Active Gourmet Holidays
Active Gourmet Holidays
Home Day Cooking Classes
Day Cooking Classes

France                

BURGUNDY - CHAMPAGNE - LOIRE VALLEY - NORMANDY - PARIS
PROVENCE - SOUTHWEST FRANCE

 

 
Cooking in Paris Print E-mail

(Options: Private Group Cooking Classes)
P
aris, France - Day Cooking Classes

Available year round

 

Learn simple, yet elegant, recipes from a true Parisian woman! Enjoy a hands-on cooking class in the heart of Paris. Classes are held in a fully-equipped kitchen with a workstation for every two students.The course starts off with a market visit to select the ingredients for the class.

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Cooking in the French Riviera Print E-mail

(Option: Day Cooking Classes)
Provence, France - 2, 4 or 5 nights
Available February 14 to November 1

 

Learn to cook in a Provençal cookery school, set in a little converted country house in an idyllic spot with wild thyme, rosemary and olive trees at its doorstep. Outside there is a shady terrace where you can enjoy the fruits of your labour, accompanied by a glass of wine from the estate. The 4-star hotel is now part of the beautiful chain Relais & Châteaux.

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The Perfumes, Colours and Flavours of the Luberon Print E-mail

(Option: Day Cooking Classes)
Provence, France - 4 or 7 nights
Available March to November - Saturday to Saturday

 

Learn to cook in the Luberon from a wonderful chef who will also be your guide and host for the week. You will have the time of your life as you stay in a beautifully restored and furnished home, take hands-on cooking classes and see all the important sites in this very picturesque part of Provence.  

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A Small Taste of Provence Print E-mail

(Options: Longer Stays, French Lessons)
Provence, France - 2 or 4 nights
Available March to June, September to December

 

Welcome to Provence! You will be greeted by your hosts in their beautiful 19th century “mas”. The village where you will be staying is famous for its rosé wine, being the first in France. It is located within 15 minutes from Avignon in the middle of the vineyards.
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Bordeaux Gourmand Print E-mail

(Options: Day Cooking Classes, Wine Tours, Longer Stays)
Bordeaux, France - 3 or 6 nights
Available April to November

 

We equate "wine" with "Bordeaux" with good reason. This UNESCO and World Heritage site is renowned not only for its incredible wine production but for its two thousand year old history, beautiful architecture and breathtaking landscapes.

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Greece   

CRETE

 
The Bounty of Greece Print E-mail

(Options: Day Cooking Classes)
Crete, Greece - 7 nights
Available year round 

 

This week long culinary escape is perfect for those wanting to discover the authentic Cretan people and their diets. Learn about the traditions and habits of the Cretan people while combining healthy and nutritional cooking classes with a native Greek who is not only an author and self taught cook, but a very knowledgeable person whose passion is to share knowledge of the culture, foods and traditions of Crete. You will stay at a beautiful four star hotel which is within a short walking distance to your cooking classes.

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Cooking and Gastronomy in Sorrento Print E-mail

(Options: Day Cooking Classes, One Month Internships, Longer Stays, Italian Lessons, Christmas in Sorrento)
Sorrento, Italy - 3 or 6 nights
Available year round - Sunday to Saturday

 

Choose from a three or six night culinary itinerary in magical Sorrento. Experience the Neapolitan foods and wines of this region while learning how to cook classic dishes from an Italian chef.

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Cooking Sorrento Style Print E-mail

(Option: Day Cooking Classes, Wine Tours, Italian Lessons)
Sorrento, Italy - 3 nights
Available April to October 

 

Take cooking classes at a cooking school located within a 4 star holiday complex, located in a residential area of Sorrento close to the sea and city center. The cooking school offers a unique way to experience Sorrento and its famous surroundings through personal interaction with local food and wines.

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The Flavours of the Amalfi Coast Print E-mail

Day Cooking Classes
Ravello, Italy
(Option: Wine Tasting)
Available year round

 

Join Mamma Agata for cooking classes in her beautiful home on a cliff top overlooking the spectacular Amalfi coastline. She has been the chef for many famous Hollywood actors and actresses, journalists and politicians and now invites you into her home to share her simple, yet elegant, traditional Southern Italian recipes.

