Chiang Mai Cooking Classes: Five Schools, Prices and Times

A Chiang Mai cooking class costs THB 1,000 to 1,400 in the morning. Mama Noi and Asia Scenic's Old Town school charge THB 1,000. Grandma's charges THB 1,190 and Thai Akha Kitchen THB 1,400. Zabb E Lee charges THB 1,200 until 31 October 2026 and THB 1,400 from 1 November. Classes start about 9:00 am.

By Vincent Nguyen

A morning class at Zabb E Lee runs like this: pick-up between 08.20 and 08.50 am, a local market, cooking, and you are done by 02.00 pm. The other schools run on different clocks. Mama Noi’s class takes 4.5 hours, Asia Scenic’s farm class runs to 3:30 pm and Grandma’s full day to 3:45 pm.

Listed class hours are not door-to-door hours. Grandma’s half day runs 9:00am-1:00pm in class, yet the van leaves the school at 1:00-1:30pm and reaches the city at 1:30-2:00pm. Prices, inclusions, children’s rules and cancellation terms for all five schools are below.

Chiang Mai cooking classes: prices and times at a glance

Prices are per person for the morning class as each school publishes them. Ratings are Google’s, read on 14 October 2026.

Quick picks by need

• Lowest morning price: Mama Noi or Asia Scenic’s Old Town school, both THB 1,000. Zabb E Lee rises from THB 1,200 to THB 1,400 on 1 November 2026.
• Most dishes: Thai Akha Kitchen, 10 dishes and the curry paste.
• A farm day: Asia Scenic’s organic farm class or Grandma’s.
• Air-conditioned kitchen: Mama Noi’s upgrade at THB 1,399.
• An evening class: Thai Akha Kitchen, Zabb E Lee or Asia Scenic Old Town.
• A companion who will not cook: Zabb E Lee or Grandma’s, THB 600 each.
• A child who cooks: Mama Noi from age 10; Asia Scenic at any age, at the adult price.

What the price covers

Check inclusions before you compare prices. These are each school’s published details.

• Asia Scenic: a printed cookbook, unlimited coffee, tea and water, pick-up in its zone, a market tour and a downloadable photo album.
• Zabb E Lee: 4 dishes, 1 curry paste and sticky rice with mango, after a market visit.
• Mama Noi: 3 dishes plus dessert and Thai tea, with a market tour and garden walk, and free pick-up within 5 km.
• Grandma’s half day: 4 dishes and a dessert, with pick-up and drop-off.
• Thai Akha Kitchen: 10 dishes and the curry paste at your own station, with a take-home recipe booklet.

What you choose to cook

• Zabb E Lee: one dish from each list, and the curry list includes Khao Soy, the Chiang Mai noodle curry.
• Asia Scenic: 5 dishes from 5 categories, a curry paste made from scratch, and curries of red, green, Panang, Massaman or Khao Soi.
• Mama Noi: one soup, one stir-fry and one curry.
• Grandma’s half day: one curry, green or red.

Zabb E Lee: market, curry paste and your own menu

Zabb E Lee takes you to a local market first, then cooks in an open-air kitchen surrounded by a garden. You choose 4 dishes, 1 curry paste and sticky rice with mango.

• Good for: guests with dietary needs. All dishes can be made vegetarian or vegan, and you set the spice level yourself.
• Good for: a choice of morning (09.00 am – 02.00 pm) or evening (04.00 pm – 09.00 pm) classes at the same THB 1,200.
• Good for: pick-up from your hotel. The booking form asks where you are staying.
• Skip if: you want a school in town. The school sits in an organic farm in Saraphi, about 14 km from the Old Town.
• Skip if: you want more than 4 dishes. The menu is 4 dishes, a curry paste and a dessert.

The THB 1,200 price is valid on 31 October 2026 only, and reservations from 1 November 2026 cost THB 1,400. Zabb E Lee takes bookings directly by e-mail, Facebook or phone. A child under 4 is charged THB 400. The evening pick-up is 03.30 – 03.50 pm.

Asia Scenic: Old Town garden or organic farm

Asia Scenic has been hosted by Gayle and family since 2007. It does not use fixed menus; each guest cooks what they choose.

The Old Town morning class costs THB 1,000 and runs 9:00 am to 1:30 pm. It is within walking distance of Thapae Gate and has its own kitchen garden in the middle of the city. You cook a welcome snack, 5 dishes of your choice and a dessert, 7 Thai dishes in all.

