8 Best Cooking Classes in Florence, Italy (by a Local)

Florence is one of the best places in Italy to take a cooking class. The city is famous for art, yes, but learning how to make fresh pasta, tiramisu, pizza, or gelato is also a very valid cultural activity.

If you’re spending at least a couple of days in town, a hands-on cooking class is a great addition to your Florence itinerary. You get to slow down, meet a local chef, cook your own lunch or dinner, and bring home skills that are way more useful than another fridge magnet.

I was born and raised in Bologna, just one hour north of Florence. Cliché enough, I grew up watching my nonna and great-grandma making fresh pasta, tortellini, tortelloni, lasagna, and all the good stuff.

And yet, I never actually learned how to make fresh pasta until I took a cooking class in Florence with my Argentinian husband. I thought the class might feel too touristy for me, but I loved it. It was fun, easy to follow, and honestly one of those travel experiences that sticks with you.

In this guide, I’ve rounded up the best cooking classes in Florence, from classic pasta and tiramisu workshops to market classes, pizza and gelato lessons, Tuscan farmhouse experiences, private classes, and a gluten-free option.

➥ Why trust me? I’m Italian, from Bologna, and I’ve spent the last 10+ years helping millions of travelers plan trips to Italy. I also know what a good pasta class should feel like: hands-on, clear, fun, and not just someone showing you dough from across the room.

I usually book tours through Viator and GetYourGuide because they offer reliable operators and flexible cancellation policies. Most tours can be canceled up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

Best Cooking Classes in Florence: Quick Picks

Short on time? These are the Florence cooking classes I recommend most:

OUR PICK: Best Cooking Class in Florence

Duration: 3 hours
Type: Pasta and tiramisu cooking class
Best for: Travelers who want a classic Florence cooking class with pasta, dessert, and wine

This Pasta & Tiramisu Cooking Class with Unlimited Wine is my top pick because it covers exactly what most travelers want from a cooking class in Florence: fresh pasta, tiramisu, wine, and a fun meal at the end.

The class takes place in a local restaurant in the heart of Florence. You’ll learn how to make fresh pasta from scratch with an English-speaking instructor, then prepare tiramisu, one of Italy’s most famous desserts.

After the hands-on part, you’ll sit down and eat what you made with wine. Depending on the class, the meal may also end with coffee or limoncello, which is never a bad way to finish a pasta session.

This is the best option if you want something central, easy to fit into a Florence itinerary, and focused on the dishes most people actually want to learn. Just note that the meeting point can vary depending on the option you book, so check your voucher carefully.

Dietary options are available, including vegetarian, vegan, lactose-free, and other diets, but you’ll need to inform the activity provider of any dietary needs when booking.

Why this is the best tour

It’s the most balanced cooking class in this list. It is not too long, it stays in Florence, it includes both pasta and dessert, and it works well for couples, solo travelers, friends, and first-time visitors. It’s also one of the most popular cooking classes in Florence, with thousands of excellent reviews.

Read what the reviews say:

“Amazing activity and great value for money. Shoutout to Antonio & Peter for leading the class and keeping our glasses full. 1000/10 would recommend.”

Marisa – Read more reviews

This experience includes a hands-on cooking class, dessert, wine pairing, and limoncello. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

More Pasta Cooking Classes in Florence

Best Short Pasta Class in Florence

Duration: 2 to 2.5 hours
Type: Pasta cooking class
Best for: Travelers who want a quick pasta-focused class without dessert or a market visit

If you want to learn to make fresh pasta but don’t want to spend half your day in a kitchen, this Pasta Cooking Class with Unlimited Wine is the best shorter option.

Depending on the option selected, the class can take place in different locations, including a cooking school inside a medieval tower close to the Duomo. The focus is simple: pasta, pasta, and more pasta.

You’ll make three types of fresh pasta, such as ravioli, tortelli, and pappardelle. You’ll also prepare sauces like butter and sage, arrabbiata, or Tuscan ragù, then sit down to eat everything with Tuscan wine or soft drinks.

This is a great pick if you want a hands-on class but don’t need tiramisu, a market visit, or a longer meal. It’s more focused than the top pick, but also less complete.

Pros

• Shorter class that fits easily into a busy Florence itinerary
• Focused on three types of fresh pasta
• Includes chef instruction, ingredients, equipment, wine, and soft drinks

Cons

• No tiramisu or dessert-making component
• No market visit
• Meeting point can vary depending on the option booked

This class includes a chef instructor, all ingredients and equipment, Tuscan wine, and unlimited soft drinks. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Best Cooking Class with Market Visit

Duration: 5 hours
Type: Market visit + cooking class
Best for: Travelers who want to shop for ingredients at the Central Market before cooking

This Nonna’s Cooking Class & Market Tour with Wine, Lasagna & Tiramisù is a better fit if you want more than a standard kitchen lesson. It starts at a cooking school near the Central Market, then continues into the market with your chef.

