Amman Cooking Class with Local Market Tour

Roll up your sleeves and cook maqlubeh alongside a Jordanian chef in downtown Amman

A hands-on cooking class in Amman where you explore the downtown market with a local guide, then prepare maqlubeh (one of Jordan's most cherished traditional dishes) with a local chef instructor. You'll learn the ingredients, techniques and family recipes behind Jordanian cuisine, then sit down to eat what you've made.

Step-by-step itinerary

Market tour and cooking class

• Visit Amman downtown food market
• Sample local produce and spices
• Attend hands-on cooking class
• Prepare maqlubeh and local sides
• Enjoy the meal together

The experience

The experience starts in Amman's downtown market, where a local guide walks you through stalls of fresh produce, spices, nuts and olives. You'll sample seasonal favourites and learn which ingredients show up in everyday Jordanian cooking: the building blocks of the food you're about to make. The market itself is the classroom: you're learning by looking, tasting and asking questions about what matters to local cooks.

After the market, you move to the kitchen for the hands-on part. A local chef instructor teaches you to prepare maqlubeh, a traditional rice dish that sits at the center of Jordanian family meals. You're not watching a demonstration. You're rolling up your sleeves and doing the work yourself, learning the techniques, the ingredient ratios and the stories behind the dish as you go. Once it's ready, you sit down together and eat what you've prepared, tasting the result of your own effort.

The whole experience runs about three and a half hours. Eight to ten tastings and drinks are included throughout the market visit and the meal afterward. Children from age five are welcome, and the class suits all fitness levels.

What’s included

• Entrance fees to the market and cooking venue.
• all ingredients for maqlubeh and local sides.
• eight to ten tastings and drinks throughout the market visit and the meal.
• instruction from a local chef in English.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 11:00

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (5 to 12 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcome

Operated by Amman Food Tours

Is this one for you?This is a shared class with a local guide and chef instructor leading the group, so you're cooking alongside other travelers and learning from someone who knows Jordanian food culture firsthand. Choose this if you want hands-on instruction and the chance to connect with local people while you cook, rather than a private kitchen lesson or a market tour alone.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 12 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What is maqlubeh and why is it important in Jordanian cooking?

Maqlubeh is one of Jordan's most beloved traditional dishes: a layered rice preparation that appears at family tables across the country. It's the centerpiece of this class because it teaches you the core techniques and ingredients that define everyday Jordanian cuisine, and because eating it together afterward connects you to the food culture you've just learned.

What happens at the downtown market and how long do we spend there?

The downtown Amman market is where the experience begins. Your local guide takes you through stalls of fresh produce, spices, nuts and olives, pointing out seasonal items and explaining how they're used in Jordanian cooking. You'll sample local favourites like dates and nuts as you go, building a sense of the ingredients before you cook with them.

Will I actually cook the dish myself, or watch the chef prepare it?

You cook it yourself. A local chef instructor guides you through preparing maqlubeh step by step, teaching you the techniques and family traditions as you work. This is a hands-on class, not a demonstration. You're doing the cooking, not watching someone else do it.

Is this class suitable for people with no cooking experience?

Yes. The class is designed for all fitness levels and all skill levels. The chef instructor teaches you everything you need to know, and the focus is on learning Jordanian techniques and food culture, not on arriving with prior knowledge.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to bring?

Entrance fees, all food tastings during the market visit, and all food and drinks during the cooking class and meal are included: eight to ten tastings in total. You don't need to bring anything except yourself. The kitchen and all ingredients are provided. Gratuities and any pickup or drop-off are separate.