The farm class costs THB 1,200 with everything included. It runs 9:00 am to 3:30 pm with free pick-up within Chiang Mai city. The Old Town evening class costs THB 1,000 and runs 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

• Good for: guests who want a printed cookbook to take home and a market tour.
• Good for: the Old Town class if you are short of time, or the farm class for a full day out.
• Skip if: you want a short farm class. It runs until 3:30 pm.
• Good for: a young child. A child under 5 who does not cook is free, and a child who cooks pays the adult price.
• Skip if: you need a halal, gluten-free or vegan meal and forget to say so. Tell the school when you book.
• Skip if: you want to pay by card without a surcharge. Asia Scenic adds 3% to credit cards.

Mama Noi: air-conditioned kitchens and a 6-acre garden

Mama Noi is a 6-acre school with organic gardens. Every participant has their own cooking station, and instruction is in English and Chinese.

Budget THB 1,000 for the standard kitchen or THB 1,399 for the air-conditioned room. The morning course starts at 09:00 AM and the afternoon course at 03:30 PM. The class takes 4.5 hours in all: market tour, garden walk, cooking 3 dishes plus dessert and Thai tea, then eating.

• Good for: a low price with free pick-up and drop-off in a songthaew within 5 km of the Old City.
• Good for: guests who want to set the heat. You control the spice level.
• Good for: a family with children aged 10 or over, who cook on a standard ticket.
• Skip if: you want to cook more than 3 dishes. The class cooks 3 dishes plus dessert.
• Skip if: you bring a child under 10 and no adult to stay out of the kitchen. Under-10s are not allowed in the cooking areas.
• Skip if: you want air-conditioning without paying extra. The upgrade costs THB 1,399.

Mama Noi sends your exact hotel pick-up window one day before the class. It says it fills up quickly, especially in peak season, so book ahead. Opening hours are 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM daily.

Grandma’s Home Cooking School: farm morning in Saraphi

Each guest at Grandma’s has an individual cooking station. Guests can collect eggs from the chicken house, and the school runs a child-friendly class.

The half-day morning class costs THB 1,190 and runs 9:00am-1:00pm. You cook 4 dishes and a dessert.

The full-day course costs THB 1,790, runs 9:00am-3:45pm and cooks 7 dishes and 1 drink. A separate Local Northern Thai course covers 6 traditional dishes such as Northern Thai sausage and coconut pancakes. It lists THB 2,500 per person and runs 9:00am to 2:30pm. The THB 1,500 discount on that page ended on 31 October 2024.

• Good for: families. The school offers a child-friendly class, and a visitor who does not cook pays THB 600 with lunch included.
• Good for: a Northern Thai menu, and halal or gluten-free needs, which the school offers.
• Skip if: you stay more than 10 km from downtown. Hotel pick-up covers a 10 km radius, in an air-conditioned van.
• Skip if: you want the lowest price. Mama Noi’s normal class costs THB 1,000.

Thai Akha Kitchen: 10 dishes and Akha recipes

Thai Akha Kitchen is led by its founder and chef, Niti Muelaeku, of the Akha hill tribe. It opened in 2015 and says it was voted the number 1 cooking school in Thailand in 2026. You cook 10 dishes and the curry paste.

Every cook has their own wok, stone mortar and station; some dishes are cooked there and some with the group. Classes have up to 12 cooks in each of two kitchens, with 5 spice levels.

• Good for: a long, hands-on menu with a take-home recipe booklet.
• Good for: severe allergies. Dishes are cooked separately, and roasted pumpkin seeds replace peanuts.
• Skip if: you want to spend least. The morning class costs THB 1,400 and the evening class THB 1,300.
• Skip if: you want a market tour in the evening. The evening class has none.
• Skip if: you want pork or beef. The kitchen is free of red meat and pork.

The morning class runs 9:00 am to 2:30 pm with the market tour included, and the evening class 5:00 to 9:00 pm. The market is Chiang Mai Gate Market. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes, because cooking gets messy.

Who each school suits, and who should skip it

• Lowest price and air-conditioning option: Mama Noi.
• Most dishes and allergy handling: Thai Akha Kitchen.
• Families and a Northern Thai menu: Grandma’s.
• Short class near Thapae Gate: Asia Scenic Old Town, 9:00 am to 1:30 pm.
• Flexible morning or evening at one price: Zabb E Lee.

