Top 8 Factory Tours to Experience in Germany

Go behind the scenes of Germany’s most famous exports and find out how German cars, chocolate, and beer are made. Many factories in Germany open their doors to curious visitors, offering them a look at how their products are built, brewed, and crafted from start to finish.

Before embarking on a factory tour in Germany, make sure to call ahead or check their website for reservation policies and whether tours are available in English. Additionally, visiting the factory stores afterward provides a great opportunity for some excellent deals.

1. BMW Car Factory Munich

Address: Am Olympiapark 2, 80809 München, Germany

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Phone: +49 89 125016001

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For BMW fans, Munich offers three key attractions, all within walking distance:

• The BMW Museum – Showcases the storied history of the famous car brand.
• BMW World – An architectural marvel that serves as a delivery center for BMWs, housing exhibition halls, design ateliers, and children’s workshops.
• BMW Plant – Takes visitors on a tour to see the fascinating production processes, including the welding done by computer-controlled robots.

Where: Petuelring 130, 80809 Munich

2. Haribo Gummy Factory

Address: Am Neutor 3, 53113 Bonn, Germany

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Phone: +49 228 90904440

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The most iconic gummy bears in the world originate from Germany. Haribo Goldbären (gold bears) made their debut in 1920 in Bonn, Germany. Today, Haribo stands as the largest gummy candy manufacturer globally. Although factory entry is restricted, you can visit the Haribo factory store near the original site, which features exhibitions about Haribo and offers a wonderful selection of gummy bears at delightful prices.

• Where: Am Neutor 3, 53113 Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

3. Erdinger Brewery Munich

Address: Franz-Brombach-Straße 1, 85435 Erding, Germany

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Phone: +49 8122 4090

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The world’s largest brewer of wheat beer resides close to Munich, combining traditional methods with modern technology. At the Erdinger Brewery, the finest ingredients are paired with age-old recipes and processed in a high-tech bottling plant.

During your tour, you will observe the entire brewing process, examine the fermentation and filtration cellars, visit the computer-controlled warehouse, and learn how the beer is prepared and dispatched worldwide. With over a million bottles leaving the brewery daily, you can savor fresh Hefeweizen in the brewery’s delightful beer garden.

• Where: Franz-Brombach-Str. 1-20, 85435 Erding

4. Chocolate Museum Cologne

Address: Am Schokoladenmuseum 1A, 50678 Köln, Germany

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Phone: +49 221 9318880

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Cologne’s Chocolate Museum features a glass chocolate factory where visitors can witness how cocoa beans turn into chocolate bars. The machines throughout the factory have viewing windows, allowing a closer look at the production steps involved.

The exhibition conveys the rich history of chocolate, starting from the Mayans’ “drink of the gods” to contemporary advertisements. If all this chocolate info stirs up your appetite, don’t miss the 10-foot chocolate fountain, where museum staff will happily dip a stick of waffle into the warm chocolate for a taste.

Where: Am Schokoladenmuseum 1A, 50678 Cologne

5. Meissen Porcelain Factory

Three hundred years ago, Europe’s first porcelain was created in Meissen, near Dresden. Today, Meissen porcelain (Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen) is recognized globally, characterized by its distinguished trademark of crossed swords.

Visitors can tour various workshops demonstrating the meticulous process of creating fine Meissen china by hand, from modeling to painting. There’s also a museum hosting over 20,000 pieces from different eras, along with an outlet store for bargain hunting.

• Where: Talstraße 9, 01662 Meissen

6. VW Factory and Autostadt Wolfsburg

Address: Heinrich-Nordhoff-Straße, 38440 Wolfsburg, Germany

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Once again, it’s about cars! The Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg is just one hour from Berlin and is renowned for being the largest auto plant globally. Visitors can explore a large car museum, various pavilions dedicated to VW vehicles, and restaurants, alongside driving courses for both adults and kids.

One of the major attractions is the glass elevator that ascends to a height of 160 feet within the impressive glass Car Tower. This tower can house up to 800 custom-ordered cars, ready for their owners to pick up right after production.

The “Autostadt” (car city) adjacent to the factory serves as a theme park dedicated to the automobile, providing everything a car enthusiast dreams about.

Where: Stadtbrücke, 38440 Wolfsburg

7. Steiff Factory and Museum

Address: Margarete-Steiff-Straße 1, 89537 Giengen an der Brenz, Germany

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Children and collectors worldwide adore the German Steiff plush toys, identified by their signature “button in ear.” Created in 1880 by seamstress Margarete Steiff, these plush animals are exclusively made from top-quality materials like felt, mohair, or alpaca.

Visit the birthplace of these iconic toys in Giengen, located 90 miles west of Munich. After exploring the largest Steiff shop worldwide, take time to check out the interactive toy museum and the workshops where these plush treasures are still crafted by hand.

Where: Margarete-Steiff Platz 1, 89537 Giengen an der Brenz

8. Jagermeister Factory Tour

Address: Jägermeister, Campestraße, 38302 Wolfenbüttel, Germany

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Not just for party enthusiasts, the famous German liquor Jagermeister can be explored during a visit to its headquarters in Wolfenbüttel (approximately 200 km west of Berlin).

Each tour lasts 1.5 hours, although you won’t uncover all the secret ingredients (there are 56!) The guides, fluent in English or German, will lead you through the production facilities, enlightening you on the herb cellar and concluding the tour with a tasting session.

Where: Wolfenbüttel, Germany