Chengdu Sichuan Cooking Class: Make Three Dishes

Cook three Sichuan dishes and eat them in a tea house

A three-hour cooking class in Chengdu where you prepare three classic Sichuan dishes under professional chef instruction, then enjoy the meal you've cooked alongside unlimited local snacks in a traditional tea house. The class includes a tour of the Chuancais Museum (the world's only "edible museum"), the Western Sichuan garden, and the Kitchen God Ancestral Hall, with a guide available in English or Chinese. Children from age three are welcome.

The experience

Three hours covers the whole arc: a guided walk through the Chuancais Museum and its collections of Sichuan culinary heritage, the Western Sichuan garden with cultural relics dating back thousands of years, and the Kitchen God Ancestral Hall dedicated to the patron of Chinese chefs. You'll learn about traditional ingredients (particularly Pixian chili bean paste and its role in Sichuan cooking) before moving to the hands-on part.

In the kitchen, you work alongside professional chefs to prepare three classic Sichuan dishes from start to finish. The class includes a blindfolded knife-cutting demonstration using golden silk noodles, a skill that shows the precision Sichuan cooking demands. After cooking, you sit down to eat what you've made, then move to a traditional Sichuan tea house where you have leisure time and unlimited local snacks to sample.

You can book either the Kung Pao Chicken tour or the Sichuan Classic Cuisine tour. Both follow the same structure and include the museum visits, the cooking instruction, and the meal. Optional add-ons at checkout let you choose private dining, additional accompaniments with a Sichuan Cuisine Master certificate, or unlimited drinks including tea and wine. A live guide leads the experience in English or Chinese. Public transportation options are available near the venue.

What’s included

• Guided tour of the Chuancais Museum, Western Sichuan garden, and Kitchen God Ancestral Hall.
• hands-on cooking class preparing three classic Sichuan dishes under professional chef instruction.
• blindfolded knife-cutting demonstration with golden silk noodles.
• the meal you've cooked.
• unlimited local snacks tasting.
• leisure time in a traditional Sichuan tea house.
• live guide in English or Chinese.

Options for this experience

2 options

Classic Cooking Class with One DishGuide in English or Chinese · 10:00 and 15:00One Dish, Kung Pao Chicken: Guided tour and admission to the Sichuan Cuisine Museum, a hands-on Kung Pao Chicken cooking class, and unlimited Sichuan snack tasting. Lasts 2 hours 30 minutes. Extras include traditional Sichuan food culture and tools, plus chef guidance, uniform and equipment.

Premium Cooking Class with Three DishesGuide in English or Chinese · 10:00 and 15:00Three Sichuan Dishes: Admission to the museum with a guided tour, and a lesson in cooking Kung Pao Chicken, Mapo Tofu and Panda Dumplings. Lasts 4 hours. Other food and drinks: meal recipes and drinks, plus unlimited Sichuan snacks. Additional benefits: chef guidance, uniform and equipment, and chef feedback with a certificate.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 10:00 and 15:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Child (3 to 17 years) · Under 3: can't be booked

GroupUp to 6

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Public transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by SilkRoute Adventures

Is this one for you?Choose the Kung Pao Chicken tour if you want to master one of Sichuan's most recognizable dishes, or pick the Sichuan Classic Cuisine tour to learn a broader range of traditional techniques. Both fit into three hours and include the museum visits, so the difference is in which dishes you'll take home the skill to cook.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 17 years). Children under 3 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What three dishes do I cook in the class?

The specific dishes depend on which option you choose at checkout: the Kung Pao Chicken tour focuses on that signature dish alongside two others, while the Sichuan Classic Cuisine tour covers three traditional preparations. Both include the blindfolded knife-cutting technique with golden silk noodles as part of the instruction.

Is the meal I cook included, or do I pay extra to eat it?

The meal you prepare is included in the class price. You eat what you've cooked, then move to the tea house for unlimited local snacks and leisure time, all part of the experience.

What is the Chuancais Museum, and how much time do we spend there?

The Chuancais Museum is the world's only "edible museum" dedicated to Sichuan culinary heritage. It holds collections of cultural relics and ingredients that show the history and traditions behind Sichuan cooking. The guided tour of the museum is woven into the three-hour class alongside visits to the Western Sichuan garden and the Kitchen God Ancestral Hall.

Do I need to arrange my own transportation to the museum?

Transportation to and from the museum is optional at checkout on some booking options, so you can choose whether to include it when you reserve. Public transportation options are available near the venue if you prefer to arrange your own.