Florence Cooking Class and Lunch at a Farmhouse in Tuscany with Local Market Tour
If you’re looking for cooking classes in Tuscany, you’ve come to the right place. This full day, hands-on lesson is set in the stunning Tuscan countryside, and includes a food tour led by a culinary expert through Florence’s historic central market.
What's included?
- A guided tour of a traditional food market
- Transportation from Florence to the country estate and back
- A cooking lesson
- Lunch, complete with wine
- Recipes
- An Italian cooking diploma for your hard work!
Highlights
- A breath-taking setting in a state-of-the-art kitchen on a Tuscan estate.
- A guided tour of the Mercato Centrale (Florence’s biggest food market) complete with tastings
- A hands-on experience learning to make a four-course lunch
- Enjoying your freshly-cooked meal with wine after the class
Full Itinerary
Shop at Florence’s Historical Market
Our tour stands out from other cooking classes in Tuscany as it enables you to create your meal from start to finish – and that includes buying the ingredients. We will meet at the front of Santa Maria Novella train station and take you to Florence's historical market where the locals do their daily shopping. You will have the chance to meet the bakers, the butchers and the farmers who are selling vegetables from their fields. Their stalls are full of items such as fresh fruit, veg, cheeses, cured meats, balsamic vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and many other Italian specialities. As you shop for the ingredients you will be using later on that day, you will also learn how to choose the best seasonal products (and, of course, have a taste or two).
When the market is closed on Sundays and public holidays, in season you can instead pick the fresh ingredients from the vegetable garden at our country estate
Prepare Your Meal
Once we’ve finished shopping we will head to the Walkabout Florence kitchen, located amidst the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside on a private estate, to begin the lesson. This isn't just a demonstration – we believe cooking classes in Tuscany aren’t complete unless you roll up your sleeves and become an active participant. With some help from our chef, you will actually take part in creating a full traditional Tuscan meal. You will learn to make real Italian fresh pasta by hand (with ingredients such as freshly-laid eggs), a meat sauce using vegetables from right outside the door and a bruschetta with fresh bread, home-grown tomatoes and the farmhouse's own extra virgin olive oil. After this, it’s time to take a break as you enjoy the bruschetta with a glass of Chianti wine.
Learn Tuscan Traditions
Next you will learn how to prepare traditional Tuscan roast pork and potatoes using fresh herbs collected from around the farmhouse. As a final treat, you will learn to create the creamy, coffee-flavoured dessert that is a favourite among so many cooking classes in Tuscany: Tiramisu.
Sit Down and Eat
It’s now time to taste the fruits of your labours as you and the rest of the group sit down to enjoy the wonderful meal you created together. The lunch will be accompanied with a wine from the region to compliment the flavours of the food you have prepared. At the end of your dinner, a driver will be waiting for you to take you back to Florence. You’ll leave with a belly full of food and a head full of memories that will last a lifetime.
At the end of the meal it is possible to buy cookery accessories, cook books, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and the Chianti Classico wine used during the class!
Know before you go
- Due to uneven and steep surfaces, we are unable to accept anyone with walking difficulties or wheelchair users
- We regret that vegetarian or other alternative dietary requirements cannot be catered for
Reviews of this experience
Leave a review1,376 total reviews
Loved this cooking experience
by: Hope Berte on Walkabout
Amazing…this cooking experience far surpassed our expectations. We were four adults and three teenagers and everyone agreed it was great. Gloria our guide met us at a convenient location, we walked through the streets of Florence to the central market where we sampled and picked up fresh ingredients for our class. Gloria was so informative, friendly and outgoing we really enjoyed our time with her. Don’t book this tour on a Sunday because the market is closed and it was definitely a highlight. Next we walked a bit further and boarded a bus to the countryside farmhouse only minutes away from the city. There we met our chef instructor Carmela who was amazing, funny and upbeat! We made delicious bruschetta, ragu sauce, potatoes and pork loin, tiramisu and of course fresh pasta. We paired our meals with delicious Italian wine. The view from the farmhouse was breathtaking and a walk around the vegetable garden topped off a perfect day! Thank you Gloria and Carmela! You two make a great team!
Fun & Beautiful Setting!
by: Kim Younghans on Walkabout
One of our favorite activities while in Florence! We enjoyed the beautiful setting that is just a 12 minute bus ride above Piazza Michelangelo, but you feel like you’ve gone a world away. The view is gorgeous! We learned a lot about making pasta and Italian cooking in general. Our kids enjoyed this activity as well. Luca was entertaining and Carmella was amazing. She liked to dance & sing. We liked that we didn’t feel rushed. We had time to sit and eat and get to know others in our group, take pictures, etc. Just as an fyi, the market is closed on Sundays. We didn’t mind missing that, but keep that in mind if you wanted to do the market beforehand. All the dishes we made were delicious and honestly this might have been the best meal we had in Florence. Highly recommend!
Best cooking class ever!
by: Jess Miller on Walkabout
Went with my boyfriend and we had the best time ever! Lavi was so friendly and Carmella was such a queen, we loved the food we made because we used authentic Italian ingredients and had the most amazing pasta! I would recommend this to anyone coming to Florence!!
