15 Guided Cooking Classes to Book First

1.Tsukiji Fish Market Guided Tour and Sushi Making with Pro Chef

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 775 reviews · from $104Our pick

Start at Tsukiji Honganji Temple, walk through Tsukiji’s outer and wholesale areas with a local guide, then learn five nigiri styles and one roll from a professional sushi chef. Expect about four hours, stairs, a group setting, and no guaranteed accommodation for dietary restrictions.

“Korean was our tourguide, friendly and spoke English well. Started with a visit to the Buddhist temple, then to the market. We stopped at different food vendors and Ko offered good info on the different types of food. Then visited a shrine. I personally found being with group limiting as there are so many different things to sample, the group is limiting. The sushi lesson was informative and fun. Picked up some good info and enjoyed it. Bring your own water to drink as they only provide cold green tea, which is good, but I would have had water too.”

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2.Budapest Cooking Class & Market Tour with Local Guide & Wines

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 553 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $99

Meet guides such as Kinga, Ben, or Mesi at Central Market Hall, taste pickles, salami, cheese, and pálinka, then walk to a cozy Budapest-style kitchen. You’ll prepare a traditional dish, often chicken paprikash with dumplings, and eat together with wine.

“We learned to make what turned out to be our very favorite dish on our entire trip! It was a fun and informative day spent with our cooking teacher, Dominic. We'll definitely be making it at home!”

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3.Buenos Aires: Empanadas and Alfajores Guided Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 486 reviews · 3 hours · from $37

Join a small group of up to eight at Paseo Colón 1355 in San Telmo. Hosts including Thomas and Sophia guide you through empanada dough, savory fillings, the classic repulgue, cornstarch alfajores with dulce de leche, and the ritual of preparing mate. The three-hour class ends with a generous shared meal.

“Thomas was a wonderful teacher we had a lot of fun learning about the local foods and cooking the empanadas and Alfajores. I’d definitely recommend this experience.”

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4.Bergen: Guided Fishing Tour with Outdoor Cooking

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 96 reviews · from $253

Travel from Bergen to Øygarden, fish from a small open boat, gather crabs, shrimp, and seaweed, then prepare the catch with an English-speaking guide and chef. The menu changes with the day’s haul, from fish soup and boiled crab to barbecued mackerel.

“We were very lucky with the weather. We were able to venture a fair way out to the North Sea. Our guide Oyvind explained how to use the rods very well and moved to the best fishing spots using the sonar. The boat was very comfortable. The lunch was delicious. It was a great day”

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5.Marrakech: Ouzoud Waterfalls Guided Hike and Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 75 reviews · 10 hours · from $9Best value

Travel from Marrakech to Ouzoud Waterfalls with guides such as Dakar Marwan, hike through olive groves, visit an argan oil cooperative, ride a boat beneath the falls, and enjoy time for photos, lunch, and monkey watching. The 10-hour trip includes transport, but lunch costs about €13 extra.

“Dakar marwan as a tour guide was really nice. Meaning that he had really good knowledges about the destination and questions for us, but also answers for our questions.”

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6.Olbia: Traditional Pasta-Making Guided Workshop

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 73 reviews · from $114

In Olbia, an English or Italian speaking guide leads you through a 2.5-hour workshop on malloreddus, culurgiones, and seasonal ravioli. You will shape the pasta, learn Sardinian food traditions, then sit down to eat with wine, fruit, sweets, coffee, and a digestif.

“Great fun!! What a wonderful way to break up days of sightseeing. Isabella was a wonderful teacher. We made three types of pasta. Mixing the dough and creating the filling. Then we got to eat our creations with drinks included. So much fun!!”

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7.People of Bari unusual guided tour with pasta making at Grandma house

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $72

Join Giorgio in Bari’s old town for a three-hour English tour of local life, the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, food stops, and a visit with pasta maker Anna. Expect a small group of up to 10, central pickup, and tasting costs paid directly to each shop.

“I cannot express how much George made our time in Bari so perfect. He is personable, easy to understand and so much fun to tour with. His understanding of the local community and all the tasting opportunities was exactly what we were hoping to experience. His interaction with locals and our inclusion made the tour even more fun. Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Bari.”

