Puerto Vallarta: Market Tour & Cooking Class with Chef Manu

Cook Three Courses in a Puerto Vallarta Home After Shopping the Local Market

You shop the local market with Chef Manu, learning which vendors he trusts and how to pick ingredients for authentic Mexican cooking. Back at his home kitchen, you prepare a three-course meal side-by-side (ceviche, enchiladas, and a protein dish) using what you bought, then sit down to eat together with wine or beer. The experience ends at his home, and you leave with techniques you can use in your own kitchen.

Step-by-step itinerary

Market visit and cooking class

• Meet Chef Manu at local market
• Explore fruit, vegetable, tortillería stalls
• Shop for fresh ingredients
• Drive to Manu's home and cooking studio
• Prepare three-course Mexican meal together
• Learn cooking techniques and dish stories
• Enjoy meal with local beer or wine

The experience

Mercado Cinco de Diciembre doesn't look like much from the street. Just a covered market tucked into central Puerto Vallarta where locals actually shop, not tourists. But the moment you walk in with Manu, the place opens up. He knows the vendors by name, points out which fish came in that morning, which avocados are ripe enough to use today. You're not watching a performance. You're learning how someone who grew up here actually buys food. The market tour lasts about an hour, and by the end you've picked out everything you'll cook later: maybe fresh catch for ceviche, panela cheese for enchiladas, shrimp or mushrooms depending on what you're in the mood for.

Then you drive to Manu's home in central Puerto Vallarta: a small, typical house, nothing staged or polished. His kitchen is where the real work happens. He trained professionally, worked in restaurants, and came back to his hometown because he wanted to teach people how to cook the food he grew up eating, but with techniques he learned along the way. So you're not just following a recipe. You're learning why you do each step, how to pick ingredients that matter, what makes a dish work. The three-course meal comes together over a few hours. You're doing the prep, the cooking, the plating. Manu's there the whole time, hands-on, correcting your knife work, explaining the story behind a dish. His small dog might wander through. He'll keep it in another room if that matters to you.

Once everything's cooked, you sit down together and eat what you made. There's local beer or wine, and the meal tastes different when it's something you built yourself. Vegetarian options, seafood swaps, dietary restrictions: Manu works with all of it if you mention it when you book. The whole thing is private, just your group, which means the pace is yours and the conversation doesn't get diluted by strangers.

What’s included

• Your day includes a private market tour through Mercado Cinco de Diciembre with Chef Manu, where you'll select fresh ingredients together.
• You'll then head to his home kitchen for a hands-on cooking class where you prepare three traditional Mexican dishes using what you bought.
• The experience includes the meal itself (lunch or dinner depending on your start time) plus local beer or wine.
• Manu will customize the menu for vegetarian, seafood, or meat preferences, and he accommodates most dietary restrictions with advance notice.
• You'll also take home the techniques and confidence to replicate these dishes in your own kitchen.

Options for this experience

2 options

Market visit, cooking class and lunchUp to 12 per booking · Guide in English or Spanish · 09:00

Market visit, cooking class and dinnerUp to 14 per booking · Guide in English or Spanish · 14:00

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 timesMonday to SaturdayDepartures at 09:00 and 14:00

Book up to1d 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 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 yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcome

Operated by Traveling Spoon

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to learn real Mexican cooking from someone who trained professionally but cooks at home, and you'd rather spend time in a local market and a real kitchen than in a restaurant or cooking school. The private format means Manu adjusts the pace and menu to what you actually want to make.

Traveler reviews

4.95★★★★★★★★★★

248 verified traveler reviews

5 ★242

4 ★3

3 ★1

2 ★1

1 ★1

Read all the reviews ›

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.

How long does the whole experience take?

The market tour is about an hour, followed by the cooking class and meal at Manu's home. Total time is typically 4–5 hours depending on your start time and pace.

What if I have dietary restrictions or allergies?

Manu accommodates vegetarian diets and most dietary restrictions with advance notice. Let him know when you book so he can plan the menu with you.

Is this suitable for beginners with no cooking experience?

Yes. Manu teaches hands-on, so you learn as you go. No prior cooking knowledge is needed.

What's included in the price?

The market tour, all fresh ingredients purchased together, the three-course cooking class, the meal, and local beer or wine are included.

Is this a group tour or private?

It's private. Only your group participates, so the experience is tailored to your pace and preferences.

Do I need to bring anything?

No. Manu provides the kitchen, tools, and ingredients. Just bring an appetite and willingness to cook.

What if I'm allergic to the dog?

Manu has a small dog that can be kept in a separate room upon request. Let him know when you book.