Basque Cooking Experience: Market Tour & Hands-On Class English

Recommended by 99% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

San Sebastian, Spain

High interest

Booked 2 times today.

3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Ben_A ·

Dec 2025

One of the top highlights of our trip to Spain…. Carlos and team were fantastic to hang with for a few hours. We learned a ton at the market and then in the kitchen. Cooked with some great ingredients and nice wine pairings. What a great experience all around. Can’t recommend more even if you are an experienced cook.

· Nicholas_D ·

Mar 2026

Really great time! Food was fun to make and delicous to eat! Carlos was the best guide and teacher! Would highly reccomend for a group!

Overview

Discover the Basque Country’s signature dishes by learning how to make them yourself with this cookery class. Begin with a visit to the market to learn about the defining ingredients of Basque cuisine. Then get hands-on as you prepare a four-course lunch, including a sweet treat for dessert. Sit down, relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor with a glass of local wine to match each course.

Meet local farmers and fishmongers at the market
Keep your apron as a souvenir as well as copies of the recipes
All experience levels welcome with step-by-step guidance from your chef
Enjoy a personalized experience in a small group

Sample Menu

Starter

Cod Omelette

Main

Hake in green sauce

Main

Rib steak with piquillo peppers

Dessert

Burnt Basque Cheesecake

What's Included

Lunch
Alcoholic Beverages

Glass of wine
Souvenir apron

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Plaza Sarriegi
San Juan Kalea, 26, 20003 Donostia / San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Meet us at Plaza Sarriegi (Old Town), right in front of the Tamborrada statue (Sarriegi bust with drummer and water carrier). We’ll be there 5 minutes before start and leave on time for the market visit. Trouble finding us? WhatsApp/call +34 680 660 488.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.10:00 am

What To Expect

Mercado De La Bretxa

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible

Wine will be serve for above 18 years old only
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

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Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Ben_A

Reviews

4.9

based on 160 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Good experience

Amanda_L, Apr 2026

The experience is very good, the organizer gave us hands-on experience on cooking. The communication needs improvement. I went to the meeting location instructed on the voucher, when I didn't see anyone there, I had to contact the organizer, I was given a new location, thank God it was a short walk to the new location.

Really great time! Food...

Nicholas_D, Mar 2026

Really great time! Food was fun to make and delicous to eat! Carlos was the best guide and teacher! Would highly reccomend for a group!

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Hi Nicholas, Thank you so much for your review, this really means a lot to us! We’re so happy you had a great time with the class. Cooking together, sharing the process, and then actually sitting down to enjoy what we made is exactly what we love most about these experiences. Carlos will be especially happy to read this. He puts a lot of energy into making the class fun, approachable, and memorable, so it’s great to hear that came through. And we couldn’t agree more, it’s a pretty fun plan to do as a group. Hope you’re already recreating some of the dishes at home, and if you’re ever back in San Sebastián, we’d love to cook with you again. Warm regards, The Kookin Donosti Team

Chef cooking class

William_H, Jan 2026

Carlos was so informative and made the class a real joy! He is perfect at what he does!! Going to the market was very interesting! He spoke very good English!

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Hi William, This made our day, thank you so much! Carlos is going to love reading this. He puts a lot of care into making the experience both fun and meaningful, so it really means a lot that you felt that. The market is one of our favorite parts too. It is where everything starts, and getting to share that with curious guests like you is always special. Also very glad the English passed the test, we promise we practice. Hope you’re already recreating some of the dishes at home, and if you ever find yourself back in San Sebastián, you know where to find us. Warm regards, The Kookin Donosti Team

Carlos!

Ben_A, Dec 2025

Great experience

Chris_P, Dec 2025

Excellent all around, the host was great, both very personable, funny and a great cook. We made friends with people in the class and learnt a lot.

Informative, professional...

Rebecca_B, Oct 2025

Informative, professional and delicious food! We really enjoyed the market tour for learning and the food we used for cooking was incredibly fresh!

Carlos was fun,...

Christine_C, Oct 2025

Carlos was fun, knowledgeable and kept everyone engaged. The food choices were excellent and provided a variety of skill/learning. Super fun group of people. Exceptional food. Tasty wine pairing

Great time sourcing, preparing and enjoying Basque food.

Karen_C, Oct 2025

The experience leader, Carlos, explained some history of the area, the ingredients and helped us make a delicious Basque meal to enjoy with regional cider and wine. Fun, educational and opportunity to meet other travelers who share an interest in cooking.

Kookin Basque Class

CarolJ_L, Oct 2025

It was easy to understand the cooking techniques, delicious and fun. Would do it again without hesitation

Thank You!

Becky_H, Sep 2025

We had a fabulous time during our Basque Cooking Experience: Market Tour & Hands-On Class! We learned about Basque culture and cuisine, toured the market and learned how to choose fish and meat, and practiced some fundamental cooking techniques. Each course that we prepared was delicious and paired expertly with a local beverage. Carlos was interesting, knowledgable, and supportive, and his staff were friendly and helpful. Such a fun, unique, and interesting experience. Thanks so much for a great morning!

