4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience
Overview
Available languages
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
Casco Viejo Afternoon 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
Casco Viejo 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
156 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great night-well done!
Christine G,Apr 13, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00What a well run and organized operation! The class moved along efficiently and we all were busy helping to prep the food and learning about different ingredients and techniques. It was so cool to walk to the fish, meat and produce market and see Jorge interact with the locals while teaching us how to maneuver. The food we prepared tasted even better because we knew the ingredients and effort put into each dish. I highly recommend this excursion. We were a family of parents and two teen boys. There was another group of four with us, and once we finished preparing the dishes, we sat all together in the dining room and got to chat amongst ourselves so we got to meet new people too!
Amazing food and great experience.
Charmaine R,Apr 9, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was an amazing class. In addition to making and tasting delicious food, we learned about Panamanian cuisine as well as the herbs and spices used here. Chef Jorge and the rest of the staff were wonderful. The class is scheduled for four hours and even though we ran over they made sure we still had the full experience instead of rushing to get us out the door.
We had a great time...
Quentin R,Apr 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We had a great time! We highly recommend this complete and amazing experience!!! Indeed, we ended up with the friendly and smiling chef Jorge, who introduced us to the local gastronomic culture, with these excellent family recipes. The most of this experience is a visit to the local markets, a pleasant walk that allowed us to discover fresh products necessary for our recipe and personal consumption, thanks in particular to the various tips of the chef. At the small care, the chef offered us throughout the morning multiple drinks! A lover of cooking classes with my wife, this activity really ranks above , by its complete side! Certainly one of the highlights of our stay.
Panamanian cooking adventure
anneburtch,Mar 31, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Such a fun morning of prep, shopping, more prep and eating! I highly recommend this for visitors Chef Jorge patiently taught us and then guided us through a tour of the two major markets. The end result was an amazing meal and great memories!!
The absolute BEST!!
suerC178LI,Mar 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was one of the absolute best experiences we have had! We learned so much about Panamanian food and how to prepare it, and the trip to the mercados for the fish, seasonings and vegetables was amazing! Highly recommend!!!
Take the class!
Teler D,Mar 26, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Jorge was absolutely amazing! I learned so much and thought the experience being able to walk to the market was a nice experience. We even met the owner of the restaurant and he's a cool guy as well. I would definitely recommend this. It'll be a highlight for sure.
Cooking with Jorge
Michael B,Mar 10, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Jorge was a great cooking teacher. He provided why certain foods/spices are used and showed the processes clearly. He also injected humor. The food was really good as well.
Instructional and fun workshop
Marta B,Feb 27, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Complete and enjoyable workshop in which we learned a lot about Panamanian cuisine. Thank you to Jorge for his patience in answering all our questions 😃
A Must do while in Panama City!
Lisa R,Feb 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We loved this ! Atmosphere was great, learning the new cooking skills and about the Panamanian spices we will defiantly use at home . The chef was very entertaining and informative . The sangrias were VERY good !! Will definitely return for an addition cooking lesson excursion !
Amazing cooking class
Courtney B,Feb 21, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was the highlight of our anniversary trip! What an amazing experience for us to cook together! The chef was awesome! We loved how we learned about the Panamanian culture and walked to the market to purchase food to cook. Definitely will do it again!
From US$95.00
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