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Sorrento's Kitchen Print E-mail

(Option: Day Cooking Classes)
Sorrento, Italy - 4 or 6 nights
Available year round

 

Learn to cook authentic dishes from southern Italy and Sorrento by participating in hands-on cooking classes in a professional kitchen. Your passionate and imaginative chef will share with you the secrets of this cuisine leaving you ready to return home to impress your family and friends. You will stay in a luxurious boutique hotel located in the beautiful Sorrento peninsula. The hotel was once an ancient home which has been carefully and tastefully restored offering you incomparable comfort.

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Villa Cooking in Sorrento Print E-mail

(Option: Day Cooking Classes)
Sorrento, Italy -  3 or 7 nights
Available year round

 

Choose from a day cooking class or a three or seven night culinary program in spectacular Sorrento, Italy. Your hands-on cooking lessons from your chef will take place in an amazing, private and manicured garden. You will be surrounded by an impressive array of old palms, English meadow, colorful flowers and fountains with lemon and orange trees, a swimming-pool, typical "Pergolato" and ceramic decorations. The property guarantees you complete privacy during your cooking class.

 

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Friuli-Venezia Giulia

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Cooking in a Venetian Villa Print E-mail

(Options: Day Cooking Classes, Hiking, Biking, Golf, Italian Lessons and More)
Friuli-Venezia, Italy - 3 nights
Available year round

 

Learn to cook in the beautiful region of Friuli-Venezia, Italy. This lesser known region of Italy is the perfect place to get away for Icooking lessons in a beautiful villa located near the Friuli-Veneto border. 

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Cooking in Friuli-Venezia Giulia Print E-mail

(Options: Day Cooking Classes, Hiking, Biking, Golf, Italian Lessons and more)
Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy - 3 or 5 nights
Available year round

 

Two sample tour itineraries are listed on this page for your convenience. The 6 days/5 nights tour is directly below this message, and the sample 4 days/3 nights tour follows. Click here to go directly to the 4 days/3 nights sample itinerary or simply scroll down the page.

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Friulian Flavours Print E-mail

(Options: Day Cooking Classes, Hiking, Biking, Golf, Italian Lessons and more)
Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy - 3 or 5 nights
Available March to September

 

Learn to cook in Friuli-Venezia Giulia! Hands-on cooking classes take place in a cozy country retreat surrounded by vineyards, woods and meadows in the Friuli hills, at the base of the Julian Alps, only about one-hour drive from Venice, Austria and Slovenia.

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The Flavors of Rome Print E-mail

Rome, Italy
Available year round - Monday to Friday

 

Learn to cook like a native Italian in the center of ancient Rome. Whether you are a novice or a serious gourmand, you will learn recipes from an experienced Italian chef. First you will be taken on a personalized tour of the most famous markets in Rome to collect your ingredients for the class. Afterwards, you will head to a beautiful home for a hands-on cooking class with your host and chef.

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Roma! Print E-mail

Rome, Italy
Available year round 

 

Welcome to Roma! During your stay why not delve into the culinary traditions of this very special place? Take a hands-on cooking class in a beautiful home near the Spanish steps - a home previously owned by a princess! Enjoy a walking tour along cobblestones streets in this enchanting city of Rome. You will have a wonderful chef/guide with a big personality who will share with you the knowledge of authentic Italian cuisine. You can also choose a special sausage making class or a more traditional Italian cooking class both taking place in a medieval village about 30 minutes outside of Rome.

 

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Authentic Mediterranean Cooking in Puglia Print E-mail

(Options: Day Cooking Classes, Italian Lessons, Custom Tours)
Puglia, Italy - 3 or 5 nights
Available year round

 

Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot, is an ideal location for a gourmet holiday. Puglia is home to the true Mediterranean Cuisine with an emphasis on seafood, vegetables, legumes, hand-made pasta.  Puglia’s cuisine is delicious, yet simple at the same time. It is in essence a home-based cuisine. Puglia produces the largest amount of extra virgin olive oil in Italy and is one of Italy's largest wine producers. When travelling through Puglia, you will notice long rows of grape vines that stretch off into the distance.

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Culinary Sicily Print E-mail

(Option: Custom Tours, Day Cooking Classes)
Sicily, Italy - 7 nights
Available year round

 

Discover the secrets of Sicily with this unforgettable seven night experience. Stay in luxury and comfortable accommodations while immersing yourself in the tastes and flavours of this very special land.

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Authentic Tuscan Cooking Print E-mail

(Options: Day Cooking Classes, Wine Tours)
Tuscany, Italy - 7 nights
Available year round

 

This culinary program is perfect for those who are lovers of all that is Tuscan – the charming medieval towns, the centuries old traditions, the people and their culture, the art and of course, the great food and wine!! You will enjoy hands-on cooking courses learning the art of Tuscan cuisine from our wonderful chefs in an original kitchen of a 14th century villa.

