with either peanut butter or caramel.

Best metro Boston chocolate shops

Here are a couple of specialty chocolate shops outside of Boston that are well worth a visit, too.

Photo credit: Gâté Commes Des Filles

Gâté Commes Des Filles

1 Bow Market Way #8, Somerville*

*Note: They are moving to a Cambridge location soon. Double-check their location details before planning a visit!

This Paris-inspired chocolate shop was founded by Cambridge native Alexandra Whisnant, who previously spent time working at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and Recchuitti Confections and Chez Panisse in California. 

Alexandra’s chocolate business is based on small batches of bonbons made from seasonal and often local ingredients, so you know you are getting something fresh when you order from Gâté!

You can also order mousse and brownies (said to be the best in town!) from the Somerville storefront.

Sweet Sloop from Harbor Sweets in Salem
Sweet Sloop from Harbor Sweets in Salem

Harbor Sweets

85 Leavitt Street, Salem

Drive to the North Shore town of Salem to check out the famed Harbor Sweets chocolate shop, which has been around for almost 50 years. 

One of their signature chocolates is the Sweet Sloop, a sailboat-shaped almond butter crunch covered in white chocolate and dipped in dark chocolate and crushed pecans. Yes, there’s a lot going on in those — but they are SO GOOD.

Boston chocolate tours & shops: Beacon Hill Chocolates
Seasonal treats from Beacon Hill Chocolates

Chocolate-making class in Boston

Want to go beyond just tasting Boston’s chocolate and learn how to make it yourself? Book a chocolate-making class with Chef Lisa for a fun-filled experience.

These classes are offered to two guests at a time for $95 a person and last about three hours. The last time I checked Lisa’s calendar, her sessions were booking up fast, so I highly recommend reserving a slot as soon as you can!

Guests rave about Lisa’s ability to teach the art of making chocolate while also making the environment relaxed and full of laughs. You’ll learn how to table chocolate and handcraft your own truffled white chocolate coconut clusters and dark chocolate truffles. YUM. 

You’ll even get to take recipes home with you to continue making these delicious treats on your own.

Boston cannoli

Another 5-star Boston dessert tour to check out

If you want to branch out from chocolate and experience one of Boston’s most popular dessert tours, check out Cocktails & Cannolis: Boston’s North End Dessert Tour.

It’s hard to find a perfect five-star rating for anything on Google anymore, but this tour manages to do it!

These private tours are about $100 per person and include three dessert stops and three cocktail stops in Boston’s historic North End. The tour guide, Pat, will also show you around some local sights during the tour — a great way to be introduced to this iconic Boston neighborhood!

🍸 BOOK YOUR COCKTAILS & CANNOLIS TOUR HERE 🍸

Note: If you don’t drink alcohol, no worries. Pat is known to accommodate guests with mocktails to sip instead.

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