Florence Cooking Class & Market Tour: Lasagna and tiramisu

What does it take to make tiramisu the way Nonna does?

You'll spend a few hours making fresh pasta or lasagna and tiramisu from scratch under a professional chef's guidance in a small group, taste Tuscan wine, and walk out with a digital recipe booklet and the muscle memory to do it again at home. The market visit (if you choose that option) happens on weekday mornings: Sundays and holidays get swapped for extra tastings at the school instead.

Step-by-step itinerary

Florence cooking class experience

• Choose cooking class option
• Visit historic Central Market (Market Tour option)
• Taste seasonal Tuscan specialties
• Prepare fresh handmade pasta (Pasta & Gelato option)
• Prepare Nonna's traditional lasagna (Market Tour option)
• Make authentic Italian tiramisù (Market Tour option)
• Enjoy artisanal gelato tasting (Pasta & Gelato option)
• Toast with Tuscan wine
• Receive digital recipe booklet

The experience

So you're standing in a kitchen in Florence, and the chef is telling you that the dough you just made with your own hands is already better than what you'd buy in a supermarket, and you're only two minutes in. That's the moment you realize this isn't a performance where you watch someone cook. You're actually doing it, flour under your fingernails, the smell of fresh eggs and semolina filling the room, and yeah, it's a little messy but that's kind of the point. The Florence cooking class gives you two options: you can either focus on handmade fresh pasta with gelato and wine, or head to the Central Market first and learn Nonna's lasagna and tiramisu instead.

If you pick the market option, you'll walk through the historic Central Market in the morning (the one that's been there since the 1800s), and taste seasonal Tuscan specialties before heading back to the kitchen. The chef will walk you through layering the lasagna the way it's actually made, not the shortcut version, and then you'll tackle tiramisu, which sounds simple until you're trying to get the mascarpone and coffee balance exactly right. The pasta class skips the market but goes deeper into fresh pasta techniques. You'll learn how to shape it by hand, make the sauces from scratch, and then taste artisanal gelato with a glass of Tuscan wine while you're still riding the high of having made something that actually tastes professional. Both classes are small groups, which means the chef can actually see what you're doing and fix your technique before you've already messed up the whole batch.

Everything is included. The ingredients (and they're good ones, not the budget stuff), the equipment, the wine, and a digital recipe booklet you get to take home so you can actually recreate this stuff in your own kitchen without having to text the chef every five minutes. The class runs in Florence's first cooking school, which is the kind of detail that matters because it means they've been doing this long enough to know what works and what doesn't. Fair warning: if you have a gluten intolerance or celiac disease, this class won't work for you. The pasta and tiramisu both rely on wheat and eggs, and there's no way around it. Vegetarian versions are available if you ask when you book, and kids under 18 need an adult with them the whole time.

What’s included

• Your Florence cooking class includes a professional local chef leading a small-group, hands-on experience.
• premium local ingredients and all cooking equipment.
• Tuscan wine served during the class.
• a digital recipe booklet to take home. If you choose the Market & Lasagna/Tiramisu option, you'll also get a guided visit to the historic Central Market with seasonal tastings before returning to the kitchen. The Fresh Pasta & Gelato option includes artisanal gelato tasting instead. Vegetarian cooking classes can be arranged if you request when booking.

Options for this experience

3 options

Fresh Pasta and GelatoGuide in English · 15:00 and 18:30Pasta Making Class: 3 hrs. Pasta making class: Shape 3 traditional pasta varieties. No market tour or Lasagna with this option. Small Group: A hands-on Florence pasta cooking class led by professional local chefs. Duration: 3 hours, including the hands-on pasta class, a gelato tasting and unlimited wine. Unlimited Wine and Pasta: Enjoy your handmade pasta with unlimited wine and an artisanal gelato tasting. Pasta and Gelato Experience: Learn to make fresh handmade pasta from scratch, then enjoy an authentic Italian gelato tasting and unlimited wine.

Market Tour, Lasagna and TiramisuGuide in English · 09:00Central Market Tour: A guided visit to Florence's Central Market with seasonal food tastings before your cooking class. Small Group: A hands-on Florence cooking class led by professional local chefs in a small group. Duration: 5 hours, covering the market visit, tastings, hands-on cooking class, lunch and Tuscan wine. Lunch and Tuscan Wine: Nonna's Lasagna and authentic Tiramisù are prepared during the class and served with Tuscan wines. Authentic Florence Experience: Explore Florence's Central Market, then prepare Nonna's Lasagna and authentic Tiramisù in a hands-on cooking class.

Private Lasagna and TiramisuGuide in English · 09:00Private Market Tour: A guided visit to Florence's Central Market with seasonal food tastings before your cooking class. Private Experience: A hands-on Florence cooking class led by professional local chefs. Duration: 5 hours, covering the market visit, tastings, hands-on cooking class, lunch and Tuscan wine. Private Lunch and Tuscan Wine: Nonna's Lasagna, authentic Tiramisù and Tuscan wines are prepared and enjoyed during the class. Authentic Florence Experience: Explore Florence's Central Market, then prepare Nonna's Lasagna and authentic Tiramisù in a hands-on cooking class.

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 09:00, 15:00 and 18:30

Book up toStart time

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 today

Good to know

Stroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Towns of Italy

Is this one for you?Right for food lovers, couples, families and solo travelers who want to actually learn Italian cooking techniques rather than just watch. Expect a few hours of hands-on work in the kitchen, which is exactly what makes the skills stick.

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Top questions

Can children come?

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

What if I have a food allergy?

Tell the school when you book. They can accommodate vegetarian requests, but the class is not suitable for celiacs since pasta and tiramisu contain gluten and eggs, which cannot be excluded.

Is the Central Market visit always included?

Only if you book the Market & Lasagna/Tiramisu option. The market is closed Sundays and bank holidays, so those dates get replaced with a special introduction and extra tastings at the school instead.

What do I take home?

A digital recipe booklet with the recipes you learned, so you can recreate the dishes at home.

Are pets allowed?

No, pets are not permitted on the tour.

Is wine included?

Yes, Tuscan wine is served during the experience in both class options.

Do I need cooking experience?

No. The class is hands-on and led by a professional chef who teaches step-by-step techniques for all skill levels.