Hanoi Cooking Class: Market Tour & Coffee Tasting
Cook Vietnamese Food in Hanoi's Old Quarter, Starting at the Market
You arrive at a Hanoi morning market with a local host, learn to identify ingredients and cooking techniques, then prepare four traditional Vietnamese dishes from scratch in their kitchen. You eat what you've cooked, taste three styles of Vietnamese coffee, and drink homemade wine. Hotel pickup and drop-off within the Old Quarter are included, along with a digital recipe book and a certificate. The whole experience runs four to five hours.
Options for this experience
2 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Hanoi market tour and cooking class
- Visit Hanoi morning market
- Discover local culinary stories
- Learn knife skills and cooking techniques
- Prepare authentic Vietnamese dishes
- Enjoy multi-course meal
- Sample egg, coconut, or salted coffee
- Receive complimentary pickup and drop-off
What’s included
- Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off within the Old Quarter, a guided market tour to learn about local ingredients and cooking traditions, hands-on preparation of four traditional Vietnamese dishes, a full meal featuring everything you've cooked, coffee tasting with your choice of salted, egg, or coconut coffee, unlimited homemade local wine, a digital recipe book, and a professional certificate if requested.
- Free luggage storage for up to two days, free showers before class (subject to availability), and complimentary welcome drinks of cold-brew coffee or homemade tea are also provided.
- Every booking includes a $1 donation to charity meals supporting pediatric patients in Hanoi hospitals.
Times
- Every day 09:00 15:00
Before you book
Operated by Up Travel Vietnam
Prices and times updated 10 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
You'll meet your host at the market before sunrise, when vendors are still arranging their stalls and the air smells like lemongrass and charcoal. They'll walk you through the rows: pointing out which banana flowers go into salad, why certain fish sauce brands matter, how to pick papaya that's not quite ripe. It's the kind of thing you'd miss if you just wandered in alone, because the market makes sense only if someone who shops there every week explains it. After an hour of stopping and asking questions, you head back to the kitchen.
The cooking class itself is hands-on from the start. You'll learn to make green papaya salad, banana flower salad, bun cha, pho, spring rolls (both fresh and fried), and a Vietnamese crispy pancake. The host walks you through knife skills first, then you work through each dish in order, tasting as you go. If you're vegetarian or vegan, they adjust the menu without fussing. The whole thing takes about four to five hours, and by the end you've made a full meal you'll actually eat, not just a tasting plate. Everything uses fresh ingredients and clean oil, which sounds obvious until you realize how many cooking classes don't bother.
After you eat what you've cooked, there's coffee tasting. You pick between salted coffee, egg coffee, or coconut coffee, whichever sounds least strange to you. (The egg one is sweeter than you'd expect.) You also get unlimited homemade local wine, which is lighter and less sweet than you might assume. The host is English-speaking and genuinely interested in where you're from, not just running through a script. Before you leave, they give you a digital recipe book so you can actually make these dishes at home, and a certificate if you want one. Hotel drop-off is included if you're staying in the Old Quarter.
One more thing: every booking contributes $1 to charity meals for pediatric patients in Hanoi hospitals, which is why the class mentions it upfront instead of hiding it as a feel-good afterthought. If you're traveling with someone over 80 or have a disability, there's a 50% discount for that person in your group.
Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to understand how Hanoi eats rather than just taste food, and who'd rather learn from someone who cooks this way every day than follow a recipe at home. The market walk at the start is what makes the cooking part make sense. You see where things come from before you cook with them.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 9 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What time does the cooking class start?
The market tour begins in the early morning (exact time varies by season and market activity). The kitchen portion follows after the market walk.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes, complimentary pickup and drop-off are included if you're staying in the Old Quarter area of Hanoi.
Can I do this if I'm vegetarian or vegan?
Yes. The menu can be adjusted to vegetarian or vegan options upon request.
What dishes do I learn to cook?
You prepare green papaya salad, banana flower salad, bun cha, pho, spring rolls (fresh and fried), and Vietnamese crispy pancake. You also taste three types of Vietnamese coffee.
Is the meal included?
Yes. You cook and eat a full four-course meal featuring the dishes you've prepared, plus coffee tasting and unlimited homemade local wine.
Do I need cooking experience?
No. The class welcomes all skill levels, from complete beginners to experienced cooks.
How long is the class?
The full experience, including the market tour and cooking, takes approximately four to five hours.
What's included in the price?
Hotel pickup and drop-off, market tour, all ingredients, the full meal you cook, coffee tasting, homemade wine, a digital recipe book, and a certificate if requested. Free luggage storage for up to two days is also available.
Is there a discount for seniors or people with disabilities?
Yes. A 50% discount applies to guests over 80 years old and guests with disabilities within your group.
Can I shower before or after the class?
Free showers are available if you want to freshen up before the class starts, though availability may vary.
Hanoi Cooking Class: Market Tour & Coffee Tasting
4h 30m · EN
from US$ 34 per person
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