No expiration date
Easy refund
Free exchange
Easy booking

Private Mérida Cooking Class in a Local Yucatecan Home

Location Merida, Riviera Maya & the Yucatan, Mexico
$109
This is an experience gift voucher. The recipient will book the experience after they redeem the gift voucher.

Overview

Step inside the kitchen with Sofia for an authentic, hands-on cooking lesson of Yucatecan and Mayan delicacies. Sofia prepares traditional Yucatecan dishes such as sikil pak (traditional pumpkin seed dip), sopa de lima (chicken soup with lime) or empanadas de chaya, and pollo o cochinita pibil (perhaps the Yucatan’s most famous dish of slow-cooked chicken or pork which has been marinated in an achiote and sour orange marinade, wrapped in banana leaves).

Sofia will teach you to prepare traditional recipes from scratch so be prepared to get your hands dirty. You will learn to prepare an authentic Yucatecan meal that includes a fiery habanero salsa. Enjoy the delicious meal you helped prepare with your host (and her family on occasion) in her modest home in Merida. Please note that Sofia runs a homestay so while your experience will be private, there may be other guests present in her home. Enjoy this private, authentic, immersive Yucatecan food experience with a local!

The experience offers several options. This price includes:

Cooking Class + Lunch
Tour guide
Language: English
Human tour guide
Duration: 4 hours

The experience offers several options, check yours above
  • Two glasses of local Yucatán beer (or non-alcoholic beverages)
  • Hands-on cooking instruction using traditional family recipes
  • Home-cooked Yucatecan meal
  • Private Yucatecan cooking class in Mérida with your host, Sofia
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (unless the transfer upgrade option is selected)

Meeting point
Please meet your host Sofia at her home in Bulevares de Chuburna neighborhood of Merida. Please check the 'Before you Go' section on your confirmation for the exact address. The above only offers neighborhood details, and not the exact address.
Return details
Please meet your host Sofia at her home in Bulevares de Chuburna neighborhood of Merida. Please check the 'Before you Go' section on your confirmation for the exact address. The above only offers neighborhood details, and not the exact address.

Join Sofia, a lifelong Mérida resident, for an authentic Yucatecan cooking class in her home and discover the flavors and traditions behind one of Mexico's most distinctive regional cuisines. Using family recipes passed down through generations, you'll learn to prepare traditional Yucatán dishes from scratch while gaining insight into local culinary traditions.

During this hands-on cooking and dining experience, Sofia will guide you through the preparation of a traditional meal while sharing stories about local ingredients, family traditions, and everyday life in Yucatán. Depending on the menu selected, you may prepare tacos al pastor or a tasting of traditional Yucatecan street foods such as panuchos, salbutes, and empanadas. After cooking together, sit down to enjoy the meal you helped prepare in a relaxed, family-style setting.

More than a cooking class, this is an opportunity to connect with a local family, experience genuine Yucatecan hospitality. Sofia has been welcoming guests into her home for more than 20 years and is passionate about preserving and sharing her region's culinary traditions. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets can be accommodated with advance notice.

  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • This is not a professional cooking school or chef-led culinary course. Rather, it is an opportunity to visit an authentic local home, connect with a Mérida resident, and share Yucatecan culture, traditions, and cuisine together.
  • This experience takes place in Sofia's private home, which also operates as a homestay. Your cooking class is private, though other guests may be present on the property.
  • Guests interested in a more in-depth master class that includes preparing traditional dishes such as pollo pibil or sopa de lima may request this option in advance. Please note that it extends the experience by approximately 2 hours or more.
  • Sofia's home does not have air-conditioning. During warmer months, the kitchen can become hot while cooking.
  • For added convenience, choose the tour option with transfers, which includes round-trip transportation between your Merida hotel or vacation rental and Sofia's home.
  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
  • How it works?
    01 You choose from 10,000+ experience gifts
    02 We deliver the eVoucher or the Physical box to the recipient
    03 Recipient books the experience and creates unforgettable memories!

    Private Mérida Cooking Class in a Local Yucatecan Home

    Location Merida, Riviera Maya & the Yucatan, Mexico
    $109
    This is an experience gift voucher. The recipient will book the experience after they redeem the gift voucher.
    How it works?
    01 You choose from 10,000+ experience gifts
    02 We deliver the eVoucher or the Physical box to the recipient
    03 Recipient books the experience and creates unforgettable memories!

    Delivery options

    eVoucher

    • Free
    • Instant delivery
    • Environmentally friendly

    Physical Gift Box

    • $10.00 fee
    • 2-5 business days
    • Shipping Worldwide

    No expiration date
    Easy refund
    Free exchange
    Easy booking
    Planet friendly
    Global availability
    As seen on