Quito: Cooking Class & Central Market Tour with Pickup

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/24

Duration4h

GroupUp to 16

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Shop Quito’s bustling market then cook classic dishes in a colonial home

You’ll wander Quito’s Central Market with a local guide, pick out fresh ingredients from friendly vendors, then cook classic Ecuadorian dishes inside a colonial home kitchen. Expect hands-on help from your chef host and plenty of stories along the way — plus a long lunch where you get to taste everything you made together.

Step-by-step itinerary

Market tour and cooking class in Quito

Meet Andres at your hotel
Travel to Central Market
Tour market and buy fresh ingredients
Head to Colonial house in Old Town
Attend cooking class with local chef
Prepare three traditional dishes
Enjoy the meal you cooked

The Experience

The first thing that hit me was the smell — ripe guanábana and those little limes, sharp and sweet at the same time, right as we ducked into Central Market. Andres met us at our hotel (he’s got this easy smile) and we walked over since we were close enough. The streets were just waking up, vendors setting out buckets of flowers, and I kept tripping over my own Spanish. At the market, Andres seemed to know everyone — he’d wave or nod, sometimes stop for a joke. There was this lady selling herbs who pressed a sprig into my hand and told me it was for “good dreams.” I didn’t expect to taste so many things before we even started cooking — tiny pieces of fruit I’d never seen before, some tart, some almost creamy.

After the market tour (and honestly more snacks than I’d planned), we headed to this old colonial house in Quito’s Old Town. The kitchen felt lived-in — you know when there are pots that look like they’ve seen real life? Our chef was Andres’ friend’s mom (her name is María), and she had this way of telling stories while showing us how to make locro de papa. She laughed when I tried to slice onions her way (“más despacio!”), but didn’t let me off easy. We made empanadas too — my dough looked sad but tasted fine. The shrimp ceviche was bright with orange juice; I still think about that flavor combo.

Lunch happened around a big wooden table, sunlight coming through old windows onto our plates. Everyone shared what they’d made (some more proud than others). María poured us fresh juice from the market haul — I couldn’t remember half the fruits’ names by then. There was chocolate soup for dessert, which sounds weird but works — especially with all that laughter still bouncing around the room. It wasn’t fancy or staged; just felt like being welcomed into someone’s family for a day.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup or comfortable SUV transport if needed, a guided walk through Central Market to shop for fresh ingredients with locals who know their stuff, use of an apron and chef hat during your hands-on cooking class in a colonial home kitchen led by a local chef (with recipes to take home), plus plenty of fruit juice from the market and a full lunch featuring all your creations before heading back out into Quito’s Old Town streets.

Good to know

Wheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

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