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Panama Cooking Class: Local Market Tour & Cuisine
4.9
153 Ratings
Panamá
Embark on a culinary adventure in Casco Viejo, Panama, with a local market tour and hands-on cooking class. Learn traditional Panamanian recipes and techniques from an expert chef. Personalized menu options available.
Embark on a culinary adventure in Casco Viejo, Panama, with a local market tour and hands-on cooking class. Learn traditional Panamanian recipes and techniques from an expert chef. Personalized menu options available.
Duration:
4 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Restaurante El Nacional Sabores de Panamá - Your tour starts at the Restaurante El Nacional in Casco Viejo, the colonial historic center of Panama City. You will walk with your expert local guide to gather your personalized ingredients at the two main markets in Panama’s Old Town. You will first visit the famous Mercado de Mariscos, Panama’s…
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Restaurante El Nacional Sabores de Panamá - Your tour starts at the Restaurante El Nacional in Casco Viejo, the colonial historic center of Panama City. You will walk with your expert local guide to gather your personalized ingredients at the two main markets in Panama’s Old Town. You will first visit the famous Mercado de Mariscos, Panama’s largest seafood market. With the help of your guide, you will select the perfect fish for your ceviche from amongst the many varieties that are delivered here daily from local fisherman on both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Next you will walk a short distance to the Mercado San Felipe Neri. Here you will maneuver amongst the organized chaos of local vendors selling the freshest meats, fruits, and vegetables that Panama has to offer. Once you have your ingredients, you will head back to the cooking studio at El Nacional to begin the cooking class.
During the hands on cooking class, you will create a 5 course menu consisting of classic Panamanian dishes made from scratch while learning about spices and herbs that are unique to Panamanian cuisine. The tour will conclude with a sit down lunch where you can enjoy the food that you just created along with complimentary local drinks.
What's Included
- Cooking class
- Lunch
- Bottled water
- Alcoholic beverages
- Cooking class
- Lunch
- Bottled water
- Alcoholic beverages
What's Not Included
- Optional Tips
- Optional Tips
Meal Options
- Panamanian Style Ceviche - Made with the fresh corvina that we will get at the seafood market
- Carimañola - A Panamanian staple that consists of mashed yucca (cassava) stuffed with seasoned meat (chicken or vegetarian)
- Pollo Guisado - You will learn how to make this stewed chicken with local herbs and spices. You will use this chicken in the…
- Panamanian Style Ceviche - Made with the fresh corvina that we will get at the seafood market
- Carimañola - A Panamanian staple that consists of mashed yucca (cassava) stuffed with seasoned meat (chicken or vegetarian)
- Pollo Guisado - You will learn how to make this stewed chicken with local herbs and spices. You will use this chicken in the carimañola and tamal recipes.
- Tamale Tipica - The centerpiece of any family dinner in Panama made with a velvety corn masa filled with meat and/or vegetables and wrapped in a plantain leaf
- Plátano en Tentación - Sweet plantain slowly cooked in a cinnamon, molasses and citrus fruit juice.
- Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten Free Options - All of the dishes can be substituted with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free ingredients to fit your dietary needs.
Additional Information
Experience the distinct flavors of Panama’s cuisine with a local market tour and interactive cooking class. Guided by a knowledgeable local food expert, explore the vibrant markets of Casco Viejo, Panama’s renowned colonial Old Town, to select the freshest ingredients for a custom menu. Discover the unique herbs and spices of Panama as you prepare a…
Experience the distinct flavors of Panama’s cuisine with a local market tour and interactive cooking class. Guided by a knowledgeable local food expert, explore the vibrant markets of Casco Viejo, Panama’s renowned colonial Old Town, to select the freshest ingredients for a custom menu. Discover the unique herbs and spices of Panama as you prepare a five-course meal that would delight any Panamanian grandmother. Learn the art of wrapping the perfect Panamanian tamale and stuffing a carimañola from a seasoned local chef with generations of expertise. The cooking session is tailored to accommodate dietary preferences, with options for gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian diets.
