Cooking class in Messina: Market tour and hands-on pasta lesson

Shop the market like a local, then cook two dishes in a Sicilian home

A small-group cooking class in Messina where you shop the local market with a Cesarina host, return to her home for an Italian aperitivo, and learn to make one iconic pasta type and tiramisu from scratch. The class runs five hours and ends with a tasting of everything you've prepared, paired with local wines. A live guide leads in English or Italian.

The experience

The morning starts at the market. Your Cesarina host walks you through the stalls, teaching you how to pick seasonal ingredients the way locals do: what to look for, what to avoid, why timing matters. This is not a tour of the market. It is a lesson in how to shop it. You learn the reasoning behind each choice, the cuts of produce that signal quality, the vendors worth returning to.

Back at her home, you warm up with an Italian aperitivo (Prosecco and nibbles) before the hands-on work begins. You make one iconic pasta type, typical of Messina, and the famous tiramisu. Both are built from scratch under instruction. The class is five hours total, shared with other guests, and the guide speaks English or Italian depending on the group.

After the cooking finishes, you sit down to eat everything you've made, paired with local wines, beverages and coffee. This is the meal, not a sample or a tasting plate: the full spread you prepared, the way it is meant to be eaten.

What’s included

• Market tour with your Cesarina host.
• hands-on instruction in making one iconic Messina pasta and tiramisu.
• Italian aperitivo with Prosecco and nibbles.
• full tasting of everything you've prepared with local wines, beverages and coffee.
• live guide in English or Italian.
• all fees and taxes.

Options for this experience

2 options

Cooking class and small group market tour in MessinaGuide in English or Italian · 10:00

Masterclass and dinner, plus the market visitGuide in English or Italian · 17:00

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 17:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (9 and older) · Child (4 to 8 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 12 · max 8 per booking

Live guideEnglish and Italian

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.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Public transport nearby

Operated by Cesarine: Cooking Class

Is this one for you?The small-group format and the Cesarina host model mean you cook in a real home kitchen, not a commercial cooking school, and you learn from someone who lives in Messina and shops the market regularly. Choose this if you want genuine connection and regional technique over a polished class setting.

Traveler reviews

4.40★★★★★★★★★★

5 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 8 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What do I actually cook in the class?

You make one iconic pasta type typical of Messina and tiramisu. Both are hands-on from start to finish, not demonstrations you watch.

Is the market tour separate from the cooking, or do they run together?

The market comes first. You shop with your host for about an hour, learning how to select ingredients by season and quality. Then you return to her home for the aperitivo and the cooking class.

What's included in the price?

The market tour, the cooking class, Italian aperitivo with Prosecco and nibbles, and a full tasting of everything you've prepared with local wines, beverages and coffee are all included. All fees and taxes are covered.

Do I need to know how to cook, or is this for beginners?

No prior experience is required. The class is hands-on instruction, and your Cesarina host teaches you how to make both dishes from the beginning.

How long does the whole thing take?

The class runs five hours total, from the market through the final meal and wine tasting.