15 Cooking Classes in Tanzania to Build a Week Around

1.Zanzibar Cooking Class & Spice Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 77 reviews · from $40Our pick

Join Lutfia, Rashid, or another local host for a five-hour Zanzibar food experience. Shop for ingredients at Darajani Market, taste fruits and spices at a community farm, then cook and eat classic dishes such as pilau and banana. Morning and afternoon starts are available, with hotel pickup and drop-off in Stone Town.

“this tour was very well orchestrated...from pick to drop off. loved shoping with her, cooking with her..food was good. it was an enjoyable day...”

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2.Spice Farm Tour with Traditional Cooking Lesson

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 77 reviews · 3 hours · from $65

Visit an organic spice farm near Zanzibar’s Stone Town, where an English or Swahili-speaking guide introduces you to cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and more. Help harvest cassava leaves, make coconut milk, cook local dishes, taste young coconut and jackfruit, then enjoy lunch. Hotel pickup is available across Zanzibar.

“The spice tour was so fun! It was very informative. I loved learning about all of the plants and their uses. Everyone was very kind, and our guide and driver were especially great.”

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3.Half-Day Kuza Cave Swimming Adventure and Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 44 reviews · from $13Best value

Spend four hours at Kuza Cave Culture Centre near Jambiani swimming in clear cave water, learning Swahili history, cooking with Zanzibar spices, and eating a local lunch. Music and dancing may take place during your visit. Transport is not included, and drum or dance lessons require a separate booking.

“Most beautiful caves we have seen. We however had to ask to be shoen the other attractions as the guide was attending to four groups. The tea garden was disappointing. But once again - the caves were stunning and swimming there was some experience. We did not partake in the vooking as my wife was not well”

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4.NGO Lifted Strong – Traditional Tanzanian Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 39 reviews · from $50Top rated

Spend about three hours at Lifted Strong in Arusha cooking with Joyce, her team, and local Mama cooks. Prepare dishes such as samosas, soup, ugali, rice, vegetables, and cooked bananas while learning Swahili ingredient names. The small group, capped at 10 people, welcomes vegetarian and vegan diets with advance notice.

“We did the cooking class and really enjoyed spending our time there, meeting these nice women, learning about the project and get some amazing food out of it. We made the Ungali with vegetables and rice and the cooked banana. Both dishes were amazing and we were even allowed to take some home because we made so much. Highly recommended!”

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5.Traditional Tanzania Cooking Class & Food Market Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · from $42

Spend four hours with a local guide such as Israel, James, Jack, Lameck, Magret, or Bariki, depending on the day. Visit Arusha’s central food market, choose two Tanzanian dishes, shop for fresh ingredients, then cook and eat in a traditional local kitchen. Hotel pickup and drop-off near the city center are included.

“We were really excited since we booked this experience and the most amazing part is when we started with a food market tour, the smell was beautiful, everything was local and fresh from the 2 different sides of the central food market (Read more”

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6.Cooking and Sewing & Jewelry Workshops in Arusha

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · from $33

Meet Glory and the WEHAF mamas in Arusha for a 3-hour community workshop. Choose cooking, with chapati or pilau and lunch, or sewing and jewelry, where you select fabric and make a Maasai-inspired piece. Coffee, tea, and a snack are included.

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7.Mnemba Dolphin Tour, Clear Kayak, Cooking Class, Horse Riding

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · from $220

You’ll spend a full day moving between Zanzibar’s coast and spice farms, with hotel pickup, private transport, water, lunch, and a guide. The day includes Mnemba snorkeling, clear kayaking at Kendwa, spice tasting, a two-hour Swahili cooking class, and a short beach horse ride. Guides may include Mohamed, Ali, Abdul, or Andy.

“This was one of the best excursions I've ever experienced. From pick-up to drop-off, everything went smoothly. Our tour guide and driver, Mohamed and Ali, were exceptional. They picked us up on time and kept us engaged during the drive bRead more”

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8.Traditional Zanzibar Cooking Class including Spice Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · from $68

Start at 9:30 AM with pickup and drive to a spice farm in Kizimbani, about 15 kilometers from Stone Town. Guides such as Lukem and Hassan lead the farm visit, where you smell, taste, and harvest ingredients before cooking a Zanzibari meal with a local woman. Return around 2 PM.

