Cappadocia Cooking Class in Urgup: Cook with a Local Family

Cook Turkish food in a family kitchen, not a restaurant.

A cooking class in Urgup where you shop in local markets, then prepare and eat a three-course meal in a Turkish home with a local cook and English-speaking guide. You'll make seasonal salads, stewed vegetables, stuffed grape leaves, Turkish ravioli and a Cappadocian dessert, then eat what you've cooked before returning to your hotel.

The experience

Hotel pickup at 10 a.m. for a lunch class or 4 p.m. for dinner takes you into Urgup's town markets and corner shops, where you'll see what local families actually buy and cook with. From there you head to a private home to start the cooking class with a local woman, not a restaurant chef, but someone who cooks this food every day for her own table. The guide speaks English and translates as you work through the menu together.

You'll prepare seasonal salads, purslane salad, minced seasonal vegetables, stewed vegetables, meat stew with vegetables, stuffed grape leaves, Turkish ravioli and a Cappadocian dessert made with flour, grape molasses, butter or sunflower oil. The class runs four hours, and when everything is ready, you sit down and eat the dishes you've made. After the meal, the driver takes you back to your hotel in Goreme, Uchisar, Ortahisar, Urgup or Avanos.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from Goreme, Uchisar, Ortahisar, Urgup or Avanos.
• a three-course lunch or dinner you prepare and eat.
• an English-speaking guide.
• water, black tea and coffee.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 10:00 and 16:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Under 13: can't be booked

GroupUp to 6

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Good to know

Stroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomeNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by AND Travel Consulting

Is this one for you?Join a small group cooking in a local home rather than a restaurant kitchen, so you see how a Turkish family actually cooks and eats today, not a staged demonstration, but the real thing.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years). Children under 13 can't be included in the booking.

What exactly do I cook in the Cappadocia cooking class?

You prepare a three-course meal: seasonal and purslane salads, minced vegetables, stewed vegetables, meat stew with vegetables, stuffed grape leaves, Turkish ravioli and a Cappadocian dessert made with flour, grape molasses, butter or sunflower oil. The specific vegetables and proteins shift with the season.

Do I need cooking experience to join the class?

No prior experience is required. You work with a local cook in her home kitchen, and an English-speaking guide is there to translate and help you through each step.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup and drop-off from Goreme, Uchisar, Ortahisar, Urgup or Avanos; the three-course meal you prepare; an English-speaking guide; and water, black tea or coffee are all included. Gratuities, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks are not.

How long does the class take?

The full experience, including hotel pickup, market shopping, cooking and eating, runs four hours. Lunch classes start at 10 a.m. and dinner classes at 4 p.m.