Cooking Classes
in Chiang Mai

Thai Akha Kitchen is a cooking school right in the old city, an easy walk from Tha Phae Gate. Its main selling point is the sheer number of dishes you get to cook — up to 11 per class, which is considerably more than most schools that typically offer 5–7 dishes. Everyone gets their own wok station, and you can choose your spice level across 5 different degrees, so it suits both spice lovers and milder palates.

The morning session takes you to a fresh market before cooking begins, to see real ingredients and learn how locals shop for them. A point many reviews praise is how vegetarian- and vegan-friendly this school is, since almost every dish can be adapted to plant-based ingredients. The class wraps up with a take-home recipe book. This school has consistently earned high review scores and awards on Tripadvisor.

The morning session with the market tour costs around 1,400 baht, while the evening session is slightly cheaper at around 1,300 baht. Both sessions include ingredients, a personal cooking station, the recipe book, and hotel pickup within the service area.

Thai Farm Cooking School is one of the longest-running organic farm cooking schools in Chiang Mai. The farm itself sits outside town, and the highlight is experiencing a real working farm — walking through the vegetable and herb plots and seeing ingredients that are grown on-site before they're brought into the class. Each person has their own cooking station.

The class starts with a stop at a fresh market to pick out ingredients, then continues by car to the farm. During the day there's time to walk the farm and see how each ingredient grows. Dishes frequently mentioned in reviews include curries, spring rolls, tom yum, stir-fried chicken, and mango sticky rice. Both half-day and full-day options are available, and hotel pickup is included.

Some reviews note that the price runs about 200 baht higher than a few other schools, but it comes with the farm atmosphere and farm-walk segment that in-town schools don't offer. It suits travelers who want a full-day farm-to-table experience rather than just a cooking lesson.

Basil Cookery School is an old-city school with high review scores and an affordable starting price. The clear difference here is that classes are capped at just 1–6 people, much smaller than many schools that take 10–20 people per session, so you get more individual attention. Each person prepares their own set of 6 dishes, plus one curry paste.

The class includes a fresh-market walk to see and pick out ingredients, which some reviews point out as an advantage since many schools only run the market tour in the morning session. The recipes here are based on family recipes that use less oil and more vegetables, giving the food a healthier profile. The school can adjust dishes for dietary restrictions and prepare vegetarian versions when requested in advance.

With a starting price of around 900 baht and small group sizes, many reviews rate this as a great-value option for budget-conscious travelers who still want a quality, uncrowded class.

Asia Scenic Thai Cooking School offers 2 locations to choose from: an old-city class within walking distance of Tha Phae Gate, with a herb garden in town where you can pick fresh ingredients before cooking, and an out-of-town class set among rice fields and organic vegetable plots, ideal for travelers who want a quiet setting and great photos.

What sets this school apart is that it doesn't use a fixed menu — students choose what they want to cook, such as pad see ew, pad thai, spring rolls, tom yum, tom kha, and various curries. The class starts with an introduction to the herbs in the garden, then a walk to a fresh market to learn about ingredients and seasonings. Classes run about 4–6 hours and include a take-home recipe book.

Prices start at around 1,300 baht per person for a roughly 4.5-hour class. Many reviews praise the cleanliness, organization, and knowledgeable staff. It suits couples, relaxed travelers, and anyone who enjoys scenic photos.

Grandma's Home Cooking School is a small, family-run school in a small village in Saraphi district, about 20 minutes from the city center. Its highlight is the relaxed, homely atmosphere and a spacious, shady farm area, dotted with Lanna-style pavilions alongside a pond and large trees.

The class starts with hotel pickup, then a trip to a fresh market to buy ingredients, followed by the organic farm outside town. After a short walk around the garden, you cook 3 dishes of your choice, such as tom yum, green curry, pad thai, or massaman curry, eating each dish as it's made, along with one drink.

With a smaller number of dishes and an unhurried pace, this suits travelers who want a relaxing class rather than a packed one. The price is around $32 (about 1,100 baht), and many reviews describe it as a really lovely day.