Lijiang Naxi Cuisine Cooking Class & Market Visit: Experience Local Culinary with a Naxi Family

Begin your day with a journey through the oldest market in Lijiang where you’ll gather ingredients for your culinary masterclass. You’ll be guided through the process by a Naxi minority family. Each participant will have the opportunity to cook and enjoy three dishes.

Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Lijiang - You will visit Lijiang’s largest Naxi minority market and then head to our cooking studio, hosted by a local Lijiang family, where you will prepare and eat three dishes with hands-on instruction.
What's Included
  • Local English-speaking guide
  • Small-group tour (less than 10 people)
  • Individual cooking station
  • All food & drinks
  • Snacks
  • Lunch
  • Tea and Bottled Water
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
  • Please wear comfortable walking shoes
  • Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
  • Please refer to your voucher ticket for meeting location details.
Location
象山第一家腊排骨
Meeting Location: Lijiang Elephant Hill Comprehensive Market (丽江象山综合市场). Your host will meet you under the market's large north gate/entrance on Xiangshan Road. Show Your Taxi Driver: 您好,我们想去象山市场,象山路274号。谢谢。 Chinese Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/9d/AKCJ
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(50 Ratings)
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Michaelgg4916mk
Mar 13, 2026
Culinary experience - We spent a wonderful morning with Fancy at the market and at her home. We toured the local market the real market where Fancy shops and where she showed us the different vegetables, meats, herbs . After touring the market we drove to Fancy’s home where she explained the three dishes we would be making. After careful instruction we got busy and prepared our first dish a beautiful chicken salad appetizer, next came the famous Lijiang rice noodle soup with black pork and then for dessert black rice with sago condensed milk mango and coconut milk. Then we ate our lunch and all of it was delicious. If you are ever thinking of going to Lijiang this is one experience you should not miss. Thank you Fancy for hosting us at your beautiful home and passing on your culinary knowledge.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dfondsupattana
Mar 4, 2026
A Must-Do Cultural and Culinary Experience in Lijiang! - My husband and I are amateur cooks who love exploring the local food and culture of every country we visit. This trip is one of the few still operating in the Yunnan area, and it was truly a highlight for us. After booking through the tripadvisor, you can easily reach out to Fancy via WeChat to coordinate. The activity kicks off at 9:15 AM at the largest local market in Lijiang. If you’re looking to buy authentic ingredients to take back home, this is the place to do it—the prices are much better than in the Old Town! The entire experience was incredibly fun, and the food we made was absolutely delicious. Fancy speaks excellent English, making communication smooth and enjoyable throughout the day. If you are still on the fence about whether to book this trip, don’t hesitate—just book it! It is worth every yuan.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elke
Dec 17, 2025
immersive experience to Yunnan cooking with an patient teacher (fluent In English and French) - Fancy was an excellent cooking teacher and market guide! We added this on the front end of a hiking trip, and it was a major highlight of the trip. We loved getting to walk thru the market and get all of our questions answered. Fancy was incredibly patient as we asked all about mushrooms, the variety of fruit, the coloration on peanuts, etc. Afterwards, the cooking class was back at her home cooking studio. The space was easy to use and clean and hygienic. Fancy was again a patient teacher as we each tried our hand at the dishes. The 3 dishes we made were all delicious and made for a big lunch. We sat outside in the courtyard given the beautiful weather. After lunch, we had local Yunnan fruit and then purchased some croissants from her husband’s patisserie next door. Spectacular day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G6512esjasminew
Dec 14, 2025
Fancy’s Little Kitchen Cooking Class Experience - It was a very fun and interesting experience cooking with Fancy. My family and I learned a lot while we bought the ingredients and had much fun cooking. She also explained each the ingredients culture and detail while we were buying them in the market. Fancy’s instructions were also very clear and we managed to cook delicious food while enjoying the cooking journey. It was definitely a place to have a chat and cook because of how family friendly the place really is. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wanderer39595322864
Dec 11, 2025
A true local experience in Lijiang. - Incredible experience! We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Fancy learning about local life and visiting places we would have never found on our own. Highly recommended. Thank you so much Fancy :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Torontojunction
Nov 23, 2025
Wonderful! - What a pleasure to spend time with Fancy exploring the local market and spending time cooking. Fancy shared great information as we explored the fabulous market. Cooking was easy to follow instructions with tasty results. We made a cold chicken salad, rice noodle soup and a dessert. Our 8 year old had a great time making the food. It was lovely to eat our lunch in the courtyard.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rong
Oct 30, 2025
A great way to make your trip more unique - A great option for anyone looking for unique experiences outside the commercialised ancient towns in Lijiang. Fancy took us through the local market whilst imparting us with insight into local culture, which was an eye opening experience. Cooking was simple enough that anyone could follow and the dishes tasted great. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ayala2021
Oct 16, 2025
Fancy's cooking class in Lijiang - We are a family of 4, Fancy met us at the entrance of the local market. The tour and explanations were among the best that we had in these kind of experiences. After buying some products we headed for the practical part. We made 3 dishes which were easy to make after Fancy's explanation. The cold chicken was my favorite and I usually don't eat chicken. Thank you so much
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carolinem459
Oct 14, 2025
Great market tour with cooking class - I really learned a lot with this tour. Fancy met us at the market and toured us around while buying ingredients for the cooking class. It was a very informative tour. The market was teeming with produce and other things. It was really great to have someone explain things to us. The cooking class was well set up. Nothing too difficult for beginners. The food came out really good too. Overall, very happy with the experience. Highly recommend this activity.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q1475jlemilyr
Sep 30, 2025
Great fun and food! - Our whole family had a fantastic time at the market and cooking with Fancy. The feast that we created (with Fancy’s help) was delicious too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $59
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).