About this tour
A 3.5-hour hands-on cooking class where you'll shop at a traditional Madrid market with a local guide, then prepare paella, tapas, and dessert in a private kitchen before eating what you've made. You'll learn the history and technique behind these dishes, understand how food shapes Spanish daily life, and take cooking skills home with you. Groups capped at 12 people.
Highlights
- Traditional Madrid market tour with expert local guide
- Cook paella, tapas, and dessert from scratch in private kitchen
- Aperitivo (drink and snack) before you start cooking
- Lunch and dessert included — eat what you've prepared
- Small groups of 12 or fewer, English-language instruction
- Vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten-free, and non-alcoholic options available
- Fresh ingredients sourced directly from the market visit
What to expect
You'll start with an aperitivo and meet your guide, then head out to a traditional Madrid market to see what's on offer and select fresh ingredients with your instructor — this gives you a window into local shopping habits and seasonal produce. Back in the private kitchen space, you'll work through preparing paella, a selection of tapas, and dessert, with the guide demonstrating technique and explaining the history and cultural significance of each dish as you cook alongside the group.
Once everything's ready, you'll sit down together to eat the food you've made, along with drinks included throughout. The whole experience wraps up after lunch; you leave with practical cooking knowledge and a sense of how food connects to Spanish everyday life.
What travellers say
- Market visit adds real context to the cooking — you see where ingredients come from
- Small cap of 12 keeps it intimate and hands-on throughout
- Paella history and technique taught by someone local to Madrid
- You eat your own food at the end — immediate payoff and satisfaction
- Multiple dietary options catered for with advance notice
- Not accessible for those with mobility impairments or wheelchair users
- Children under 12 cannot attend — kitchen hazards rule them out
- Transport to venue not included in the price
- Vegans and coeliacs cannot be accommodated despite other dietary flexibility
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
This suits anyone curious about Spanish food culture who wants to move beyond watching cooking shows — you're actually doing the work and eating the results in a social, guided setting. The experience isn't suitable for children under 12 due to sharp knives and hot equipment. Mobility impairments, wheelchair users, and those with strollers will find this difficult to access; check accessibility details before booking. Dietary needs (vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten-free, non-alcoholic) are accommodated, but vegans, coeliacs, and those with lactose intolerance cannot be catered for. Email the Guest Experience team after booking if you have restrictions so they can arrange your ingredients. Transport to the venue isn't included, but public transport options are nearby. Gratuities are not included in the price.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BookNow summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.