Farm to Table Cooking Class
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
La Fortuna, Costa Rica
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Learn to cook Costa Rican food made from local organic ingredients right from the farm where your class is held. You can help collect the seasonal produce from the fields, then you’ll get back to the kitchen. You’ll not only learn to cook in an open wood-fire kitchen, but you’ll hear stories about Costa Rican culture, too.
- Easy to locate departure point
- Learn all about the farm and produce from your guide
- Keep costs down with this small group tour
- After you cook, you’ll sit down to enjoy your meal together
What's Included
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Costa Rica Descents Adventure CompanyVia 702, Provincia de Alajuela, La Fortuna, 21007, Costa Rica
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
The Chef was sooo great!! Going out into the farm and seeing the crops, plants and animals and learning more about them was extremely educational in the most fun way! Then going step-by-step together to make an incredible dish was a lot of fun and I can’t recommend this enough! My partner doesn’t know how to cook but he did so well and had a great time learning and participating! I plan to recreate what we made back home. The chef was great to talk to and made this a special activity and I appreciated learning so much from him! We will definitely come again when we return to Costa Rica!
Reviews
4.9
based on 724 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Melania was amazing!! We loved all of the dishes, especially the empanadas. It was great that all of the produce was grown right there fresh and organic too. 10/10
We had such a great experience during this cooking class. We brought our 2 year old who loved seeing all the farm animals and helping out with the cooking. The food was amazing, and we learned a lot about some Costa Rican foods/ingredients.
Response from Host, Sept 2026
Hello and thank you so much for sharing your experience with us!
We are delighted to hear that you and your family had such a great time during our Farm-to-Table Cooking Class. It is especially wonderful to know that your little one enjoyed meeting the farm animals and taking part in the cooking experience.
We are also happy that you enjoyed the food and had the opportunity to learn more about Costa Rican ingredients and culinary traditions. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome your family back to Costa Rica in the future.
Warm regards,
Costa Rica Descents
THE MOST AMAZING EXPERIENCE. Our guide Andre’s was awesome super friendly and welcoming and the food was so good !!!
Response from Host, Sept 2026
Hello and thank you so much for your wonderful review!
We are delighted to hear that you had such an amazing experience during our Farm-to-Table Cooking Class and that you enjoyed the food.
We are also very happy to know that Andrés made you feel welcome and comfortable throughout the experience. We truly appreciate your kind words and support.
It was a pleasure having you with us, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back to Costa Rica in the future.
Warm regards,
Costa Rica Descents
Andres was our instructor and he was absolutely incredible. The activity starts with a tour of the farm (pet the baby goats!). Andres explained the different fruits and plants that are important to Costa Rica and how they are used or prepared. What follows is an absolutely incredible cooking experience. We made civeche, chicken fried rice, and empanadas. The food was absolutely delicious and we had so much fun with our instructor. 10/10!!!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Dear Guest,
Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful review of our Farm to Table Cooking Class! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed every part of the experience, from exploring the farm and meeting our baby goats to learning about the fruits, plants, and ingredients that are an important part of Costa Rican cuisine.
We’re especially happy to know that you had so much fun cooking and that you enjoyed the ceviche, chicken fried rice, and empanadas! Sharing our local food, culture, and traditions with our guests is something we truly enjoy.
It was a pleasure having you with us, and we hope to welcome you back again in the future for another delicious Costa Rican experience!
Warm regards,
Costa Rica Descents Team
The “Farm-to-Table” cooking class is a must do event when you visit Costa Rica! Michael and Kevin were the best Chef and Sous Chef combo! I highly recommend this class-rain or shine!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We truly appreciate your wonderful feedback! Providing a high-quality, engaging, and memorable culinary experience is exactly what Michael and Kevin strive for every day. Thank you for choosing us for your time in Costa Rica and for highly recommending our cooking class to future travelers!