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8.2 Hour Florence Pizza and Gelato Small Group Guided Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $96

Join Chef Ginevra, Elena, or Georgio at Florence Food Studio for a hands-on class making pizza dough, sauce, and two gelato flavors. The English-language session lasts about 2.5 hours, serves up to 12 people, and ends with lunch or dinner at the table.

“Georgio couldn’t have been more welcoming! My family said this has been their most favorite part of the trip! This is a must do while in Florence. Making beautiful and delicious memories.”

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9.Olbia: Sardinian Pasta-Making Guided Workshop

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · from $181

At a country house near Olbia, Simonetta guides you through four Sardinian pasta shapes, local customs, a small winery, and a full Gallura meal. The 3.5-hour experience includes a welcome drink, pasta-making equipment, wine tasting, village tour, lunch or dinner, and an exhibition of traditional tools.

“This was by far, the best experience I have ever had in my life! Our host, the lovely and so kind Simonetta, taught us how to make 4 different pastas. We also learned about the Sardinian culture, and visited her onsite winery. We had a wonderful lunch afterwards at her beautiful country home! An experience not to be missed!”

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10.Khor Virap, Garni & Geghard Guided Tour with Lavash Baking

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 49 reviews · 8 hours · from $35

Travel from Yerevan to Khor Virap, Azat Reservoir, Garni Temple, and UNESCO-listed Geghard with an English or Russian guide. You’ll see Mount Ararat, explore a pagan temple and rock-cut monastery, and watch lavash baked in a tonir. Group tours run Tuesdays and Saturdays; private trips run daily.

“The trip was very good, the weather and the ride was comfortable, however it was rushed to accommodate the plan. Each location is about 40 mins sightseeing, however it takes 10 mins to reach from the parking spot and then to listen to the guide, we have to complete the site seeing in 20mins which is not enough. Recommending to rearrange the plan for visiting Khor Virap in the afternoon to have the best possible view of Ararat Mountain.”

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11.Budapest Market Tour & Home Cooking Class with local Chef & Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $114

Chef and guide Marti leads a small group through Budapest’s Central Market, explaining Hungarian ingredients and food customs before a hands-on cooking class in her studio kitchen. Choose goulash, chicken paprikash, stuffed cabbage, or Hortobágyi pancakes, then sit down together with wine and recipes.

“Marti is an excellent tour guide and instructor. We had a thorough of the market and then she showed us how to make a delicious dinner. High recommend.”

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12.Monopoli: Parco Rurale Guided Tour with Pasta-Making Lab

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 13 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $71

Explore Masseria Spina’s rupestrian settlement, necropolis, fortified tower, citrus grove, olive press, and red Masseria Spina Grande with an Italian or English-speaking guide. Then make traditional Apulian pasta in a small group of up to 10. You take your pasta home, but cooking and a meal are not included.

“We very much enjoyed the pasta making lab, and being able to bring home our pasta shapes ready to taste test tomorrow. Our guide was very helpful and informative, the setting is beautiful and we even had the opportunity to try prickly pear. A very enjoyable couple of hours. Would recommend.”

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13.Tokyo: Tsukiji Market Guided Tour & Sushi-Making Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 11 reviews · 3h 45m · from $177

Spend 225 minutes with an English-speaking licensed guide at Tsukiji Outer Market, then travel by public transport to a modern kitchen near Tokyo Tower. Learn to make nigiri, hosomaki, and gunkanmaki, with ingredients, instruction, and a sushi souvenir kit included.

“Fun & insightful, guides were great, and master sushi chef very fun”

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14.Blue Elephant Sathorn Bangkok Cooking School with Michelin Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $161

Meet at Blue Elephant Sathorn near BTS Surasak for a half-day Thai cooking class led by expert chefs. Morning sessions add a fresh market visit, while both sessions include hands-on cooking, herbal drinks, recipes, an apron, a meal, and a certificate.

“This is a top notch experience. Since I found out about them late last year I attend the class every time I am in Bangkok. Try it, you will never regret it. My friend and I were blown away by the experience and would encourage everyone to join at least once.”

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15.Siem Reap: Guided Day Trip to Local Village & Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 8 hours · from $49

You’ll ride by tuk tuk from Siem Reap to a rural Khmer home, shop for ingredients at a local market, dress in traditional clothing, and cook Fish Amok, green mango salad, roasted chicken, and banana dessert. An English-speaking guide leads this small-group, eight-hour experience.

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