Antigua: Guatemalan Cooking Class & Market Tour with Rooftop Lunch

Summary

Antigua flavors from market stalls to rooftop kitchens with hands-on cooking

You’ll wander Antigua’s lively market with a local guide who’ll help you taste new fruits and pick fresh ingredients for your Guatemalan cooking class. Then you’ll head to a rooftop kitchen to prepare classic dishes like pepián and rellenitos together — all with volcano views and plenty of laughter. Expect hands-on moments, local stories, and flavors you’ll remember long after you’re home.

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect the Antigua market to smell so… alive. It’s not just fruit — it’s that mix of ripe mango, fresh tortillas, and something smoky (maybe chiles?). Our guide, Rosa, wove us through the crowd, greeting vendors by name. She handed me a spiky green fruit — I think she called it “güisquil”? I still don’t really know what it was, but she laughed when I hesitated and told me just to try it. Sweet and grassy at the same time. There were colors everywhere — woven bags, piles of tiny limes, women in bright huipiles shouting prices over each other. Honestly, I would’ve been lost without Rosa.

We picked out ingredients for our Guatemalan cooking class — tomatoes, herbs I’d never seen before, some kind of squash that looked like it belonged on another planet. After that we hopped in a van (included in the tour) and ended up at this sunny rooftop kitchen overlooking the volcano. The breeze up there carried hints of wood smoke from nearby houses. Rosa showed us how to make pepián — her hands moved so fast shaping tortillas that mine looked ridiculous in comparison. She said everyone here learns as a kid; I joked that my tortillas might be illegal back home.

Lunch was a blur of flavors: tostadas with beans and salsa, dobladas stuffed with vegetables, then the main dishes — pepián thick with spices and something called jocón that was green and tangy. We made rellenitos for dessert (plantains stuffed with chocolatey beans), which sounds odd but actually works. There was wine too — not fancy but good enough for midday laughter. At one point someone’s phone chimed with news from home and we all ignored it; nobody wanted to break the spell of food and sun and Rosa’s stories about her grandmother’s recipes.

Afterwards we lingered on the roof longer than planned, picking at leftover snacks while clouds drifted over the volcano. The whole thing felt less like a class and more like being invited into someone’s family for an afternoon — even if my tortillas were still hopelessly lopsided.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Market visit and cooking class

• Visit local market with guide
• Sample exotic fruits
• Gather ingredients for cooking
• Go to rooftop cooking studio
• Prepare tostadas and dobladas
• Cook national dishes and tortillas
• Make Guatemalan desserts
• Enjoy meal with mountain and volcano view

Top questions

How long does the Guatemalan cooking class & market tour last?

The experience lasts several hours including both the market visit and cooking session; exact timing may vary depending on group pace.

Is transportation included between the market and cooking school?

Yes, private transportation is provided from the market to the rooftop cooking studio in Antigua.

Are vegetarian options available during the cooking class?

The menu focuses on traditional Guatemalan dishes; specific dietary needs can be discussed directly with the supplier before booking.

What dishes are prepared during this Antigua cooking class?

You’ll make snacks like tostadas and dobladas plus mains such as pepián or jocón; dessert includes rellenitos or torrejas.

Does this tour include lunch?

Yes, you’ll eat everything you cook during the session as your lunch or dinner.

Is pickup or drop-off included in Antigua?

The tour includes drop-off in front of Antigua’s famous Arch after your meal.

Can children join this Guatemalan cooking class?

Infants and small children are welcome; prams or strollers can be used during the tour.

What drinks are provided during the experience?

You get two cups of wine per person plus natural drinks like lemonade or hibiscus tea.

Will I have access to WiFi at the cooking school?

Yes, WiFi is available at the rooftop kitchen during your class.

What’s included

Your day includes sampling exotic fruits at Antigua’s vibrant market with a local guide before heading by private transport to a rooftop kitchen where you’ll cook five traditional Guatemalan dishes together. Recipes are shared along with two glasses of wine per person plus natural drinks like lemonade or hibiscus tea; lunch is everything you’ve prepared yourself before drop-off right by Antigua’s iconic Arch.