Children, companions and diets

• Children: Mama Noi takes cooks from age 10. Asia Scenic lets a child cook at the adult price. Zabb E Lee charges THB 400 under age 4. Grandma’s runs a child-friendly class.
• A companion who does not cook: THB 600 at Zabb E Lee, Grandma’s and Mama Noi. Asia Scenic charges THB 500 on its Old Town class pages but THB 600 on its FAQ.
• Companion limits: Mama Noi keeps visitors fewer than cooks, and Thai Akha Kitchen allows 1 visitor per cook.
• Diets: Zabb E Lee makes every dish vegetarian or vegan, and Asia Scenic caters for vegetarian, vegan, halal and gluten-free diets. Mama Noi offers vegetarian versions, and Thai Akha Kitchen cooks allergy dishes separately.

Booking, payment and cancellation

• Zabb E Lee: book directly by e-mail, Facebook or phone.
• Asia Scenic: book online or on +66 53 418 657. Credit cards carry a 3% charge.
• Thai Akha Kitchen: a full refund when you cancel 48 hours or more ahead. A date change is free if seats are open and you ask 48 hours ahead. Cards at the school carry a 3% fee.
• Thai Akha Kitchen pick-up: the vehicle waits no more than 5 minutes. A guest who is not at the spot counts as a no-show with no refund.
• Mama Noi, Grandma’s, Zabb E Lee and Asia Scenic: no cancellation rule on the school’s pages. Ask for it in writing before you pay.

How to get to the schools

Each school picks up from your hotel; the radius differs.

Zabb E Lee

Morning pick-up is 08.20 – 08.50 am, from the hotel address you give on the booking form. The address is 143 Moo. 3, Donkaew, Saraphi; the phone is (+66) 932679572. Google pins the Somphet Market (Mingmuang Market) on Mun Mueang Road. There is an Office pin and a separate pin for the school in the farm.

Open Zabb E Lee in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Asia Scenic

The Old Town school is at 31 Rachadumneon Soi 5, tel. +66 53 418 657. Farm pick-up is 8:20 – 8:50 am, free within Chiang Mai city.

Open Asia Scenic in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Mama Noi

Free pick-up and drop-off within a 5 km radius of the Old City, in traditional songthaew trucks. Call +66 83-641-6464.

Open Mama Noi in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Grandma’s Home Cooking School

Pick-up is 8:30-9:00am within a 10 km radius of downtown. The address is 172/7 Moo.8 Saraphi; the reservation phone is +66 82 850 9999.

Open Grandma’s Home Cooking School in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Thai Akha Kitchen

The school is at 14/10 Rat Chiang Saen 2 Ko. Alley, a 5-minute walk from the South Gate.

Free pick-up covers accommodation within 3 km of the Old City walls. A map marks the free Yellow and Green areas. Outside them, tell the school which meeting point suits you.

Open Thai Akha Kitchen in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

When to go and how long

• Morning classes start about 09:00 and end between 1:00 pm and 3:30 pm.
• Zabb E Lee’s evening class runs 04.00 pm – 09.00 pm.
• Thai Akha Kitchen’s evening class runs 5:00 to 9:00 pm.
• Mama Noi’s class takes 4.5 hours, from 09:00 AM or 03:30 PM.

Nearby and how to combine it

An evening class leaves the day free for sightseeing; a morning class leaves the afternoon free. After a morning class, a Thai massage near the Old City fits the afternoon. Evenings, the night markets and the Sunday Walking Street are nearby.

Before you go

• Book ahead: Mama Noi fills up quickly in peak season.
• Tell the school about dietary needs when you book.
• Be ready for pick-up at 8:20 am at Zabb E Lee and Asia Scenic.
• Zabb E Lee collects you from the hotel address on its booking form; its school is in Saraphi.
• Zabb E Lee’s price rises to THB 1,400 on 1 November 2026.
• A guest who will not cook pays THB 600 at Zabb E Lee and at Grandma’s.

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Not confirmed: Cancellation terms. Only Thai Akha Kitchen publishes a rule, a full refund 48 hours ahead. Ask Zabb E Lee, Asia Scenic, Mama Noi and Grandma's for theirs in writing before you pay. Whether Zabb E Lee's THB 1,400 applies to the booking date or the class date from 1 November; ask when you reserve.

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