Costa Rica Descents
Michael, our chef, was outstanding! He explained his cooking style on open flame stoves and the traditional Costa Rican flavors used in our dishes. We helped prepare all of our food, which was delicious! We were all full when we left. I went with my husband and 2 teen daughters. We all enjoyed the class! The organic farm and farm animals were a highlight.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your wonderful feedback! Providing an engaging, hands-on, and authentic farm-to-table experience for all ages is exactly what Chef Michael and our team strive for every day. We are delighted that you, your husband, and your teenage daughters thoroughly enjoyed the class, the delicious food, and the farm animal visit. Thank you for choosing us!
Costa Rica Descents
This experience was very cool and honestly really good for the price. There was a lot of food and Kevin and michael were super funny. I did expect there to be more hands on cooking but other than that it was really fun.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for the feedback! We are thrilled you had a very cool time, loved the value, and found Kevin and Michael super funny. We really appreciate your note about wanting even more hands-on cooking time—we love tweaking things to make sure everyone gets to cook as much as they want! Glad you left full and had fun.
Costa Rica Descents
We had a really great couple of hours with Michael, learning how to cook some different dishes. We also had a tour of his garden and met his goats that he makes the cheese with that we cooked with. After we cooked, we sat and ate lunch together while Michael told us more about the local produce. My 14 year old daughter loved the experience. It was a nice complement to all the adventure and nature activities around Arenal.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us! Our farm-to-table classes are designed to be an immersive, relaxing dive into Costa Rican culture and agriculture, so it is fantastic to hear that meeting the goats and touring the garden added so much to your meal. Michael takes great pride in his teaching, and we are so glad it was a highlight for your family during your time around Arenal.
Costa Rica Descents
This was a fun and delicious night. We learned a lot about the organic farming before everyone was involved in some aspect of preparing a dinner. The dinner adapted to gf, df, and vegetarian diets. This was a family favorite for us.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much! We are absolutely thrilled to hear that our cooking class was a family favorite for you. It is awesome that everyone got involved in making the dinner after exploring our organic farm, and we are so glad we could seamlessly accommodate the gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian needs. Come cook with us again soon!
Costa Rica Descents
We had a great time and enjoyed the food and experience! The food was tasty and our guide was fun and informative
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much! We are absolutely thrilled to hear that you had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the food and experience. Our team takes great pride in making our tours both fun and informative, and they will be so happy to know you loved the tasty meal. Come back and visit us again soon!
Costa Rica Descents
I’m not if it’s different when not raining but for us it was so we didn’t pick any foods (I don’t think you do anyways) we still went out though and got to see things. The class itself was awesome, My wife and I cook a lot and we still learned so much from this class. The guide/host Andres was phenomenal. Friendly, funny, relatable. A GOOD teacher. Would recommend to anyone it’s not too long, not too quick, the food is great and overall it’s just a beautiful experience. Please give this a shot!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for this wonderful and detailed review! We are so glad that a little rain didn't dampen your spirits and that you still had a beautiful experience with us. Hearing that you and your wife cook a lot at home and still learned so much from the class is the ultimate compliment to our program! Andres is truly phenomenal, and your description of him as friendly, funny, relatable, and a genuinely good teacher is spot on. We will absolutely pass your kind words along to him. Thank you for urging others to give us a shot!
Costa Rica Descents
This experience was incredible! My fiancé and I felt very at home, hanging out and having a good time with friends! We were also amazed at how much of the cooking we had to actually do. We made everything from scratch, it was great!!! Highly recommend!!!!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much! We are thrilled that you and your fiancé felt right at home, and we love that you enjoyed the fully hands-on experience of making everything from scratch. Congratulations to you both!
Costa Rica Descents
This was one of our favorite things we did in La Fortuna! Miguel and his mother chef Melania were the nicest people and so welcoming. Miguel took us on a tour of their farm where we picked fresh ingredients and learned about each plant and animal. We went back to the kitchen area and Melania led us through the cooking class and explained each ingredient and even told stories about her cooking. This was truly such a special experience I would highly recommend to anyone traveling to La Fortuna.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you! Miguel and Melania love creating truly special, authentic experiences, and hearing that you felt so welcomed means the world to us. We greatly appreciate your fantastic support!
