Florence Cooking Class in a Gorgeous Countryside Home with Maria

Recommended by 99% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Florence, Italy

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

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

Why travelers loved this

5.0

· Denise_M ·

Apr 2026

This cooking experience was fantastic! Maria was so sweet, the food was delicious and her house was really cool! It’s a great way to get out of the city for a few minutes and enjoy the countryside. We made pasta from scratch, meatballs, dessert and some delicious appetizers. Maria is warm and kind and a terrific hostess. Highly recommend!!

· Corey_D ·

Apr 2026

We had an amazing time with Christina. She is the kindest and sweetest lady. She has a beautiful home and this was an amazing experience. We learned how to cook some amazing food. Our dinner was absolutely amazing. Words can’t describe how great this experience was for my family. Highly recommend!

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Overview

Escape the bustle of Florence and join your host, a passionate cook, for a private culinary experience in their countryside home. Craft traditional Italian dishes like handmade pasta, bruschetta, and tiramisu using cherished family recipes. Your host picks you up in Florence, and you can opt for a market tour at San Lorenzo to select fresh, seasonal ingredients before enjoying your delicious, homemade meal in a cozy, authentic setting.

This private class ensures hands-on guidance and instruction
Learn how to cook three to four traditional Tuscan dishes
Vegetarian options are available upon request
This hands-on cooking class is great for food lovers visiting Florence

Sample Menu

Starter

Bruschetta

Main

Spinach and cheese stuffed ravioli or tagliatelle

Handmade stuffed pasta or cut pasta in a sauce of your choice

Dessert

Tiramisu

Starter

Local Italian wine

What's Included

Private cooking class and meal with your host Maria
Alcoholic Beverages

Local Italian wine
Round-trip transport from a central meeting location in Florence (for up to 6 guests)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Forno Sale Grosso
Via della Mattonaia, 1, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy
Meet your host Maria at the entrance to Forno Sale Grosso in the Florence city center. She will pick you up in her car and drive you to the market if you choose the tour + class option or drive you to her beautiful countryside home, 15 minutes away if you choose the class only option.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Mercato Centrale

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Service animals allowed
Stroller accessible
Not wheelchair accessible
Menu may vary depending on the season
For your pasta, Maria offers a choice of sauces: Ragu, broccoli pesto, arrabbiata or butter and sage with parmesan cream. If you have a specific preference, please inform her when making your booking.

If you are a group of 7 or more guests, Maria kindly requests that any guests beyond the first four arrange their own transportation to her home, as she can only accommodate up to 6 passengers in her car.
Please note that, as is common in many Italian homes, this residence does not have air conditioning.
This experience is not suited for gluten-free diets. If you are interested in a gluten-free experience, be sure to book Maria's dedicated "Gluten-Free Pasta Class in a Gorgeous Florence Home".
Please note that markets are closed on Sundays and public holidays.
This home has a cat.
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

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Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Lisa_L

Our cooking class with Maria was the highlight of our trip to Florence! Her home in the Tuscan countryside is beautiful and it was lovely to see the landscape outside of the city. Maria is warm and welcoming and one feels immediately at home. The cooking class prep is informative and fun. The meal shared with our host was not only tasty but felt as if we were friends around a table spending a memorable afternoon together. This excursion is highly recommended!

Reviews

5.0

based on 141 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Highlight of our trip to Florence

Lisa_L, Apr 2026

Amazing Experience!

Corey_D, Apr 2026

The Best Cooking Experience

Denise_M, Apr 2026

Exceptional

Faith_B, Mar 2026

The most amazing experience!!! It was a dream, we felt like adopted family. Maria is AMAZING don’t think twice book it now!!!

Amazing local experience

Brent_S, Mar 2026

Christina (Maria) was the most gracious host we could have asked for. This tour was everything and much more than we expected. What an amazing day it was, learning about Florence and the surrounding countryside. The drive into the country was beautiful, as was her home. We learned and cooked several wonderful authentic recipes. The meal was delicious and we look forward to replicating the recipes and techniques at home (she provided us with her recipes and links to her cooking equipmemt). The morning trip to the local market was a fabulous addition to learn about the culture and the Florentine specialties. We learned where to buy fresh produce, and preferred meat and cheeses. We were also able to taste and buy some delicious parmegiano cheese that they vacuum packed for us to bring home. Christina was a wonderful hostess and made this day spectacular. Anyone interested in the local culture and cooking should take this tour. It was a special day for our family that will be remembered forever.

