Gambian Home Cooking Class in Banjul: Learn to Cook Local Dishes

Cook a full Gambian meal from market to table, then eat what you've made

A full-day cooking class in Banjul where you shop at a local market, dress in traditional Gambian clothing, and prepare and cook meat, fish and rice dishes including Yassa and Benachin, finishing with lunch as a group. Hotel pickup and drop-off, a local English-speaking guide, and non-alcoholic beverages are included. Vegetarian options and allergy accommodations are available on request.

Step-by-step itinerary

Gambian cooking and market experience

• Visit local market
• Shop for cooking ingredients
• Dress in traditional Gambian outfit
• Receive cooking guidelines
• Prepare meats, vegetables, fish, rice
• Cook Gambian dishes
• Enjoy meal with family and friends
• Return to hotel

The experience

The day starts with hotel pickup and a guided trip to a local market in Banjul, where you'll shop for the ingredients you'll cook with later. You dress in a traditional Gambian outfit before browsing, which shifts the morning from tourist observation into something closer to how locals actually move through the market. A guide walks you through what to buy and how to pick it: the cuts of meat, the fish, the vegetables and rice that go into the dishes you're about to make.

Back in the kitchen, you do the cooking yourself. That means handling the preparation: cutting and seasoning the meat and fish, chopping vegetables, cooking the rice. The menu rotates between Yassa (a tangy meat or fish dish) and Benachin (a one-pot rice dish), depending on the day and the group. You'll also make local juices: Baobab and Wonjo, a dark cranberry-colored drink made from boiling sorrel flowers. A guide gives you the techniques and the proportions, but your hands do the work. The instruction is hands-on, not a demonstration you watch from the side.

Once everything is cooked, you sit down as a group and eat the meal together. Then it's back to your hotel. The whole experience runs a full day, so plan to be out from morning into early afternoon.

What’s included

• Private transportation with hotel pickup and drop-off.
• guidance from a local English-speaking guide.
• a traditional Gambian outfit to wear.
• lunch (the meal you prepare).
• non-alcoholic beverages throughout the day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (8 to 80 years) · Under 8: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 47 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Black & White Safari

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English, so you'll follow the instruction and the conversation comfortably even if Gambian languages are new to you. Book this if you want hands-on cooking instruction rather than a demonstration, and if you're comfortable spending a full day on your feet in a kitchen.

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Top questions

What kind of dishes do you actually cook in this class?

You prepare Yassa (a meat or fish dish with onions and lemon) and Benachin (a rice dish cooked in one pot), plus local juices like Baobab and Wonjo, which is made from sorrel flowers. The exact menu depends on the day and what's fresh at the market.

Do you go to the market as part of the class?

Yes. A guide takes you to a local Banjul market to shop for all the ingredients you'll cook with. You dress in traditional Gambian clothing before you go, and the guide helps you choose what to buy.

Is this class suitable if I have dietary restrictions?

Vegetarian options are available if you let the operator know when you book. Food allergies must be reported before the shopping trip so the guide can avoid those ingredients at the market.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, private transportation, lunch (the meal you cook), non-alcoholic beverages, a local English-speaking guide, and the use of a traditional Gambian outfit are all included. Alcoholic drinks are available to purchase separately.

How many people need to book together?

A minimum of two adults per booking is required. Child rates apply only when a child shares a booking with two paying adults.