Market Tour & Home Cooking Class in Siena with a Local Chef

Cook and eat in a Sienese kitchen instead of watching from a table

A private market tour and cooking class in Siena where you shop with a local Cesarina, then prepare and eat a 4-course meal in her home kitchen. You'll handle the pasta, taste seasonal starters and desserts from family recipes, and drink Tuscan wines throughout. The Cesarinas are Italy's network of home cooks who open their kitchens to travelers for hands-on culinary experiences.

The experience

The morning starts at the vibrant local market in Siena, where your Cesarina guide walks you through the stalls and explains what makes each ingredient matter for the recipes you'll cook that day. You'll visit traditional food shops, learn how locals choose produce and meat, and pick up what you need for the meal ahead. This is not a lecture. You're moving through the market the way someone who cooks here every day does, asking questions and handling the goods.

Back at her home, you move into the kitchen for a show cooking session where she demonstrates technique, then hands you tools and ingredients to work alongside her. You'll make fresh pasta (pappardelle, pici or gnocchi depending on the day), and prepare a seasonal starter and a main course with a side dish. The recipes come from family cookbooks passed down through generations, the kind of food that appears on Sienese tables, not in restaurants. You taste as you cook, adjusting seasoning and learning why each step matters.

The meal unfolds over the afternoon: starter, pasta course, main with vegetables, dessert (rice pudding, castagnaccio, cantucci or tiramisu), plus water, a selection of red and white wines from Tuscany, and coffee. You eat at her table, not as a guest watching a performance but as someone who made the food. The Cesarinas (Italy's network of over 1,000 home cooks across more than 500 cities) are trained to open their homes this way, and the warmth of the experience comes from that genuine hospitality, not from a script.

What’s included

• Private guided market tour in Siena.
• private show cooking demonstration and hands-on pasta-making in the Cesarina's home kitchen.
• 4-course meal (seasonal starter, fresh pasta, main course with side dish, dessert).
• Tuscan red and white wines, water, and coffee.
• local taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 17 May 2027

Book up to10h before

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

GroupPrivate

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 yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Cesarine: Cooking Class

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to cook and eat, not watch a chef perform. The 3.5-hour format fits a morning or afternoon in Siena and works for solo travelers, couples, or small groups who book together: the Cesarina adjusts the pace to your group's size and experience.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

2 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's the difference between a Cesarina cooking class and a regular cooking school in Siena?

A Cesarina opens her own home kitchen and teaches recipes from her family's collection, not a standardized curriculum. You cook in a working home, eat at her table, and learn how she actually cooks, not how a professional kitchen teaches it.

Do I need cooking experience to join this activity?

No. The Cesarina walks you through each step and adjusts the pace to your skill level. The activity suits all physical fitness levels and works for complete beginners as well as people who cook at home regularly.

What happens if I have dietary restrictions or allergies?

Contact the operator before booking to discuss your needs. The Cesarina can often adapt recipes or ingredients, though some flexibility on your part may be necessary since you're cooking in a home kitchen, not a commercial one.

Is the market tour included, or is it an add-on?

The market tour is part of the activity. You shop with your Cesarina at the start, then use what you've selected to cook the meal together at her home.

How many people typically join one session?

This is a private experience, so it's just you and the Cesarina, or your own group if you book together. No strangers join your session.