Private Samarkand Cooking Class with Market Tour & Transfers

Recommended by 100% of travelers

Samarkand, Uzbekistan

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

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Plov Cooking Class at Local Uzbek House

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Overview

Sample Menu

Starter

Salad

Main

Plov (one pot rice and lamb dish) or Non (bread)

Dessert

Water and Tea

Dessert

Vodka or Wine

What's Included

Private Uzbek cooking class with your host Shiyodor
Local alcohol
Central Samarkand hotel pick up and drop off

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup point

Samarkand Family Guest House
Abdurasulova 39, Samarkand 140100 Uzbekistan

Pickup details

Your host will pick you up from the concierge desk of your central Samarkand hotel and drop you back to your hotel after the experience is over. Please include your hotel name and address in your reservation.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation

Menu may vary depending on the season. If any travelers in your party have any allergies, dietary restrictions or cooking preferences please advise at time of booking
Vegan and Vegetarian options are available, please advise at time of booking if required
The price includes the cost of return hotel transportation from central Samarkand hotels & 1 glass of local wine or vodka per person
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)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Silke_B

The cooking class was truly wonderful. We had a great afternoon at the market and then had a lot of fun preparing the plov and baking bread. Our hosts were incredibly friendly and we had a lot of fun. The class is highly recommended.

Reviews

4.9

based on 14 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Great Cooking Class

Silke_B, Oct 2025

Response from Host, Oct 2025

We are so grateful for your kind words and delighted to hear you had such a wonderful cooking class experience. From exploring the market to preparing plov and baking bread together, it sounds like a truly memorable afternoon. We are glad you felt so welcomed by your hosts and that the class was such a highlight. Thank you for your warm recommendation. We hope to welcome you again on another Traveling Spoon experience in the future.

Wonderful experience...

Kristen_V, Sep 2025

Wonderful experience learning to cook plov and bread in a traditional tandoor! We first got to go to the local market to select the ingredients for our dishes. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable, welcoming us into her home. Would recommend to anyone interested in learning to cook Uzbek cuisine and to learn more about the culture!

Great hostess!

Travis_L, May 2025

The hostess was wonderful! Great sense of humor and very friendly. Everything was smooth and the food was delicious!

Come for the food, stay for the company

Maria_H, Jun 2024

Absolutely loved this experience. Easily my favorite trip experience, and paired perfectly well with a separate day tour of the city. The family opened their home and were so warm and welcoming. There was no pretention, just a hands-on activity. Come with an open mind and empty stomach. Don't make of the mistake like I did and overeat on the bread before the palov was ready. It was difficult because the bread was so good! The fresh tandoor taste is just so special. Even if you do, you won't regret it.

My BEST time in Samarkand!

Yuting_K, Jun 2024

It's our favourite experience in Uzbekistan. Highly recommended. Shodiyor is a elegant French teacher. We went to market together, bought all the ingredients for plov, cut carrots with lovely family members in this beautifully decorated house, and cooked with traditional wood fire stove. The whole experience was authentic. I'm grateful to have this opportunity to visit this family and had wonderful time with them.

My favorite part of my trip to Samarkand.

Colton_E, May 2024

This was my favorite thing that I did while in Samarkand. The best part was getting to know our guide, and our host, who taught us to cook the plov. They showed us true hospitality, and made us feel like a member of their family. The process of cooking the plov was very interesting, as we cooked the plov in a big pot over an open fire, which is the traditional way to cook plov. And of course, the final product was delicious!

Uzbek cooking with local family

Dawn_G, Apr 2024

This was a fabulous experience in Samarkand. Sunnat my guide was very friendly and did his best to make sure I had an enjoyable time.. He picked me up on time from my hotel and we went to the local market to buy ingredients. I met lots of friendly locals there who were happy to chat with me. We then went to the family’s home where I received a very warm welcome. We prepared the dough for the tandoor oven and the ingredients for the pilaf dish and then went outside to cook them which was great fun. The food was absolutely delicious. I was also treated to a song and a dance by the lovely little girl. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I would highly recommend this trip.