Cooking Class & Boqueria Market Visit, Barcelona

Discover the techniques behind traditional Spanish cuisine with a cooking class under the instruction of a professional chef. You'll start by visiting Barcelona's biggest and most important market: Mercat de la Boqueria. Your guide will lead you through the stalls where you can try a few items, learn about culinary traditions, select ingredients for your course, and purchase any artisanal goods you'd like to take home with you. Then, you'll head to a local kitchen for your cooking class, learning how to prepare four courses, including a classic paella dish.

A country's gastronomy says a lot about its culture, which is why this market visit and cooking class lets you dive deep into authentic Spanish cuisine and culinary traditions. Combine a visit to Barcelona's most famous and popular market with learning how to prepare and cook four dishes with a professional chef. In the end, while enjoying your meal, you'll better understand Spanish gastronomy and culture—and have a new skill to show off!

The activity starts by visiting Mercat de la Boqueria to source your ingredients for your lunch, meet with vendors (some selling their goods for generations), and learn more about gastronomic traditions in Spain. Since 1835, this has been the most famous covered market in the city. Over 200 vendors open their stalls daily and sell everything from fresh produce and spices to fresh fish, cured meats, and artisanal cheeses. Because this market is big and notoriously busy (it averages over 40,000 daily visitors), it's helpful to let an expert guide lead the way and direct you to the best stalls.

Next, after touring the Boqueria and gathering the ingredients you'll need to make your lunch, you'll head to a local kitchen to partake in your social and hands-on cooking class. Under the guidance of an expert instructor, you'll learn to make traditional Spanish specialties, including paella, a typical starter soup, an appetizer, and dessert.

To end your culinary experience, you'll sit with your chef and enjoy the lunch you just prepared. Savor each bite of these traditional dishes, and feel free to continue asking questions about the cooking process or Spanish gastronomy. You'll pair your courses with the kitchen's private-label premium Rioja and Galician wines, which provide reds and whites that perfectly complement all the flavors.