Costa Rica Descents
My family and I were really excited about this tour, but honestly, it fell a bit flat for us. It was raining heavily the day we went, so I feel like our farm tour portion was rushed and cut short.
The cooking class itself had 10 people, which felt a bit too crowded for this kind of experience. Seemed like he was struggling to find things for everyone to do in order to participate. Because of the group size and the timing, the actual cooking part felt very rushed as well. We didn't really do much of the actual cooking, per se—it felt more like food prep. We were also told at the very beginning that we would be making patacones, but we never did, which was disappointing.
On the positive side, the food we did make (chicken and rice, ceviche, and empanadas) was really yummy! We especially enjoyed making the empanadas from scratch. Our guide was also very nice and worked well with the group, but again, the overall pace just felt hurried. If you're looking for a deep, hands-on cooking experience, this might not quite hit the mark, but the food at the end is great.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your honest feedback. We apologize that the heavy rain, group size, and missing patacones left your family feeling rushed and disappointed. Providing a highly interactive, well-paced experience is always our goal, so we are taking your comments directly to our kitchen team to fix these pacing issues. We are glad you enjoyed the yummy food and our friendly guide, and we hope to have the chance to deliver a much better, fully hands-on session for you in the future.
Costa Rica Descents
This was such a cool experience! I love to cook, but my mother does not enjoy it as much, however we both really enjoyed this cooking class. Andres made the evening lighthearted and fun. We got to tour the garden where some of our ingredients for the dinner were from. The food we made was delicious, and I appreciated Andres's thought and care that went into making and styling the food. We were with some other people we didn't know, however Andres was good at facilitating everyone working together and getting to know each other. We all enjoyed each others company and conversations together.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much! We love that both you and your mother enjoyed the class, and that Andres made it so fun and collaborative. It was a pleasure having you! Costa Rica Descents
Paid 45 dollars a person for a meal that took 3.5 hours to make and cost probably 50 American cents. Do not recommend.
Such a fun activity! My kids loved it and they even did something special for my daughter. Our translator Miguel was great and Melania was so sweet. We also had a wonderful male chef but I don’t remember his name. Highly recommend especially with teens. Very family friendly!
Short walk around the farm to see all of the produce. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff answered all of our questions. Preparing the different stages of the meal was fun for the entire family.
We had a great time with Austin. He walked us through the small farm explaining the different plants and animals and then we cooked a lovely lunch. So much fun.
This was a good way for an initial entry into learning about Costa Rica's culture, farming, and culinary arts. Andres, our guide and head chef, was very informative and helped us create a delicious meal.
The food tasted great, but as a chef, the sanitation was a major concern. We were asked to shred parboiled, rare chicken on surfaces that were only wiped with a dry cloth afterward.
Also, be aware this is a communal 'one-pot' style class rather than individual stations. Since everyone handles the shared ingredients with their bare hands, I was very worried about cross-contamination with people I didn't know. A fun concept, but the hygiene protocols definitely need an update for guest safety.
My friends and I had a great time at this cooking class. Our instructor was very knowledgeable and kind. The only thing we wish we knew before was that the cooking class took way longer than the time shown on viator. Our class started at 5 and ended at 8:30pm. Overall the food was great, but was a little bit smaller portions than anticipated.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re glad to hear you and your friends enjoyed the class and the overall experience. We also appreciate your comments, as they help us continue improving and setting the right expectations for future guests. It was a pleasure having you with us!
This was more of a watch the owners cook. The participants chop certain things, but cooked nothing. All I did was squeeze lemons and shred pre-cooked chicken. Also, nobody was made to wash their hands prior to start chopping. Compared to other classes I have been to, this one was lacking in participation involvement. Too pricy for the simple food that was prepared.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We truly appreciate your honesty.
We’re sorry to hear that the experience did not meet your expectations in terms of participation. Our goal is always to create an interactive and engaging cooking experience, and we regret if it felt more observational than hands-on during your visit.
We also take hygiene standards very seriously, and your comment regarding handwashing is important to us. We will review this internally to ensure our procedures are clearly communicated and followed at all times.