At the market, you’ll meet local vendors, learn about Tuscan products, and enjoy seasonal tastings. After that, you’ll walk back to the cooking school and start the hands-on class.

The menu focuses on focaccia with fresh cheese, lasagna made from scratch, and tiramisu. You’ll learn to prepare the lasagna, including the fresh pasta sheets, Bolognese ragù, and béchamel, and then make tiramisu for dessert.

This is the best choice if the market visit is important to you. Just note that when the Central Market is closed on Sundays and bank holidays, the market visit is replaced by an introduction and extra tastings at the cooking school.

Pros

• Includes a guided visit to Florence’s Central Market
• You make lasagna from scratch, including fresh pasta, ragù, and béchamel, as well as tiramisu

Cons

• Not suitable for celiacs
• The market visit is replaced when the Central Market is closed

This tour includes a market visit, tastings, a hands-on cooking class, Tuscan wine, dessert wine, and a digital recipe booklet. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Best Pizza and Gelato Cooking Class in Florence

Duration: 3 hours
Type: Pizza and gelato cooking class
Best for: Families, first-timers, and anyone who wants a fun class in Florence without leaving the city

If pasta is not the only thing on your Italy wish list, this Florence Cooking Class: The Art of Making Gelato & Authentic Pizza is the best pizza and gelato class in the city center.

The class takes place at a cooking school near the Central Market. You’ll learn about pizza-making in Italy, prepare your own dough, choose toppings, and bake your pizza.

You’ll also watch a gelato-making demonstration and learn what makes Italian gelato different from regular ice cream. The class ends with your pizza, gelato, unlimited wine, or soft drinks for children.

This is a great option if you’re traveling with kids or want something more playful than a pasta class. It is not suitable for celiacs, so gluten-free travelers should skip to the dedicated class later in this guide.

Pros

• Fun and easy option for families
• Located in Florence, close to the Central Market
• Includes lunch or dinner, wine or soft drinks, recipes, and a graduation certificate

Cons

• Gelato is taught as a demonstration, not a fully hands-on dessert class
• Not suitable for celiacs
• Children and teens under 18 must be accompanied by an adult

This experience includes a pizza making class, lunch or dinner, unlimited wine or soft drinks, a gelato demonstration, recipes, and a graduation certificate. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Tuscan Farmhouse Cooking Classes from Florence

If you want to leave the city for a few hours, these farmhouse cooking classes are the best options. Both include transport from Florence and a countryside setting, but they are not the same experience.

Pizza or Pasta and Gelato at a Tuscan Farm

Duration: 5 hours
Type: Tuscan farm cooking class
Best for: Travelers who want a scenic countryside class without spending the whole day away from Florence

This Pizza or Pasta Class & Gelato Making at a Tuscan Farm is one of the most enjoyable cooking classes near Florence if you want countryside views but don’t want a full-day commitment.

You’ll meet near Santa Maria Novella station, then travel by bus to a farm in the hills outside Florence. The transfer is short, but the setting feels very different from the city.

The class starts with fresh focaccia and a glass of wine, then continues with the option you selected when booking: pizza or pasta. If you choose pasta, you’ll make 3 types of fresh pasta and sauces. If you choose pizza, you’ll make dough, pick toppings, and bake it in a wood oven.

Everyone also learns to make gelato, then sits down for a 3-course lunch or dinner with wine or beer. This is a great choice if you want something social, scenic, and fun.

Pros

• Includes roundtrip transport from central Florence
• You can choose pizza or pasta when booking
• Includes gelato, a 3-course meal, wine or beer, recipes, and a diploma

Cons

• Not a city-center class
• Gluten-free needs and food allergies cannot be accommodated
• Not suitable for travelers with walking difficulties or wheelchair users

This tour includes roundtrip transport from Florence, a cooking class, a 3-course meal, wine or beer, recipes, a cooking diploma, and gratuities. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Full-Day Tuscan Farmhouse Cooking Class with Market Visit

Duration: 7 hours
Type: Full-day farmhouse cooking class
Best for: Travelers who want a longer Tuscan cooking experience with a market visit and 4-course lunch

This Cooking Class and Lunch at a Tuscan Farmhouse with Local Market Tour is the better farmhouse option if you want a fuller day built around Tuscan food.

You’ll meet in central Florence and, on the morning experience, walk to a local market to browse fresh ingredients, cured meats, cheeses, olives, balsamic vinegar, and other Tuscan specialties. After that, you’ll travel by minibus to a farmhouse in the Tuscan hills.

During the hands-on class, you’ll learn to make fresh pasta and tiramisu from scratch. After cooking, you’ll sit down to a 4-course Tuscan meal, which may include bruschetta with fresh tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil, handmade pasta with meat sauce, Tuscan roast pork with potatoes, and tiramisu, served with wine.

This class is longer and more structured than the 5-hour farm class above. It’s best if you want the market, the countryside, and a proper 4-course lunch in one experience.

