Cheese Trips · CHEESE AND CHOCOLATE TASTINGS
Two things made from milk, an hour apart, usually in the same Swiss valley. These 15 pair a dairy with a chocolatier, priced and timed, with a note on how much of the day is spent on the train between them.
Explore Cálem’s active cellars and interactive museum with an English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese guide. Learn how Port is made, then compare Late Bottled Vintage, Vintage, and 20-year tawny Port with cheese and chocolate pairings.
“excellent professional and knowledgable presentation from our guide - Anastasia.”
Spend 3.5 hours walking from Bellevue to Paradeplatz with a small group of up to 12. Guides such as Toni, Jolita, Ioanna, and Shaun connect Zurich’s churches, banking district, and old-town lanes with tastings of rösti, sausage, cheese, chocolate, wine, schnaps, and more.
“Shawn was an excellent guide and everyone in our group was very enjoyable. We got to sample traditional Zurich delicacies while exploring parts of the city on foot. The pace of food and drink was not overwhelming but we finished the tour fully satisfied. It was a great substitute for lunch and a lot of fun.”
This 10-hour Geneva day trip combines Maison Cailler chocolate tasting, Gruyère cheese and fondue, free time in the medieval village, and a GoldenPass train ride toward Montreux. Guides such as Roger, David, Babis, and Aristotle are known for clear instructions, humor, and local stories.
“Loved it, no shortage of chocolate or cheese! Excellent value for money. No other snacks needed along the way. Recommend doing the golden panoramic train very lovely views. Safe to leave items like coats on the bus. Not over booked so a good size group. Early start meaning almost guaranteed no line on arrival at both planned events, except when you look behind you 5 mins later! All the tours leave from the Geneva central bus station sp find that and then your operator, 2 mins walk from the main train / tram station. Long day but restaurants of all types within 200m on return with reasonable value. Our guide…”
Travel from Zurich to Maestrani’s Chocolarium and the Appenzeller Schaukäserei, then spend time in Appenzell or St. Gallen. Your English-speaking driver handles the road and tickets, while you explore the exhibits independently, taste chocolate and cheese, and enjoy Swiss countryside views.
“Lovely easy day trip with three stops. The chocolate museum was nice - especially for kids. The cheese tour was interesting but not too much to see, mainly the cheese shop at the end. The drive to Appenzell was incredible, lovely scenery and the town is very picturesque. Our tour was on a Saturday and all the shops closed at 5pm, and we arrived around 4:30 so we didnt really have time to look around and shop, which was a shame, We would have liked another hour there, arriving earlier. The driver was very friendly and handed out bottles of water which was nice. Overall a lovely day.”
This 12-hour English-language day trip pairs Rhine Falls with Maestrani’s Chocolarium, Appenzeller Schaukäserei, and free time in Appenzell. Driver-guides such as Tony, Alex, and Terri handle transport and practical help, while the main visits are self-guided. Plan for a long day and a return to Zurich between tour sections.
“It was an amazing day! Everything very well planned and carefully taken care off. Highly recommended.”
Start at Marktplatz with a guide such as Gina or Jean, then walk Basel’s Old Town for Swiss pastry, cheese, chocolate, and seasonal market tastings. Expect about three hours, a maximum of 12 people, and a strong focus on food education rather than a full meal.
“Gina is an outstanding people person. Very knowledgeable and highly interactive. Enjoyed learning about her experience.”
Meet at Lucerne’s train station at 1 p.m. for a small-group walk with five chocolate samples, three Alpine cheeses, Swiss wine, Chapel Bridge, the water tower, and Lucerne Castle. Guides such as Luis, Sarah, and Laszlo bring local stories, while an optional one-hour lake cruise adds more scenery.