From Non-Cook to Pasta Queen: The Most Magical Afternoon in the Florentine Countryside

Jessica_J, Feb 2026

Our cooking class with Maria was hands down one of the highlights of our time in Florence. First of all, I do not cook. At all. And somehow, under Maria’s guidance, I made the most delicious pasta dish I’ve ever had in my life. I’m still thinking about it. Even more shocking? I don’t like kale… and her kale bruschetta absolutely blew my mind. I would order it in a restaurant tomorrow. The experience was so much more than just cooking. Maria began with a market tour where we learned about local ingredients, food traditions, and even how to properly order and enjoy caffè like a Florentine. It was such a cool cultural deep dive and made us feel like we were seeing a side of Florence beyond the typical tourist experience. Then we went to her home in the countryside, and it was pure perfection. She’s an architect by trade and rebuilt the home herself. It’s stunning, thoughtful, and full of character. You can feel the creativity in every detail. Even though we didn’t meet her husband, we loved hearing that he’s a jazz enthusiast. It just added to the charm and personality of the whole experience. Getting out of the busy heart of Florence and into the countryside for an afternoon of cooking, learning, and connecting was unforgettable. Maria is warm, knowledgeable, funny, and incredibly talented. If you’re visiting Florence, this is an absolute must!

Wonderful cooking Experience in Florence

Suzanne_F, Dec 2025

This authentic Italian cooking class in Maria Christina’s beautifully renovated home was the high light of our trip in Florence! Not only did we learn some wonderful Italian cooking skills but we feel we have made a new friend. We would definitely recommend this activity to anyone visiting Florence!

Wonderful afternoon!

Charlie_A, Nov 2025

Maria, her home, her cooking, her personality and warmth are all fantastic! We had a wonderful afternoon! We will plan another trip to Florence just to visit Maria again!

Miss Maria provided us...

Aubrey_G, Nov 2025

Miss Maria provided us with a very enjoyable experience both at the market and in the kitchen of her beautiful home. We very much enjoyed the opportunity to prepare a delicious meal using fresh ingredients. Very excited to get home and try her recipes in our own kitchen. Great experience, a highlight of our visit to Florence!

Best Italian cooking experience !

Susan_F, Oct 2025

Truly the most experience- it was like we were cooking with a nonna. Marie was amazing, taking all the time in the world to make us feel like guests in her house and sharing her many years of secrets to cooking genuine Italian cuisine. Her countryside cottage is like something out of a fairy tale. She allowed us to be hands on in the whole cooking process and even showed us how to prepare the beautiful table we shared our meal. By the end, we felt we not only knew how to cook and present an Italian meal, but also had made a new friend. Recommend to everyone

Marvelous Maria

Timothy_S, Oct 2025

She was right on time picking us up. Very welcoming at our first meeting. A short drive through the countryside to a rustic farmhouse/estate that Maria (who is a restoration architect) restored with her husband. The property is idyllic and the kitchen space a perfect classroom for Maria to begin your class. Incredible hospitality. You felt like family visiting over a holiday. The pasta and tiramisu instruction was easy to follow and delish, but the sweet yellow pepper cream sauce was one we had never had in any restaurant and has become our favorite sauce of the trip. She paired a delicious wine to our lunch, which included - black cabbage bruschetta, anti pasta tray, linguini with yellow pepper cream sauce (taught to her by her husbands grandmother), Asiago/prosciutto/chicken breast rolled and covered in seasoned bread crumbs and cooked in olive oil and white wine, and tiramisu for desert. The lunch was exquisite. We sat outside as we ate, enjoying the view from her stone porch with a grape vine covered arbor that she designed and restored to its current glory. Such a welcoming host who had lead a fascinating life culminating in this gorgeous classroom for learning Italian family recipes and variations on some of your favorite dishes. And she emails out the complete recipes so you can give it a shot at home. Highlight of our trip.

We had a wonderful...

Liz_C, Sep 2025

We had a wonderful experience with Maria. We brought our 1 year old daughter along and she was super accommodating and made us feel like part of her family. This will be a memory we will always cherish and highly recommend to anyone. This cooking class and entire experience was the highlight of our trip.

wonderful experience with...

Adriana_G, Sep 2025

wonderful experience with Maria. We had a lot of fun and she was a great teacher. Beautiful setting - her home is amazing. She is a great hostess and very knowledgeable.

