Luang Prabang Cooking Class: Learn Lao Dishes Locally

Cook three authentic Lao dishes with fresh herbs in a welcoming family kitchen.

A three-hour cooking class in Luang Prabang hosted by a local family where you prepare three signature Lao dishes: tam mak hoong (green papaya salad), chicken laap, and or lam stew, from fresh ingredients using traditional techniques. The class includes all equipment, instruction in English, and steamed rice to eat what you cook. Wheelchair accessible. Public transportation nearby.

The experience

You start by stepping into a local family's kitchen and working through every stage of three dishes that define Lao home cooking. Tam mak hoong is the green papaya salad known for its contrast of textures and bold flavors. Chicken laap (minced meat with herbs and lime) is perhaps the most famous dish in Lao cuisine, vibrant and zesty. Or lam is the traditional stew with its complex, aromatic profile that sits at the center of everyday Lao meals. Your host guides you through ingredient selection and preparation, showing you how to handle fresh herbs and spices the way a local cook does, and walks you through each technique as you work.

The class is built around doing, not watching. You handle the ingredients, work with the equipment, and cook each dish yourself with personal guidance from your host. This is also when you learn how food sits in daily Lao life: the stories behind the dishes, why certain ingredients matter, and how these meals bring families together. By the end of the three hours, you have made three dishes and steamed rice to go with them, and you eat what you cooked.

What’s included

• All cooking equipment and tools.
• personal instruction from your local host in English.
• three Lao dishes you prepare and cook yourself (tam mak hoong, chicken laap, and or lam).
• steamed rice to eat with the dishes you make.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00 and 13:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (10 and older) · Under 10: can't be booked

GroupUp to 10

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

Wheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by The Basi House

Is this one for you?Three hours is long enough to move through three dishes and understand the techniques, but short enough to fit into a morning or afternoon without crowding the rest of your day in Luang Prabang. Book this if you want to spend time in a local kitchen learning by doing, not watching a demonstration.

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Top questions

What three dishes do I cook in this class?

Tam mak hoong (green papaya salad), chicken laap (a minced meat salad with herbs and lime), and or lam (a traditional aromatic stew). You prepare and cook all three from start to finish, then eat them with steamed rice.

Do I need cooking experience to join?

No. The class is designed for everyone, whether you are an experienced cook or a complete beginner. Your host provides personal guidance through every step.

What is included in the three hours?

All cooking equipment, instruction from your local host in English, the three dishes you prepare and cook yourself, and steamed rice to enjoy them with.

How does the class work with the rest of my day?

The class runs three hours, which fits comfortably into a morning or afternoon in Luang Prabang and leaves time for other activities. Public transportation options are available nearby if you need to reach the family's kitchen.