Market and Cooking Class Tours in China: Our Top 9

1.Half-Day Chengdu Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 465 reviews · from $90Our pick

Meet at Chilli Cool’s Kitchen in Chengdu for a guided walk through Liangjiaxiang market with English-speaking hosts such as Lance or Jerry. Learn about Sichuan spices, sample local foods, make dumplings or wontons, then cook several regional dishes with a chef before sitting down to eat. Ingredients, drinks, recipes, and refreshments are included.

“We spent a great day with the Chili Cool team 🌶️🌶️🌶️! Jerry picked us up from the hotel and we had an amazing market tour where he patiently answered all of our questions. Communication in English was very easy and the food was very tasty! They even offered a vegetarian version for us. We can recommend the class 💯. Thank you so much for the great time!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Half-Day Xi’an Biang Biang Noodles Cooking with a Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 48 reviews · from $75

Meet near Sa Jin Qiao, explore Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter spice market, then make biang biang noodles in a traditional Chinese courtyard or chef’s home. Guides such as Fiona, Lily, Michael, and Bruce have led sessions. Your fee covers ingredients, recipes, tea, beer, water, and the meal you prepare.

“This class was exactly what we were looking for. Michael was an excellent teacher and we had so much fun making Biang Biang Noodles. Before the class we got to visit a Chinese market which was an experience in its self. I would definitely book this class if you are looking to learn how to make excellent Biang Biang Noodles”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Chengdu: Cooking Class with Fresh Market Half Day Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 42 reviews · 4.5 hours · from $82

Meet Lance, Jerry, or another English-speaking guide at Liang Jia Xiang Metro Station for a market walk and hands-on Sichuan cooking class. You will learn about local spices, drink Sichuan tea, cook several dishes with a chef, then eat your meal with beer or other drinks. Vegetarian and vegan menus can be arranged in advance.

“Lance our guide was excellent and great fun the market and cooking experience were brilliant”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Half-Day steamed Buns Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · from $80

Spend about four hours with an English-speaking guide visiting a Chengdu spice market, learning about Sichuan ingredients, and making filled baozi in a traditional courtyard kitchen. Guides such as Lance and Jerry add language help and local context. You finish with your own buns, tea, and drinks.

“Wat een geweldige ervaring! Daarbij had ik het goed getroffen met Jerry! Wat een leuke gids was dat! Eerst gingen we de markt bezoeken. Geduldig legde hij alles uit wat ik wilde weten: (voor mij) onbekende groentes vertaalde hij, liet hij ruiRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Hong Kong Market Walking Tour & Chinese Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · from $131

Meet Bill Chan in Ngau Tau Kok for a guided walk through a local wet market, then prepare a three-course Chinese meal in a well-equipped cooking studio. You will shop for fresh ingredients, work in pairs, and eat what you make with tea, coffee, dessert, and recipes to take home. Morning and afternoon departures are available.

“Great experience with Bill. Started in a local market before move in the the kitchen to learn some Chinese/Hong Kong cooking skills. Hugely educational and yummy.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Half-Day Professional Mapo Tofu Cooking with a Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · from $69

Spend about four hours with a professional chef and a group of no more than 10. Visit Chilli Cool China’s local market, learn about Sichuan spices, then cook mapo tofu at Chilli Cool’s Kitchen. Jerry may help with the market visit and class details. Tea, drinks, food, recipes, and a souvenir are included.

“100% Recommend this class. We were met at the station by Jerry and taken to a local food market. The food Market was an experience in its self and we ended up picking up some spices to take back home with us. After the Market Jerry tooRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Half-day Dandan Noodles Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $100

Spend about four hours with Chilli Cool China exploring a local spice market, completing a playful ingredient hunt, and cooking Dan Dan noodles in a professional kitchen. Guides such as Lance, Ocean, and Amy help explain the ingredients, while a local chef leads the hands-on class. Tea, beer, lunch or dinner, recipes, and hotel transport within Chengdu’s second ring road are included.

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Beijing: Vegan Home Cooking & Local Market Tour with Sanxia

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 4 reviews · 4 hours · from $47Best value

Join Sanxia, also known as Rabbit, near Linheli in Tongzhou for a private market visit and home cooking class. Choose seasonal produce, make dumplings, noodles, steamed buns, and other vegan dishes, then eat together over Chinese tea. English and Chinese sessions run daily for one to eight people.

“This was amazing! I did this cooking class back in September and it was such a great experience! I was the only person booking it that day, so we met a little earlier, went to the market together and bought all the vegetables fresh from there! Then, we went to Sanxia‘s apartment and cooked a lot of different dishes! It was really fun!! We all ate together and talked a lot. I actually ended up spending my whole day with Sanxia, her boyfriend Jürgen and their friends. It was my favorite day of my whole solo trip to Beijing, China ^^”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Dumpling Cooking Class and Local Market Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $80

Spend four hours exploring a fresh market near Beijing’s hutongs, choosing ingredients before making dumplings from scratch in a traditional courtyard. Your English-speaking guide leads a small group of up to eight, with several fillings available, including vegan-friendly choices. The tour begins and ends at Zhaojunsheng Vegetable Market.

“Super fun experience! 2 young girls from Beijing with excellent English. We went to a local market together to get groceries and made the Dumplings from scratch. Beautiful building that we prepped and cooked in.”

Check availability →Read our full review