Golden Nugget Discovery Tours will ensure that anyone who attends their city walking tour during the Winterlude festival will be rewarded with a steaming cup of delicious hot chocolate.

The tours, which start June 25, will take visitors from the gold monument at the corner of Sturt and Albert streets, through inner city and iconic locations and landmarks before finishing up at Craig’s Royal Hotel.

Tour guide Andrew Grant said it made sense to warm up with a hot chocolate after walking around the city’s highlights.

“It’s to warm you up after the walk,” he said.

Mr Grant said Craig’s Royal Hotel was an historic location and the home of plenty of stories.

“The final highlight is at Craig’s and the hot chocolate,” he said.

“(We discuss) the history of Craig’s from when it was a little Ballarat hotel and also some of the people who have stayed in Craig’s - from Captain Woodall, Mark Twain, Dame Nellie Melba, and a bit of royalty has gone through there too, a few princes and princesses.”

The Hot Chocolate Walking Tours are just one event that feature food and drinks during Winterlude.

Ballarat Regional Tourism CEO Noel Dempsey said the festival would also include a Pie and Pale competition, the Winterlude Beer Festival, Seriously Shiraz and numerous other events scattered across venues and eateries around the city.

“There are numerous events occurring during the month of Winterlude that embrace our cold season, and the Hot Chocolate Walking Tour is one of them,” he said.

“This tour celebrates our history and heritage as well as the beautiful winter that defines Ballarat. And of course life is always about balance, so walking and chocolate go hand-in-hand.

“All of Winterlude’s events will warm us up in one way or another – whether it be through warming pies and ales, wonderlights or hot chocolates.”

The Hot Chocolate Walking Tours are held daily at 10am and 2pm for the entire month of Winterlude.

For more details, visit winterlude.visitballarat.com.au