The 9 Cooking Classes in Chengdu That Earn Their Price

1.Half-Day Chengdu Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 465 reviews · from $90Our pick

Meet your English-speaking guide at Chilli Cool’s Kitchen, visit Liangjiaxiang market, taste local ingredients, then cook Sichuan dishes with a chef. Lance, Jerry, and other Chilli Cool hosts help explain the spices, translate instructions, and adapt dishes for vegetarians. Your meal, drinks, recipes, and ingredients are included.

“A delightful time in an authentic traditional Chengdu market, followed by an amazing gastronomic experience. Jerry was just great full of knowledge and energy. The cooking kitchen was a top of the line setting for preparing the meals. The location was perfect an very easy to get to, using the subway. Highly recommend it!”

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2.Cooking Class with Fresh Market Half Day Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 42 reviews · 4.5 hours · from $82

Meet Lance, Jerry, or another English-speaking guide at Liang Jia Xiang Station for a market walk, Sichuan tea, and hands-on cooking with a local chef. You will study spices, prepare several dishes, and sit down to eat with beer or soft drinks. Vegetarian and vegan menus can be arranged in advance.

“If you like cooking and Chinese kitchen, this experience is a must in Chengdu! The market tour with the two guides - Lance and Lichi, who speak perfectly English - is very interesting, they taught us many things about Chinese food and culture. Ling, the chef, was a great teacher! And the food was delicious in the end. Truly recommended experience!”

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3.Half-Day steamed Buns Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · from $80

Spend about four hours in Chengdu visiting a local spice market, learning about Sichuan ingredients, and making Baozi in a traditional courtyard kitchen. An English-speaking guide such as Lance or Jerry may lead the class. Ingredients, tea, drinks, and a light meal are included, with vegetarian options available.

“A great experience, the local market was fun, interesting and we got to try and use a little Chinese language. Lance our guide was great from start to finish and took lots of fabulous pictures which meant we could get with our cookery class. Read more”

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4.Half-Day Sichuan Cooking Class Experience in Chengdu

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 17 reviews · from $83

Meet a local chef in Chengdu for a four-hour, small-group cooking lesson limited to five people. Prepare dishes such as Kung Pao chicken, Sichuan eggplant, sweet and sour pork, and dumplings, then eat what you make. Hotel pickup, dinner, an English-speaking chef, and recipe cards are included, though English ability can vary.

“Nice and interesting cooking class, Pretty expensive our group was just the two of us, so the cooking class was at the chef his home.”

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5.Private Panda Tour with Cooking Class One-day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $123

Start at 7:30 am with an English-speaking guide such as Jerry, then visit Chengdu's panda base, enjoy a vegetarian lunch and Buddhist ceremony at a nunnery, explore a local market, and cook Sichuan dishes with a professional chef. Hotel pickup and drop-off are offered, though the meeting-point details should be confirmed before booking.

“This tour consists of three elements. A visit to a panda center, a visit to a monastery in the city center with a vegetarian meal and a preparation of some dishes with food bought at the market. Jerry was very enthusiastic and accommodating. Read moreAuto-translated”

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6.Half-day Dandan Noodles Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $100

Spend about four hours with an English-speaking guide exploring a Chengdu spice market, completing a hands-on food challenge, then cooking Dan Dan noodles in a professional kitchen. Guides such as Lance, Ocean, and Amy have led sessions, with a local chef teaching the sauce, noodles, and Sichuan flavors. Tea, food, beer, recipes, and hotel transfers are included.

“The instruction was great. Very good hands-on experience. Everything was very well explained. The learning environment was very professional.”

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7.Learn cold noodle and wolf-teeth potato at local home

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $31Best value

Join Karen in Chengdu for a hands-on lesson in two Zigong snacks: cold noodles and wolf-teeth potato. She teaches her mother’s home method, including chili oil, while you prepare, taste, and receive the recipes. The class lasts about two hours, welcomes up to six people, and can be adjusted for allergies or no-spice diets.

“I had a fantastic time cooking with Karen at this experience! She explained what I needed to do perfectly and guided me every step of the way.”

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8.Half-day Chengdu Handmade Tofu Making and Mapo Tofu Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $90

In Chengdu, Lance and the Chilli Cool China team take you from a local spice market to a traditional courtyard kitchen. You will grind soybeans with a stone mill, make soy milk and tofu brain, then cook Mapo Tofu with a professional chef. Tea, food, drinks, recipes, and hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

“Spent a day with Lance and Jerry - and it was awesome. I was only going to do the morning (3 dishes incl. Mapo Tofu - which was great) , but had so much fun I tapped into the afternoon class too (BaoZi - Steamed Pork Buns). So they even Read more”

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9.Half-Day Private Hot-Pot Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $90

Explore a Chengdu spice market with guide Lance, sample local snacks, then join a professional chef for a private hotpot class. You’ll prepare both spicy red and mild white broths, cut and decorate ingredients, and eat your own meal with beer or another drink. The tour lasts about 4.5 hours and includes pickup.

“Thank you for this morning which has completely satisfied us!”

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