Thai and Akha Cooking Class in Chiang Mai
5
Thai and Akha Cooking Class in Chiang Mai
By Thai Akha Cooking School
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About
The best way to get to know a country’s culture is through its food. Delve deeper into Thai cuisine, and the culture of the Akha hill tribe, during this small-group cooking class in Chiang Mai, which proves perfect for food lovers and first-time visitors. As well as learning to master traditional dishes, you’ll get a glimpse of local life at a fresh food market (morning session only).
Free cancellation • Full refund if cancelled up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time).
Reserve now & pay later • Secure your spot while staying flexible.
Lowest price guarantee • Find a lower price online? Get the difference refunded!
Ages 6-99, max of 12 per group
Duration: 6h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- Learn more about northern Thailand's minority groups during a cooking class
- Discover unfamiliar ingredients during a market tour (mornings only)
- Prepare around 10 different dishes, sure to suit every taste
- Hassle-free 2-way transfers from your central Chiang Mai hotel
Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best
2024
- Local market tour (only for morning class)
- Individual cooking station
- Akha Hill Tribe coffee
- Full color cook book
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (only within 3 km from city area)
What's not included- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.
- 14/10 Soi Rat Chiang Saen 2 Ko., Tambon Hai Ya, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50000, ThailandMeeting Point for Walk-In: Morning Cooking Class: Meeting at Wat Pan Whaen Temple, by 9:00 am There is where we meet before starting the market tour. Evening Cooking Class: Meeting at Cooking School Location by 5:00 pm
Pickup details- Our Cooking School has moved to a new Garden location since January 2020. Our new location is just 5 minute walk from Chiang Mai South Gate, so it is 15 minutes walk from the center of the old city. For more info, please visit our website page: Pick-Up Area and Meeting Point
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.Airport pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included airports.- Chiang Mai Intl Airport, Chiang Mai Thailand
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 35919P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Visitor are welcome
- Come with empty stomach
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 35919P1
From
S$57.62
per adult
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- remibA9053GX0 contributionsAmazingI highly recommend this cooking course. Jasmin was very pleasant and incredibly attentive to us. And starting the day with the market was really niceWritten 14 March 2025
- dcL385HT0 contributionsBest cooking classAmazing. Loved it. Food was delay. Facility was clean and well organized. Instructors were friendly and kbowledgeable. You should book it.Written 5 March 2025
- Y9161YMbrianm0 contributionsA cooking class with classGot to experience so many dishes! Starting the class with the market was also a highlight! Highly recommend, you get so much more than your money’s worth.Written 4 March 2025
- Quest308327420790 contributionsAdventure through the world of Thai cookingIncredible experience, such an adventure being taken around the market by our expert guide. The dishes were really fun and intuitive to make with the perfect guidance from our guide. Can't recommend enough.Written 28 February 2025
- jackgJ9255LR0 contributions“Eat like medium Thai hot”Great experience and expect to leave with a full belly. Great flavours and left wanting to cook at home. Clean, fresh and our cook was super friendly and funny !Written 15 February 2025
- treshellm0 contributionsMake this a stop for your vacation experience!The market shopping and class experience are so well planned to make the experience an immersive authentic cooking experience. The instructors are very talented and can make the best of any level of chef. We shopped in the market and tasted various foods and flavors. It was not too rigid but was fluid and a fun experience. I would love to come back with more family and friends!Written 8 February 2025
- thilaad0 contributionsAkha Cooking experience in Chiang MaiClass was excellent, instructions were simple, 11 dishes in total … I like the instructor , funny n gave us some historical explanation too no complainsWritten 30 January 2025
- FarAway686117548540 contributionsJasmine can make anyone an amazing chefGreat introduction into Thai cooking! I appreciate the walk through the market which introduced a lot of fun snacks, vegetables, and other things to try. Come on an empty stomach! This is a lovely cooking school.Written 26 January 2025
- jak0bah0 contributionsMany different dishes and a lot of fun!The cooking class was so much fun and I enjoyed cooking and trying all the dishes! Niti was incredibly nice and made the experience even better! I would recommend going for sure, Thank you ☺️Written 24 January 2025
- J8801NLfrancac0 contributionsGreat experience!Niti was incredibly nice and helpful. The food was very varied and delicious! Thank you very much for this experience😊Written 24 January 2025
