Chiang Mai Thai & Akha Cooking Class with Master Chef

Cook your own Thai dinner and eat what you make

A cooking class in Chiang Mai where you learn Thai and Akha dishes from a native Akha master chef, choosing your own menu from curries, soups and stir-fries. The morning option includes a local market tour; the evening class fits a busy schedule and runs cooler. Hotel pickup within 3 km of the city, individual cooking station, Akha Hill Tribe coffee, and a full color cookbook are included.

The Experience

What do you actually cook? You start with two appetizers—papaya salad and fried spring rolls—then move through two desserts (mango sticky rice and pumpkin in coconut milk). The core of the class is three Akha dishes: a chilli sauce, a salad, and a soup, all built on traditions where every meal follows this structure. Then you pick one curry from four options (red, green, Panang, or Massaman), one soup from three (Tom Kha Gai, Tom Yum Gong, or clear soup with egg tofu), and one stir-fry from four (Pad Thai, chicken with cashew, chicken with basil, or sweet and sour vegetables). Every recipe can be adapted vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free on the spot.

The morning class adds a local market tour before cooking begins, so you see where the ingredients come from and how locals shop for the day's meals. The evening class skips the market and goes straight to cooking—it fits around a full day of sightseeing and runs cooler in the kitchen. Either way, you work at your own station with the master chef moving between students, and you eat what you've cooked for dinner. Hotel pickup and drop-off within 3 km of the city center is included, so you don't arrange transport yourself.

You leave with a full color cookbook of the recipes you made, plus Akha Hill Tribe coffee. The class runs six hours total. Come with an empty stomach—the food you cook is your meal.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off within 3 km of the city center.
• individual cooking station.
• Akha Hill Tribe coffee.
• full color cookbook of the recipes you made.
• market tour (morning class only).
• all recipes adapted to vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free on request.

Good to know

Wheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Thai Akha Kitchen

Is this one for you?Pick the morning class if you want to see the local market and understand where Thai ingredients come from; pick the evening class if your day is already booked with sightseeing and you'd rather cook and eat dinner in a cooler kitchen.

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Top questions

What's the difference between the morning and evening cooking class?

The morning class includes a tour of the local market before cooking, so you see how locals shop and source ingredients. The evening class is cooking only, with no market tour, and it runs cooler in the kitchen—a better time to be cooking if your day is already full of sightseeing.

Can I choose what dishes I cook, or is the menu set?

You choose individually from the menu. You pick one curry from four options, one soup from three, and one stir-fry from four. All recipes can be adapted vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free if you need them to be.

Do I need cooking experience to join this class?

No experience is required. The master chef teaches you step-by-step, and you work at your own station. The class is built for people learning to cook Thai and Akha food for the first time.

Is the market tour included in both the morning and evening class?

The market tour is only included in the morning class. The evening class is cooking only, without the market visit.

What happens to the food I cook—do I eat it?

Yes, you eat what you cook. The class runs six hours, and the dishes you prepare become your dinner. Come with an empty stomach.

Is hotel pickup included?

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included if your hotel is within 3 km of Chiang Mai city center. The driver speaks English.