The Top 10 Factory Tours in the World
Plan a tour at one of these global factories for your next vacation.
My grandfather loved a good factory tour. I have fond memories of touring an industrial bakery, a dairy, and an ice cream factory as a young kid. A well-executed factory tour is more than just a look behind the scenes—it tells a story of a company, its people, and the place it calls home. These are my top ten factory tours in the world:
10. World of Coca-Cola—Atlanta, Georgia, USA
We’re starting the list off strong with The Real Thing™ in Atlanta, Georgia. What began as a humble tonic drink is now the world's most-recognized brand. The story of Coca-Cola is equal parts business history, masterful marketing, and pop culture folklore. The tour's highlight is the Taste It! exhibit, where visitors sample over 100 Coca-Cola products from around the world. "I expected corporate propaganda but found myself genuinely fascinated by how one beverage influenced global culture for over a century," admits one reviewer.
Tours are available every day of the week, 10am-6pm. Book your tickets here.
9. Hershey’s Chocolate World—Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
Visitors to Hershey's Chocolate World will smell the factory long before they see it—so much chocolate is produced here, visitors and locals can smell the chocolate in the air. Hershey's Chocolate World immerses visitors in a sweet journey from cocoa bean to chocolate bar in the town literally built on chocolate. The free ride-through tour takes visitors through a simulated tropical rainforest where cocoa beans grow, then through the roasting, conching, and molding processes that give Hershey's chocolate its distinct taste and texture.
Tours are available daily 9am-5pm. Tickets can be purchased here.
8. BMW Group Plant—Munich, Germany
I had a friend growing up whose dad was obsessed with BMWs. One year, he custom ordered a BMW M3 and flew his family to Germany to pick it up. That was a fun car.
BMW ended the European Delivery Program for U.S. customers in 2020, but you can still visit and tour the BMW plant in Munich, across the street from the BMW Museum. Over 7,000 employees work alongside state-of-the-art automated systems to produce 900 cars every day.
To experience German precision in person, book your tour here.
7. Ben & Jerry’s—Waterbury, Vermont, USA
The Ben & Jerry's Factory Tour in Vermont blends ice cream education, history, and generous sampling that takes visitors through the transformation of Vermont dairy into world-famous ice cream. The tour's emotional highlight for many is the Flavor Graveyard, where discontinued flavors rest in peace with witty epitaphs on tombstone-shaped monuments. One reviewer said, “It's rare to find a factory tour that makes you laugh, teaches you something, feeds you ice cream, and inspires you to make the world a better place—all in under an hour.”
Tours are available 10am-6pm. Book here.
6. U.S. Mint—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Denver, Colorado, USA
The U.S. Mint tour offers visitors a fascinating glimpse into the birthplace of America's coinage, where up to 45 million coins are produced daily. The self-guided tour takes guests along an elevated walkway overlooking the production floor, where massive presses stamp designs onto metal blanks with incredible precision. As one reviewer noted, “The tour is free, which seems ironically appropriate for a facility that makes money.”
Be sure to book your tour soon before the penny goes the way of the dodo. No reservations are required for the Philadelphia Mint, and tickets are available in-person at the Denver Mint.
5. Airbus—Toulouse, France
The scale of the Airbus Factory is hard to imagine—it's so vast, each facility has its own road system. The Airbus A320 Family (including the A321) and A350 are assembled in Toulouse. Visitors consistently praise the knowledgeable guides who explain how components from Germany, Spain, and the UK converge in France, highlighting the international collaboration behind each aircraft.
Tours are available in English, French, and Spanish. Tickets can be purchased here.
4. Pagani—Modena, Italy
The Pagani factory isn’t so much a factory as it is an atelier—a workshop where skilled craftsmen build some of the most expensive supercars in the world by hand. Limited to small groups and requiring advance reservation, this exclusive tour takes visitors through the carbon fiber department where technicians hand-lay composite materials, the leather workshop where artisans stitch interiors with surgical precision, and the final assembly area where each multi-million-dollar Huayra and Zonda comes together. Horacio Pagani himself occasionally greets tour groups, and the museum section features prototype models and Mr. Pagani's personal collection.
Reservations can be made here.
3. Steinway & Sons—Queens, New York, USA and Munich, Germany
A Steinway concert grand piano weighs well over 1,000 pounds and costs more than $200,000. It’s simply the best piano money can buy and has been for 172 years. They’re so good, many artists—including Billy Joel, Diana Krall, and Harry Connick, Jr.—refuse to play anything else. Steinway has two factories—one in Queens and the other in Hamburg, Germany.
Unfortunately, Steinway discontinued public tours of their factories several years ago. However, institutional buyers (e.g. concert halls, music venues, colleges) can request VIP factory tours. There is also a fascinating documentary, Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037, that shows the making of one piano over 12 months.
2. Guinness Storehouse—Dublin, Ireland
The Guinness Storehouse Experience showcases 250+ years of brewing history, brought to life through immersive storytelling and interactive exhibits. Visitors sample various Guiness varities, including limited editions not available elsewhere. The tour ends in the Gravity Bar, where visitors enjoy a complimentary pint (à la their famous six-step pour) while taking in panoramic views of the Dublin skyline. As one visitor noted, "The Guinness Storehouse isn't just about beer; it's about how a single product shaped a nation's identity and continues to bring people together."
Several different experiences are available, including the Guinness Academy, where you can learn how to pour the perfect pint of Guiness. Tickets are available here.
1. Ford Rouge Factory Tour—Dearborn, Michigan, USA
The Ford Rouge Factory Tour is a testament to American manufacturing ingenuity and Henry Ford’s legacy. The tour begins with by chronicling the plant's century-long history from Ford's revolutionary assembly line to modern innovations. The elevated plant walkway offers an unparalleled glimpse into the production of America's best-selling F-150 trucks, with a finished truck rolling off the line every 53 seconds.
Be sure to check Ford’s website for when active assembly takes places, as there are several days throughout the year when the plant stops production for various reasons. Active assembly is not available on Saturdays, and the tour is closed on Sundays. Tickets can be purchased here.
What are your favorite factory tours? Let me know in the comments below.
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We need to go to the Airbus factory next time you're in Toulouse!