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Cusco: Market Tour & Traditional Peruvian Cooking Class

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Duration4h

GroupUp to 10

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Peruvian cooking class in Cusco with market visit, tastings, chef-led kitchen time

You’ll wander Cusco’s bustling market with a local chef, tasting Andean breads and fruits before heading into the kitchen to cook classic Peruvian dishes yourself. Learn tricks for ceviche and lomo saltado, sip a homemade cocktail, and leave with new recipes—and maybe even a bit of confidence in your own cooking.

Step-by-step itinerary

Tour city's markets
Learn about Peruvian ingredients
Taste breads, cheeses, and fruits
Prepare four dishes with chef
Choose cocktail and main dish
Enjoy non-alcoholic beverages
Receive Peruvian cookbook

The Experience

We jumped right into the colors and noise of San Pedro Market in Cusco—no slow start, just straight to the fruit stalls where our guide, Chef Luis, handed me something that looked like a spiky potato but turned out to be lucuma. He laughed when I tried to pronounce it (I definitely didn’t nail it). The air smelled like fresh cilantro and sweet bread; I kept getting distracted by women shouting prices and the clatter of knives on cutting boards. It’s busy but not rushed. People here seem to know each other—lots of quick nods and smiles.

I’m not usually big on group activities, but this cooking class felt more like hanging out in someone’s home kitchen. We tasted cheese that was somehow both salty and creamy at once, then tried different breads—one was almost smoky? Still thinking about that. Chef Luis explained how Andean herbs help with altitude sickness (the coca tea actually did help my head clear a bit). We picked up everything for our meal right there—trout for ceviche, potatoes for causa rellena—then walked just a few blocks to his workshop space. It’s bright inside, with big wooden tables and windows cracked open to let in the mountain air.

I never thought I’d be able to make lomo saltado without setting something on fire, but Luis walked us through every step (and rescued my onions before they burned). There was this moment when everyone went quiet except for the sizzle from the wok and someone humming along to an old radio in the background. My hands still smelled like lime after squeezing it over ceviche. We got to pick our own cocktail—mine was passion fruit sour—and sat down together at the end to eat what we’d made. Not sure if it was pride or just relief that nothing exploded.

He sent us home with a little cookbook so we could try again later, which is nice because I already forgot half the steps for rocoto relleno. Walking back through Cusco after lunch, I felt lighter somehow—not just from the food or the pisco, but maybe from being let into this little slice of daily life here. You don’t always get that when you travel.

What’s included

Your day includes guided market exploration in Cusco with tastings of local breads, cheeses and exotic fruits.
all ingredients for preparing four classic Peruvian dishes under chef guidance.
your choice of cocktail.
water and soft drinks.
plus digital recipes sent afterward so you can keep practicing at home.

Good to know

Public transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by CUSCO GASTRONOMIC TOURS & COOKING CLASS