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Sri Lankan Cooking: Market Tour & Home Class
5.0
10 Ratings
Colombo
Discover Sri Lanka’s culinary secrets in a 4-hour cooking class with market tour. Cook authentic dishes and savor your creations.
Discover Sri Lanka’s culinary secrets in a 4-hour cooking class with market tour. Cook authentic dishes and savor your creations.
Duration:
4 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
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Mabola - Activity Description:
Participate in a 4.5-hour Colombo Market Tour and Sri Lankan Cooking Class to immerse yourself in genuine local flavors. Begin by exploring the lively Colombo vegetable market, where fresh produce, spices, and historic buildings abound. En route to the cooking class, catch glimpses of Colombo’s historical sites from…
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Mabola - Activity Description:
Participate in a 4.5-hour Colombo Market Tour and Sri Lankan Cooking Class to immerse yourself in genuine local flavors. Begin by exploring the lively Colombo vegetable market, where fresh produce, spices, and historic buildings abound. En route to the cooking class, catch glimpses of Colombo’s historical sites from the outside. Proceed to a local home kitchen, where a skilled Sri Lankan cook will instruct you in crafting a traditional meal. Master the art of cooking rice and curry, hoppers, sambols, and more. Conclude by savoring the delightful meal you’ve prepared, gaining a deeper understanding of Sri Lankan cuisine and culture. After the market visit, travel to the cooking home. During the drive, enjoy authentic scenes of local life near Colombo—small villages, local houses, roadside shops, lush greenery, and everyday Sri Lankan life. This brief journey offers a true glimpse into the local culture and natural beauty, away from tourist hotspots.
What's Included
- Lunch
- Private transportation
- Lunch
- Private transportation
Meal Options
- Sri Lankan rice and curry - Sri Lankan rice and curry is a flavorful meal with steamed rice served alongside a variety of spicy curries made from vegetables, chicken, or fish.
- Batumoju - Batumoju is a sweet-and-sour Sri Lankan brinjal pickle made with onions, chilies, vinegar, and spices, served as a tasty side for rice.
- Hoppers - Hoppers are Sri…
- Sri Lankan rice and curry - Sri Lankan rice and curry is a flavorful meal with steamed rice served alongside a variety of spicy curries made from vegetables, chicken, or fish.
- Batumoju - Batumoju is a sweet-and-sour Sri Lankan brinjal pickle made with onions, chilies, vinegar, and spices, served as a tasty side for rice.
- Hoppers - Hoppers are Sri Lankan bowl-shaped pancakes made from fermented rice flour and coconut milk, crispy on the edges and soft in the center. Perfect .
- potato curry - A creamy Sri Lankan potato curry cooked with coconut milk, turmeric, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and spices, giving a rich, comforting flavor.
- Crispy Sri Lankan papadam - Crispy Sri Lankan papadam made from lentil flour, lightly fried until golden and crunchy. A perfect side dish to enjoy with rice, curry, or snacks.
- Pol Symbol. - Pol Sambol is a spicy Sri Lankan coconut mix made with grated coconut, chili, lime, and onions. A fresh, flavorful side for rice, hoppers,
- Gotukola Sambol - Gotukola Sambol is a fresh Sri Lankan herbal salad made with finely chopped gotukola, coconut, onions, chili, and lime for a healthy, vibrant flavor.
- Sri Lankan dhal curry made - Sri Lankan dhal curry made with red lentils, coconut milk, turmeric, garlic, and spices, creating a creamy, mild, and comforting dish for any meal.
- Sri Lankan curd served with sweet kithul honey, - Sri Lankan curd served with sweet kithul honey, a smooth and creamy dessert with natural sweetness and a refreshing traditional flavor.