A truly authentic experience that we really enjoyed!!!

Melinda_N, Sep 2025

We had the best time with Maria.. It’s a truly authentic experience in her beautiful Italian countryside home. We really enjoyed learning how to make pasta with her (it’s easier than you would think). If we would have had the time, I would have booked the going to the market portion too. My husband loves to cook and really enjoyed the experience as well. He thanked me for booking it.

Wonderful experience

Patricia_D, Jul 2025

Wonderful experience. We were a group of two children 3 teenagers and two adults. The kids thoroughly enjoyed learning to cook homemade pasta with Maria in her meticulously restored historic home in the countryside. For the younger children they were able to run around among the various fruit trees and eat fresh plums and apples. We had a lovely time with Maria and Marco.

Maria is the best!

Zachary_H, Jul 2025

My wife and I spent a morning with Maria going to the market and cooking a wonderful meal. Maria‘s home is absolutely beautiful and she could not be more welcoming. We enjoyed making the pasta and enjoying some new things like fried zucchini flowers. The weather was lovely and we enjoyed a nice lunch on her patio. I highly recommend if you are in Florence, Maria even shared a bunch of recipes after the trip. Five stars!

Perfect fun and relaxing day away from the hectic Florence

Gordon_R, Jun 2025

We did this with a family of 4, 2 college age kids. It was the perfect relaxing fun day away from crowded and hectic Florence. Marie is the ideal host attending to everyone and making them fell at home. I strongly recommend doing the shopping at the locals only market that morning; it’s not something you get with run of the mill experiences. Her county farmhouse is beautiful charming and rustic. We drank wine made our own pasta and Caprise; it was some good and light. The best thing we did in Florence by far. Late May 2025.

Highlight of our trip

Emily_B, Jun 2025

Myself, my husband, and two of our best friends traveled throughout Italy for close to 2 weeks, we spent 4 days in Florence and all agreed after our cooking class with Maria that it was the highlight of our trip. After meeting at the market she drove us about 20 minutes out of town to her gorgeous home with the most stunning views! The food was DELICIOUS…starting with assorted meats and bread, next she taught us how to make the best bruschetta we have ever had, followed by homemade pasta with spicy red sauce and fried eggplant, and finished the meal off with tiramisu. We had a variety of wines while cooking and enjoying the meal and really enjoyed getting to know Maria throughout the day, she was extremely welcoming, kind, knowledgeable, and passionate about cooking. This was by far my favorite thing I did in Italy and if I ever find myself back in Florence I will definitely be booking a cooking class with Maria again. I can’t recommend this experience enough, it is a must do!

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We're absolutely delighted to hear that your time with Maria was a highlight of your Italian adventure. From exploring the market to cooking in her beautiful home with stunning views, it sounds like a truly unforgettable day. Maria’s passion for food and hospitality shines through in everything she does, and we know she’ll be so touched by your kind words. We’re so glad you enjoyed the meal, the company, and the connection. This is exactly the kind of meaningful travel we hope to create. We’d love to welcome you back anytime you're in Florence!

Cooking class

Judy_V, May 2025

We enjoyed getting away and going to cook with Christina at her beautiful home in the country. First going to the market to buy fresh foods. Making pasta, yellow pepper sauce and Tarimasu. Lunch, wine and great conversation. Lovely people.

Can’t Miss Experience

Nathan_B, Jan 2025

This was one of our favorite experiences from our trip to Florence. A short drive to the countryside was a great escape from the hustle of the city. The food and company were amazing.

An unforgettable experience

Gina_B, Nov 2024

Maria made this an experience we will never forget. Starting off at the market was truly special. The quality of ingredients there was superb. The ride to her countryside home was beautiful even on a rainy day and Maria made for wonderful company. Her home is truly beautiful. I felt at home the moment we walked through the door. We made an amazing lunch together. The recipes were not over complicated and absolutely delicious. If we return to Florence in the future, we would love to see Maria again!

Great food and excellent company!

Lester_W, Oct 2024

Excellent food, excellent wine, excellent location, and amazing company. Maria is a wonderful host and teacher and her home is a beautiful country home in the hills. It would be a shame to come to Florence and miss an opportunity to spend a night with Maria learning about Florence and Italian cooking.

Great fun!

Charles_H, Oct 2024

We enjoyed our market tour and cooking class. The results were delicious! Maria was a great host and spoke very good English.

Classic Private Tuscan Countryside Cooking Class

Mason_C, Oct 2024

Maria was an excellent host. Talking with her felt like you were talking to a friend that you’ve know for years and years. My wife and I really loved being immersed in the Tuscan landscape of Maria's property. We made a couple classic Italian dishes that her grandma had showed her. Everything we made tasted excellent and we can’t wait to show off our new Italian cooking skills to our friends and family. We both recommend taking this once in a lifetime opportunity to learn to cook traditional Italian dishes with Maria!

Great vegan cooking class

Michael_G, Oct 2024

Cristina has assembled a very nice vegan menu for us. We started with bruschetta, followed by selfmade tagliatelle with broccoli sauce and finnished with peach cake. Cristina was very welcoming and we immediately felt alsmost like home. We learned some new techniques and had a loveley evening in cristinas amazing house from the 12th century in the middle of nowhere.

Unbelievable experience.

Dion_F, Oct 2024

Unbelievably wonderful experience. My wife did the market, which she loved, then the ride up to her home in Florence's surrounding hills was phenomenal. Her house was 12th century and the road she lived on was the route to Bologna during that period. Very rural and fascinating. The food was made very well and was excellent. Tagliatelle with white sage sauce, roast beef, bruschetta with black cabbage and tiramisu. She would have fed us more, but we said that was enough. Oh, and wine. Again, unbelievable experience.

Response from Host, Oct 2024

Dear Dion, Thank you so much for your amazing review! I’m thrilled to hear that you and your wife had such a memorable experience. It sounds like the market visit and the scenic ride to Maria's home really set the stage for a fantastic culinary adventure. I’m glad you enjoyed the dishes, especially the tagliatelle in a sage sauce, and were able to share traditional recipes in a historic setting. We appreciate you mentioning the abundance of food; Maria loves to ensure her guests leave satisfied! Thank you once again for your kind words. We hope to welcome you both back for another unforgettable experience in the beautiful hills of Florence! Warm regards, Aashi

A perfect day of cooking!

Donna_D, Sep 2024

We shared a wonderful day with Maria Christina. She introduced us to the market, gave us options to choose from regarding what we would be preparing, and then brought us to her beautifully restored home where we prepared a delicious meal! Antipasti of San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, prosciutto, salami with fennel and bread. We made fresh pasta with a delicious sauce we had never had before - pepperoni crema (yellow peppers sauted with shallots then puréed and combined with mascarpone cheese). We enjoyed all this with a delicious white wine on her patio overlooking her beautiful view. Last she prepared delicious Sicilian biscuits filled with sweet ricotta and cinnamon. She was a very gracious, interesting, informative host!

Magical Evening!

Erin_H, Aug 2024

What a magical evening! Maria was so informative and sweet. We learned to make ravioli, cordon blue, tiramisu, sauces, roasted veggies, and fried zucchini flower. It was the best meal we’ve had in Italy. Maria should open a restaurant with her recipes. You can tell she makes everything with love and passion. We will bring the kids next time! Lots of love to Maria!

The delicious old road to Bologna

James_B, Jul 2024

We met Maria at the oldest produce market in Venice and selected a few items. She then drove us a short drive to her home in the hills above Florence. The drive way to her home crosses the old road to Bologna- about 2,000yrs old. You pass an ancient inn & stable that was available to those walking the road. You arrive to an impressive 10th century home that Maria has renovated (she’s an architect). It is perfect! We entered the kitchen & began making ravioli. She taught us so easily. We also learned her way of making Bruschetta as well as a terrific tart for dessert. We had wonderful wine and conversation with Maria. She is beautiful and kind and intelligent and a wonderful cook! We are hosting family and friends once we arrive home to share with them what we learned in Maria’s kitchen! Don’t miss out! Join in and you will love it; just as we did!

AWESOME cooking class

Brandon_Z, Jul 2024

Cris was…AMAZING! My wife and I had such a blast. Cris brought us to a market and showed us around, all while buying fresh ingredients. Then she took us to her beautiful home right on the outskirts of Florence. It was a little taste of paradise and words cannot describe it. She and her husband remodeled a Tuscan home and it’s great. Now for the actual cooking. Cris curated the menu to fit our needs of what we were looking for in the class. She also made it extra special by baking a separate cake since it was my wife’s birthday on the day of our class. Throw in the wine and the Prosecco…it was delightful. We learned how to make so many classic Florentine dishes, and she sent us all the recipes after. Definitely a class you should do!

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