- kaylH6113DE0 contributionsGreat experience at Thai Ahka Cooking School.We had a fantastic experience. Everything was so well organized. I'm a vegetarian and the menus could be customized to suit my needs. Great instructors with personalized attention. I would definitely recommend!Written 23 January 2025
- 445donnieh0 contributionsGreat cooking class!The instructors were knowledgeable, passionate, and friendly and the food was delicious. Highly recommended! Would definitely come back!Written 22 January 2025
- tomgilianv0 contributionsAmazing teacher and classNiti is such an amazing chef and teacher, I would love to go again! If I come back to Thailand I will for sure come here again!Written 13 January 2025
- P1602XTanamariab0 contributionsBest experience in Chiang MaiEverything was perfect. I highly recommend it to any tourist to try. A day to remember. Thank you ladies for your time and all info🙏🏻Written 4 January 2025
- 486philv0 contributionsTalented Teachers! Worth the Time and Money!This is an excellent value to spend half a day in Chiang Mai. Jasmine and Sandy were excellent hosts and teachers. The tour of the market was quite educational and they allowed us to sample some fresh and unique items we wouldn’t have tried on our own. When we went back to cook, their location was super clean, spacious, and well decorated. Their English was excellent, frequently adding in humor to make sure we were all paying attention. (I won’t give too much away, but some of humor was about squash, melons, and the amount of spice.) Jasmine’s instruction for us was very clear and she was super patient when we had questions. Jasmine also shared a lot about her Akha culture that was a pleasant bonus. I was impressed that they provided 11 total dishes to eat. With up to 4 different choices for the main courses and soups, plus appetizers and desserts, there were many different combos of food that could be cooked and sampled. That means if you went with a couple, you could learn to cook more like 13 or more meals. The even more impressive part is that Jasmine was able to simultaneously teach the entire group how to make 4 completely different dishes on her own—she is quite talented. Overall, I was surprised with how much I learned and the amount of joy this class/tour provided on my trip.Written 5 December 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
3,611 reviews
Excellent
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55
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mikiko
11 contributions
Sept 2024 • Solo
It exceeded my expectations. We first enjoyed driving around the city in a pick-up-and-drop-off ride Songtaewoo, and during the tour of the local market, we sampled local ingredients. The introduction of spices and vegetables was also good. Some of the dishes were cooked to your liking, and you made and ate them repeatedly, until you were full. It was fun to spend time with people from different countries. We recommend that you install WhatsApp in advance so that you can contact the organizers in real time.
Automatically translated
Written 17 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Curious38
Dublin, Ireland53 contributions
We had a fantastic experience taking part in the evening course offered by this school. The whole schedule is so well organised and all utensils and ingredients are there and ready to go. The course took place in an open spaced area and the temperature was perfect throughout. Ming was a terrific teacher, she is professional, friendly and very entertaining while also of course, being an excellent chef :)
The price is very fair overall and we definitely recommend going hungry as there are so many courses to get through :)
The price is very fair overall and we definitely recommend going hungry as there are so many courses to get through :)
Written 8 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter W
14 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
We loved this class! Our instructor Jasmine was helpful, informative, and funny. She gave us a wonderful tour of the market and gave us samples of some northern food. She also showed us the ingredients that we would use later that day.
The class itself was very well organized. In our group we had a mix of novice and experienced chefs, and we thought everyone was able to participate and learn a lot. The instructor did a great job of managing multiple people at the same time.
We appreciated the pace of the class- we would cook a dish or two, then break and eat. Then cook some more, break and eat. The dishes were enough to get a great taste, but small enough that you didn’t get outrageously full.
This class is fun, informative, and delicious. We quite literally enjoyed every minute of it, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this class to anyone.
The class itself was very well organized. In our group we had a mix of novice and experienced chefs, and we thought everyone was able to participate and learn a lot. The instructor did a great job of managing multiple people at the same time.
We appreciated the pace of the class- we would cook a dish or two, then break and eat. Then cook some more, break and eat. The dishes were enough to get a great taste, but small enough that you didn’t get outrageously full.
