Ecuadorian Cooking Class in Quito: Market to Rooftop Meal

Shop the market, cook with a chef, eat overlooking Quito's old town

Learn to cook traditional Ecuadorian food in a hands-on class in Quito's Historic Center. You'll start with a welcome drink of canelazo, shop for fresh vegetables and condiments at Mercado Central, then prepare a full buffet of typical dishes on a rooftop with a certified chef before eating with a view of the old town. The class runs three to four hours and includes lunch and beverages.

Step-by-step itinerary

Ecuadorian cooking class and market visit

• Depart at 10:30 am
• Shop at Mercado Central de Quito
• Attend Ecuadorian cooking class rooftop
• Enjoy view of historic center of Quito

The experience

The class starts at 10:30 am in the Historic Center of Quito. You begin with canelazo, a traditional welcome drink, then head to Mercado Central de Quito to select the vegetables and condiments you'll need. This isn't a lecture on ingredients. You're picking what goes into your own meal, learning how locals shop and what flavors matter in Ecuadorian cooking as you move through the market stalls.

Back on the rooftop, you put on an apron and gloves and start cooking under the guidance of a certified chef. The instruction is hands-on: you're making the dishes yourself, not watching a demonstration. The chef walks you through each step of preparing a full buffet of typical Ecuadorian food, teaching you the techniques and the reasoning behind them. By the end, you've built a real meal from scratch.

You eat what you've cooked with a privileged view of Quito's Historic Center spread out below. The meal comes with wine, beer or soft drinks included. A live guide in English or Spanish is with you throughout, so language isn't a barrier to understanding the food or the culture behind it.

What’s included

• Welcome drink of canelazo.
• market shopping for ingredients with the group.
• hands-on cooking instruction from a certified chef.
• lunch: the full buffet you prepare.
• wine, beer or soft drinks with the meal.
• rooftop view of Quito's Historic Center.
• live guide in English or Spanish throughout.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (5 and older) · Infant (under 5)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

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 if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats available

Operated by Friends Expeditions

Is this one for you?The hands-on format means you're actually cooking, not watching, so you leave with real skills and the confidence to make these dishes at home. The market stop at the start teaches you where to find ingredients in Quito and how locals shop, which matters if you want to cook Ecuadorian food again after you leave.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 5).

What is Mercado Central de Quito like, and what will I be shopping for there?

Mercado Central is Quito's main market in the Historic Center, where you'll select fresh vegetables and condiments needed for the dishes you'll prepare in class. You're choosing real ingredients for your own cooking, not just touring the stalls.

Will I actually cook the food myself, or watch the chef prepare it?

You cook the food yourself. You'll wear an apron and gloves and prepare the full buffet of typical Ecuadorian dishes under the chef's guidance, learning the techniques hands-on rather than observing a demonstration.

What does the class include to eat and drink?

The class includes a welcome drink of canelazo at the start, then lunch (the full buffet you've prepared) served on the rooftop with wine, beer or soft drinks included. No breakfast or snacks are part of the booking.

How long does the whole experience take, from start to finish?

The class runs three to four hours total, starting at 10:30 am. That covers the market shopping, the cooking instruction on the rooftop, and eating the meal you've made with the view of the Historic Center.

Is hotel pickup included, or do I need to get to the class on my own?

Hotel pickup is available as an option at checkout. You can choose to be picked up at your hotel, or arrange your own way to the Historic Center where the class begins.