Guatemalan Cooking: Authentic Family Experience

Immerse yourself in Guatemalan culture and cuisine with an authentic cooking class. Join a local family to learn the secrets of making traditional Pepian, while discovering the rich stories and traditions of this beautiful town.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • San Miguel Escobar - Authentic Guatemalan Cooking Class & Market Tour
    Embark on a flavorful journey through Guatemala with this immersive cultural and culinary experience. Begin with a guided tour of Antigua’s lively market, where you will explore vibrant stalls, discover local ingredients, and savor a fresh fruit tasting. Afterwards, travel by…
What's Included
  • Kitchen utensils provided
  • All ingredients for cooking included
  • Lunch served
  • Recipe provided
What's Not Included
  • Private transportation
Meal Options
  • Pepian - Ceremonial dish declared cultural heritage of Guatemala, served in special events such as weddings and brotherhoods.
  • Tortillas - Corn tortillas made by hand
  • Guatemalan traditional dessert - This dessert is representative of the fusion between Spanish and Mayan gastronomies.
Additional Information

Authentic Setting – Participants have the opportunity to cook in the kitchen of a genuine Guatemalan family, rather than in a commercial cooking studio.
Full Cultural Immersion – From a vibrant chicken bus ride to exploring Antigua’s market, participants experience daily life just like a local.
Hands-on Cooking – Guests actively engage in…

Location
Post Office
El guia estará esperando por usted en correos de Antigua guatemala, usted observará al otro lado de la calle Pollo Campero.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(38 Ratings)
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Petermn1707vl
Mar 1, 2026
Excellent Experience - Genuine Guatemalan Cooking - First - it was just my wife and myself, so it was a private tour. Our guide Axel was early, and took us on an hour long tour of the Mercado, buying fruit and pointing out the names of all the vegetables (in both Spanish and English - which was much appreciated. He also showed us the side of the market with the artisans, which we had not seen before. After the market, Axel drove us to a small Pueblo nearby, to the home of Sra Elena (?], who welcomed us into her home, and then put us to work, cutting vegetables for the pepián. The meal was cooked entirely over a wood burning stove. We cooked chicken to make a caldo, roasted pumpkin seeds and made rice with our chopped vegetables. During the middle of cooking, we stopped when a procession came to the door to pray and chant (we were there in the middle of Lent). Finally, we made tortillas by hand and cooked them ourselves. Our tortilla making skills are sadly deficient! Finally, we ate. It was fantastic. For desert, we had plátanos covered in Guatemalan mole, which is sweet, not savory. After the meal, Axel gave us each a small gift, and drove us back to our hotel. It was a fantastic experience that we would recommend to anyone who like to eat or cook.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rudy808
Feb 10, 2026
Really authentic cooking experience - We had the best tour guide, who showed us (just the two of us, it was like a private tour!) around the food market, explained everything and bought us fruits! Then we went to a local family just outside of town, where we were warmly welcomed by mama Elsa! We all made pépian and mole and tortillas and lemonade together and it felt like we were part of the family! Absolutely wonderful and authentic experience, worth every dollar spent !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Compass48292688453
Jan 31, 2026
Best non tourist experience ever! - This is a great experience! Axel, our guide, took us through the market and introduced us to fruits and vegetables we didn't know and bought some for us to try. The market can be overwhelming the first time through so it was nice to have someone who knew their way around. Our class was at the home of Elsa, just outside of town. It was just her, Axel, and my husband and I. We were included in all of the cooking of a Guatamalan meal in a true Guatamalan home kitchen. Because it was just us, doing with doing the cooking, we also got to talk about all kinds of things - economy, politics, education, etc. Elsa spoke Spanish but Axel was fluent in both English and Spanish and translated both ways keeping everyone in the conversation. If you want a true locals experience, do this!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Colbeb377
Jan 15, 2026
Amazing! - Absolutely amazing, learned a lot and had a blast, would highly recommend to anyone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sandra
Dec 9, 2025
Awesome experience with guide Axel and chef Elsa - Spent half of the day with Axel and Elsa and it was worth every penny. Axel is a super smart and fun guy who taught as a lot about the countries history and food culture. Elsa is one of the kindest persons ever met. She let us into her home where she taught us how to cook a traditional dish on a traditional stove. We had an exceptional time with Axel and Elsa and would highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kelleef2018
Nov 26, 2025
Amazing Cooking Experience - An amazing culinary experience! We enjoyed trying local produce, cooking Guatemalan recipes, and learning about the culture and history of the area. Highly recommend!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H6512dotimm
Nov 21, 2025
Authentic and exceeded expectations - Axel was awesome. The entire experience was awesome. The food was delicious, knowledge shared was very interesting and it was very hands on. Overall 10/10 and would highly recommend to friends and family in the future. Thanks again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elizabeth_b
Nov 12, 2025
Pepian Cooking Classe - We had the absolute best time cooking with the family! We cooked authentic food and had great coffee and conversations
Review provided by Viator
Ron
Nov 8, 2025
Market Tour and Cooking Experience - My wife and I signed up for this while in Antigua. We were the only ones on the tour! Our guide Alex toured us through the handicraft market and local market. He bought some exotic fruits for us to try later. He then drove us to a nearby town and home of a local family. We participated in the preparation of pepian, a rice dish and a mole dessert. The family was wonderful and friendly. Alex translated our questions and comments. It was a great immersive experience. The meal was delicious! Worth every Quetzal. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Explore45523009884
Apr 21, 2025
Traditional Guatemalan cooking class - The traditional cooking class of Elsa was a very great experience! I would recommend it to anyone who is in Antigua for a few days and would like to get to know a little more about the culinary aspects in Guatemala. Through Axel, we also learned about the history of the Maya. Cooking with Elsa and Axel was a lot of fun. Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $50
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).