This class is fun, informative, and delicious. We quite literally enjoyed every minute of it, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this class to anyone.
Written 8 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
L F
1 contribution
Jul 2024 • Couples
- very friendly, warm-hearted and open staff
- intimite cooking class feeling with a lot of personal touch and love for each and every detail and person in the room
- didn't feel like working through a menu but spending an evening together with friends or family
- great variety of dishes (10 dishes per person in total) and tastes everyone can choose from and the chef was always on point, checked everything and everyone, perfect guidance and perfect mixture of pre-prepared and cooking in the moment
- great personal background story is getting shared about the chefs family roots as an Akha in Thailand, compared to traditional Thai cuisine and well incorporated small Akha details and dishes into the overall menu
- chef picked up personal details and characteristics about everyone and played around with them while being open for questions all the time
- 4 hours went by very quick and value for money is extraordinary
- 10/10 experience. It's a must for every Thai cuisine fan who wants to learn how to cook the traditional dishes at home
- intimite cooking class feeling with a lot of personal touch and love for each and every detail and person in the room
- didn't feel like working through a menu but spending an evening together with friends or family
- great variety of dishes (10 dishes per person in total) and tastes everyone can choose from and the chef was always on point, checked everything and everyone, perfect guidance and perfect mixture of pre-prepared and cooking in the moment
- great personal background story is getting shared about the chefs family roots as an Akha in Thailand, compared to traditional Thai cuisine and well incorporated small Akha details and dishes into the overall menu
- chef picked up personal details and characteristics about everyone and played around with them while being open for questions all the time
- 4 hours went by very quick and value for money is extraordinary
- 10/10 experience. It's a must for every Thai cuisine fan who wants to learn how to cook the traditional dishes at home
Written 28 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
William Taylor
8 contributions
The best cooking class I’ve done in Asia! Jasmine was a great host and educated us about the Akha people whilst bringing humour to the evening. We prepared several delicious dishes - some chosen by ourselves - to make it a wholesome, educational, and overall amazing experience. I’d recommend this cooking course for those that want to try new flavours and unique experiences.
Written 14 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sydney A
1 contribution
Feb 2025 • Solo
I booked this afternoon cooking class last minute and went solo. It was an AMAZING experience! It was very well organized from pick up, to dish selection, to cooking instructions. Staff were all lovely, and Niti was so funny, informative and engaging. I highly recommend this class to anyone whether it’s by yourself or with a group. I also met some other awesome travellers which was a bonus. Food was of course amazing.
Written 9 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Caroline M
1 contribution
Aug 2024 • Family
Great experience- highly recommend! The trip to the market at the beginning was a great way to experience a very quintessential piece of Thai culture and our guide, Jasmine, did an excellent job leading us through and sharing information. When we started cooking, the process was absolutely flawless. With 11 different dishes and all guests having different tastes and dishes, it was absolutely incredible how well Jasmine and her assistant kept things flowing. Jasmine was funny, informative, and great teacher. Overall very excellent!
Written 17 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Claire W
59 contributions
Great learning experience! Exactly what I hoped for.
Market tour was informative.
Staff English was impressive
Food quality was top notch
Facilty was immaculate
Staff were well trained and I was impressed how Jasmine could seamlessly teach 4 dishes at the same time. Her and Sandy were a great team! Jasmine had a great sense of humour and was a m Akha person informative of her culture
Coordination was executed without a hitch
One of the best activities I have ever done!
Market tour was informative.
Staff English was impressive
Food quality was top notch
Facilty was immaculate
Staff were well trained and I was impressed how Jasmine could seamlessly teach 4 dishes at the same time. Her and Sandy were a great team! Jasmine had a great sense of humour and was a m Akha person informative of her culture
Coordination was executed without a hitch
One of the best activities I have ever done!
Written 4 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jack1988360
London, UK27 contributions
Incredible experience with Sandy. We cooked around 10 dishes as a group of all sorts of Thai and Akha dishes.
The red Thai curry was great, as was the spicy chicken stir fry.
Food was amazing and beers and wine for purchase whilst doing the class.
I’d thoroughly recommend this class as well as our amazing guide Sandy
The red Thai curry was great, as was the spicy chicken stir fry.