Pros

• Includes transport from Florence to the farmhouse
• More complete than shorter cooking classes
• Includes a 4-course lunch with wine, recipes, and a diploma

Cons

• It takes 7 hours, so it uses a big part of your day
• Vegetarian, gluten-free, and other alternative dietary requirements cannot be catered for
• Not suitable for travelers with walking difficulties or wheelchair users

This tour includes transport by air-conditioned minibus, a market visit, a cooking class, a 4-course lunch with wine, recipes, and a cooking diploma. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Best Private Cooking Class near Florence

Duration: 4 hours
Type: Private countryside cooking class
Best for: Couples, families, or groups who want a more personal cooking experience

If you want something more intimate than a group class, this Florence Cooking Class in a Gorgeous Countryside Home with Maria is the private option I’d choose.

You’ll meet Maria in central Florence, and she’ll drive you to her countryside home about 15 minutes away. Depending on the option you book, you may also visit San Lorenzo Market before the class.

The menu changes with the season, but it includes traditional Tuscan dishes such as bruschetta, handmade ravioli or tagliatelle, sauces, tiramisu, and local wine. Since it’s private, the experience feels much more like cooking with a local host than joining a large cooking school class.

This is best for travelers who want a warm, personal experience in a home setting. Just keep in mind that Maria’s home does not have air conditioning, there is a cat, and the class is not suited for gluten-free diets.

Pros

• Private class, so only your group participates
• Includes roundtrip transport from a central meeting point for up to 6 guests
• Great choice if you want a home-style countryside experience

Cons

• Not in central Florence
• Not suitable for gluten-free diets
• Groups larger than 6 may need to arrange extra transport

This tour includes a private cooking class, local Italian wine, and roundtrip transport from a central Florence meeting point for up to 6 guests, plus a market visit if selected during booking. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Best Gluten-Free Cooking Class in Florence

Duration: 3 hours
Type: Semi-private gluten-free cooking class
Best for: Gluten-free travelers who still want to make pasta in Florence

If you’re gluten-free, this Semi-Private Gluten-Free Cooking Class in Florence is the most useful class on this list for you.

The class takes place near the Boboli Gardens in a small group of up to 12 travelers. You’ll cook with Chef Vary and learn how to make gluten-free versions of classic Italian dishes using natural gluten-free flours.

The menu can include gluten-free tagliatelle, ravioli, lasagna, gnocchi, pizza, and tiramisu. After cooking, you’ll sit down to enjoy lunch or dinner with wine.

This is a very specific class, but that’s exactly why it’s worth including. The main caveat is important: the tour is non-refundable and cannot be changed, so double-check your dates before booking.

Pros

• Dedicated gluten-free cooking class
• Small group limited to 12 travelers
• Includes lunch or dinner, wine, recipes, and cooking utensils

Cons

• Non-refundable and cannot be changed
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Participants must be at least 16 years old

This tour includes a gluten-free cooking class, recipes, cooking utensils, lunch or dinner depending on the option selected, and alcoholic beverages. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Are Cooking Classes in Florence Worth It?

In my opinion, yes. Florence is packed with museums and churches, but a cooking class gives you a totally different kind of memory. You’re not just looking at beautiful things. You’re making something, eating it, and hopefully learning a few tricks you can use back home.

They’re also a great option if you want a slower activity between sightseeing days. Florence can feel very busy, especially around the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio, so spending a few hours in a kitchen can be a nice break.

If it’s your first cooking class in Italy, I’d choose a pasta and tiramisu class or a class that includes a visit to a local market. If you’ve already done those, the farmhouse or private classes feel more special.

FAQ: Cooking Classes in Florence

What is the best cooking class in Florence?

For most travelers, I think the best cooking class in Florence is a pasta and tiramisu class. It is classic, fun, not too long, and easy to fit into a Florence itinerary.

How long do cooking classes in Florence last?

Most cooking classes in Florence last 2 to 5 hours. Short pasta classes usually take around 2 to 2.5 hours, while farmhouse classes outside the city can take 5 to 7 hours with transport.

What do you make in a Florence cooking class?

It depends on the class. The most common dishes are fresh pasta, ravioli, tagliatelle, tiramisu, pizza, gelato, lasagna, bruschetta, and Tuscan sauces.

Are Florence cooking classes good for beginners?

Yes. Most Florence cooking classes are designed for beginners, so you don’t need to be a confident cook. A good instructor will guide you step by step.

Should I choose a cooking class in Florence or outside Florence?

Choose a cooking class in Florence if you want something easy and central. Choose a farmhouse class outside Florence if you want countryside views, transport included, and a longer food-focused experience.

Can you take a gluten-free cooking class in Florence?

Yes, there are gluten-free cooking classes in Florence. Just don’t assume every pasta class can accommodate celiacs or strict gluten-free diets. Always book a dedicated gluten-free class or confirm directly with the operator before booking.

Interested in other foodie experiences in Florence? I mean, there’s no such thing as too much food in Italy. Check out my other posts about the best wine tours from Florence and the top Florence food tours.