Viva Las Vegas Chocolate Tour
The enthusiastic staff inside the M&M World open the double doors each morning at 9 a.m. Located right on the iconic Las Vegas Strip, groups of chocolate fans line up to hear the Bruno Mars song “Uptown Funk” play in the background, as M&M staff members warmly welcome guests, inviting them to taste and shop in their one-of -a-kind retail store. M&M world is the first of many multi-sensory stops on the new Vegas Chocolate Tour.
Tour guides Joni Moss and Shaena Engle organized this unique tour over drinks and dinner one night. “There are multiple chocolate tasting opportunities in Las Vegas,” said Engle, “and yet no one was leading an organized tour.”
Moss arrives in a white SUV to pick up guests from their hotels. She is an expert on Vegas, along with her husband John. Together they are one of the leading wedding and party planners in Las Vegas, Nevada. They can arrange unique weddings with their LV Wedding Connection, engaging photo opportunities with their Photo Tours Vegas, and create spectacular weddings anywhere in the state with their Nevada Weddings. Now they can add Vegas Chocolate Tour.
Engle is a publicist and author of three books including Cheap Bastards Guide to Las Vegas: Secrets of Living the Good Life–For Less!She has been traveling to Las Vegas for years and considers Moss one of her closest friends. Through their relationships with different chocolate venues in Las Vegas, they organize four hour tours for 2 to 200 people.
Recently Moss and Engle led a group of 7 through the 28,000 square foot M&M World to create their own one-of-a-kind M&M’S. “The store has a printer that imprints customized messages and images on 16 different colors of M&M’S candies,” said Engle. Images include the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign, a deck of cards, wedding bells, and champagne.
Guests receive their candies in a clear plastic bag or can upgrade for a themed cylinder container. Besides just about every type of M&M logo clothing and accessories available to purchase, the store has a replica of Kyle Busch’s 18 M&M’S sponsored NASCAR, along with tons of colorful M&M’S Racing merchandise.
Stop #2 on the Vegas Chocolate Tour is across the street from M&M World at Hershey’s Chocolate World, inside the famous New York-New York Hotel & Casino. Stepping into this unique chocolate retail store, chocolate lovers learn all about Hershey’s chocolates and candies at this multi-level West Coast flagship store. Besides exclusive Hershey’s products and gifts, they have a cafe filled with delicious treats and chocolate covered strawberries.
Highlights at this stop include seeing a sculpture of the Statue of Liberty made out of almost 800 lbs. of HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate, and another sculpture made from Twizzlers.
On the tour guests can customize their own chocolate bars, and star in a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup television ad.
Stop #3 on the Vegas Chocolate Tour is the iconic Las Vegas Welcome sign. Vegas Chocolate Tour guests receive front of line access and the opportunity to meet Elvis. This 25 ft. tall Western Neon sign was erected in 1959 and is now placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interiors.
Guests receive a variety of chocolate tastings throughout the tour, including a pour of ChocoVine, a fine red French Cabernet subtly combined with a rich dark chocolate from Holland. With one sip, this decadent, smooth drink tastes similar to an after dinner liqueur. It’s wonderful on the rocks or poured over vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
Another unique chocolate taste is a Goufrais candy. In Germany they call this delicious German cocoa confection, “KaKao-Konfekt.” They are not available in stores, only online. Later tastes of Celebrity chef Thomas Keller’s chocolates are sampled.
Stop #4 on the Vegas Chocolate Tour is the famous Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus Garden. Take a self-guided chocolate factory tour and watch the Ethel M candy makers on the factory floor. Descriptions are displayed at each window about how they make the famous Vegas chocolates, package and box them for online requests and their retail stores. This extensive chocolate store also has a classroom offering informative wine and chocolate classes at an additional fee.
During this stop guests have time to purchase a hot chocolate and explore the beautiful three-acre Botanical Cactus Garden featuring over 300 different varieties of cactus. During the holiday season this area is decorated with lights making it into a winter wonderland.
The last stop #5 on the Vegas Chocolate Tour is Hollywood Cafe inside Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino for an over-the-top unique milkshake. For those looking for something other than chocolate, Moss will pre-order a vanilla and banana or strawberry shake. This quintessential chocolate shake is served with a chocolate brownie, whipped cream, M&M’s, peanut butter cups, chocolate syrup, and a crispy cookie.
The memorable Vegas Chocolate Tour is ideal for any chocolate lover. It’s a fun date for couples, great for a family, ideal for a pre-or-post wedding outing, bachelorette party, girlfriend getaway or guys weekend.
To book an experience, visit Vegas Chocolate Tour.
