The 12 Best Cooking Classes in Puerto Vallarta

1.Puerto Vallarta Cooking Class Experience with Market Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 698 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $144Our pick

Meet Chef Enrique at Mercado Palmar de Aramara, choose fresh ingredients, visit a tortilla factory, and cook in his home with a group of no more than eight. Daily menus range from al pastor tacos and mole to seafood, tamales, and birria, with vegetarian and gluten-free adjustments available.

“Very fun experience from start to finish. Thanks for the great hospitality and fun cooking experience.”

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2.Private Market Tour & Cooking Class in Puerto Vallarta with Manu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 241 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $139

Meet chef Manu at Mercado Cinco de Diciembre, choose fresh ingredients, and learn to prepare a personalized Mexican meal in his home. This private three-hour experience includes market shopping, hands-on cooking, lunch or supper, and options for seafood lovers, vegetarians, children, and most dietary needs.

“We had a great time on our tour. We learned about how to pick certain foods from the market and the preparation of everything. The food was delicious and we had a great repport with Manuel. Loved his wry sense of humor. Thank you very much.💝 We had a very pleasant yummy experience.”

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3.Mexican Cooking Experience & Unlimited Margaritas

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 131 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $97

Join guides such as Valeria, Roberto, Martin, or César for a five-hour trip from Marina Vallarta to La Dulce Vista. Make salsa, guacamole, enchiladas, stuffed jalapeños, and plantains, then taste tequila and mezcal before pool time. Bring a swimsuit and expect a bumpy mountain ride.

“The five of us had an enjoyable time. We started by meeting in the marina. Pick up location was close to Starbucks. Boarded an open air bus with lots of other fun seekers and traveled up to La Dulce Vista resort in the Sierra Madres. Started with Tequila tasting that a small batch and made from blue agave. Multiple types. From there, we learned how to make guacamole, salsa, chicken, enchiladas, and pork tostadas. Very immersive and interactive and good guides and chefs. Ended with about 45 minutes of free time and some surprises.”

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4.Authentic Cooking Class in Puerto Vallarta with Local Chef, Manu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 90 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $119

Join professionally trained chef Manu for a private, two-hour cooking experience in his Puerto Vallarta home. Prepare dishes such as ceviche, sopes, smoked marlin tacos, and plantains, then share the meal with local beer. Vegetarian menus and dietary changes are available with advance notice.

“Such a great experience! The blend of spices, peppers and other fresh ingredients made it a fantastic experience. Locally fresh caught fish and shrimp were so delicious. Chef Manu has fantastic knife skills too!”

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5.Make your own Mole Poblano in Puerto Vallarta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 83 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $87

At ChocoMuseo Puerto Vallarta, you’ll visit a local market with guides such as Zoar, Martin, or Elias, select chiles and cacao, then prepare mole from more than 25 ingredients. The three-hour class includes lunch, a fruit drink, and a jar of your sauce to take home.

“We had a great time. Elias and Rodrigo were amazing and the mole came out so good. Don't miss this workshop if you ever go to Puerto Vallarta 😋”

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6.Mole Poblano Workshop

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 20 reviews · 3 hours · from $87

Spend three hours with a small group of up to five, shopping for chiles and fresh ingredients at a local market before making Mole Poblano at ChocoMuseo Puerto Vallarta. Instructors such as Zoar and Martin guide you through the process, from toasted spices and cacao to a shared meal and a jar of mole to take home.

“Superb! Everything was well organized in a wonderful setting. We had a knowledgeable and fun instructor who answered every question and had us actually prepare the mole under her direction. She was great. I highly recommend this workshop but be prepared to be a participant, not just an onlooker. And the final product was “muy bueno!””

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7.Cook Like a Local: Vallarta Market & Cooking Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $113

Meet Chef Julio and his family near Puerto Vallarta’s Malecón, walk through the local market, and cook mole, chile relleno, ceviche, tortillas, guacamole, and salsas on a rooftop terrace. This private, English-language class lasts about five hours and includes digital recipes.

“We learned so much about Mexican cooking from how to pivk fruits annd vegetable to how to make corn tortillas and mola sauce from sratch.”

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8.Private Mexican Cooking Class & Tequila Cocktail at Tanya’s Home

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $120

Join Tanya in her Puerto Vallarta home for a private, hands-on Mexican cooking class. Prepare guacamole, shrimp tacos, ceviche tostadas, or enchiladas, then make dessert and share the meal with a fresh Paloma. Vegetarian options and dietary adjustments are available with advance notice.

“We were welcomed by Tanya who was warm and very friendly! She allowed us to help her prepare three dishes which were very delicious. She was very accommodating to all our needs. We would definitely recommend her to other friends.”

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9.Private Make Your Own Chocolate Experience in Puerto Vallarta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 40 minutes (approx.) · from $50Best value

In a private 40-minute workshop at Puerto Magico, a chef guides you through Mexican cacao history, chocolate tempering, molding, and tasting. You choose toppings for a chocolate bar to take home. Hosts may include Diego, Rosa, Analí, Heidi, or Mario, and the session is offered in English.

“Rosa was an absolute pleasure. She showed me everything that is needed to make good chocolate. I even got to put a little Dennis spin on the ingredients!”

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10.Market Visit and Mexican Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $113

Join Jeanne or Aldo in Puerto Vallarta for a small-group food tour through a tortilleria, coffee shop, and local market, followed by hands-on cooking at Boxabeel. Make guacamole, tortillas, and enchiladas, try a blind tasting, and learn about raicilla cocktails.

“We had a lovely time with Jeanne. She is kind, knowledgeable and incredibly friendly. She took us on a tour of the market, educated us on the culture and background of the area and then we had a great lunch that we helped prepare and a fun blind tasting of different foods.”

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11.Mexican Cooking Class and Tequila Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $101

Travel from Puerto Vallarta into the mountains for a small-group cooking class at Rancho Mi Abuelo. Brianda and her mother guide you through chile rellenos, salsa, guacamole, and handmade tortillas, followed by tequila and mezcal tasting, pools, hammocks, and a ranch meal.

“We were looking for an authentic experience and that's exactly what we got! Brianda picked us up from our meeting point and told us about the family history of the ranch. Her mother taught us how to make chile rellano and they served us delicious drinks. Highly recommend the spicy tamarind mezcalitas. We hung out on the property near the pool and enjoyed our time here thoroughly. The ranch is super beautiful and a peaceful escape from the city. We'll definitely be making Chile relleno at home when we're missing mexico! Thank you!”

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12.Make your own Churros from scratch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $96

Spend about five hours in Puerto Vallarta tasting blanco, reposado, añejo, and extra-añejo tequila, eating three tacos, grinding fresh molcajete salsa, and making churros from scratch. Your host guides the cooking, with pool and hammock time before returning to Marina Vallarta.

“We booked this tour last minute for my husband's birthday and couldn't have been happier with our choice! Even though it was a new experience on the platform, we decided to take a chance and we’re so glad we did. The entire experience was unique and so much fun, but the highlight for us was definitely smashing the piñata as it was our first time, and we felt like kids again! Highly recommend it for anyone looking for something new and truly local.”

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