Best cities in the world for culinary travel and cooking classes

Ranging from pasta-making in Tuscany to spice-blending in Vietnam, today’s best holidays and tours are as much about learning cooking as they are about indulging in it.

We’ve analysed the availability, affordability, demand, and quality of cooking-class experiences to reveal which cities offer the best immersive food learning opportunities for travellers.

Key findings:

• The top three cities for culinary travel are all in Italy, with Florence, Palermo, and Bologna leading the way

• Florence offers the best variety of experiences, with nearly 64 cooking classes per 100,000 people

• Palermo stands out for quality, with 88% of classes rated 4★ or higher

• Hue, Vietnam, provides the best value for money, with median class prices of just £29

• Tapas, Italian, and Greek cuisines are the most searched for among Brits looking to learn to cook abroad, showing a strong interest in Mediterranean flavours and communal dining experiences

What are the best cities for culinary travel?

For foodie explorers or travellers looking to try something new, these are the top cities where cooking classes make memorable holidays.

Italy dominates the list, with Florence, Venice, and Bologna ranking among the world’s best cities for hands-on culinary experiences. But our research also highlights exciting options beyond Italy.

Lisbon stands out for its blend of traditional Portuguese flavours and modern food markets, while Spain’s second city, Barcelona, offers a lively tapas culture that draws food lovers from around the world. In Asia, Kyoto and Osaka continue to impress travellers eager to explore Japan’s unique cuisine, including sushi-making and sake tasting, proving that great culinary travel isn’t limited to Europe.

1. Florence - Culinary travel score: 7.19/10

In the heart of Tuscany, Florence offers more than just Renaissance art and cobbled streets. It’s also the best city in the world for culinary learning.

There’s no shortage of choice when it comes to learning to cook in Florence, with almost 64 cooking classes per 100,000 people. In fact, it has nearly 10 times more cooking classes per person than Paris, making it one of the best places in the world to cook while on holiday.

With over 200,000 annual Google searches for cooking classes and a vibrant food scene, Florence offers a range of popular immersive experiences.

Travellers can visit local markets in the morning, try pasta-making in the afternoon, and finish the day with a candlelit Chianti tasting.

• Holiday idea in Florence: The Essence of Tuscany tour lets travellers embark on a journey through Tuscany's rolling hills, visiting vineyards and historic towns.

Guests also enjoy free afternoons in Florence and Siena, perfect for sampling local dishes, exploring neighbourhood trattorias, and discovering authentic Tuscan flavours at their own pace.

2. Palermo - Culinary travel score: 6.98/10

Sicily’s capital is a vibrant melting pot of culture and cuisine, and its cooking classes reflect that.

The quality of cooking classes in Palermo shines through. 88% of classes received a rating of four out of five or above, making it the top city for standards.

Cooking classes in Palermo emphasise genuine local immersion rather than volume. With just eight classes per 100,000 people, learning to cook in the city is a more exclusive and niche experience.

• Holiday idea in Palermo: The Sicily - Jewel of the Mediterranean tour is the ideal way to discover the rich history and vibrant culture of Sicily. The tour stops in Palermo for two nights, where you’ll absorb the culture through sightseeing and dining out.

3. Bologna - Culinary travel score: 6.88/10

In Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, Bologna is a foodie's haven, renowned for its ragù alla Bolognese, handmade pasta, and its rich and slow food tradition.

With almost 15 classes per 100,000 people and over four-fifths of classes rated above four out of five stars, Bologna is a fantastic choice for a food-focused getaway.

Which city has the most cooking experiences?

1. Florence - 63.7 cooking classes per 100,000 people

With almost 64 cooking classes per 100,000 people, Florence leads the way. Its volume of classes means you’re spoiled for choice, whether you want a short session or a longer immersive course.

Which city has the best cooking classes?

1. Palermo - 88% of cooking classes rated 4★+

With 88% of its cooking classes rated four stars or above, Palermo is the place to dive into authentic Sicilian cuisine.

Travellers praise the social and memorable experience of taking a cooking class, raving about learning new recipes and “meeting new friends”.

Which city is the most popular for cooking classes?

1. Florence - 213,300 annual Google searches for cooking classes

Over the last 12 months, more than 200,000 Google searches have positioned Florence at the top of the list for most in-demand cities for cooking classes.

