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Chocolate Making and Tasting at a Local Factory in San Jos
4.9
129 Ratings
San José
Guided by professionals, you will enjoyably uncover the full journey of cocoa transforming into chocolate. Additionally, you will be provided with all the necessary materials to produce and take home your own customized chocolates.
Guided by professionals, you will enjoyably uncover the full journey of cocoa transforming into chocolate. Additionally, you will be provided with all the necessary materials to produce and take home your own customized chocolates.
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Tapir Chocolates - This is a confectionery studio offering a comprehensive sampling of all cocoa derivatives. Initially, a succinct overview of cocoa’s history in the Americas is presented, accompanied by a tasting of raw cocoa fruit. Subsequently, participants sample cocoa seeds at various stages of refinement, including nibs, cocoa powder, cocoa…
- Tapir Chocolates - This is a confectionery studio offering a comprehensive sampling of all cocoa derivatives. Initially, a succinct overview of cocoa’s history in the Americas is presented, accompanied by a tasting of raw cocoa fruit. Subsequently, participants sample cocoa seeds at various stages of refinement, including nibs, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and chocolate beverages. Moving on to the contemporary realm of chocolate-making, guests will savor chocolates of varying cocoa intensities and then craft their unique chocolate blends, incorporating a variety of local ingredients and their personal touch of creativity. To conclude, eco-friendly packaging materials are provided, enabling attendees to wrap their handmade chocolates and take home a delightful souvenir of the experience.
What's Included
- Snacks
- Creative materials for eco-friendly packaging (boxes, wrapping paper, stickers, etc.)
- Inputs for personal use (caps, aprons, gloves)
- Equipment necessary to make chocolates (molds, spatulas, machines)
- Snacks
- Creative materials for eco-friendly packaging (boxes, wrapping paper, stickers, etc.)
- Inputs for personal use (caps, aprons, gloves)
- Equipment necessary to make chocolates (molds, spatulas, machines)
What's Not Included
- Private transportation
- Private transportation
Meal Options
-
Chocolate Tasting - Fresh cocoa fruit; dry and roasted cocoa beans; cocoa nibs;
chocolates in different concentrations; cocoa drink.
-
Chocolate Tasting - Fresh cocoa fruit; dry and roasted cocoa beans; cocoa nibs;
chocolates in different concentrations; cocoa drink.
Location
Tapir Chocolates
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.
Costarican direction: From "Parque Francia" 150mts North, is a white house, in front of Olmos Kinder Garden).
Barrio Escalante, San José, Costa Rica.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(129 Ratings)
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Katie_o
Apr 7, 2026
Learning about the... - Learning about the history of cocoa was interesting for me (my 12 year old would have skipped that part) but when we got to the testing and chocolate making he was all in. Letting you do the chocolate yourself, pick your toppings, and decorate your chocolate wrappers was a great experience. I would recommend it if you are looking for something smaller, more interactive and easy for kids to participate.
Review provided by Viator
Kimberly_h
Apr 5, 2026
Amazing - This was such a great experience to for such a great price. The history, knowledge & making process was so well worth every penny. Thank You Mauricio!
Review provided by Viator
Christelle_a
Apr 4, 2026
Fantastic!! Educational,... - Fantastic!! Educational, unique and fun. I would highly recommend it and it was perfect for my stay in SJO
Review provided by Viator
Yoav_s
Apr 2, 2026
Tiny place on a quiet... - Tiny place on a quiet street, 100% artisanal, like someone’s home. Amazing experience, friendly educational, super fun. And the chocolate is beautiful, delicious!
Review provided by Viator
Richard_a
Apr 2, 2026
For the love of chocolate -
A little tricky to find, but absolutely worth the effort. In a place like Costa Rica where so many activities are high-energy and physical, this was a perfect change of pace, relaxing, fun, and full of rich cultural insight. Mauricio was an incredible instructor, patient, engaging, and genuinely supportive throughout the experience. We loved every step, from learning the history of chocolate to crafting our own bars and even designing our own packaging. Such a unique, hands-on experience, and we’re so glad we did it.
Review provided by Viator
Getaway65060192730
Mar 29, 2026
Amazing and delicious activity - We have 5 people in our family: 2 parents, an 18 yr old, a 15 year old and an 10 year old. We all loved the chocolate making experience. It is truly a bean to bar experience, beginning with opening a fresh cacao pod to creating our own, unique chocolate bars complete with packaging. It feels like an insider peek into the chocolate making process, including the history and economics of the chocolate industry.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tracy_g
Mar 28, 2026
Best experience ever! - WOWWWW hands down this was the BEST thing we've ever done! Not only was our host super kind and informative but he made the overall experience really something more people should be talking about. He went above and beyond and it is definitely going to be something we remember for a lifetime. Our daughters are 4 and 8 and they had the best time too, we stayed super engaged, the whole experience moved seamlessly and perfectly and we're so beyond happy we booked this! Amazing experience!
Review provided by Viator
Susan_k
Mar 24, 2026
Great fun and bonus history lesson in the origins of chocolate! - It is not actually a factory but rather small group training in how to make chocolate from bean to bar. The host is the owner o the boutique chocolate company. The actual factory is about 1 hour away. He is delightful and provides much historical information about the origins of chocolate. He takes as much time as the event requires and ours ran a bit long but he did not rush us at all. He also provides recommendations for restaurants in the area (he is a chef by training who became entranced by chocolate). His recommendations include all all types of food, including vegetarian and vegan options. The only confusing thing about the experience is that it is in a house in a residential area . When we went there was no Tapir Chocolates sign so we were not sure we were in the correct place. The location is in the middle of a block, and look for the house with the black bars and the bronze/terra cotta entry door. We had a lot of fun. He is also a wealth of information if, like me, you try to temper chocolate for holiday bon-bons or truffles! However, the other guests did not make candy at home and had an equally wonderful time !
Review provided by Viator
Aurora_m
Mar 23, 2026
Hands-on delicious chocolate making experience! - Mauricio lead an educational and hands-on fun chocolate making experience, good for all ages probably suggest seven and up. We were able to see the CACAO fruit in all of its forms and taste each stage. we learned about the origins and how to properly temper chocolate to be able to make at home as well. Each participant had the opportunity to make two chocolate bars themselves including a huge variety of fillings and toppings. We even were able to design our own wrapper for our finished product. After being in the sun and doing lots of hiking every day, this was a super great way to end our Costa Rican Vacay. We give Mauricio and the TAPIR chocolate company ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ plus we got to bring our chocolate bars home!! Located in a great area for nearby restaurants after!
Review provided by Viator
Janellem419
Mar 16, 2026
Great small business owned chocolate making class! - This was a fabulous chocolate making class! We had such fun and learned SO much about cacoa and the origins, how to make it from every step etc. from the owner Mauricio! We each got to make 2 chocolate bars and now we are master chocolatiers 🤣 He was great highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor