Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class & Local Market Tour
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Nairobi, Kenya
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Sample Menu
Main
Kenyan Traditional Local Dishes
A selection of Kenyan Traditional Local Dishes made with fresh locally grown vegetables. We will be preparing three Kenyan style Traditional meals.
What's Included
- Bottled water
- Alcoholic BeveragesBring your own wine/beer
- Private transportationIncase you prefer a personal private driver/ride
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Westlands Square, Nairobi, Kenya
Ask the Uber/driver to drop you at Westlands Square Mall" along Waiyaki Way. The location pin is accurate. I will be waiting for you at the Java House Cafe, which is inside Westlands Square mall. Kindly note, 15 minutes wait time from meeting time.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Only the cooking class location is wheelchair accessible.
- Building has lifts and easily accessible
- Let me know in advance, if there's mobility issues
- Let me know in advance if you prefer private transportation
- Not suitable for anyone allergic to cats
- Not suitable for children under 5 years
- 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
Featured review
We had the BEST time with Nemo! This experience was honestly more than just a cooking class — it was also a super fun walking tour through the local market, and it felt so authentic from start to finish. Nemo is incredibly friendly, welcoming, and full of energy (seriously… CRAZY energy in the best way 😂). She’s also very knowledgeable and explained everything so clearly, while keeping the whole experience fun and relaxed. She answered all our questions with so much patience and enthusiasm, and she had us laughing the whole time. The tour was a bit longer than originally mentioned, but we didn’t mind at all — we were having such a blast. It was me and my husband, plus four other people, and the group vibe was amazing. We cooked a delicious salad, fish, greens, and ugali — and everything tasted SO good. I genuinely learned a lot during the cooking part (not just “follow instructions,” but real tips and local knowledge). One of the highlights for me was also trying a local Nairobi bus during the experience
Highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Nairobi! Nemo is one of those people you instantly want to be friends with❤️
Reviews
4.9
based on 267 reviews
Review summary
Last 12 months
142 reviews
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Travelers praise the cooking experience for its hands-on preparation of traditional Kenyan meals using fresh, local ingredients, highlighting the authentic cultural immersion and practical cooking tips. Guides and instructors are noted for their warmth, expertise, and engaging teaching style, which enhances understanding of Kenyan food and traditions. The combination of market visits and shared meals in a welcoming home setting is frequently appreciated, making the experience both educational and enjoyable.
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Nimoh was amazing. She had lots of information on life in Kenya and shared all about her tribe and her clan. Her English was excellent and she was an excellent communicator. We made an amazing meal at her house. I have traveled all over the world and had lots of tours and this experience was an all time favorite. This was an excellent way to learn about everyday Kenyan life. !
Whenever I travel, I love taking cooking classes to experience the local culture. I've taken classes in different places around the world, but this was hands down the VERY BEST cooking experience I've ever had!
What made this experience so special was that it wasn't just a cooking class—it was a true cultural adventure! Riding a local bus, shopping for fresh ingredients at a local market, and then cooking an authentic meal in a home, it was like getting THREE amazing experiences in ONE tour!
And then there's Wairimu, our wonderful host! She was incredibly personable, warm, welcoming, and engaging. She made us feel like we were spending the day with a friend rather than participating in a tour. Her personality and hospitality made an already amazing experience even more memorable!
I absolutely LOVED every minute of it! This is exactly the kind of authentic, immersive experience I look for when traveling.
If you're visiting Nairobi and want to experience the culture beyond the typical tourist attractions, THIS IS THE ONE! I cannot recommend Wairimu and this experience enough! ❤️
It was a fantastic day! We learned so much about the culture. The food was great, but the ride on the bus and the visit to the market were also really fun, interesting and memorable experiences. We felt safe and well prepared for all elements of the day. Our guide/instructor -- Nimoh (of Cooking with Nimoh) -- was incredibly personable, eager to share information and stories, a skilled chef and a good teacher. Special dietary needs in our group of 3 were all accommodated. Did I mention the food was excellent? It was, a nd although I am a decent cook, I learned several very practical, useful tips. This was the best part of my 2+ week vacation so far. Do it!
This was so much more than just a tour — it was an incredible opportunity to experience everyday Kenyan life and learn about the local culture firsthand. We took a local bus to an authentic African market with our guide, picked out fresh ingredients and traditional foods, and then had the amazing opportunity to return to her home, where she taught us how to prepare a delicious, traditional Kenyan meal from her tribe.
Getting to experience the food, traditions, and hospitality in such a personal way was truly special. Our guide was welcoming, knowledgeable, and passionate about sharing her culture with us. Being invited into her home made the experience feel genuine and meaningful, rather than just another tourist activity.
If you’re visiting Kenya and want to go beyond the typical tourist attractions, I cannot recommend this experience enough! It was one of the highlights of our trip and a memory we will cherish for a long time. Five stars without a doubt! 🇰🇪❤️
This evening was great fun, and very informative too. Nimoh seems to know everyone! She is from the Kikuyu tribe, and the dishes that we made together were things that might be served at a Kikuyu wedding or similar celebration. She told us a lot about Kenyan and tribal tradition and culture. Recommended!
Wonderful experience! Our host was a wealth of information. She was so kind to have us in her home and gave us this experience. I will say, plan accordingly, it said it was 3.5 hours but I think when it all done, it had been 5 hours. True local experience. I must do!
Nimoh was wonderful! Would recommend this experience to anyone wanting to see authentic life in Kenya.
Nimoh is wonderful. She’ll take you shopping in the market, and then to her home to prepare a traditional Kenyan meal. You’ll get to ride on the city bus too, not to be missed. A definite highlight of our 2 week trip to Nairobi.
Nimoh is such a breath of fresh air. She was extremely kind, informative and handled our experience with such love and care. This was the first activity of our Kenya trip and she set the bar. Incredibly grateful to have met her and indulge in the Kenyan food culture. This wasn’t a 10/10 experience. More like 100/10!!!!
Excellent way to see Nairobi way of living when it comes to the produce and meat markets, public transportation and dealing with traffic as well as opportunity to prepare and eat an authentic Kenyan meal using all local and fresh ingredients.
We had a wonderful time! The market tour was informative and fun, Nimo knew a lot of the vendors so there was a lot of interaction. The local bus ride was awesome - first time on a bus like that. Once we were at her home the cooking class taught us new techniques and the food was yummy. So glad we picked this tour!
This experience was wonderful. Nimoh is a gifted instructor who made the whole experience very positive. She communicated prior to the class with an informative email. The shopping experience at the market was very informative and gave a glimpse into the life of a Kenyan. We learned how to prepare a traditional meal with everyone given a chance to participate. We then enjoyed the meal and learned about Kenyan wedding traditions. I would recommend this experience to everyone!
We went food shopping at the market which was an experience in itself!! We then helped to prep and cook a wonderful traditional Kenyan meal which was delicious!
Nimoh shared her knowledge about food and nutrition and was a pleasure to spend the evening with!
Once the class got started, it was good. However, the provider was almost an hour late to the meeting point. Then you must pay to take a bus, or pay more for a private bus, to the market which took 30 minutes from meeting to market. So the tour FINALLY started 90 minutes after the schedule. Then you have to bus to the providers house. From this point forward it was fine but we were just starting so late. I would not do this tour again.
What an amazing time. Hostess was born and raised in Nairobi, cooking class and then food tasted absolutely amazing. She was such a wealth of knowledge, fun, bubbly and told us so much about local habits, traditions and culture. Very funny and I must say food out of this world. This is a must do experience
I had a wonderful day with Nimoh. We rode the local buses together and shopped for the ingredients for our lunch at the markets before Nimoh warmly invited me into her home, where we cooked and shared a delicious meal together. A beautiful experience from start to finish, I highly recommend this tour to anybody visiting Nairobi who wants to have a special and unique experience.
Nimoh was great at giving us a memorable experience. She made us feel very safe on the local buses and in the local market. We were travelling with 2 kids aged 9-11 and my daughter can get very nervous in these situations but Nimoh looked after us so well she was fine. The cooking and eating at her apartmentbwas also great. Thank you so much. We are really glad we booked this.
Being able to explore the outdoor markets like a local was incredible, as was learning how Nairobians shop and prepare food. This was an absolute highlight to our trip to Kenya!
We were paired with a lovely Dutch family for our dinner, and it was most enjoyable preparing the produce as a group, learning about Nairobi life along the way.
Nimoh taught us a lot, and we also adored her two cats. Oh, and the meal we all made together was yummy!
PS – We needed to head straight to the airport after dinner, and Nimoh was kind enough to let us arrive early and store our bags at her apartment so we didn’t have to lug them through the markets.
