Lijiang Naxi Cuisine Cooking Class & Market Visit: Experience Local Culinary with a Naxi Family

Begin your day with a journey through the oldest market in Lijiang where you’ll gather ingredients for your culinary masterclass. You’ll be guided through the process by a Naxi minority family. Each participant will have the opportunity to cook and enjoy three dishes.

Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Lijiang - You will visit Lijiang’s largest Naxi minority market and then head to our cooking studio, hosted by a local Lijiang family, where you will prepare and eat three dishes with hands-on instruction.
What's Included
  • Local English-speaking guide
  • Small-group tour (less than 10 people)
  • All food & drinks
  • Snacks
  • Lunch
  • Tea and Bottled Water
  • Individual cooking station
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
  • Please wear comfortable walking shoes
  • Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
  • Please refer to your voucher ticket for meeting location details.
Location
象山第一家腊排骨
Meeting Location: Lijiang Elephant Hill Comprehensive Market (丽江象山综合市场). Your host will meet you under the market's large north gate/entrance on Xiangshan Road. Show Your Taxi Driver: 您好,我们想去象山市场,象山路274号。谢谢。 Chinese Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/9d/AKCJ
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(28 Ratings)
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Mdwaberdeen
May 22, 2025
Fantastic market tour and cooking class - This tour was a hightlight of our trip to China. The market tour was fantastic, with our guide Fancy giving us insight into the various ingredients for Chinese Tradional Medicine, identifying new and interesting produce and introducing us to various local treats. The market is definitely local, and provided a glimpse into day to day life. Our family were the only participants, and Fancy was able to cater the tour to us. Besides being knowledgable in the content, Fancy is also fluent in at least French and English, possibly more? The cooking portion was well prepared, well laid out and explained. We made 3 dishes, and then had a lovely lunch in the leafy courtyard. The food was delicious, and we also took advantage of the delicious french style bakery on site. It is also part of the family business and is worth the visit all on its own. If I was to make one suggestion, it would be to make the recipes availble either as a paper or .pdf to take home. This was a perfect morning on our trip, and was well worth the (small) splurge for us.
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X519izmichellew
May 17, 2025
A wonderful culinary and cultural experience - Fancy was a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide through the market. She explained so many things about her Naxi culture and the ingredients that are incorporated into their cuisine. Her cooking school is very modern but with a beautiful courtyard she shares with her husband’s bakery. The food was absolutely delicious and the explanations of the steps of the recipe were very clear. We had a wonderful experience.
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Roving00508926873
May 10, 2025
Not to be missed:) - Exceptional moment of sharing and learning 🤩 Fancy taught us a lot and the recipes are delicious!! Warmly recommended 🫶
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Peterdwool
May 2, 2025
Wonderful Market Tour & Cooking Experience in Lijiang! - This was truly one of the best markets we've ever visited — vibrant, colorful, and full of life. Our fantastic guide, Fancy, made it even more special with her warm personality, deep local knowledge, and fun little tastings throughout the tour. She gave us such great insight into Naxi culture and ingredients, which made the experience so much richer. And that was all before the cooking even began! The cooking class itself was just as wonderful. It was hands-on, engaging, and so much fun — especially for our son, who had a blast getting involved. We learned to make several delicious dishes, and we’ll definitely be recreating the “ghost chicken” at home — it was a standout! Highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Lijiang — it’s a perfect mix of culture, flavor, and fun.
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C2323fjelainek
Apr 22, 2025
Naxi cooking class - Fancy was fluent in English. The market tour was a great part of the experience. Class was well prepared and food we made was delicious.
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Camper64728649147
Apr 18, 2025
Delightful immersion in local flavors and culture with a local expert - Fancy's market visit and cooking class was an absolute delight. She was incredibly accommodating and thoughtful for me as a solo traveler. At the markets we learned about local ingredients and culture. At her home we prepared 3 three delicious dishes and enjoyed them in her courtyard. The cooking class was easier than I expected with Fancy having done the prep that morning. We also got to sample seasonal fruits like blueberries and strawberries. She answered so many of my questions as we went along and is a true gem of knowledge as a local. Highly recommend taking a few hours out of your visit to immerse yourself in this experience.
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Kwintenv2020
Apr 10, 2025
Highly Recommended Activity for Food Lovers and Enthusiasts Visiting Lijiang! - My wife and I had already had a positive first experience with a Lost Plate event in Shanghai, so we were excited to try out the cooking workshop hosted by Fancy’s Little Kitchen during our weekend city trip to Lijiang in Yunnan Province. The workshop started with a guided visit to a local food market — something that can feel quite intimidating for anyone with limited Mandarin language proficiency. Fancy helped overcome these obstacles, by making it both accessible and fascinating. She shared so much insight about local farming traditions, seasonal ingredients, and the daily rituals of market life in Lijiang. It really gave us a deeper understanding of the region’s food culture. For the second part of the event, we journeyed to Fancy’s Little Kitchen, where we rolled up our sleeves for an interactive cooking workshop. We prepared three delicious dishes: a cold Yunnan ghost chicken salad, a warming clay pot rice noodles dish, and a refreshing purple rice-coconut Palooda dessert (all made with the fresh ingredients we bought at the market!). Fancy was a wonderful teacher — warm, helpful, and very knowledgeable. She guided us through every step with clear instructions and plenty of helpful tips. More than just a cooking class, this felt like spending an afternoon with a friend who loves to share her passion for local food and culture. We walked away not only with full stomachs, but also with a much better understanding and appreciation of Lijiang’s culinary traditions. Highly recommended for anyone looking for an authentic and hands-on food experience in Lijiang!
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Anton
Apr 5, 2025
Please do this cooking class and market tour! - Fancy led us through a very insightful market tour before the highlight of our trip, the cooking class. The food she helped us make was absolutely delicious. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Lijiang. Our group can also strongly recommend Fancy’s bakery and coffee!
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Gilufri
Mar 7, 2025
Great activity with Fancy! - We met Fancy at the Lijiang Elephant Hill Market and she showed us all the interesting products in the market. Afterwards, we cooked three amazing dishes. Fancy was always telling us very interesting facts and stories.
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Jaredp689
Mar 4, 2025
Thanks Fancy - Fancy was a great teacher! She's very knowledgeable about local cuisine and culture and the food was delicious. Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $59
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).