Additional Information
Discover the tastes of Sri Lanka in a 4-hour culinary adventure that blends a lively market tour with a hands-on cooking class. Start your experience at a local vegetable market, where fresh spices, herbs, and produce are brought to life through tales of Colombo’s vibrant history. Move on to a cozy home kitchen, led by an experienced Sri Lankan chef…
Discover the tastes of Sri Lanka in a 4-hour culinary adventure that blends a lively market tour with a hands-on cooking class. Start your experience at a local vegetable market, where fresh spices, herbs, and produce are brought to life through tales of Colombo’s vibrant history. Move on to a cozy home kitchen, led by an experienced Sri Lankan chef with over 20 years of expertise. Gain skills in crafting traditional curries, blending spices, and perfecting the art of making hoppers. End your culinary journey by enjoying the delicious meal you’ve prepared, featuring rice, curries, sambol, and a sweet dessert of curd with honey. Ideal for food enthusiasts.
- 4-hour engaging cooking experience in Colombo
- Includes a guided exploration of a bustling local vegetable market
- Learn to prepare authentic Sri Lankan dishes with a local culinary expert
- Relish a tasty meal including rice, curries, and dessert
Location
St. Bridget's Convent - Upper School
We offer free pickup within Colombo city limits. Please wait at your hotel lobby. For guests staying outside Colombo city, additional pickup charges apply. After booking, we will contact you via WhatsApp or email to confirm your pickup details.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(10 Ratings)
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Karl
Feb 5, 2026
Wow - book now while you can - Wow – what an experience!
If you’re looking to truly immerse yourself in Sri Lankan culture, you have to book this.
Dinuka was a total gentleman from the moment we stepped into his tuk tuk. He looked after us so well and even picked us up and dropped us back to our accommodation — a 20km journey each way — which already showed how thoughtful and generous he is as a host.
We started with a tour of the main market in Colombo (Pettah), where we got to see local street vendors in full action mode. It was fascinating and felt completely authentic.
Next, we visited a spice shop where the owner gave us real insight into cinnamon production in Sri Lanka. There was zero pressure to buy anything, which made it feel genuine and educational rather than touristy.
After that, we drove about 20 minutes to Dinuka’s beautiful family home. All the ingredients had been bought in advance, but because of the market tour earlier, we already recognised most of the herbs and spices laid out for us.
What I loved most was the passion from the hosts. Everything was made from scratch using locally sourced, high-quality ingredients — even the coconut milk was freshly made for the curries. You could really feel the pride and care that went into every step.
And the food… exquisite. So flavourful, so fresh, and honestly some of the best Sri Lankan food I’ve had.
Value: Amazing value for money.
It won’t be long before this becomes the most popular food tour in Colombo — book it while you can!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Henrylg4058vi
Jan 25, 2026
Sri Lankan cooking from scratch with love - Lovely trip to the market followed by a fabulous time cooking up a Sri-Lankan feast at home with our guide, his charming family and pets.
The food was amazing, ( I especially liked the aubergine dish expertly prepared by yours truly), and all prepared from scratch taking the time to do it properly.
Would heartily recommend this experience. Also fabulous value for money
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Poppy0401
Jan 7, 2026
Amazing local cuisine experience - I had a wonderful day with Dinuka. We got to experience the local market and some historic points of interest. Dinuka explained a lot about the history of Sri Lanka and Colombo which was very interesting.
We were then welcomed into his family’s home and prepared several curries all afternoon. We got to enjoy these at the end along with some pancakes we made.
Everything was from scratch and everything was delicious!
Couldn’t recommend this enough!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dexter_f
Dec 2, 2025
We had a brilliant time.... - We had a brilliant time. Dinuka was a wonderful guide and very knowledgeable. I was keen to buy some spices during my time in Colombo so he made sure to take us to the best place in the market for this. We also received a short talk from the spice merchant which was very informative. Dinuka customised the experience around us and we didn’t feel at all rushed. It felt like we also got a free tour of Colombo! The meal was with a local family who were welcoming and friendly; we cooked in their kitchen with Dinuka translating. There were lots of opportunities to contribute towards the preparation and cooking of this dishes under the guidance of the family. We sat at their table just the 2 of us for the meal and the food was delicious. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
