Cusco: Bean to Bar Chocolate Workshop at ChocoMuseo

Summary

Make chocolate from scratch in Cusco’s ChocoMuseo with tastings and stories

You’ll step inside Cusco’s ChocoMuseo for a hands-on bean to bar chocolate workshop led by friendly local guides. Crack cacao beans, roast them, taste rich drinks, and pour your own chocolates with custom toppings. It’s messy fun—and you’ll walk out with your creations (and maybe some new friends).

What’s the experience like?

We ducked into the ChocoMuseo off Plaza Regocijo, dodging a sudden drizzle—Cusco weather is never what you expect. Inside, it smelled like warm cocoa and something toasted, almost nutty. Our guide, Mili, grinned and handed out aprons. She joked that hers was already stained from “too much enthusiasm.” I liked her immediately. We started by cracking open raw cacao beans (harder than it looks), and she showed us how to roast them over a tiny clay stove. The shells made this soft crackling sound, almost like popcorn but quieter.

I didn’t realize how many steps there are before you even get close to chocolate. Mili told us about how cacao came to Peru—5,000 years of history boiled down into stories about ancient traders and modern farmers. She passed around little bowls of nibs for us to taste; they were sharp and bitter, nothing like the finished bars in the shop window. I tried saying “cacao” the way she did—emphasis on the second syllable—and she laughed at my accent but gave me a thumbs up anyway.

The best part was pouring our own molds at the end, picking toppings from a rainbow of jars—dried mango, pink salt, coffee beans. My hands shook a bit because I wanted mine to look good (they didn’t). While we waited for our chocolates to set (about 45 minutes), we sipped thick hot chocolate together at a wooden table by the window. The rain had stopped by then and sunlight hit the old stones outside just right. I still think about that smell—sweet but earthy—and how everyone seemed a little giddy from all the tasting.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Chocolate workshop at ChocoMuseo Cusco

• Learn chocolate history
• Discover cacao origins
• Make chocolate from start
• Create own chocolate treats

Top questions

How long does the ChocoMuseo chocolate workshop last?

The workshop lasts about 2 hours plus 45 minutes for your chocolates to set.

Is the bean to bar workshop in Cusco suitable for kids?

Yes, children can participate and infants or small children can ride in strollers.

Do I get to take home the chocolate I make?

Yes, you can take home your handmade chocolates after they set (about 45 minutes after class ends).

Are there any tastings included during the workshop?

Yes, you’ll taste different chocolate drinks as part of the experience.

Is ChocoMuseo wheelchair accessible?

Yes, both transportation options and facilities are wheelchair accessible.

Where is ChocoMuseo located in Cusco?

It’s near Plaza Regocijo in central Cusco.

Are service animals allowed at ChocoMuseo?

Yes, service animals are allowed during the workshop.

What’s included

Your afternoon includes all materials needed for making your own chocolates from bean to bar at ChocoMuseo in Cusco, guided instruction throughout each step of the process, tastings of local chocolate drinks along the way—and you’ll leave with your finished chocolates once they’ve set.