4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience

Name: 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience
Price: 95 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.92 (131 reviews)

Overview

Available languages

English

Spanish

4 hours 30 minutes

Mobile ticket

Discover Panama's unique cuisine in this local market tour combined with a hands on cooking class. With your expert local food guide you will explore the local markets in Casco Viejo, Panama's famous colonial Old Town where you will look for the freshest ingredients for your personalized menu. You will learn about the herbs and seasonings that are unique to Panama while you create a five course meal that would make every Panamanian's grandma proud. You will learn the techniques to wrap the perfect Panamanian tamale and stuff a carimañola from a local chef with generations worth of knowledge and experience. Your cooking experience will be personalized based on your dietary preferences. Options are available for gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian.

Additional Info

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Legal age that can be served alcohol is 18

Cancellation Policy

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

What To Expect

Your tour starts at the Restaurante El Nacional in Casco Viejo, the colonial historic center of Panama City. You will walk with your expert local guide to gather your personalized ingredients at the two main markets in Panama's Old Town. You will first visit the famous Mercado de Mariscos, Panama's largest seafood market. With the help of your guide, you will select the perfect fish for your ceviche from amongst the many varieties that are delivered here daily from local fisherman on both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Next you will walk a short distance to the Mercado San Felipe Neri. Here you will maneuver amongst the organized chaos of local vendors selling the freshest meats, fruits, and vegetables that Panama has to offer. Once you have your ingredients, you will head back to the cooking studio at El Nacional to begin the cooking class. During the hands on cooking class, you will create a 5 course menu consisting of classic Panamanian dishes made from scratch while learning about spices and herbs that are unique to Panamanian cuisine. The tour will conclude with a sit down lunch where you can enjoy the food that you just created along with complimentary local drinks.

Sample Menu

starter

Panamanian Style Ceviche

Made with the fresh corvina that we will get at the seafood market

starter

Carimañola

A Panamanian staple that consists of mashed yucca (cassava) stuffed with seasoned meat (chicken or vegetarian)

main

Pollo Guisado

You will learn how to make this stewed chicken with local herbs and spices. You will use this chicken in the carimañola and tamal recipes.

main

Tamale Tipica

The centerpiece of any family dinner in Panama made with a velvety corn masa filled with meat and/or vegetables and wrapped in a plantain leaf

dessert

Plátano en Tentación

Sweet plantain slowly cooked in a cinnamon, molasses and citrus fruit juice.

main

Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten Free Options

All of the dishes can be substituted with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free ingredients to fit your dietary needs.

What‘s Included

Cooking class

A late lunch based on the same items cooked on the cooking class

Cold Bottled water to start the walk to the markets.

This cooking class includes a complimentary drink. Includes sodas, juices, beers, cocktails, wine.

Optional Tips

Options

Afternoon Tour

Food from the class and drinks: All the Food cooked on the class, tamale, carimañolas, ceviche, Sweet plantain, and drinks as coffee, juice, soda, wine, etc

Morning Class

Food from the class and drinks: All the Food cooked on the class, tamale, carimañolas, ceviche, Sweet plantain, and drinks as coffee, juice, soda, wine, etc

Reviews

4.92

131 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

126

Delicious Food and Great Family Fun
Chris W,,Dec 22, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Amazing food and a great experience. We had a large family group (8 of us) and they went out of their way to make sure that we had a good time. Both of my kids (ages 11 and 9) had a great time chopping and cooking (and they even ate onions—in the ceviche). The owner came by several times during the class to check in on us to see if we needed anything else. Additionally, the market tour taught us exactly where to go to get the freshest ingredients for our meal (and anything we might want to cook on our own while visiting). Our chef/tour guide also seemed to know almost everyone at the market (and even along the route to and from the market). This tour has definitely been a highlight of our trip this far.
A great experience.
Joanne A,,Dec 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
It’s fun and a must do! Jorge was great. It’s a small group and interactive. We went back a few days later for lunch.
Great experience! Jorge...
Kim C,,Dec 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Great experience! Jorge was awesome and we learned so much about the Panamanian food and culture. Definitely would recommend!
Must do cultural experience
latoya l,,Dec 15, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Great experience. I did the evening class which lasted about 5.5 hours. It was a 10/10. It was very interactive and Jorge was amazing as well as his staff. You get unlimited drinks and make 4 dishes. They cater to all dietary needs. Just be mindful that half way through the class you take a mile walk to the market and back. Most of our class took an uber back to the restaurant. I wasnt expecting it but completed the walk. Otherwise I would recommend.
100% worth it!
Alex A,,Dec 10, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
This experience is 100% worth it! Chef Jorge and the other staff are super nice and we had an amazing time! The ingredients were all locally sourced in Panama and top notch. I recommend the morning class as your food is ready for a very nice lunch.
This was a super cool...
Pranoy M,,Nov 22, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
This was a super cool experience! We got to be quite involved with the cooking process, got recipes to try at home (very excited about the plantains) and went to the markets to pick out the freshest ingredients and learn about Panamanian food and culture. We went back to the Markets a few days later for lunch and to grab some cool and unique products. Highly recommend!
Must Do in Panama City
Barry L,,Nov 15, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
First class experience. Excellent chef, Jorge. Very gracious and friendly hosts. Restaurant small and well appointed. Cooking bar 1st class
Great fun
D2103NKdianas,,Nov 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Great fun. Learned some skills. The chef kept us on task with humor. The food was yummy. The highlight for me was the tour of the vegetable, fruit and fish markets. Met wonderful fellow travelers.
Cooking, Culture, and Connection — A Panamanian Experience to Remember
itsfuntotravel-2012,,Nov 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Excellent, excellent, excellent! The 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience was absolutely phenomenal — an unforgettable culinary adventure from start to finish. The chef, staff, and restaurant owner were incredibly gracious and welcoming. The chef’s knowledge and passion for Panamanian cuisine made the entire experience both fun and educational. And the food? Hands down, the best Panamanian dishes I’ve ever tasted — including the best tamale ever. We were lucky to share the class with a wonderful group of people we’d never met before — and we’ve already reconnected back in the U.S.! We savored every moment of the experience and would do it again (and again!) without hesitation.
Great food, great cooking class
Ann B,,Nov 4, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
This was a great activity and after your done you get to eat what you made. If you are at all intrested in cooking and/or food, this is for you. If you are questioning the cost, don't, it is worth it. The chef was knowledgeable, friendly and was glad to answer all our questions. He got all the attendees involved with the various tasks and even taught was a few new skills. I would very highly recommend this to my family and friends.