San José: Chocolate Making & Tasting Workshop

Watch cocoa beans transform into chocolate you'll make yourself

You taste cocoa at every stage of processing, from fresh fruit to finished chocolate, then make and package your own bars using local ingredients and your own creativity. All materials, equipment, and supplies are provided, and you take home what you've made in eco-friendly packaging. The workshop is accessible and runs a few hours, with no prior experience needed.

Step-by-step itinerary

Chocolate workshop and tasting experience

• Learn cocoa history
• Taste fresh cocoa fruit
• Taste dry and roasted cocoa beans
• Taste cocoa nibs and powder
• Taste cocoa butter and drinks
• Taste chocolates with different cocoa levels
• Make personalized chocolates
• Pack creations with eco-friendly materials

The experience

The smell hits you first: roasted cocoa, rich and almost bitter, filling the workshop before you've even stepped inside. San José's chocolate factory opens with the raw material: fresh cocoa fruit split open, seeds you can taste at different stages of processing, nibs that crunch between your teeth, powder that coats your fingers. Your guide walks through the history of cocoa in Central America while you're tasting your way through the supply chain, which sounds educational until you realize you're basically eating chocolate in all its forms before noon.

Then you move to the making part. The workshop sets you up with molds, spatulas, and access to more than 15 fillings and toppings: local ingredients mixed in ways you choose. You taste different cocoa concentrations first, so you know what you're working with, and then you're free to blend and pour and create something that's actually yours. It's not a rushed assembly line. There's room to experiment, to mess up a batch, to try again. The whole chocolate making experience stays hands-on, not a demonstration you watch from the side.

At the end you pack your own creations into eco-friendly boxes with wrapping paper and stickers, which sounds small until you're holding something you made in a place where cocoa actually matters. You leave with a cocoa drink, water, and whatever chocolates survived the journey from mold to box. The factory is wheelchair accessible, and the whole thing runs 2 to 3 hours depending on how long you linger over the tasting or how many batches you want to make.

What’s included

• Your workshop includes a complete tasting of cocoa at every stage (fresh fruit, beans, nibs, powder, butter, and chocolate drinks) followed by hands-on chocolate making with your choice of more than 15 local fillings and toppings.
• All equipment (molds, spatulas, machines), personal supplies (aprons, gloves, caps), and eco-friendly packaging materials are provided so you can make and take home your own creations.
• A cocoa drink and water round out the experience.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 15:00

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (2 to 11 years)

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “You can find our location as “Tapir Chocolates” in Google Maps, Waze or Uber. Black Gates with the door terracota. Is the Street 29, Av 7 & 9.”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Wheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Tapir Chocolates

Is this one for you?A good fit if you want to understand where chocolate comes from and make something with your hands in the same afternoon, without needing to source ingredients or clean up afterward. The factory handles the supply chain and the mess.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and German.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (2 to 11 years).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

What exactly do you taste during the chocolate making workshop?

Fresh cocoa fruit, dried and roasted cocoa beans, cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, chocolates in different concentrations, and a cocoa drink. The tasting covers the entire journey from raw bean to finished product.

Can you really make and take home your own chocolate?

Yes. You make personalized chocolate bars using molds, spatulas, and your choice of more than 15 local fillings and toppings. Everything you create gets packed in eco-friendly boxes and wrapping for you to take home.

How long does the workshop take?

2 to 3 hours, depending on how much time you spend tasting and making.

Is the workshop wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and public transportation options are available nearby.

What's included in the price?

Complete cocoa tasting, all equipment and molds, more than 15 fillings and toppings, a cocoa drink, water, eco-friendly packaging materials, and supplies like aprons and gloves.

Do you need chocolate-making experience?

No. The workshop is designed for beginners. Experts guide you through the process and provide all the tools and ingredients.