High interest in these experiences is reflected by the almost 64 classes per 100,000 people, so you’ll find plenty of options and often more flexible booking times.

Which city has the most affordable cooking classes?

1. Hue, Vietnam - £29 median cooking class price

With an average price of just £29, Hue offers some of the most affordable cooking classes on the list.

This Vietnamese city blends rich culinary tradition with great value, making it an ideal spot for immersive food experiences without the hefty price tag.

• Holiday idea in Hue: The Vietnamese Discovery Tour includes a whole day in Hue, where you can discover the city’s cultural and culinary treasures. The tour includes a salt coffee morning, where travellers can try the city’s signature brew. The itinerary also features hands-on food experiences, such as learning how to prepare green tea in Hanoi and discovering local craft brewing traditions in Ho Chi Minh City

What cuisines are Britons most eager to learn abroad?

British travellers are keen to explore their culinary wanderlust. Tapas tops the list, with more than 144,000 annual searches, followed by Italian and Greek cuisine.

On the Spirit of Andalucía tour, travellers can explore the vibrant flavours of southern Spain. With a free day in Seville, guests can visit the popular Triana Market to sample authentic tapas, meet local vendors, and experience how regional cuisine reflects Andalucía’s rich cultural mix.

Coming in second, Italian cuisine, known for hand-rolled pasta and fresh olive oil tastings, is a favourite among British travellers.

On the Greek Island Medley tour, travellers can try dishes with grilled fish, tangy feta and sun-ripened tomatoes.

Meanwhile, Asian flavours are also popular, with sushi and Thai cooking ranking just behind the Mediterranean favourites.

In Thailand, cooking classes often teach travellers to balance sweet, sour, and spicy flavours in a wok, cooking traditional dishes like tom yum goong and massaman curry.

Mexico tempts with colourful street food and bold flavours, like zesty salsas, and the slow, rich depth of mole.

In Turkey, meze culture reigns supreme. Visitors can try their hand at traditional dishes like gözleme or savour baklava straight from the oven.

In Morocco, travellers can discover the art of slow-cooked tagines and fragrant couscous, infused with saffron, preserved lemon, and warm spices.

Why your next trip should include a cooking class, according to a travel expert:

Cassie Strickland - Product Manager at Titan Travel, comments:

“Today, travellers want to do more than just see the sights. They want to really experience a destination.

“Food is such a fantastic way to do that, because it connects you directly to local life and tradition. Taking a cooking class abroad allows you to do something, learn something, and return with a valuable skill.

“When planning your 2026 travels, look for tours that include a hands-on cooking experience. The best ones start with a market visit to get ingredients and end with you sitting down to enjoy what you’ve created.

“The most rewarding experiences tend to come from local chefs and family-run kitchens, where you’ll not only learn recipes but hear the stories behind them.”

Methodology

At Titan Travel, we’ve spent nearly 50 years creating holidays that help travellers see more of the world. We take care of every detail of your trip, including door-to-door transfers and expert-made itineraries, so you can focus on connecting with the people, culture, and beauty of each destination.

As part of our commitment to helping travellers experience the world more deeply, we explored where food and travel come together to create memorable holidays.

We compiled a list of cities renowned for their culinary hotspots. We then assigned each city a normalised score from 0 to 10 on the following factors, before calculating the average of these scores.

• Search demand: Google searches between October 2024 and September 2025 for the following terms: “cooking class [city]”, “cooking classes [city]”, “cooking course [city]”, “food workshop [city]”, and “learn to cook [city]”, sourced using Google Ads Keyword Planner.

• Cooking classes per 100,000 people: sourced from Tripadvisor.

• 4★+ cooking classes: The percentage of the above cooking classes that are rated four stars and above.

• Median cooking class price: The median price of cooking classes listed on Get Your Guide.

We also sourced the number of UK searches between October 2024 and September 2025 for "learn [cuisine] cooking", "how to cook [cuisine] food", "[cuisine] cooking class", "learn to cook [cuisine] food online", and "[cuisine] food recipes", looking at some of the most popular types of cooking and ranked the most popular.

All data was collected in October 2025 and is correct as of then.

Sources:

1. Google Ads Keyword Planner