Farm visits · ORGANIC FARM TOURS
Small holdings, market gardens and permaculture plots, usually run by the people who planted them. The 15 below are priced and timed, with a note on which include a meal and which involve real work.
Visit a local market and Smile Organic Farm, then cook curry paste, curry, stir-fry, soup, and spring rolls with guides such as Lily, Love, K, or Cici. You choose dishes and spice levels, work at your own station, and eat what you make.
“Great experience with Lily- learning about thai cuisine, fun cooking, visiting organic farm and communal eating! Highly recommended!”
Start with a Ubud shuttle and, for morning sessions, a local market visit. At Bali Farm Cooking School, guides such as Buda, Depi, and Wayan lead you through the organic garden, ingredient picking, and six-dish Balinese or vegetarian cooking class.
“The day started off with a lovely little stroll through the local market, our guide and cooking instructor Depi was very knowledgeable with all the different kinds of local fruit and vegetables, as well as spices. We then had a tour around their farm, which they grow as much produce as they can, and if not, they get their ingredients from the local market. We were given a little breakfast which consisted of fresh fruit and cake. The cooking class as a whole was very enjoyable - in total we made 6 dishes (2 appetisers, 3 mains and 1 dessert), very very filling!! All in all, the day was a…”
Spend about eight hours exploring the Punta Cana area by horseback, zipline, dune buggy, and van. Visit a coffee and cocoa farm, Higuey’s Basilica Virgen de La Altagracia, and a local market, then eat a Dominican lunch beside the Anamuya River. Guides may include Javier, Chris, Juan, or Christian.
“This absolutely incredible for me, You can’t go wrong when a tour offers you free food! And a piece of mind that your travel experience is going absolutely smoothly. You get picked up at your location You get a free full course meal not snaRead more”
Drive a shared buggy along rough country roads, stop at Macao Beach, taste coffee and chocolate at an organic farm, and swim in a 25-foot water cave. Guides including Joshua, Josh, and George lead the trip. Expect mud, waves, crowds, and a fast-paced three-and-a-half-hour outing.
“Buggies were in very rough shape. Seatbelts had to be literally hand tied and untied to get in and out and wires sparked together to start (which they did for us but reminded me of hot wiring a car). No water or snacks provided which the desRead more”
Spend four hours with an English-speaking chef such as Nook, Pam, Tida, Mai, or Blue, visiting a local market, touring Mama Noi’s organic garden, and cooking your choice of Thai dishes. You will eat what you make and take home a recipe book and class certificate.
“The best cooking class i have been yet. The class was very organized and we had the opportunity to cook several dishes. Totally recommend this class!”
Meet your guide at your Chiang Mai hotel, visit a local market, tour Mama Noi’s organic garden, then cook a full Thai meal at your own station. Instructors such as Nook, Tida, Pam, and Fern guide you through several dishes, Thai tea, and mango sticky rice. Vegetarian options are available.
“One of my favorite days in Thailand so far! You get to stop at the market first briefly before and then have a tour of their beautiful garden and get to try lots of the ingredients that you get you cook with and get to adjust the dishes to your tatse. The chef was very energetic and enthusiastic:) and to top it all off you get to bring home a little cook book and take home whatever you can't eat. Their team was very friendly, organized and efficient with the way they ran things as well.”
Start with hotel pickup and a Somphet Market visit, then head to an organic farm for hands-on Thai cooking. Chef Perm and the teaching team guide you through curry paste, six dishes, papaya salad, and mango sticky rice before you eat your own meal.
“They picked me up from my hotel and then our group was driven to a market outside of Chiang Mai. It was a market for locals and very authentic. Our chef (Perm) showed us the different ingredients we would be using and had us smell various herbs/plants. He was so funRead more”
Take your own ATV across rough roads near Punta Cana, stop at an organic farm for coffee, chocolate, tobacco, and rum tastings, swim in a 25-foot water cave, then relax at Macao Beach. Guides including Vladimir, Gary, and Regina help keep the group together.
“Amazing experience! Vladimir and Gary made sure our entire group made it there and back safely. Be prepared to get extremely muddy but it’s so worth the experience. Highly recommend.”
Start at 8:30 a.m. with hotel pickup and a 30-minute visit to Somphet Market, then head 13 kilometers outside Chiang Mai. At an open-air organic farm, a Thai chef guides you through several dishes using fresh herbs, spices, your own wok, and a personal cooking station.
“We booked this tour and were picked up from our hotel, taken on a tour of the local market and got to try lots of tit bits and also were given info on what different types of food were. Then we were taken to a lovely farm with an undercover but open air cooking area whicRead more”
Drive your own buggy through country roads to a Dominican farm for coffee, chocolate, mamajuana, and cigar tastings. Then swim in a 25-foot cenote and relax at Macao Beach. Guides including Panda, Alexis, and Pablo lead the small-group outing.
“Great experience! Panda was so nice and explained everything! Super fun experience highly recommend! The beach was beautiful and everyone was so nice!”
Spend about five and a half hours at Taman Dukuh in Taro Village, north of Ubud. Morning sessions add a traditional market visit before you pick farm produce and prepare six or more Balinese dishes. Expect shared cooking, a full meal, English instruction, and printed and digital recipes.
“We really enjoyed ourselves. Although when we were picked up from our hotel we were told we were not able to go to the market. Other people in the class had gone to the market. It may have been a miscommunication but we were a little disappointed. Overall great class!!”
Meet at Florence Santa Maria Novella, take the 40-minute train to San Miniato, and spend the day with Francesco and his family at Tenuta Chiudendone. Pick seasonal ingredients, prepare a traditional three-course Tuscan meal, taste estate wines and olive oil, then swim or stroll before returning to Florence.
“Our favorite Tuscany experience! We went with our children who are 9 and 11 years old. The farm and vineyards/gardens are beautiful. The experience to help prepare such a fresh and delicious meal was so fun. The wine was absolutely amazing-so much so that we bought bottles to ship back home. The warmth and kindness that the owners showed to my and my family was something we will never forget! Definitely the highlight of our Italy trip!”
Spend five hours learning Thai cooking with an English-speaking instructor such as Wave, Anya, Toy, or Balloon. Visit a local market, tour an organic garden or farm, prepare several dishes at your own station, and take home the recipes. Choose a city or farm setting, with vegetarian and vegan options available.
“Amazing experience, definitely worth the money! Our instructor was so knowledgeable and kind and helped us cook the most delicious dishes. Located in such a pretty cafe run by her & with help from the other team members who were also so kind and helpful! If you want an authentic cooking class this is the best one!”
Spend about six hours with guide Christopher on a packed Punta Cana outing: drive buggies through rural trails, ride horses, zipline among trees, visit a cocoa and cigar stop, eat a Dominican buffet, and relax at Macao Beach. Pickup and air-conditioned transport are included.
“Guide was super helpful and proactive. Lunch is included and he knows all the best local spots. Buggy was amazing”
Join a small group of up to 10 for a four-hour ride from Hoi An through rice paddies and village lanes. Guides such as Tom, Nhat, Kun, and June lead market visits, farming, a 40-minute basket boat trip, and a hands-on Vietnamese cooking class with lunch.
“Tom was the best tour guide!!! He was so kind and had a wealth of knowledge to share with us, we had a lot of fun on our tour and would highly recommend!!!”
Pick a crop, an animal or a kitchen.