Food was amazing and beers and wine for purchase whilst doing the class.
I’d thoroughly recommend this class as well as our amazing guide Sandy
Written 24 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jim R
Dublin, Ireland18 contributions
What a great experience! The best 4 hours I have spent for a while. Superb ingredients and instructions from the lady chef, a member of the Agha tribe. She took us through a huge range of dishes as we learned many tips about the art of Thai cooking. She was very entertaining with good humour along the way. You can have a drink while you cook and you get to eat all you have cooked. We were picked up at our hotel and dropped back. We all left with a cookbook and some dried herbs. I would highly recommend this activity to anyone interested in Thai food.
Written 23 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, I am signed up for a morning class. I am sensitive to chilies, can eat very mild but not spicey. Can I adjust spices, maybe a Masuman instead of red curry?
Written 18 October 2024
Hi,
We are interested in this course. It says that it includes a market tour however it is not clear whether we should buy ingredients ourselves or they are provided by the organizer?
How does it usually work?
Thanks
Written 26 March 2022
No the instructor buys everything, if you want to buy anything to bring home with you you can. Otherwise you get to try different foods and buy ingredients for the course and it is all included in the price you pay for cooking class.
Written 27 March 2022
Hello , I am interested in this class and wanted to know if any of the food is suitable for vegetarians? Thanks !
Written 8 February 2022
Yes, there is a vegetarian option for each course.
Written 10 February 2022
Hello ,
Is this Cooking class also possible for vegetarian People?
Since we don‘t eat fish or meat.
Greets
Sabrina
Written 4 March 2020
Niti M
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Hi Sabrina
Yes! Vegetarians, pescatarians and vegans are welcome in our classes. All dishes can be made without meat or can be substituted with tofu. For other ingredients, such as fish sauce, there are also substitutes available such as soy sauce or salt. Similarly, if you would like to make Pad Thai, the dish can be made successfully without eggs. Our class can definitely accommodate your dietary restrictions!
Thank you
Written 5 March 2020
There are 5 adults in our party would you be able to accommodate us on Wednesday 22nd April for your morning class please? Many thanks Wendy
Written 9 February 2020
Niti M
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Hello MikeK273,
Thank you for your interest in Thai Akha Kitchen.
Trip Advisor only sell 4 seats per booking but you can make 2 different reservations or you can book it directly on our website.
Written 10 February 2020
Hi,
We are vegetarians. Is or possible to cook vegetarian meals?
Written 31 January 2020
Hi Lilian,
Thanks for your interest in our Cooking Class.
Vegetarians, pescatarians and vegans are welcome in our classes.
All dishes can be made without meat or can be substituted with tofu.
For other ingredients, such as fish sauce, there are also substitutes available such as soy sauce or salt.
Similarly, if you would like to make Pad Thai, the dish can be made successfully without eggs.
Our class can definitely accommodate your dietary restrictions!
Thank you
Hope to see you cooking with us soon!
Written 31 January 2020
My English is not very good. Can I take the class anyway?
Written 21 January 2020
Hi, if you have time, please come to visit us before book, and let's talk.
Contact us by email please.
Thank you to contact us
Written 21 January 2020
I have a boy of 6, if he won't cook himself, where can I pay the transportation cost?
Written 17 January 2020
Niti M
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Dear Jia C,
With the Grab Taxi application (you will pay the taxi driver directly); the cost is not expensive, it will depend on the length of the journey. Where is your hotel located?
You can also contact us directly by email. If you would like us to arrange the Grab taxi for you.
Written 17 January 2020
Hey there - For planning, wanted to check what time the morning and afternoon sessions finish? Thanks!
Written 28 December 2019
We started the morning around 8am and were back at our hotel around 3pm.
Written 29 December 2019
Hi tomorrow is the last day in Chang mai it is possible to have place for two please
Thanks
François
Written 20 December 2019
Niti M
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Hi francoislariviere
Tomorrow morning we are fully booked But in the evening class we still have spots open.
You can also go to Thai Akha kitchen website to make the reservation.
Or email to us with your hotel name, we happy to keep the seats for you.
Best regards
Niti
Thai Akha Kitchen
Written 20 December 2019
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.