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Classico Cooking Classes Print E-mail

(Options: Day Cooking Classes, Palio Week)
Tuscany, Italy - 3 or 5 nights
Available April to October - Monday to Saturday

 

Experience the lifestyle born from the spectacular hospitality at Badia a Coltibuono. Developed over the 20 years during which famous author and cookbook writer Lorenza de Medici ran her Villa Table programs, these weekly, residential courses are held in English in the summer and autumn.

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Buon Appetito Florence Print E-mail

(Options: Longer Stays on B & B basis)
Florence, Italy - 3 nights
Available year round

 

Enjoy practical hands-on cooking lessons from an Italian woman who learned how to cook at a very young age. You will stay in a lovely bed and breakfast which is located in the heart of historical Florence - a perfect spot for you to explore Florence and the surrounding Tuscan countryside.

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Cooking Under the Tuscan Sun Print E-mail

(Options: Day Cooking Class, Spa, Wine Tours, 3 night program)
Cortona, Italy - 6 nights
Available year round 

 

Il Falconiere Relais & Chateaux is a 17th Century property located in the quiet countryside located just over one mile from the beautiful walled Etruscan town of Cortona which has been written about in the ever so popular Frances Mayes books. Il Falconiere Relais & Chateaux invites you to their beautiful Tuscan oasis for an unforgettable culinary experience with hands-on cooking classes taught by two Michelin starred chefs.

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The Flavours of Tuscany Print E-mail

(Option: Day Cooking Classes)
Tuscany, Italy - 6 nights
Available April to July, September to November - Sunday to Saturday

 

Whether you are a novice or experienced cook, this holiday will teach you all there is to know about Tuscan cuisine. Classes are taught by experienced and professional instructors in a beautiful state of the art kitchen where lessons are truly hands-on and conducted in English.

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Florentine Escape Print E-mail

(Options: Longer Stays, Day Cooking Classes, Market Visits, Excursions)
Florence, Italy - 3 or 4 nights
Available year round

 

Recommended by Karen Brown Guides "Most Romantic Inn 2009" - Conde Naste Johansen 2005 Recipient

 

Treat yourself to a relaxing getaway in a small and elegant family-run Relais, located just 20 minutes outside of Florence. The hotel is an excellent base for excursions in the Chianti area. You can choose to have cooking lessons, learning the secrets of authentic Florentine and Tuscan cuisine from the host's mother while her daughter translates for the guests. You may also have a guided walking tour of Florence, a shopping outlet tour, Chianti wine tour and other activities to help you immerse yourself in the Tuscan way of life.

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Homestyle Tuscan Cooking Print E-mail

(Options: Day Cooking Classes, Weekend Packages, Wine and Food Tastings/Tours, Italian Lessons)
Tuscany, Italy - 2, 3, 4 or 5 nights
Available year round (except week before Christmas)

 

Learn the art of Tuscan cooking, eating and living! For over 20 years, your hosts, Simonetta and Paola have been holding hands-on cooking classes in both Florence and Chianti. You will learn traditional Italian family recipes, taught in English and will get the flavor of living in an Italian country home and being with an Italian family.

 

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Magical Montalcino Print E-mail

Montalcino, Italy - 1 to 3 days
Available year round

 

Take hands-on cooking lessons in Montalcino from Teresa. Born in Rome, Teresa speaks fluent English and French and will share her knowledge of food preparation with you as well as giving you the tools you need to create simple dishes that are easily replicated once you get home.

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Tuscan Cooking in Lucca Print E-mail

(Option: Day Cooking Classes)
Lucca, Italy - 7 nights
Available February to April, June, September to October - Sunday to Sunday

 

Lucca invites you to a great Tuscan cooking and wine vacation in the heart of Tuscany with a talented chef. In this comprehensive "hands on" cooking and wine tour, you will learn the best of "Tuscan Cooking and Living" with 4 exciting Italian cooking classes: traditional, Tuscan, pasta and fish cooking classes with more than 45 recipes!

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Cooking with Cristina Print E-mail

(Options: Day Cooking Classes)
Umbria, Italy - 3 nights
Available year round

 

Learn to cook with an Italian family who will show you the secrets of Umbrian cuisine. Cristina, your hostess, has been conducting cooking courses since 1999 at a nearby villa but has restored her eighteenth century country house and is now inviting guests to her home for day cooking classes or residential cooking programs.

