Azerbaijani Cooking Class in Baku: Make Three Dishes

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/50

Duration3h–4h

GroupUp to 18

LanguagesEN · RU

PickupAt your hotel

Walk ancient streets, then roll up your sleeves to make dolma, qutab, and ayran

An Azerbaijani cooking class in Baku's UNESCO Old City where you prepare dolma, qutab and ayran under a local chef's instruction, then share the meal you've made. The half-day also includes a guided walk past the 12th-century Maiden Tower and 15th-century Palace of the Shirvanshahs, hotel pickup, and finishes with samovar tea and local sweets. Available as a private or group tour with an English or Russian-speaking guide.

3h–4h

Step-by-step itinerary

Old City tour and cooking class

Check-in at Old City office
Visit the Double Gates entrance
Explore the Maiden Tower
See Juma Mosque
Tour the Palace of the Shirvanshahs
Pass by Ali Shamsi workshop
Attend Azerbaijani cooking class
Enjoy samovar tea with sweets

The Experience

The morning starts at the operator's office in Icherisheher, the walled Old City, and moves through the Double Gates—12th-century fortified entrances that still mark the boundary between Baku's medieval core and the modern city. From there, the walk passes the Maiden Tower, a UNESCO monument from the same era, and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, a 15th-century palace UNESCO describes as one of the pearls of Azerbaijan's architecture. The guide points out the Juma Mosque, which has functioned since the 12th century, and stops at the workshop of Ali Shamsi before moving into the cooking space.

The class itself happens in a traditional restaurant in the Old City. You work with a local chef to prepare three dishes: dolma (vine leaves stuffed with meat and rice), qutab (a stuffed flatbread), and ayran (a yogurt drink with mint). The chef demonstrates each one, then you make them yourself. There's no standing and watching—you're handling the ingredients and the techniques. After the class finishes, you sit down and eat the three dishes you've just made in a communal setting, the way the meal is meant to be shared.

The experience closes with the samovar ritual: fragrant tea brewed in the traditional urn, poured into small glasses, and served with local sweets and homemade jams. This is how Azerbaijani hospitality works, and it's the last thing you taste before heading back. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, and the guide speaks English or Russian. The whole thing runs three to four hours.

What’s included

A guided walking tour of the Old City passing the Maiden Tower and Palace of the Shirvanshahs.
hotel pickup and drop-off.
hands-on cooking instruction from a local chef.
preparation of three Azerbaijani dishes (dolma, qutab, and ayran).
lunch featuring the dishes you've made.
samovar-brewed tea with local sweets and jams.
a live guide in English or Russian.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Old City Tours LLC

Is this one for you?Choose the private tour if you want the class and the walking pace shaped to your group's interests and timing. The group option works well if you're traveling solo or want to meet other travelers while learning to cook—the shared meal at the end is built for that.