Awesome, delicious and authentic

Nikhil_K, Sep 2025

The experience is awesome! Fun, delicious and a great teacher. Highly recommended for an authentic taste of San Sebastián!

The Best Day…🩷

Kimberly_B, Sep 2025

Do not think twice- book now. We had the most fun meeting new friends from everywhere. We loved seeing the hidden treasure of the market and cooking delicious food together. Our hosts were absolutely wonderful. They were skilled chefs and charismatic teachers. This was truly a highlight of our trip. What began as a cooking class became a lively gathering of friends. I wish the world could experience what we enjoyed with our global neighbors today! 🩷

Fantastic experience! Culturally enlightening!

spclark11, Sep 2025

The instructors were excellent. The trip to the market to buy ingredients was enlightening and enjoyable. We prepared four courses and each person of the “couple” had opportunities to chop and cook. The selected courses were well chosen, varied, and delicious. I even learned things that I will take back to my own cooking.

Recommended!

Michael_T, Sep 2025

Fantastic experience, great food, knowledgeable teachers. They have a dedicated kitchen facility for this class, it was enjoyable being with the group with plenty of space.

Excellent tour

Louise_W, Sep 2025

This is an excellent tour that includes seeing first hand the markets and how to choose the fresh profuce

KOOKIN is “on fire!”

DEBORAH_R, Sep 2025

Wow! Carlos (our chef instructor) is really cooking on all cylinders! We truly enjoyed this totally immersive experience, shopping together first for fresh fish and steak at the public market, then getting hands-on lessons in the making of 4 dishes. We especially loved the relaxed pace, and beautiful space that KOOKIN provides. Highly recommend.

Fun cooking class

Natalya_K, Aug 2025

You will be chopping, cutting, mixing and grilling but it is mostly a fun learning experience. Carlos is easy to understand and has plenty of knowledge to answer any of your questions.

So much fun!

Danielle_L, Aug 2025

Amazing experience! We had so much fun learning about Basque culture and food. Carlos was amazing and so kind. The food was incredible and wine pairings with each course were divine!

Great experience! We...

JulieAnn_U, Aug 2025

Great experience! We loved going to the market and learning about the different foods that we eventually cooked and ate. Carlos was easy to talk to, was very knowledgeable, and gave great instructions during the cooking portion of class. The food that we cooked was delicious and we look forward to trying to recreate the dishes at home.

Great local experience!

Stefanie_C, Aug 2025

It was so nice to spend the morning cooking with a local and learning about Basque cuisine. It’s so amazing to travel and be able to have these more intimate moments and learn about the local culture!

Carlos is an excellent...

Krista_P, Aug 2025

Carlos is an excellent and patient instructor. We learned so much about not just Basque cooking, but techniques in general that we can use everyday!

Very knowledgeable guide...

Joe_W, Jul 2025

Very knowledgeable guide and easy going chef who put everyone at ease. A great event throughout resulting in an excellent lunch. Would definately go back for another go.

Excellent cooking class

Virginia_S, Jul 2025

Excellent experience. Very informative. Amazing food. Thorough instruction. Very hands on. Loved the market experience. The teacher was awesome- personable professional and very k owledgeable

Great way to learn about Basque Cuisine.

Sarah_D, Jul 2025

We had a great afternoon learning about the culinary traditions of San Sebastián. Carlos did a great job leading the group.

Carlos was a great...

Candace_T, Jul 2025

Carlos was a great cooking instructor! The food was delicious and the company great. A great experience.

Must do in San Sebastian

Paul_D, Jul 2025

Carlos was an exceptional teacher. The experience commenced with a visit to the market. Carlos shared his passion for the quality of the produce and the commitment of the sellers. This translated into great produce used for the subsequent class. The food was delicious and paired with great wines. A fantastic way to spend a day.

Basque Cooking

Jeanette_Y, Jul 2025

The food and cooking experience was awesome. It provided a view into the culture and cuisine, especially with the wine and cider pairing.

Delicious and thoroughly enjoyable experience

Max_M, Jun 2025

Amazing experience. From the markets tour to the cooking and even pouring techniques for the local cider, the guides made the experience very enjoyable and informative.

Fabulous cooking class

Janet_N, Jun 2025

Informative. Well thought out course planning. Enjoyed every course prepared. Carlos is a great host. One of the better meal cooking course we have attended. Would love to have cafe to go along with dessert at the end. Otherwise exceptional.

What an experience!

Mishel_S, Jun 2025

Carlos and Luis were a delight to be around. Carlos was very charismatic and had a wealth of knowledge about the local cuisine. We started with a tour of the market and got to know local vendors and the various products that they sold. We also learned some tips on how to properly shop for seafood! Carlos’s cooking class was set up and organized really well. They have an amazing space that is super organized and a great dining area where you get to eat what you cook! We even learned how to pour the local drink called txakoli ourselves! The cooking class was very fun and informative. We can’t wait to replicate the dishes we learned how to make at home.