Top Central Highlands Cooking Classes

Go beyond just sampling Guatemalan cuisine at Antigua’s restaurants and learn to cook it for yourself at a cooking class. Visit a cooking school in Jocotenango village, and learn to make typical Guatemalan food, choosing from assorted dishes and picking up local cooking tips as you work. Then, savor your creations with your hosts on a rooftop terrace overlooking the Agua Volcano or in a colonial-style dining room.

Immerse yourself in Guatemalan culture and cuisine with a small-group cooking class at Cuscun Cooking School in Antigua. First, visit the local market to shop for fresh ingredients, herbs, and spices, then get hands-on in the kitchen under the guidance of a local chef. Create a variety of typical Guatemalan dishes, such as ‘tamales, ‘pepián’ (meat stew), or chiles rellenos (stuffed chilies).

What makes this activity special At Casa San Miguel, participants not only watch a cooking demonstration, but become part of the experience. Guided by local chef David Farfán, travelers prepare authentic Guatemalan dishes using traditional techniques handed down from generation to generation. Small groups guarantee personalized attention, hands-on learning and a warm, familiar and welcoming atmosphere. Participants also enjoy Guatemalan coffee, local drinks and printed take-home recipes. The optional market tour adds an immersive cultural touch, connecting travelers directly to local ingredients and traditions.

The workshop is made to be fun and interactive. We want people to enjoy learning about guatemalan culture and the history of cacao. The chocolate is high quality and natural. We only use cacao, cacao butter and sugar. We also have a cafeteria where you can enjoy traditional food while you wait for your chocolate to freeze. There is also a beautiful garden to enjoy a hot chocolate o coffee.

It will be 3 hours of Guatemalan magic, you will live a stately experience, where I will show you the cuisine of Guatemala. I will take you to my house that is located in one of the most exclusive areas of the city, you enjoy beautiful avenues from a 21st floor, and I will invite you to cook in my kitchen, I will take you back to the past with a demonstration of a Mayan ceremony, and we will be tasting the dish that you choose, I will explain step by step and where your dish comes from. Includes 3 times where I choose your entry and posts I am is a surprise to you. I use fresh and seasonal ingredients, traveling more than 200 km to bring the best of Guatemala and include it in your food. Depending on the season we can make hot cocoa, a surprise gift from our culture, I will take home a special ingredient, a photo with a typical Guatemalan costume. The hours of 11 am are the only ones where we will visit the Traditional Market

Without a doubt, learning how to make Guatemalan pepián and plantain mole will provide you with a unique culinary experience and will bring you closer to the rich gastronomic tradition of Guatemala. Guatemalan cuisine is known for its diversity of flavors, native ingredients, and traditional culinary techniques that have been passed down through generations.

About 20-minutes from Antigua, the peaceful town of Parramos is a world away from the bustling streets of Guatemala’s tourist capital, which makes it the perfect place for a family-led cooking class in a local home. A great way to immerse yourself in the rich flavors of Guatemalan cuisine, this small-group cooking class also gives you the chance to learn more about Guatemalan culture and stories.

Discover the magic of San Antonio Aguascalientes by visiting the home of Milvia, a talented weaver who inherited the ancient art of the waist loom. During this tour, you will learn about the rich tradition of Guatemalan fabric, immersing yourself in a unique cultural experience. In addition, you will participate in the preparation of the delicious cucumber, a typical dish full of flavor and history. This tour is ideal for seekers of cultural experiences, families with children and those who want to connect with authentic local traditions. Live unforgettable moments, get up close and personal with the life and work of a family dedicated to traditional art, and take memories for a lifetime.

If you’re looking for a full day trip that will deepen your knowledge of Guatemala and expose you to interacting with local communities off-the-beaten-path, this is for you. The activities take place in the community of San Miguel Escobar on the outskirts of Antigua (20 or 30 minutes), where the coffee-growing families welcome you into their homes to start the experience in a rural Guatemalan kitchen to learn to cook Guatemalan traditional dishes: Pepian, plantain mole, and tortillas on a wood-burning stove. After lunch, a coffee farmer will lead you through their fields, explain the work behind cultivating coffee, walk you through each processing step from bean to brew, and finish the tour by joining you for a coffee in their home. Along the way, you’ll learn more than just the process behind coffee-you’ll have authentic and transparent conversations with small-scale producers and their families.

What sets this experience apart is its quiet intimacy and authenticity. Rather than a group-led ritual, this is a self-guided cacao ceremony, allowing each guest to move at their own pace and connect in a personal, unforced way. The ceremony centers on Guatemalan ceremonial cacao, honoring its cultural roots and heart-centered tradition. Every element—sage cleansing, intention-setting, ritual release, and gratitude—is intentionally simple, creating space for reflection rather than instruction. The result is a grounded, memorable experience—one that feels both sacred and approachable, and lingers well beyond the cup itself.

Taste Guatemala’s soul through a professional and personalized tasting of specialty coffee —set in an immersive space that celebrates ancestral culture through every flavor and story. ITZAM is #31 in the list of best coffeeshops of North, Central America and Caribean.