- Legal age that can be served alcohol is 18
Location
Restaurante El Nacional Sabores de Panamá
Tour starting point is in Restaurante El Nacional, PH Catedral, located on Plaza de la Independencia, in the former Museo de Esmeralda
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(153 Ratings)
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Lisa
Feb 22, 2026
A Must do while in Panama City! - We loved this ! Atmosphere was great, learning the new cooking skills and about the Panamanian spices we will defiantly use at home . The chef was very entertaining and informative .
The sangrias were VERY good !! Will definitely return for an addition cooking lesson excursion !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Courtney
Feb 21, 2026
Amazing cooking class - This was the highlight of our anniversary trip! What an amazing experience for us to cook together! The chef was awesome! We loved how we learned about the Panamanian culture and walked to the market to purchase food to cook. Definitely will do it again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ahdemi
Feb 20, 2026
Amazing! - Do it!!! We did the 12:30 cooking class and really enjoyed our afternoon. We made different loc recipes. I liked that it was inside the restaurant where they are also making Panamanian food. The Chef that taught us was funny and helpful. We also walked to the meat market/fruit market. We bought some fruit there for us to take home. We also bought some beef tallow which was all natural for your skin!! And cacao chocolate.
Then we went to the fish market and got to see how they sell the fish. The walk to the market was not very long so that was good. During the cooking class you get to chop and mix things as you go along. You also get unlimited alcoholic or non alcoholic drinks which was nice.
We were very full after the class and were happy!!! Overall we were satisfied. Good afternoon spent.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sherpa788909
Feb 14, 2026
This cooking class far exceeded our expectations! Jorge was excellent. This class needs to be on your must do list!! - Must do cooking class. Fresh ingredients, delicious dishes and going to the markets added knowledge to this fun and tasty experience. We had hands on cooking and so much fun. Met some great people and our Chef, Jorge, was fun and kept the class moving with humor yet focus! The entire staff was great! My sisters and I enjoyed this class, it far exceeded our expectations. The ceviche was top notch as were all of the dishes and the trip to the markets was beneficial and fun. This is a must do in Panama location was central in Casco Viejo which is the perfect place to find yourself before or after this cooking class. We would take this class again!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Debrav2019
Feb 13, 2026
Fun, educational and delicious experience - This was a hands on and great fun cooking class.
Chef Jorge was fun -- he made sure that everyone was involved and participated.
Chef Jorge shared his family recipes and insights into Panamanian culture. Helps the visitor to connect to the food and culture.
Going to the local fish and vegetable market was instructive.
The authentic Panamanian food we made and ate was delicious.
We highly recommend this experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Melindam161
Feb 13, 2026
Fabulous Fun - It was a highlight of my trip. I had never taken a cooking class before but after eating a fabulous lunch I had to learn how to make the tamales so unlike the Mexican kind. This was not just a demonstration but hands on. Chef was lots of fun!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janis_k
Feb 12, 2026
Classic delicious Panamanian cuisine - Fun class & delicious food. Jorge is an excellent instructor & we thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon cooking & eating Panamanian classic dishes.
Review provided by Viator
Sheag2026
Feb 10, 2026
Fun learning experiences - What a great time we had today with our cooking class. Learning to make incredible dishes and while making new friends, it was a fantastic experience for my husband myself.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Barbara_k
Feb 6, 2026
Cook and eat . You will like it! - It was wonderful . The chef was fun and entertaining. The food was delicious. Everyone got to participate. Everyone could see and be apart of.
Like going to the markets also.
Review provided by Viator
Coyote-travelerz
Feb 17, 2026
Interesting Experience... - Not 100% as advertised. Most of the cooking was done "before" we walked to the markets, which we had hoped would be the other way round.
The markets are interesting, but you go through the meat and produce one quickly while you spend time waiting at the fish market.
The food we made was good and we enjoyed the experience and company of the others who attended (by the way, the classes are small - max 8-10 people).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
