Ho Chi Minh City: Cooking class with local market visit

Summary

Hands-on Vietnamese cooking & market tour from Saigon

You’ll taste your way through Ho Chi Minh City’s markets with a local guide, pick fresh ingredients on an organic farm, then cook classic Vietnamese dishes together. Expect hands-on help (and some laughs) as you learn recipes you can actually make at home — plus lunch is included. It’s the kind of day you’ll remember every time you smell fresh coriander again.

What’s the experience like?

The first thing that hit me was the smell — not just one, but a jumble of sharp herbs, sweet fruit, and something briny from the seafood stalls. Our guide, Linh, waved us over to a pile of dragon fruit and handed out slices before I even had time to ask what it was. I tried saying “thanh long” like she did — she grinned and corrected me gently. The market was loud in that friendly way: vendors calling out, knives tapping against wood, someone laughing behind a stack of greens. It felt like everyone knew each other here.

I’d never really thought about how much work goes into Vietnamese food until we were picking through bunches of coriander and learning which mushrooms were best for stew chicken. Linh showed us tiny tricks — how to tell if a papaya’s ripe by pressing near the stem, or why you always balance hot and cool flavors (she called it “Ying and Yan,” which made me smile). My hands still smelled faintly of jasmine tea by the time we left the farm section; I kept sniffing them without thinking.

The actual cooking part was messier than I expected — rice paper sticking to my fingers, oil popping when we made pancakes. There was this moment when I tried rolling a prawn wrap and it sort of fell apart; Linh just laughed and said “first one is always for practice.” Lunch tasted better because we’d made it ourselves (even if my spring roll looked wonky). Sitting around the table with everyone, passing dishes back and forth, I realized I hadn’t checked my phone in hours. That almost never happens.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Vietnamese Cuisine Cooking Class

• Visit local wet market
• Try fresh fruits and jasmine teas
• Explore organic farm and learn nutrition
• Learn food balance techniques
• Hands-on cooking of 4 dishes
• Enjoy the cooked dishes
• Receive certificate and recipes

Top questions

How long does the cooking class last?

The experience takes most of the day including market visit, farm stop, cooking session, and lunch.

Is hotel pickup included in this tour?

Yes, hotel pickup and drop-off are included in Ho Chi Minh City.

Are dietary requirements accommodated?

You can advise specific dietary needs at booking; adjustments can be made for most diets.

What dishes will we cook during the class?

You’ll prepare prawn wraps or spring rolls, papaya salad with BBQ meat or seafood or vegetables, stew chicken with mushroom, and banana spring roll dessert.

Is this a private tour or group activity?

This is a private tour led by a local guide.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Ho Chi Minh City, all activities with a local guide (including visiting the wet market and organic farm), hands-on cooking instruction for four Vietnamese dishes, transport by air-conditioned vehicle, lunch featuring what you’ve cooked together, plus recipes to take home before heading back in the afternoon.