Cooking Class Lima, Peru: A Must-Do Lima Experince

If you’re looking for a cooking class in Lima, Peru, this is one experience I’d recommend adding to your itinerary, especially if it’s your first time in Lima.

We wanted to experience Peruvian food beyond simply ordering it at restaurants, so we booked a cooking class in Lima Peru that combined a visit to a local market with a hands-on lesson making traditional Peruvian dishes.

It ended up being me and our friend Kate, who came with us on our Salkantay Trekking trip, as well as our guide and chef, which made the whole experience surprisingly intimate. We got to explore a market where locals actually shop, try different fruits and vegetables, and then prepare our own Peruvian meal with plenty of help along the way.

There was one part I thought dragged on a little longer than necessary, but overall, this was a really fun introduction to Peruvian cuisine, and we were so well fed that we left with leftovers!

Here’s what our Lima cooking class was actually like and what you should know before booking it.

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Our Lima Cooking Class Experience

Our experience started right at our hotel, where our driver and guide, Cesar, picked us up.

I really appreciated having transportation included. Rather than figuring out where we needed to go in an unfamiliar city, we could just meet them at our hotel and start the experience from there.

Our first stop wasn’t the kitchen, though.

We were headed to a local market.

Visiting a Local Market in Lima

Before we started cooking, Cesar took us through a local market to learn more about the ingredients used in Peruvian cooking.

This wasn’t a market set up specifically for tourists. We got to walk around and see where locals were buying their groceries, including stands filled with fruits, vegetables, fish and meat.

We also got to sample several different fruits and vegetables while walking through the market.

For a first visit to Lima, I thought seeing this side of everyday life was really interesting. You can eat Peruvian food at restaurants throughout your trip, but walking through the market gave us a little more context about where the ingredients come from before we started cooking with them ourselves.

That said, I did think the market portion went on a little long.

I enjoyed seeing it, and I’m glad it was included, but if you’re booking primarily because you want to cook, you may find yourself ready to move on to the kitchen before the market portion is finished.

I wouldn’t consider it a reason not to book the class. Just go into it knowing that the market visit is a substantial part of the overall experience rather than a quick stop before cooking.

What We Cooked During Our Peruvian Cooking Class

Once it was time to cook, we had a choice for our appetizer.

We had the option to make either ceviche or causa. We chose the causa, a Peruvian dish made with yellow mashed potato, quinoa and avocado, layered together.

For our main course, we made lomo saltado, one of Peru’s best-known dishes.

This was the part of the experience I was most excited about, and thankfully it wasn’t one of those “cooking classes” where you mostly stand around watching someone else cook.

We were very involved in making the food ourselves.

Our chef and guide walked us through what to do and were there to help with instructions, but we still got the fun of actually preparing the dishes.

That’s an important distinction if you’re choosing a cooking class in Lima because you genuinely enjoy cooking. I wouldn’t have enjoyed the experience nearly as much if we’d simply watched a demonstration and eaten the results afterward.

The Class Felt Almost Private

One of my favorite parts of this particular Lima cooking class was how intimate our experience was.

There were only two of us on our tour, along with our guide and chef.

That created a completely different atmosphere than being one of 15 or 20 people crowded around a cooking station.

We could ask questions whenever we wanted, get help when we needed it and actually participate in each step without fighting for space or waiting for a big group to catch up.

Cesar and our chef were both very helpful with their instructions, but the atmosphere never felt overly serious or formal.

It was just fun! And as someone who doesn’t particularly like cooking, it’s not often I say that!

For us, that made the experience as memorable as the food itself.

Of course, I wouldn’t book assuming you’ll necessarily have the same small group size we did. But having just the two of us made our particular experience feel almost like a private Peruvian cooking lesson.

Come Hungry Because There Is A Lot of Food

Do not make the mistake of eating a big meal immediately before this class.

There was so much food.

Between sampling things at the market, trying the local fruits from the market, making our appetizer and then cooking lomo saltado, we had more than enough to eat.

We couldn’t even finish everything and ended up taking leftovers with us.

I actually see that as a positive for the price of an experience like this. You’re not paying for a cooking lesson and then leaving to find dinner because you only got a few tiny samples.

This was a proper meal.

If you’re trying to plan the rest of your day in Lima, I’d treat the cooking class as one of your meals rather than booking a restaurant immediately afterward. In fact, we didn’t eat dinner after, we just finished our leftovers.

Is This Lima Cooking Class Worth It?

We thought the cooking class was well worth-it!

I think this cooking class is particularly worthwhile if you’re visiting Lima for the first time and are interested in cooking.

It combines two experiences you might otherwise have separately: seeing a local food market and learning how to prepare traditional Peruvian dishes.

More importantly, we didn’t feel like passive spectators.

Getting involved in the cooking was what made the experience worthwhile for me. We weren’t simply being served Peruvian food and told about it—we were making it ourselves with someone there to guide us through the process.

I also liked that it gave us a different perspective on Lima’s food culture than we got from eating in restaurants.

My only real criticism was the length of the market portion. I’m glad we experienced the market, but I would have been happy spending a little less time there and getting to the cooking sooner.

Even with that caveat, I’d happily recommend the experience.

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Who Should Book This Cooking Class?

I’d recommend this experience most for first-time visitors to Lima who want to learn about Peruvian cuisine rather than just eat it.

It’s an especially good fit if you already enjoy cooking. Since we were actively involved in preparing our dishes, the cooking itself felt like the main experience rather than something added on to a sightseeing tour.

I’d also recommend it for couples. Our class happened to be just the two of us, and the small-group atmosphere made it a really fun experience to do together.

On the other hand, if you have no interest in cooking and simply want to taste as many Peruvian dishes as possible, I’d choose a dedicated Lima food tour instead.

And if markets aren’t your thing, remember that the market visit isn’t just a five-minute photo stop. We enjoyed getting a glimpse of where locals shop and trying some of the produce, but it was also the one portion that felt a little long to us.

What to Know Before Booking

The biggest thing I’d suggest is arriving hungry.

We had a lot more food than I expected, to the point that we brought leftovers with us.

I’d also leave enough room in your Lima itinerary to actually enjoy the experience rather than trying to squeeze it between other activities. Part of what made our class fun was the relaxed atmosphere, and I wouldn’t want to spend it watching the clock because I had another reservation immediately afterward.

Finally, go into the market portion with some curiosity. Seeing the fish, meat, produce and other ingredients being sold was very different from simply walking into a supermarket back home, and it helped put the dishes we made afterward into context.

Would I Book This Cooking Class in Lima Again?

Yes—especially for a first trip to Lima.

There are plenty of opportunities to eat incredible food in Peru, but this gave us the chance to interact with Peruvian cuisine in a completely different way.

We explored a market with Cesar, tried local produce, learned how to make causa and lomo saltado, and then sat down to enjoy a meal we’d helped prepare ourselves.

And somehow, we still had enough food left to take some home.

If you’re trying to decide which experiences are worth making room for on your Lima itinerary and you enjoy cooking, this is one I’d book.

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