“This tour was excellent! I typically HATE tour groups, but this was definitely an exception. Sarah gave us a great tour. It was very personable and really just felt like an old friend was showing us around her home town. She told some great stories about the town and some of the locations. The chocolate tasting and cheese tasting were delicious. The walk to the chateau was a nice way to walk through some of the old town. If you also add the boat cruise, the guide will wish you well and send you onto the boat so you can take the departure time that works best for you. She…”
From Geneva, travel by air-conditioned coach to Maison Cailler and La Maison du Gruyère, with tastings and time in the medieval village. Guides such as Roger, Babis, David, and Aristotle have led this route. Add the GoldenPass Panoramic train from May to October for a scenic finish.
“David, our tour guide was fantastic! He made this trip special. The chocolate museum was cheesy and I would have been happy to skip. As a chocolate lover, tastings were nice but too much. The cheese factory was ideal. The tour was brief and the samples were of some of the best cheese I have had. It was a cloudy day, but the trail ride was still beautiful.”
Spend about eight hours visiting three or four Hunter Valley cellar doors, with three wine tastings, a spirits tasting, and stops for local cheese and chocolate. Return transport is included, and guides such as Grant, Des, and Suzanne keep the day moving in a group of no more than 20.
“Chatting on the bus The vodka & gin place The last wine tasting was the best Bus driver was great fun”
Spend 10 hours traveling from Geneva to Maison Cailler, La Maison du Gruyère, and the medieval village of Gruyères. Taste Swiss chocolate, cheese, and fondue, then ride a panoramic GoldenPass train toward Montreux. English-speaking guides such as Roger and Amin add commentary along the way.
“It was an excellent day and the guide was excellent too!”
Travel from Sydney to the Hunter Valley for tastings at Audrey Wilkinson and Mount Pleasant, a two-course wine-paired lunch at voco Kirkton Park, then chocolate and Binnorie Dairy cheese. Guides such as Stephen, Yan, and Alfie have led departures.
“Richtig guter Guide/Fahrer (Yan). Richtig gute Tour. Hervorragender Wein. Tolle Landschaft. Mittagessen war auch gut. Geht nicht besser.”
Travel from Geneva to Maison Cailler and La Maison du Gruyère, then spend free time in the medieval village. Expect chocolate tastings, a short cheese-making visit, Alpine views, and guides such as Roger or Normunds on some departures. Castle and museum entry cost extra.
“The cheese stop was not up to my standards. The little cheese sampler packet was not what we expected. The castle entrance fee should have been part of the package with more time to visit there.”
Join an English-speaking guide such as Toni, Ioanna, Jolita, or Shawn for a 3.5-hour walk through Zurich’s Old Town. You’ll make roughly seven specialty-food stops and enjoy 8+ tastings, from Bircher muesli and sausage to Swiss cheese, fondue, gin, wine, and chocolate.
“Jolita did a great job introducing us to the Old Town. We slowly covered several excellent venues and sampled a variety of traditional swiss dishes. We also learned about the landmarks we passed. Highly recommended as an introduction to Zurich and it's cuisine”
Join a small group of up to eight for a 2 to 3 hour Lucerne walk with five Swiss chocolates, three Alpine cheeses, wine, Chapel Bridge, the Water Tower, and a lift ride to the castle. English and Spanish guides such as Luis and Laszlo add local stories. Add a one-hour Lake Lucerne cruise.
“We enjoyed our tour very much. We learned the layout of the city on our first day in Lucerne and got great recommendations for other great activities and restaurants for later in our trip. The chocolate tasting was super tasty and the wine and cheese tasting was as well.”
Travel from Geneva in an air-conditioned vehicle with hotel pickup, then visit La Maison du Gruyère, Gruyères Castle, and Maison Cailler. You will sample aged cheese and chocolate, have time for fondue in the medieval town, and may enjoy guidance from Gabor, a popular local guide.
“Gabor was a very accommodating and informative tour guide. The views of the Alps were spectacular and the drive was comfortable. The restaurant he chose for lunch was in a pretty setting in Gruyere and of course delicious like the cheese tour & Cailler chocolate. A great day!”
Pick a dairy, a cellar, a boat or a bench with a bowl of curd on it.
