Merida: Private Yucatecan Cooking Class & Meal with Sofia

Cook Yucatecan Street Food in a Local's Kitchen, Then Eat It Together

You'll spend a few hours in Sofia's Merida kitchen learning to make traditional Yucatecan dishes using family recipes: sikil pak, sopa de lima, habanero salsa, and street foods like panuchos and empanadas. You cook alongside her, ask questions, hear stories about local ingredients and life in the Yucatan, then sit down and eat the meal together with local beer included. It's private, hands-on, and happens in an actual home, not a cooking school.

Step-by-step itinerary

Authentic Yucatecan cooking class

• Meet Sofia in her Mérida home
• Learn to prepare sikil pak dip
• Make habanero salsa chile kut
• Cook tacos al pastor or antojitos
• Prepare dulce de papaya dessert
• Enjoy the meal with Sofia

The experience

So you're standing in Sofia's kitchen in Merida, and she's handing you a habanero to smell before you touch it, and you're already laughing because you know this is going to hurt in about five minutes. That's kind of the whole thing right there. This isn't a professional cooking school where someone in chef whites walks you through plating techniques. It's Sofia, who's been running her home and welcoming people into it for more than twenty years, showing you how to make the food she actually eats, the way her family taught her to make it. You're learning sikil pak (that squash seed dip that tastes nothing like what you'd expect), sopa de lima (chicken soup with lime that somehow tastes like the Yucatan feels), and depending on what you pick, maybe cochinita pibil: the slow-cooked pork wrapped in banana leaves that people around here will argue about for hours.

The hands-on part is real. You're not watching from a stool. You're prepping, mixing, tasting, and getting your hands dirty with achiote paste and sour orange marinade. Sofia talks while you work: about the ingredients, about how her family does things, about what living in Merida actually looks like when you're not a tourist. The kitchen gets warm (fair warning: Sofia's home doesn't have air conditioning, so summer classes can get properly hot), but that's part of it. You're in someone's actual house, not a studio space designed for groups. There may be other guests staying at her homestay, which sounds like it could be awkward but mostly just means you're in a real home, not a staged one.

When the cooking's done, you sit down and eat what you made. Family-style, relaxed, with two glasses of local Yucatan beer or whatever non-alcoholic thing you want instead. The meal is the point, not plating it for Instagram, just eating it. Sofia's there, maybe her family too, and you're talking about food and Merida and whatever else comes up. If you want to go deeper (if you want to spend the extra two hours learning pollo pibil or sopa de lima properly), you can request that in advance and she'll adjust the menu. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets work too. Just mention it when you book.

If you're staying in a Merida hotel or rental, you can add round-trip transfers so you don't have to figure out how to get there. Otherwise, public transport is nearby and straightforward. The whole thing is private (it's just you and whoever you bring), which means Sofia's teaching at your pace, not rushing through a group schedule.

What’s included

• Your experience includes a private Yucatecan cooking class in Sofia's Merida home, hands-on instruction using traditional family recipes passed down through generations, the home-cooked meal you help prepare, and two glasses of local Yucatan beer or non-alcoholic beverages of your choice.
• Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available with advance notice.
• If you book the transfer option, round-trip transportation between your Merida hotel or vacation rental and Sofia's home is included.

Options for this experience

4 options

Cooking class with lunchUp to 6 per booking · Guide in English or Spanish · 11:00

Cooking class with dinnerUp to 6 per booking · Guide in English or Spanish · 17:00

Cooking class, lunch and transfersUp to 4 per booking · Guide in English or Spanish · 11:00Round-trip transfers are included

Cooking class, dinner and transfersUp to 4 per booking · Guide in English or Spanish · 17:00Round-trip transfers are included

You pick the guide language when booking.

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 11:00 and 17:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (5 to 11 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

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.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Stroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Traveling Spoon

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to learn how to actually cook Yucatecan food from someone who's been doing it her whole life, and you're okay with a real home (not a polished cooking studio) and a warm kitchen. The trade-off is you get Sofia's full attention and her family's actual recipes instead of a class designed for twenty people.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 11 years); Infant (under 5): free.

Can Sofia accommodate dietary restrictions?

Yes. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets can be accommodated with advance notice when you book.

Is the class really private, or will there be other people?

Your cooking class is private, but Sofia's home also operates as a homestay, so other guests may be present on the property. You're cooking one-on-one with Sofia, but you might see other people in the house.

What if I want to learn more advanced dishes?

You can request an in-depth option in advance that includes preparing pollo pibil or sopa de lima. This extends the experience by approximately 2 hours or more.

Is the kitchen air-conditioned?

No. Sofia's home doesn't have air conditioning, so the kitchen can become hot while cooking, especially during warmer months.

What's included in the price?

The private cooking class, hands-on instruction using Sofia's family recipes, the home-cooked Yucatecan meal you prepare together, and two glasses of local Yucatan beer (or non-alcoholic beverages).

Can I add hotel transfers?

Yes. You can choose the tour option with round-trip transportation between your Merida hotel or vacation rental and Sofia's home for added convenience.