Best cooking class ever!
by: Jess Miller on Walkabout
Went with my boyfriend and we had the best time ever! Lavi was so friendly and Carmella was such a queen, we loved the food we made because we used authentic Italian ingredients and had the most amazing pasta! I would recommend this to anyone coming to Florence!!
Delicious fun in Tuscany!
by: Nancy H on Tripadvisor
A breathtaking view, scrumptious ingredients, prepping and cooking with master cooks Luca and Mary will guarantee a perfect day in Tuscany! Novice to experienced cooks will enjoy the day and go home with delicious recipes. Two thumbs way up for Luca, Mary, and the entire staff!
You MUST do this!! Fantastic
by: Robert C on Tripadvisor
This was by far the best thing we did on our trip to Italy. If you want a day of laughter, incredible food, the company of like-minded travelers, and the chance to learn how to make authentic Italian dishes, then you do not want to miss this class. Lucca, our hilarious guide and lead chef was an amazing leader kept us entertained and engaged in the class. Mary, his wonderful co-chef, was a gem who showed us the correct way to cook delicious dishes with fresh ingredients. We loved the initial tour in the central market in Florence, where Lucca introduced us to all the vendors and purchased the ingredients for our meal while educating us about them. The villa where the class was held was spectacular, with beautiful views of the countryside outside of Florence.
The food we cooked was so amazing; one of our favorite meals in Italy. The best part...I was able to come home and make the pasta in my own kitchen with stellar results. Don't miss the opportunity to take this class; it is worth every penny!!
We
Amazing Experience!
by: Kathleen M on Tripadvisor
This was hands down our best tour and experience while in Italy! It was such a fun day, and Luca was sooo funny and also a great teacher. We start in the Central Market in Florence, and walk through talking about the different ingredients and foods used for the meal, and got a bit of history on each. They then take you from the city center to their estate which is a quick 20 minute ride into the hillside. The facilities and views were amazing and beautiful. The food was so incredible and it was fun having a part in preparing everything. We would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone we know going to visit Florence! It was a wonderful day!
Guaranteed to be the BEST part of your trip to Florence!
by: Arielle on Tripadvisor
Out of our entire trip in Florence, our cooking class and lunch with Luca was by far my favorite part of our time in Italy. From our time in the market, to our time in the kitchen at the Tuscan Farmhouse, we left feeling like we got a taste of authentic Italy. We laughed, we cooked, we learned and felt so in awe of the atmosphere you have all created with this business. Luca is absolutely fantastic and if you are in Florence - do not miss this opportunity!! It is fun, energetic, informative and truly a life changing day! Luca, we LOVE you!!
A highlight of our trip
by: Margaret B on Tripadvisor
This cooking class with Luca and Carmela was a highlight of our stay in Florence. The day was well organized and so much fun. Luca and Carmela are very engaging and kept the group laughing all day. The food was delicious and the instruction made it all very approachable. The setting is absolutely stunning, perched on the hillside overlooking the outskirts of Florence. We would highly recommend this class!
Tuscan food and view
by: Jamie B on Tripadvisor
If you are interested in Italian cooking, beautiful scenery and great food, I would book this tour. This excursion offered a chance to see a local Florence market to select ingredients (samples included!). You are then whisked away to a beautiful Tuscan kitchen and view for a hands on cooking experience where you will enjoy a meal based on the fruits of your labor. Note: this is a pretty full day tour. We were dropped off around 4pm.
Frequently Asked Questions
DO YOU DO HOTEL PICK-UPS OR DO YOU HAVE A CENTRAL MEETING POINT?
We do not organise hotel pick-ups for difficulties with parking and scheduling, but our meeting point at Florence's main train station is very central and should be easy to get to. Many hotels are located within easy walking distance of the train station, otherwise a taxi (you could ask your hotel to book it for you) would be the fastest option, dropping you off right at our meeting point.
IS AN ADVANCED BOOKING NECESSARY OR CAN I HUST SHOW UP AT THE MEETING POINT?
It is always a good idea to book in advance in order to avoid the disappointment of the tour being fully booked.
WHAT WOULD I BE LEARNING AT THE FOOD TOUR AND COOKING CLASS?
Not only will you learn about Tuscan food and its importance in Italian history and Culture but you will have hands on experience in learning to make bruschetta, home-made pasta, Tuscan roast pork with potatoes and Tiramisù.
IS THE TOUR SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?
The tour is open to all ages from the age of 8.
WHAT IF I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE IN COOKING?
We welcome everyone to enjoy our cooking class whether you are a beginner or a pro in the kitchen!
IS YOR CLASS A HANDS-ON COOKING CLASS?
Yes, the class is hands-on. You will be taught how to make the food you will then enjoy eating at lunchtime including bruschetta, home-made pasta, roast pork with potatoes and tiramisù.
HOW SHOULD I DRESS FOR THE TOUR?
Please dress seasonally in comfortable casual to dressy-casual clothing and shoes.
WHAT IS INCLUDED?
A Florence market visit, transportation to the farm and back, the cooking class and lunch with wine, an Italian cooking diploma and recipes – so you can recreate this meal at home for your family and friends!
DO I NEED TO BRING ANYTHING WITH ME TO CLASS?
We will provide you with all the ingredients and cooking materials you will need, including aprons and cookery utensils so just bring yourselves!
