Sicilian Cooking Class in Palermo: Market Tour or Pasta & Gelato

Cook Sicilian recipes with a local chef, then sit down to the meal you made.

A hands-on Sicilian cooking class in Palermo led by a professional local chef, where you choose between a market-focused option that includes a visit to Mercato del Capo or a pasta-and-gelato option centered on fresh pasta making. Both options include fresh ingredients, an apron, utensils, a meal with wine or soft drinks, a digital recipe booklet and a Graduation Certificate. The market tour runs rain or shine. When the market is closed, the chef substitutes a special introduction and extra tastings at the cooking school instead.

The experience

You arrive in Palermo with a free afternoon or morning and no cooking experience required. The class runs in English with a professional local chef who walks you through each step (measuring, mixing, shaping, cooking) using real Sicilian recipes and techniques. You're not watching a demonstration. You're making the food yourself with the chef's guidance, and what you prepare is what you eat at the end of the class.

If you choose the Cooking Class & Market Tour option, the morning starts at Mercato del Capo, Palermo's working food market. You walk through the stalls with your chef, who points out seasonal ingredients and explains what goes into Sicilian cooking. Then you move to the cooking school and make three dishes from scratch: arancine (crispy rice balls filled with ragù and peas), handmade maccheroni for Pasta alla Norma with eggplant and salted ricotta, and traditional cannoli with crunchy shells and sweet ricotta filling. The class runs about five hours, and you finish with a three-course Sicilian meal with wine, Marsala wine or soft drinks, depending on what you choose. If the market is closed (it shuts on Mondays and some other days), the chef gives you a special introduction and extra tastings at the cooking school instead.

The Pasta & Gelato option is shorter and narrower in focus. You make fresh egg pasta dough from scratch, shape two traditional pasta types and pair them with seasonal sauces you taste as you go. Then the chef leads a gelato demonstration, showing you traditional ingredients, history and techniques, and you taste the gelato. The class runs about three hours and ends with a meal featuring the pasta you made, with wine or soft drinks. Both options include an apron, cooking utensils, fresh ingredients, a digital recipe booklet and a Graduation Certificate you take home. If you have a food intolerance or allergy, tell the chef in advance. The class is suitable for vegetarians with notice, but not for celiacs.

What’s included

• Professional local chef leading the class in English.
• fresh ingredients, apron and cooking utensils.
• the dishes you prepare during the class.
• wine or soft drinks with your meal.
• digital recipe booklet and Graduation Certificate. The Cooking Class & Market Tour option includes a visit to Mercato del Capo (or tastings at the cooking school if the market is closed).
• the Pasta & Gelato option includes a chef-led gelato demonstration.

Options for this experience

3 options

Gelato and Pasta Making ClassGuide in English · 15:00Pasta Making Class & Gelato: a 3-hour pasta making class without a market visit, featuring fresh pasta and seasonal sauces, a gelato demonstration, a meal, wine and a recipe booklet. Pasta Class & Gelato Demo: a hands-on cooking class led by a professional local chef, with fresh ingredients, an apron and cooking utensils. Gelato Demo Included. Duration: 3 hours, a 3-hour Palermo pasta and gelato class focused on fresh egg pasta, 2 pasta types and seasonal sauces. Pasta, Sauces & Gelato: a meal with handmade pasta, 2 seasonal sauces, a fresh gelato tasting, and wine or soft drinks. Recipe Booklet included: a digital recipe booklet and Graduation Certificate are included so you can recreate the Palermo cooking class at home.

Market Tour and Cooking ClassGuide in English · 09:00Cooking Class & Market Tour: a 5-hour Palermo Sicilian cooking class with a visit to Mercato del Capo, or an extra tasting at the Cooking School if the market is closed. Palermo Market Cooking: a hands-on Sicilian cooking class in Palermo led by a professional local chef, with a market visit and fresh ingredients. Duration: 5 hours, a 5-hour Palermo cooking class including a food market tour, Sicilian recipes, a 3-course meal, wine and chef guidance. Arancine, Pasta & Cannoli: you prepare arancine, fresh Pasta alla Norma and cannoli, then enjoy your Sicilian meal with wine or soft drinks. Mercato del Capo: you visit Mercato del Capo with your chef, then cook authentic Sicilian recipes at the Palermo cooking school. Recipe Booklet Included: a digital recipe booklet and Graduation Certificate are included so you can recreate your Sicilian cooking class at home.

Private cooking class in Palermo with a market visitGuide in English · 09:00Private Sicilian Market & Cook: a private Palermo experience with a visit to the Capo market, hands-on Sicilian cooking and a full feast with wine.

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 and 15:00

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

Infant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Towns of Italy

Is this one for you?Book the Cooking Class & Market Tour if you want to see where Palermo cooks shop and learn three iconic Sicilian dishes in one afternoon. Choose Pasta & Gelato if you have a shorter window and want to focus on making fresh pasta and learning gelato technique without the market visit.

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Top questions

Can children come?

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

Can I do this cooking class if I've never cooked before?

Yes. The class is hands-on with a professional chef guiding you through each step, so no prior experience is needed. The chef teaches you how to make the dishes from the beginning, and you work at your own pace.

What is Mercato del Capo and what do I see there?

Mercato del Capo is Palermo's working food market, filled with stalls selling fresh produce, meat, fish and other Sicilian ingredients. On the market tour option, you walk through with your chef, who shows you what ingredients go into Sicilian cooking and explains how locals shop and cook.

What's the difference between the two cooking class options?

The Cooking Class & Market Tour option includes a visit to Mercato del Capo, lasts about five hours and teaches you to make arancine, Pasta alla Norma and cannoli, ending with a three-course meal. The Pasta & Gelato option is about three hours, focuses on making fresh pasta from scratch and includes a chef-led gelato demonstration, with a meal featuring the pasta you made.

Is wine included in the meal?

Yes. Wine or Marsala wine is included for adults. Children and anyone who prefers it get soft drinks instead.

What happens if Mercato del Capo is closed on the day of my class?

The market closes on Mondays and occasionally on other days. When it is closed, the chef gives you a special introduction to Sicilian ingredients and extra tastings at the cooking school instead of the market visit, so the class still runs as scheduled.

Do I get a recipe to take home?

Yes. You receive a digital recipe booklet with the recipes you made during the class, plus a Graduation Certificate.