Market Tour + Hands-On Colombo Cooking Class

Recommended by 100% of travelers

Colombo, Sri Lanka

5 hours (approx.)
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

For Sri Lankans, as for Italians, dining remains a ritual to be treasured. Immerse in the spicy delights of Sri Lankan cuisine, from market shopping to dining etiquette, during this hands-on private cooking course. Led by a professional chef in a charming villa, learn the tricks of authentic Sri Lankan home cooking, and feast on a 5-course lunch or dinner you’ve prepared yourself.

Select a menu, visit the market, and prepare a 5-course Sri Lankan feast
Learn the ins and outs of dining Sri Lankan style, including etiquette
Enjoy light refreshments, afternoon tea, and the meal you’ve prepared
Choose between lunch or dinner classes to suit your schedule

What's Included

All taxes, fees and handling charges
Bottled water
Lunch

Buffet lunch
Light refreshments
Professional guide

Alcoholic drinks (Beers)
Drinks
Gratuities
Hotel drop-off
Hotel pickup

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

VW99+VCV, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka
Our base is in Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. However, the meeting point for the market tour may vary based on the date. Please Contact us via Whatsapp to get the direction and more information

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
At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required

Infants must sit on laps
The duration of transfers are approximate, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Kindly WhatsApp us at +94756066645 to receive the specific meeting point for your booking.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

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Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Robyn_B

Nim organised transport from our Colombo hotel to his local market .That worked seamlessly! Market shopping was fun,with Nim being most informative about a whole range of fruit and vegetables that were unfamiliar to us. Upon arrival at his home we were provided with a delicious wood apple drink made by Nim and then began our cooking adventure.Nim is an excellent instructor.Well organised,skilled,patient and passionate about Sri Lankan food. We highly recommend this cooking experience.

Reviews

5.0

based on 140 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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I had a great experience...

Silvana_C, Oct 2025

I had a great experience with going to the local market and cooking local dishes. Nim is a wonderful person. I learned so much about vegetables, fruits and all the spices and even about real and fake cinnamon :) and we talked about so much more than cooking and Sri Lanka - it felt like an afternoon/evening with a friend. Thank you so much for your time and introducing me how to cook a delicious pineapple and chicken curry, coconut sambol and coconut roti.

The perfect Colombo experience!

Anne_S, Oct 2024

We loved our market tour and cooking class with Nim! The market tour was so interesting but our absolute highlight was the cooking class and chats with Nim. Because there were only 2 of us taking the class, we were in a beautiful house in the suburbs of Colombo, with a beautiful rainforest outside we could enjoy watching during thoughtfully placed cold beer breaks. Nim is not just a great guide, but a qualified and experienced culinary professional and was so knowledgeable and so lovely and helped us make some of the best food we enjoyed during our time in Sri Lanka. After the hustle and bustle of Colombo, this was such a refreshing experience to enjoy - we left feeling so relaxed and so happy (and full!). Highly recommend, particularly as a nice ending to your trip to leave on a lovely relaxed note.

An excellent hands on introduction to Sri Lankan cuisine

Robyn_B, Sep 2024

Shopping, cooking, eating - perfect!

Stephen_T, Mar 2024

Nim, our guide and teacher, showed us round the market and explained how many vegetables are used in Sri Lankan cooking. We then went back to his lovely home and he showed us how to cook several dishes. Finally, we had a delicious meal together. We learned a lot about food and Sri Lankan life in general.

Wonderful cooking class and market tour

Christy_D, Mar 2024

We had a wonderful day with Nim touring the market and then creating our delicious Sri Lankan lunch at a private house outside the city. The market walk was fun and informative, and the setting for our cooking class was perfect next to a forested area with monkeys in the trees and lots of other wildlife to see on our breaks. Nim was the perfect host and was very friendly, engaging and knowledgeable about local cooking. We made coconut roti, coconut sambal, chicken curry and beetroot curry, and it was all amazingly tasty. We really loved the experience and highly recommend it.

What a great intro to cooking classes

Carolyn_H, Feb 2024

Nim is a very relaxed gentle character who is very willing to engage and share. He met us promptly at the agreed meeting point. We shopped for ingredients at a nearby local market. Then transferred to his place for our cooking lesson. A fabulous environment, very clean and neatly set out. A totally enjoyable afternoon/evening. Some wonderful conversation, some great food and an overall very positive experience. First time cooking class ever and would recommend Nim, and would repeat the whole experience . Future classes will be judged against this one !

A brilliant experience - highly recommended

Paul_H, Oct 2023

This was an excellent experience led by a brilliant host (Nim). The market visit was informative and fun. The evening of cooking was really enjoyable and we felt we learnt a lot and had great food that we could replicate at home (thanks to the tuition and recipes given to us).

Will definitely be cooking these curries again!

Sanpreet_S, Jul 2023

Nim was super kind and patient with me, as I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to cooking. He was a gracious host in his own kitchen. I've learnt recipes that I can take back home and recreate for my family! Thanks Nim!