Your feedback helps us improve, and we genuinely value it. Thank you for joining us, and we hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a better experience in the future. 🌿👩🍳
This was a fun class, the farm walk was very informative. Recommended you wear shoes that can get muddy.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your review.
We’re glad to hear you had a fun time in our Farm to Table Cooking Class and enjoyed the informative farm walk. It’s a great way to learn more about the ingredients before bringing them into the kitchen.
We also appreciate the helpful tip about wearing shoes that can get muddy — that’s always a good idea for the farm portion of the experience. We hope to welcome you again soon.
Fantastic experience. Andres is the best!
We couldn't recommend this enough. Absolutely a must if you are visiting to experience Costa Rican culture
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you very much for sharing your feedback with us.
We’re delighted to know you had such a fantastic experience and felt immersed in Costa Rican culture. Your recommendation truly means a great deal, and we’re grateful you chose to join us during your visit.
My friends and I booked this tour the night before and it completely blew our expectations! Tito was our guide and chef. Before we made food, he took us around the farm and showed us all the different plants and animals. We even planted a tree together. Tito created a very engaging and friendly atmosphere making the cooking class very fun for us!! Highly recommend Tito and this class!!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
It means a great deal that you chose to share your experience with us.
We’re delighted to hear the class exceeded your expectations and that you enjoyed exploring the farm before getting hands-on in the kitchen. Creating an engaging, welcoming atmosphere is something we truly value, and it’s wonderful to know you felt that throughout the experience. We sincerely appreciate your recommendation and are grateful you joined us.
The Chef was sooo great!! Going out into the farm and seeing the crops, plants and animals and learning more about them was extremely educational in the most fun way! Then going step-by-step together to make an incredible dish was a lot of fun and I can’t recommend this enough! My partner doesn’t know how to cook but he did so well and had a great time learning and participating! I plan to recreate what we made back home. The chef was great to talk to and made this a special activity and I appreciated learning so much from him! We will definitely come again when we return to Costa Rica!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you so much for this wonderful review.
We’re delighted that you enjoyed exploring the farm, learning about the crops and animals, and then bringing everything together in the kitchen step by step. It’s especially great to hear that both of you felt comfortable participating and had such a fun time cooking together.
The best compliment is knowing you plan to recreate the dishes back home. We truly appreciate your recommendation and look forward to welcoming you again on your next visit to Costa Rica.
This was so fun! I loved how everyone was able to prep and cook the foods together, and the walk about the farm was very informative as well.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
What a pleasure to hear you had so much fun! We’re delighted you enjoyed cooking together and exploring the farm. We hope to welcome you back for another hands-on and memorable experience!
Best meal I had in Costa Rica! We walked around the farm and learned about all the plants and smelled their leaves and said hello to all the animals. Our group was small and we all had different tasks to prepare the meal. Very engaging and the chef was very nice and knowledgeable.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience!
We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the farm-to-table cooking class and that it was engaging and fun. Exploring the farm, learning about the plants, and preparing a delicious meal together are exactly the experiences we aim to create. We hope to welcome you back soon for another memorable visit!
Andreas was an incredible host. He introduced himself to us and introduced us to every other individual in the group to create a good social setting. He gave us the details as to what we were going g to make for dinner, then gave us a tour of the farm. He was very knowledgeable and answered any questions we had about the farm. He prompted us to feed the animals and even allowed us to hold the baby goats (adorable). Then he had us try the sugar cane raw then then pressed some into a juice for us to also try. Afterwards, we made a delicious meal of fried rice, empanadas, and Costa Rican ceviche. The group acted as sous chefs, prepping all the ingredients while Andreas handled the frying of the rice and empanadas. It was a great learning experience, quality dinner, and rewarding social gathering. I would highly recommend!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re thrilled that you enjoyed the farm-to-table cooking class and had such an interactive and social experience. It’s fantastic that you got to explore the farm, meet the animals, and taste the fresh sugarcane juice. We’re delighted that the meal and group experience made your visit memorable. Your recommendation means a lot to our team, and we hope to welcome you back for another hands-on and enjoyable adventure!
Member Pricing
From
$42.75
per personWas $45.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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