Experience a unique adventure where our visitors enjoy an authentic Guatemalan cooking class alongside locals, learning traditional recipes in a real kitchen steeped in history, flavor, and culture. You can also enhance your visit with a special option: a jade carving class, where you'll create your own piece while discovering the ancestral significance of this precious material in Guatemala.

Within this open car tour to better live the experience, you will know the coffee processes in a different way since the experience is directly with a local coffee farmer , it is an incredible activity which you must live, you will know both planting processes, as well as you will drink artisan coffee, in one of the most iconic communities in the coffee world by the area of Antigua Guatemala

What makes this experience unique is that it goes beyond a typical cooking class. Guests will begin by visiting a local market to select fresh ingredients, gaining insight into everyday life and food culture in Guatemala. Together, we’ll prepare a complete traditional meal—from Chiles Rellenos to Jocón and the beloved dessert Molletes—while learning the stories, traditions, and techniques behind each dish. This is a hands-on, small-group experience hosted in a home kitchen, offering an authentic opportunity to connect with Guatemalan culture, cuisine, and hospitality. By the end of the class, guests will not only enjoy a delicious homemade meal but also leave with recipes, new skills, and a deeper appreciation for Guatemala’s culinary heritage.

Join a local family in a traditional village near Antigua and learn how to prepare authentic Guatemalan dishes using age-old techniques and locally sourced ingredients. Grind corn, seeds, and spices by hand using the ancient pedernal stone. Learn traditional Mayan cooking techniques and use heritage utensils. Enjoy dishes like Pepián, Jocón, Kak'ik, or a vegetarian option. Take the recipes and skills home to recreate the flavors yourself.

You'll know the sacrifice that coffee farmers make inside Guatemala, you'll be able to live the coffee with sense, not by focusing so much on a dot, but by enjoying the flavors of each cup, you'll be able to challenge your taste buds, you'll direct this activity to the coffee lovers

Embark on an exotic culinary adventure with this 5-hour small-group cooking class in Antigua, including hotel pick-up. Master expert techniques and local ingredients to create typical Guatemalan dishes like ‘hilachas’, tamales and ‘camote en dulce’, under the watchful eye of a professional chef. After tasting your creations over lunch, leave armed with recipes and cooking tips to help you recreate your favorite dishes back home.

The special thing about this experience is that it goes beyond a simple cooking class: it is an authentic immersion in the gastronomic heart of Guatemala. Guided by a local cook, it combines hands-on learning with living tradition, allowing you to choose between visiting the market to learn about and select fresh ingredients or start cooking directly. During the activity, you will not only prepare emblematic dishes such as cucumber and banana mole, but you will learn ancient techniques passed down from generation to generation, including making traditional comal tortillas by hand. The experience is complemented by a cultural introduction that explains the symbolism and roots of Guatemalan cuisine, offering a complete, authentic and participatory approach.

More than just coffee, this is an immersive tasting journey where fantasy meets specialty brewing in the heart of Antigua Guatemala. Each experience includes 3 carefully crafted signature lattes, designed with unique flavors, artistic presentation, and magical storytelling that transforms every drink into its own adventure. This activity is special because it combines creativity, ambiance, and high-quality coffee into a memorable ritual unlike a traditional café visit. Perfect for travelers, couples, and anyone seeking a distinctive experience, guests can explore imaginative beverages inspired by wonder and alchemy while enjoying one of Antigua’s most unique themed café settings. Optional dessert pairings elevate the journey even further, making it a truly enchanting escape.

Pepian is one of Guatemala emblematic dishes, however on this cooking experience, you will learn how to make the Mayan San Antonio Aguas Calientes recipe: An explosion of flavors thanks to Mayan techniques. A unique experience you won’t see at any restaurant or cooking school.

Curioser and curioser! Step through the enchanted doors of El Alquimista, Antigua’s fantasy café and potions bar, and find yourself in a tea party straight out of a storybook — where time forgets itself, flavors defy reason, and the unexpected is always on the menu. Surrounded by curious contraptions, and shelves stacked with potions, you’ll delight in a whimsical spread of sweet and savory bites, crafted to charm both magical minds and mortal tastebuds. Sip from a steaming teapot of enchanted herbal infusion, brewed with Guatemalan herbs and spices—each blend more curious than the last, and chosen to stir dreams, awaken laughter, or calm the Queen of Hearts herself! So put on your finest hat (mad or not), bring your most peculiar friends, and prepare to sip, nibble, and giggle your way through an afternoon of wonder! Experience includes: -Two brownies with ice cream or an assortment of enchanted treats -Tartines of your choosing -A teapot with a tea/infusion/coffee

With the help of a local person you will learn to identify different coffee profiles, where customers will test their taste buds, a dynamic activity and sharing

This experience isn’t just about making candy; it’s a journey into the heart of Guatemalan culture. Guided by local cooks whose families have kept these sweet traditions alive for generations, you’ll gain insight into an art form rooted in history. Combining a tasting session, storytelling, and hands-on candy-making ensures an experience as enriching as it is delicious. Whether with kids or just curious about local traditions, this workshop offers a unique opportunity to connect with Guatemala’s vibrant culture in the sweetest way possible!