Florence Cooking Class: Market & Homemade Pasta with Wine

You'll Want to Cook Like This Every Day After Florence

You explore Florence's Central Market with a chef, select fresh ingredients, then cook lasagna with homemade pasta and tiramisu in a professional kitchen. The class includes all ingredients, Tuscan wine pairing, and a digital recipe booklet to take home. Vegetarian options are available with advance notice.

Step-by-step itinerary

Florence market and cooking class

• Explore Florence Central Market
• Sample local specialties
• Select fresh seasonal ingredients
• Attend cooking class at Towns of Italy
• Make fresh pasta and Bolognese ragù
• Prepare béchamel and tiramisu
• Savor meal with Tuscan wines
• Learn about local wine culture

The experience

There's something about standing in a market you've never been to before, holding a basket, while someone who actually knows what they're doing points out which tomatoes to choose. That's how this cooking class in Florence starts, not in a kitchen, but in the Central Market, where the noise and color and smell of produce hit you all at once. Your chef walks you through the stalls, talks about what's in season, lets you taste things, and you start to understand why Tuscan food tastes the way it does. It's not fancy. It's just real.

Then you move to the Towns of Italy Cooking School and actually make the food. Fresh pasta from scratch. You're rolling it, cutting it, feeling how the dough changes under your hands. The Bolognese ragù that goes into the lasagna simmers while you work on the béchamel, and suddenly you're not following a recipe, you're building something. The tiramisu comes last, and by then your hands know what they're doing. A professional chef is there the whole time, correcting your grip, explaining why you do it this way instead of that way, answering the questions you didn't know you had.

After a few hours of actual work, you sit down and eat what you made. There's Tuscan wine (red with the main course, something sweeter with the tiramisu), and someone talks about how to taste wine, what you're actually noticing when you drink it. The meal tastes different when it's yours. You take home a digital recipe booklet so you can try it again, though honestly, you'll probably just book another class instead.

What’s included

• Your day includes a guided tour of Florence's Central Market with the chef, where you'll sample local specialties and select fresh seasonal ingredients.
• At the cooking school, you'll prepare fresh homemade pasta, slow-cooked Bolognese ragù, béchamel sauce, and classic tiramisu: all ingredients and cooking utensils provided.
• You'll sit down to eat the meal you've made, paired with Tuscan wines and a dessert wine, while learning about local wine culture.
• You'll receive a digital recipe booklet to recreate the dishes at home.
• Vegetarian options are available upon request with advance notice.

Options for this experience

2 options

Taking you from the market to the tableGuide in English · 09:00Winter season

Florence cooking lessonGuide in English · 09:00Summer season

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00Last departure this season: 28 Feb 2027

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish

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 yesterday

Good to know

Stroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by myTour in Italy

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to understand Tuscan food by making it yourself rather than just eating it. The market stop is what connects the ingredients to the tradition, and the wine pairing is what makes the meal feel complete instead of just a class that happens to end with lunch.

Traveler reviews

4.54★★★★★★★★★★

106 verified traveler reviews

5 ★80

4 ★14

3 ★5

2 ★3

1 ★4

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What if I have a food allergy or dietary restriction?

Vegetarian recipes are included and available with advance notice. The activity is not recommended for people with gluten intolerance or celiac disease. Inform the provider of any allergies or intolerances when you book.

Do I need cooking experience?

No. The class is hands-on and led by a professional chef who teaches techniques as you go. Beginners are welcome.

What exactly do I cook?

You make fresh pasta, Bolognese ragù, béchamel sauce, and lasagna from scratch, plus authentic tiramisu. You then eat what you've prepared with Tuscan wine.

What's included in the price?

All ingredients, cooking utensils, the guided market tour, the hands-on class, the meal with wine pairing, and a digital recipe booklet.

Do I need to arrive early?

Yes. Arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before the scheduled start time. The class begins at the exact scheduled time and delays are not tolerated.

Is there public transport nearby?

Yes, public transportation options are available near the cooking school location.