Chiang Mai: Home Cooking Class & Market Tour with Pickup

Summary

Thai home cooking in Chiang Mai countryside with garden walks and real market flavors

You’ll wander a real Chiang Mai market with locals, pick herbs from Benny’s garden for your own Thai dishes, learn to make curry paste by hand, then share lunch under the open sky. It’s relaxed, welcoming — you’ll leave smelling like lemongrass and maybe craving mango sticky rice again.

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect to laugh so much before noon. Benny met us right at our hotel in Chiang Mai — big smile, no rush — and we drove out past the city, watching the buildings thin out until it was mostly green fields and motorbikes. The local market stop was… well, not what I pictured. No crowds of tourists, just people buying their lunch ingredients and chatting in Thai. I tried a bite of something spicy (Benny grinned and said “not too hot?”), then wandered off to look at piles of tiny eggplants and fragrant herbs. It smelled like lemongrass everywhere.

Back at Benny’s house, which sits just outside Chiang Mai surrounded by rice paddies and a garden that actually smells sweet when you brush past the basil, we picked our own vegetables for the class. There were maybe eight of us — a couple from France, two solo travelers, me fumbling with my camera. Making curry paste from scratch is messier than I thought (my hands turned yellow from turmeric), but nobody cared about technique. Benny showed us how to pound everything together; she laughed when I mixed up galangal and ginger. The kitchen was open-air, so you could hear birds and sometimes a scooter zipping by on the road.

I chose Pad Thai for my stir fry dish (predictable, but whatever) and mango sticky rice for dessert because honestly I can never resist it. We cooked five dishes in total — soups, appetizers, curries — all using stuff we’d picked or seen at the market that morning. Lunch happened around a big table out back; everyone swapped bites and stories about travel fails. The sun came out just as we sat down, lighting up the rice field next door in this way that made everything feel sort of… slow and content.

I still think about that day sometimes when I smell kaffir lime leaves at home. There’s something about cooking in someone’s actual house in Chiang Mai that makes you feel less like a tourist for an afternoon, even if your Pad Thai noodles stick together a little too much.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Cooking class with market tour

• Pick up in town
• Visit local market for tour and tasting
• Receive menu checklist and choose dishes
• Walk around market for photos and shopping
• Travel to home with organic garden
• Make curry paste from scratch
• Cook appetizer and soup
• Cook stir fried noodles dish
• Cook curry and dessert
• Receive recipe book

Top questions

How far is Benny's Home Cooking from downtown Chiang Mai?

It's about 20 minutes by car from downtown Chiang Mai or the airport.

Is hotel pickup included for this cooking class?

Yes, hotel pickup and drop-off are included if you're staying in downtown Chiang Mai.

What dishes can I choose to cook during the class?

You can choose from appetizers like papaya salad, soups such as Tom Yum or Tom Kha, stir-fried noodles like Pad Thai or Drunken Noodles, several curries including green curry or Massaman, plus desserts like mango sticky rice.

Do I get to visit a local market as part of this tour?

Yes, there's a guided tour of a local market outside town where you'll taste foods and see daily life.

Are vegetarian options available during the cooking class?

Yes, vegetarian options are available if you request them when booking.

How many dishes do we cook in total?

You’ll cook five different dishes: appetizer, soup, stir fry noodle dish, curry with homemade paste, and dessert.

Is this suitable for kids under 10 years old?

No, kids under 10 aren’t allowed in the group class.

Do I need to bring anything special for the day?

A bottle of water is recommended for the market tour; casual dress is best since you'll be cooking outdoors.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off within downtown Chiang Mai; all ingredients for your chosen Thai dishes; coffee or herbal tea throughout; guidance from Benny herself; a guided tour through an authentic local market with food tasting; plus you’ll take home a recipe book so you can try it all again later.