Hanoi Cooking Class & Market Tour: Shop, Cook, Eat
If you want to bring Hanoi home with you, a cooking class is the way to do it. This market tour and Vietnamese cooking class starts where every good Hanoi meal starts — at a local market with a chef — then moves to the kitchen to cook and eat the dishes yourself. It's the most hands-on option among the Hanoi food tours on this site; here's how the Hanoi cooking class works and what you'll make.
About the Cooking Class & Market Tour
Cancel up to 24 hours before for a full refund
Market visit plus a full cooking class
Includes ingredients and the meal you cook
Shop for fresh produce with a chef
Cook classic Vietnamese dishes yourself
Highly rated by travelers
Check Live Availability & Prices
Real-time dates and prices for the market tour and Vietnamese cooking class — the hands-on way to learn Hanoi's kitchen.
Why Book the Cooking Class
A food tour fills you up for an evening; a cooking class sends you home with skills. This 4.5-hour experience gives you both — the market and the kitchen. You start by shopping a working Hanoi market with a local chef, who explains the herbs, noodles and pastes that define Vietnamese cooking, then head to the kitchen to cook a handful of classics from scratch and sit down to eat everything you make.
It holds a 4.9-star rating, and because it runs longer than a walking tour, it's a relaxed, deep-dive morning or afternoon rather than a quick crawl. Ideal for anyone who wants to understand the food, not just taste it.
What You'll Cook
Menus vary by day and season, but a Hanoi cooking class typically covers a few of the city's greatest hits:
- Fresh or fried spring rolls (nem), rolled by hand
- A Hanoi classic like bun cha or pho, built from the broth up
- Banh xeo (sizzling crispy pancake) or banh cuon
- A green papaya or herb salad with a Vietnamese dressing
- A dipping sauce (nuoc cham) you'll want to make again at home
How the Experience Flows
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Start
Meet at the market
Meet your chef and head into a local market to pick fresh herbs, produce and proteins.
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Shop
Learn the ingredients
The chef explains the noodles, herbs and pastes that make Vietnamese food, and you shop for the menu.
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Cook
Hands-on class
Move to the kitchen and cook several classic dishes step by step alongside the chef.
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Eat
Sit down to your meal
Enjoy everything you've made, with recipes to take home.
What's Included (and What Isn't)
The class covers everything you cook and eat; a couple of extras are optional.
- Included: chef-led market tour and hands-on cooking class
- Included: all ingredients and the meal you prepare
- Included: recipes to take home
- Not included: hotel pickup unless the operator states it
- Not included: extra drinks beyond what's offered
Important Things to Know Before You Go
Not suitable for
- Anyone short on time — it runs about 4.5 hours
- Travelers wanting only to taste, not cook
What to bring and know
- Tell the operator in advance if you're vegetarian or have allergies
- Come hungry — you'll eat a full meal at the end
- Comfortable shoes for the market walk
- A phone or notebook for the recipes and market tips
Where It Goes — A Local Hanoi Market
Who This Tour Is For
It's the right choice if you:
- Want to recreate Vietnamese food at home
- Enjoy markets and understanding ingredients
- Prefer a longer, hands-on experience to a quick crawl
- Are traveling with someone who loves to cook
Hanoi Cooking Class & Market Tour — FAQ
What dishes will I cook in a Hanoi cooking class?
Menus change daily but usually include spring rolls, a Hanoi classic like bun cha or pho, a pancake or rice roll, a fresh salad, and a dipping sauce. You cook each with the chef and eat them at the end. See the class details.
Is the market tour included in the cooking class?
Yes — the experience starts with a chef-led visit to a local market to shop for the ingredients you'll cook. It's part of what makes this the most in-depth food experience on the site. Check availability.
Can the class cater to vegetarians?
Usually, yes — tell the operator when you book and they can adapt the menu to vegetarian or other dietary needs. Browse all the food experiences.
How long does the cooking class take?
About 4.5 hours in total, covering the market visit, the cooking, and the sit-down meal. It's a relaxed half-day rather than a quick tour. For something shorter, see the Old Quarter street food walks.
What Travelers Say About This Tour
The market visit made the whole thing. Our chef explained every herb and paste, then we cooked bun cha and spring rolls and ate the lot. I've made the dipping sauce three times since.
Best half-day of our trip. Hands-on, relaxed, and we came away actually able to cook a couple of Vietnamese dishes. Worth every dollar.
Loved shopping the market with a real chef and then cooking together. They happily made ours vegetarian. Such a warm, personal experience.