Lindt Home of Chocolate: how to get there and what to expect
One of the most visited museums in Switzerland, sitting on the edge of Lake Zurich about 30 minutes from the airport. The Lindt Home of Chocolate takes you through the full story of Swiss chocolate, from cocoa cultivation to the history of how Switzerland became the world’s reference point for the stuff, with an interactive audio guide, tastings along the way, and a nine-metre chocolate fountain in the atrium that is genuinely spectacular.
It earns its reputation. Allow around two hours for the museum, and budget some additional time for the world’s largest Lindt shop (500 square metres) on the way out.
Whats Inside
The museum covers seven themed sections, from the origins of cocoa in Central America and how it reached Europe, through to the Swiss chocolate pioneers who invented the specific techniques that define the industry today: milk chocolate, conching, the smooth texture that makes Swiss chocolate what it is. The audio guide is included in the entry price and available in 10 languages, with a children’s version in German and English.
Beyond the museum tour, there is also a show production facility where you can watch the manufacturing process in action, a Chocolateria where you can book a course to make chocolate with a Lindt Master Chocolatier, a café with hot chocolate and pastries, and the shop. The chocolate fountain and the shop are free to access without a museum ticket.
Practical details
Address: Schokoladenplatz 1, 8802 Kilchberg
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 10am to 7pm. Doors open at 9:30am. Last entry one hour before closing.
Prices: CHF 17 per adult, CHF 10 for children aged 8 to 15, free for children under 8. Zürich Card holders get 20% off. If you book your travel with SBB RailAway, you get 10% off the museum ticket.
Book in advance. This is not optional advice. The museum is one of the most popular in Switzerland and weekend slots sell out weeks ahead. Select your date and time slot at lindt-home-of-chocolate.com before you go.
- A half-day trip that earns its place on any Zurich itinerary.
How to get there
By train (simplest option)
From Zurich Airport, take any train towards Zurich main station (Zurich HB), then switch to the S8 S-Bahn towards Wädenswil. Get off at Kilchberg station. From there it’s a 10 to 12 minute walk (around 900 metres) along the lakeshore to the museum entrance. The total journey takes about 35 to 40 minutes.
Alternatively, from Zurich city centre take bus 165 from Bürkliplatz directly to the Kilchberg ZH, Lindt & Sprüngli stop, which drops you right at the entrance.
By boat (slower, considerably better)
If the weather is good, the boat is the way to do it. From Bürkliplatz in central Zurich, take the Short Lake Cruise (Kleine Seerundfahrt) to Kilchberg ZH (See). The boats leave hourly on the half hour, the crossing takes about 27 minutes across Lake Zurich, and from the Kilchberg boat stop it’s an 8 minute walk to the museum entrance. The boat is included in the Swiss Travel Pass and valid with a standard SBB ticket. It is one of the nicer half-hours you can spend near Zurich.
Tips
Book the first entry slot of the day (10am) if you want the museum at its quietest. By midday on weekends it fills up considerably.
The Chocolateria courses (where you make your own chocolate with a Master Chocolatier) are separate from the standard museum ticket and need to be booked independently in advance. Worth doing if you have children or just want to take something home that isn’t a bag of Lindor balls.
The café inside is good for hot chocolate and a break, but it gets busy in the afternoon. The terrace has a view of the fountain.
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