DIY Chocolate Tour

You’ve probably heard that a balanced diet is chocolate in both hands! We’ve come up with the perfect date night to make that a reality. Explore the dessert shops in your area and sample some of the best chocolates around with our DIY Chocolate Tour date night. Every chocolatier is different, which makes this a fun, romantic adventure. Invite your spouse with a printable brochure, play a little chocolate trivia along the way, and you’ve got one sweet date you’ll both remember.

You know we’re big fans of chocolate around here! If you love this one, don’t miss our Chocolate Tasting date or this deliciously fun Chocolate Body Paint idea for a sweet night in. But for now, let’s get back to the tour!

What Is a DIY Chocolate Tour?

When you’re traveling or exploring a new city, a chocolate tour is often one of the tastiest attractions you’ll find. The idea is simple: visit different chocolate shops, learn a little about how chocolate is made, and sample some of the best chocolate around. It sounds amazing — because it is. So we created a do-it-yourself version you can set up anywhere, right in your own town.

These gorgeous Chocolate Tour printables were created by our designer Carisa from Messes to Memories.

How to Plan Your DIY Chocolate Tour

For this date to be a success, you’ll want to do a little prep work ahead of time — we promise it’s worth it!

Get online and research the chocolate shops and dessert spots near you. Search for things like “best chocolatiers near me” or “best desserts near me” to get started, or hunt down a specific craving — say, “molten lava cake near me” or “chocolate gelato in {your city}.” A chocolate brainstorming sheet can help you narrow down your favorite types of desserts.

Use the planning sheet to list the shops you’re most interested in, jotting down the cost and what you’re excited to try at each one. Aim for at least five different shops and desserts so your spouse has plenty to choose from.

Send a Chocolate Tour Invitation

Leave the Chocolate Tour brochure out where your spouse will find it, with the planning sheet filled in, a blank agenda, and the instruction card tucked inside. They’ll fill out the agenda before date night — choosing which stops make the final cut. It instantly makes the whole evening feel official and exciting.

On Your Chocolate Tour

On date night, slip the agenda, questionnaire, and trivia cards into your brochure and head out to explore! When we did ours here in Raleigh, we focused on gourmet bonbons and truffles from some of the best-rated chocolatiers in the city. The chocolates were absolutely gorgeous, with flavors we’d never have thought to try. My favorite was the classic salted caramel (I know, boring!), while my husband went for the adventurous grapefruit-and-hibiscus truffle. We loved one shop so much we lingered and never made it to our last stop — which is half the fun.

Most stops had other treats to try, too — we added a frozen hot chocolate and a chocolate push-up pop to our adventure. Order however you like; the brochure just keeps the night feeling special.

Tips for the Best Chocolate Tour

Get organized. Plan the order of your stops around location and closing times so you can relax and enjoy the night instead of racing the clock.

Ask for samples. Many shops offer them for free, so be sure to ask. Savor each bite and see if you can taste the difference between a gourmet chocolate and your everyday grocery-store bar.

Chat with the chocolatier. Ask how much they know about their chocolate! We learned that some bars are made from single-origin cocoa while others are blends — the single-origin ones each had a unique flavor, while the blends tasted more balanced. We expected everything to be bitter, but it wasn’t: some had notes of citrus or blueberry, others were nutty, all with different levels of sweetness. (Turns out bitterness usually just means the cocoa beans weren’t roasted quite right.) We even sampled cocoa nibs — crunchy little bits of roasted bean — which were surprisingly nutty.

Snap some photos of your date, too, and if you share them, tag @datingdivas — we love seeing your date night adventures!

Play a Round of Chocolate Trivia

Every good tour comes with a few tidbits from the tour guide — and since you’re the guide tonight, we included a set of chocolate facts to share. Take turns reading the trivia as you go, or turn it into a game to see how much you really know about chocolate.

For example: did you know chocolate comes from a fruit tree? That chocolate milk is considered an effective post-workout recovery drink? Or that chocolate supposedly raises your heart rate faster than kissing? (We’re not so sure about that last one!) Trivia always sparks great conversation and teaches you something new together.

Talk About It Afterward

After your tour, use the Chocolate Questionnaire to get talking: Which chocolates were your favorite, and why? Which were overpriced, and which were worth every penny? Would you send a friend to any of them? Chocolate makes everything better — so get out there and try this sweet date night with your spouse!

More Sweet Date Ideas to Try

Can’t get enough dessert dates? Here are a few more of our favorites:

• Chocolate Tasting Date Night
• Dessert-Off Date Night
• S’mores Dessert Date Ideas
• Pi Day Date for Couples

DIY Chocolate Tour FAQs