We traveled with a group and arrived a day early before the group tour started, so booked this tour with our free day. My husband and I took the evening tour and WOW! What an experience!!! Wairmu was so welcoming, professional, and extremely informative about her culture.
Like others have said, she met us and then we took a Matatu DJ bus to the market, which was the perfect way to begin our tour…and was an experience in and of itself. Then, she gave us some choices of meals to choose from as we shopped like a Kenyan for our groceries. She proceeded to cook and explain as we helped her chop /etc. We chose a traditional Kikuyu tribal meal, which was delicious. During dinner we watched a traditional tribal wedding as she explained each part of the wedding. We left full with a delicious meal and rich with new knowledge of the tribes and their customs.
HIGHLY recommend this tour/food class!!!!
This is a cultural experience of cooking a traditional Kenyan meal. Nimoh took us to the market and we chose the ingredients. In the market Nimoh explained the various fruit and vegetables that are characteristic of many Kenyan dishes. We then went to her apartment and prepared the ingredients for a meal and talked and laughed. It was an educational experience but was also great fun.
Not what we expected. Down to earth to say the least. For us, this is not the city to use public transportation for foreigners. Host is very nice and sweet.
This was a complete immersion experience! It takes you deep inside the every day life of a person living in Nairobi. The markets, the food, the public transportation, the cooking methods, the eating with your hands. All of it was authentic. Nimoh was fabulous! She answered all of our questions about life in Nairobi while sharing her comfortable and welcoming apartment. She should have her own Food Network show. Her skills and personality are made for television.
A great way to experience the less touristy side to Nairobi. Catching the crazy local buses and checking out the conditions at the local community produce market sprawling along the side of a busy road are things you would not otherwise see or do unless living in Nairobi. Nehmo is a charming, efficient and informative host - obviously well known and well liked in her community so I felt safe and relaxed in her company. She chose the best and freshest produce at the market, and meat at the butchery before we headed to her lovely apartment for the cooking lesson. The building was without power on our day but this had not worried her one bit - we were able to make a delicious lunch that we all enjoyed.
Thoroughly recommend this tour to anyone interested in seeing a different side to Nairobi, meeting locals and eating good food.
So much more than a cooking class... the activity represented genuine immersion into life within this vibrant city. The activity included riding a local bus (a truly unique experience), and a visit to one of the city's largest food markets (purchasing dinner supplies like a local). The conversation during dinner was fun, open, and insightful, and our dinner menu represented delicious Kenyan cooking. Each step along the tour/class provided truly unique memories for us!
This is so much more than a cooking class. I was a little nervous about meeting a stranger and going to their home, but we felt 100% comfortable the entire time. Nimoh was a wonderful guide on the matatus and through the traditional produce market, and was knowledgeable and passionate about teaching cooking while also sharing her cultural traditions and those of Kenya in general. Do not hesitate to book this tour!
This is not just a cooking lesson this is an expirience, starting from the moment you meet this hostess every minute is worth remembering.
Nimoh is an excellent hostess who has thought through every little detail, would highly recommenr
A must do. What a lesson in culture as well as cooking. She made you feel safe crossing the street, riding the bus and in the market. We would not have known what to do without her. So fun and interesting. Great start to our trip through Africa.
I had such a wonderful experience! Nimoh has such a warm and inviting personality. She’s incredibly knowledgeable with Kenyan food and history/culture. This tour gives you a true taste of local life with the local bus ride and local market. I learned how to cook Kenyan dishes and I am so excited to cook again by myself.
This was the best cooking experience I’ve ever had. Nimoh’s attention to detail far exceeds any tour I’ve taken. From the details of the bus service to the produce market engagement with vendors and explanation of choosing quality vegetables was exceptional. Of course, her cooking skills are to be envied. What a delicious meal! This tour is not to be missed and highly recommended. Enjoy!
The local food tour with Nimoh was very nice. We loved that the experience started taking the matatus so that we could get a taste of daily life as a Nairobian. The visit to the market was wonderful, with lots of fruits, herbs, and vegetables, walking through narrow paths and finding the products for the menu. Once at Nimoh's house, we felt at home, very comfortable, and we cooked a delicious, exquisite meal. We learnt about Kenyan food from a particular ethnicity and not only as food as substance but also as identity, memory, and resistance.
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up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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