Private Tour
Private Samarkand Cooking Class with Market Tour & Transfers
Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
An authentic home cooking and dining experience in Samarkand - where you will cook and eat with a local family in their home. Shop for fresh, seasonal ingredients at a neighborhood market with a local host. Great way to discover Uzbek ingredients, and experience everyday local life! Then learn to cook plov or traditional bread over a wood-fired stove, in a hands-on cooking class. Enjoy a home-cooked meal together that you helped prepare, showcasing Uzbek hospitality and culture.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Menu may vary depending on the season. If any travelers in your party have any allergies, dietary restrictions or cooking preferences please advise at time of booking
Vegan and Vegetarian options are available, please advise at time of booking if required
The price includes the cost of return hotel transportation from central Samarkand hotels & 1 glass of local wine or vodka per person
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Authentic experience in Samarkand, combining a local market visit, hands-on Uzbek cooking class, and an authentic home-cooked meal. Your experience begins with a guided tour of a small neighborhood market near the Samarkand railway station. This local market is where residents shop for fresh, seasonal fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy products. Shodiyor will introduce you to his favorite vendors, where you will purchase a few ingredients for your Samarkand cooking class. After the market visit, you will drive together to Shodiyor’s family home in the picturesque village of Eshim Oksok, located about 15 kilometers from Samarkand. At his simple and welcoming home, meet Barchinoy, his sister and your host for this home cooking experience in Samarkand. During this 1.5-hour Uzbek cooking class in Samarkand, you will learn how to prepare plov and a fresh salad. Alternatively, you may choose to bake traditional Uzbek bread in a tandir, a clay outdoor oven. Begin by chopping the meat and carrots for your plov or kneading the dough for your bread at the dining table, before joining Barchinoy in the outdoor kitchen to cook over a traditional wood-fired stove.
Sample Menu
starter
Salad
main
Plov (one pot rice and lamb dish) or Non (bread)
dessert
Water and Tea
dessert
Vodka or Wine
What‘s Included
Local alcohol
Private Uzbek cooking class with your host Shiyodor
Central Samarkand hotel pick up and drop off
Pickup points
Samarkand Family Guest House
Abdurasulova 39 Samarkand Uzbekistan
Options
Market+Cook+Dinner (RTT+Alc)
Pickup included
Market+Cook+Lunch (RTT+Alc)
Pickup included
Reviews
14 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Home Cooking Class in Samarkand – Highly Recommend!
nehakX119TK,Jan 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A cooking class with Shodiyor and Barchinoy was one of the highlights of our trip to Samarkand. It was so much fun to go on a guided tour of a local market, the fruits and vegetables were incredibly vibrant, and having a local explain more about the produce, it was a wonderful way to experience everyday life in Samarkand. After shopping for ingredients, we went to their family home on the peaceful outskirts of Samarkand, where we cooked plov and non (traditional Uzbek bread). It was my first time cooking over an open wood fire. The cooking class was hands-on we chopped all the ingredients, prepared the dough, and cooked everything in the most traditional Uzbek way. We also had the chance to meet Shodiyor and Barchinoy’s warm and welcoming family, which added to the feeling of being a guest in someone’s home rather than a tourist. Easily one of the most unique things to do in Samarkand, would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a local experience in Samarkand beyond the typical sightseeing. I did this cooking class with my parents and they equally loved it!
Great Cooking Class
Silke B,Oct 1, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The cooking class was truly wonderful. We had a great afternoon at the market and then had a lot of fun preparing the plov and baking bread. Our hosts were incredibly friendly and we had a lot of fun. The class is highly recommended.
Wonderful experience...
Kristen V,Sep 22, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Wonderful experience learning to cook plov and bread in a traditional tandoor! We first got to go to the local market to select the ingredients for our dishes. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable, welcoming us into her home. Would recommend to anyone interested in learning to cook Uzbek cuisine and to learn more about the culture!
Plov time!
V8591BZmarthal,Jun 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00We enjoyed a lot the local market visit to but the ingredients to cook the Plov. Sharing the whole experience in a local’s home and learning step by step how to cook the traditional meal was amazing. The whole experience lasted around 5.5 hours, so if you only have one day in Samarkand, we recommend you to use it to explore the city. But if you have 2-3 days, it’s worth to take this class!
Very welcoming host
Stephane S,May 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Unique experience to discover Uzbek life and cuisine. We go to the market to choose the products that we then cook.
Great hostess!
Travis L,May 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The hostess was wonderful! Great sense of humor and very friendly. Everything was smooth and the food was delicious!
My Favorite Experience in Uzbekistan
TeamWolfe,Oct 10, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was possibly my favorite memory of Uzbekistan. Sunnat is an incredible young guy who took us to buy local ingredients from the market and brought us to a cozy home outside the city. There, we learned from a local family, how to cook Plov and Nan using the tandoor Plov cauldron. The family was so welcoming and even though I’m sure they deal with tourists all the time, they made us feel like truly welcome guests in their home. If you don’t speak Russian, this is the easiest way to meet and connect with locals and get a glimpse into both Uzbek tradition and daily life.
All you need is plov!
408joycee,Sep 30, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a great day with Sunnat, a terrific guide. He picked us up at our hotel, took us shopping at a huge market and then we headed out to a family home to cook and eat. The family was very welcoming and kind. We chopped the meat and vegetables and then stirred them over the fire; we also helped make bread. We ate together and really enjoyed the children, who were very engaged in the whole process. A very special day.
An unforgettable experience, we would highly recommend!
aileenr986,Sep 26, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our cooking class was an unforgettable experience. The whole family welcomed us to their home. The food was delicious. Our guide Sunnat was absolutely amazing and made the cooking class to an even more memorable experience. He shared so much information about (his) life in Usbekistan. We would highly recommend this tour!!!
Come for the food, stay for the company
Maria H,Jun 16, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Absolutely loved this experience. Easily my favorite trip experience, and paired perfectly well with a separate day tour of the city. The family opened their home and were so warm and welcoming. There was no pretention, just a hands-on activity. Come with an open mind and empty stomach. Don't make of the mistake like I did and overeat on the bread before the palov was ready. It was difficult because the bread was so good! The fresh tandoor taste is just so special. Even if you do, you won't regret it.
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