Best Cooking Classes Around the World — Our Top 7

1.Phuket: Elephant Sanctuary Tour, Cooking Class & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 856 reviews · 7 hours · from $102Our pick

Travel by air-conditioned van from Khao Lak to a welfare-first sanctuary near Sai Rung Waterfall. With an English-speaking guide such as Tony, Sai, or Paul, you’ll learn about rescued elephants, watch natural behavior, enjoy Thai lunch, make one dish, and visit a waterfall.

“An amazing day from start to finish. Elephants are well cared for and just magnificent. Tour guide and all staff were so polite and helpful.”

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2.Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary Bamboo Raft & Padthai Cooking

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 245 reviews · 10 hours · from $54

Travel 1.5 hours from Chiang Mai to Living Green Elephant Sanctuary, where you feed and walk with rescued elephants without riding or performances. Learn to cook vegetarian Pad Thai, raft the Wang River with a local guide, and hear each elephant’s story from English-speaking guides such as Rainbow, Mark, and Jon.

“This day was just incredible. Bamboo Rafting was so much fun, I'd definitely do it again. and the elephants? It's hard to describe. I'd like to change my carrier and become elephant carer. We had vegetarian Pad Thai and fruit for lunch. It was good.”

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3.Khaolak Elephant Sanctuary, Cooking Class and Waterfall Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 15 reviews · from $126

You’ll meet rescued elephants with mahouts, learn how they build trust, shop for elephant food, make herbal vitamin snack balls, and watch feeding from close range. Pickup from Khao Lak starts at 8 am. Note that the published program does not include bathing or direct feeding, and no waterfall stop is listed.

“Wow! We had an incredible experience caring for the elephants— we made their food, fed them, walked with them, helped to give them a bath in the river and went to cut down more bananas and sugar cane in the jungle to feed them mRead more”

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4.Chiang Mai: Ethical Elephant Sanctuary & Thai Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 8 reviews · 11 hours · from $88

Start with a market visit and hands-on Thai cooking class with Aim, then ride into Mae Wang for Joy Elephant Sanctuary’s observation program. Feed elephants, watch them forage, make a Thai craft, sip tea by a waterfall, and return with e-recipes.

“A fantastic day trip - the cooking class was so much fun and interactive, giving you the options to choose from several options for most of the courses. And the elephant sanctuary/experience was just beautiful. Cannot recommend enough!”

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5.Lombok: Tetebatu Walk, Waterfall, Monkey Forest & Cooking

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 3 - 7 hours · from $31Best value

Spend 3 to 7 hours with a local guide walking Tetebatu’s rice terraces, Sasak villages, bamboo forest, Durian Indah Waterfall, and monkey forest. Guides such as Astro and Man add local detail, while the optional cooking class lets you prepare curry and chicken satay before lunch.

“We've had a great tour. Amazing views while walking through the Rice fields. Then we went to the waterfall where we had te opportunity to take a swim. After the waterfall we saw the black monkeys at the monkey forest. The trip ended with an amazing lunch. Would definitely reccomend booking this trip.”

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6.Balinese Traditional Food Cooking Class with Ubud Monkey Forest and SPA

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $135

Start with a 7 a.m. hotel pickup, then visit a traditional market and rice farm before cooking and eating Balinese dishes. Your private driver takes you to Ubud Monkey Forest and a two-hour spa treatment. The cooking class is shared, while transport and the spa are private.

“Fantastic first day in Ubud. Our driver, Dananjaya, was on time and patiently waited at all our stops. Cooking class was exceptional and the spa was beautiful.”

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7.Bali: Cooking Class with Monkey Forest and Art Village Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $70

Spend about 8 hours with an English-speaking driver and cooking instructor, starting at a traditional market and Balinese home. Prepare five dishes and a dessert in an open-air kitchen, then visit Monkey Forest, rice terraces, and Celuk’s craft workshops.

“The experience will allow you to better understand Balinese culture. Well organized and interesting. The staff is very kind and the food was excellent”

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