“We enjoyed the spicy tours and the cooking class. Staff are very nice and the guide gave us many explanation regarding the spicies and plants. The cooking class was great. Food wad excellent. We recommend this activity!”

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9.A private half day spice farm with a cooking lesson

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · from $90

Start at 10:00 a.m. after breakfast with private pickup from your hotel. Guides such as Machano and Mussa lead you through Zanzibar’s spice farms, where you can see vanilla, cardamom, nutmeg, and tropical fruit. Then cook and eat a traditional dish in a local home before returning to your hotel.

“The cooking lesson was awsome we enjoyed the tour saw many spices in the farm the guide explained alot and after finishing walking in the farm we went to the local house where we start the class and was amazing good experiance and culture thank You guys”

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10.Traditional Tanzania Cooking class& Food Market Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 12 reviews · 5 hours · from $45

Start with hotel pickup near central Arusha, then visit a central market with guides such as Liroy and Israel. Choose ingredients, cook plantain, chapati, ugali, vegetables, and optional meat with chef Neema, then eat together. The five-hour outing is hands-on, friendly, and best for curious eaters who want recipes to take home.

“It’s a very nice day with the guides (Israel and Leroy) The guides were very attentive and interesting. We visit 2 markets and take the time with the peoples, and buy the food for cooking. The chef Neema was very nice too. She is very good chef and its funny to cook together. A beautiful moment with this people.”

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11.Full-Day Private Tour in Zanzibar with Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $110

Spend a full day with Zanziflowers Tours exploring Stone Town, Darajani Market, and a Zanzibar spice farm. Guides such as Said, Yaseen, and Khamees lead you through historic sites, local streets, farming traditions, and a hands-on Swahili cooking class in a traditional home. Hotel pickup is offered around Stone Town.

“It was quite an experience. We learned about spices and Swahili food cooking, and we ate great food that we cooked. The chef, tour guide, and driver were really nice.”

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12.Cooking Class Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $90

Meet at Tembo House Hotel in Stone Town at 9:00 am for a five-hour Swahili cooking class with a local Zanzibari chef. You’ll shop for ingredients, prepare dishes over a charcoal brazier, and eat what you make. Groups are capped at six, and vegetarian cooking can be arranged.

“A wonderful opportunity to watch and participate in the preparation of a delicious Zanzibar meal made over a coal stove in a home. Halisi Africa Tours did a great job adjusting the schedule and preparations due to the weather (currently in the Read more”

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13.Private Market Tour and Tanzanian Cooking Class in Moshi

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $86

William leads you through a Moshi market to choose fruit, vegetables, herbs, and other ingredients before taking you to Shida’s home. You’ll grate coconut on a buzi, cook ugali over a wood fire, and eat with the family. This private, five-and-a-half-hour outing includes hotel pickup and drop-off.

“I wanted to experience Tanzanian culture and this was the perfect way to start off. Mama Shida's son William picked me up at my Hotel and gave me a private tour of the local market. We picked up local ingredients, talked with vendors, and I tried dried sardines and other frRead more”

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14.Zanzibar Cooking Class [Swahili food test ] and Spice farm Private tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6 reviews · from $59

Spend five hours at Tangawizi Spice Farm near Zanzibar City, where a guide introduces you to cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom, nutmeg, and black pepper. Then join Mama Africa for cassava harvesting, coconut milk making, and a Swahili cooking lesson. Private transport, lunch, and entry fees are included.

“+great customer service (Amina was our guide) -you’ll want to plan to tip several different people (guide, cooking class, coconut drink, driver) so have a lot of change in cash or shillings as they do not take cards for that or purchases. It’s definiRead more”

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15.Spice tour and cooking class (local food)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews

Spend about eight hours in Nungwi with guide Sultan and local cooks. Walk through a spice farm, learn how spices and unusual fruits grow, then help prepare local dishes such as spiced rice and coconut sauce. This is a private experience for up to two people, with pickup offered and free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

“We made (really we just prepped the ingredients) an amazing variety of dishes. Everything was made on the cook’s front porch, with an interpreter explaining everything. Who knew there were 11 types of bananas?! We toured the spice farm (interesting to see, smell, taste) the plants and trees. Then we ate together. Everything was delicious!”

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