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The Cuisine and Wine of Umbria Print E-mail

(Options: Day Cooking Classes, Biking, Walking, Spa, Shopping, Wine Tours, Shorter or Longer Stays)
Umbria, Italy - 2 or 4 nights
Available year round

Named one of the 'Top 10 Luxury Hotels in Europe' and 'Top Hotels in Italy Chosen by Europeans' by Trip Advisor 2010

This tour is for all food and wine lovers who would like to discover traditional Umbrian recipes and great wines! Spend time taking hands-on cooking classes, sampling wine, doing some sightseeing and relaxing in a beautiful villa. Over the years this villa has been the home of nobles. It retains its large fireplaces, frescoes, ancient cotto floors and period furnishings and is the perfect setting for your getaway. 

 

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Umbrian Cooking with Tiziana and Zoila Print E-mail

(Options: Multi-day Cooking Classes)
Umbria, Italy - Day Cooking Class
Available year round

 

Whether you are an experienced cook or just passionate about good Italian food, learn to cook authentic Italian dishes in a fun and friendly atmosphere with Chefs Tiziana and Zoila. They offer hands-on cooking courses in English that range from one-day classes to longer courses. Chef Zoila is bilingual having lived and worked in the United States for many years. A love for good food and cooking, and the desire to encourage people to visit and appreciate the beauties of Umbria is what led to the creation of Zoila's and Tiziana's cooking lessons. They both come from a long tradition of hospitality in the travel industry as well as in the restaurant field.

 

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The Umbrian Kitchen Print E-mail

(Options: Day Cooking Classes, Christmas Cooking and Olive Harvest Programs)
Umbria, Italy - 1 day, 4 or 7 nights
Available January to June, September to December - Saturday to Saturday

 

Spend time at a beautiful country home in the heart of Umbria (Perugia). The farm dates back to the 17th century and is surrounded by rolling hills, 10 hectares of olive groves, vineyards, fruit trees and Etruscan and medieval history. Six independent apartments have been restored around the ancient stone house and all are beautifully decorated.

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Umbrian-Tuscan Cooking Classes Print E-mail

(Options: Biking, Walking, Spa, Shopping, Wine Tours, Shorter or Longer Stays)
Umbria, Italy - Day Cooking Class

Available year round - Monday, Wednesday or Friday


 

Named one of the 'Top 10 Luxury Hotels in Europe' and 'Top Hotels in Italy Chosen by Europeans' by Trip Advisor 2010

Enjoy hands-on cooking classes at a breathtaking villa set in the rolling hills of Umbria. This holiday is dedicated  to offering you the chance to learn traditional Italian recipes. Your instructors will provide you with an explanation on exquisite recipes using traditional cooking methods. Following the class you will enjoy the prepared food accompanied by a selected wine.

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Antonella's Cuisine of the Veneto Print E-mail
(Options: Day Cooking Classes)
Veneto, Italy - 3 or 7 nights
Available April to October

Enjoy an Italian cooking holiday in the heart of the Prosecco wine area in the Veneto. Stay in a beautifully restored farmhouse, where Antonella will teach you how to prepare wonderful meals at home. Her philosophy is that food is central to life; it should be full of flavour, beautifully presented, and eaten in a pleasing, relaxing ambience. It shouldn’t be necessary to spend hours in preparation either; all it needs are the right skills and attitude. It’s a question of lifestyle.

 

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Portugal                     

ALENTEJO - DOURO - MADEIRA

 
Refúgio da Vila Cooking School Print E-mail

(Option: Day Cooking Classes)
Alentejo, Portugal - 7 nights
Available January to June, September to December - Sunday to Sunday

 

Located just one hour from the Spanish border and 90 minutes from Lisbon, lies the romantic Refúgio da Vila Cooking School. Spend your week indulging in the delicious Mediterranean cuisine of Portugal as you learn hands-on cooking techniques using the local flavors and herbs of the Alentejo. Because life is so unhurried here, you will savor the beauty of this unspoiled region.

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Spain                              

ANDALUSIAARAGON -  ASTURIAS - BASQUE COUNTRY - CATALONIA - MURCIA- RIOJA

 
Gastronomy in Ronda Print E-mail
(Options: Day Cooking Classes, Wine Tours and Tastings, Malaga Tapa Tours)
Ronda, Spain - 2 or 6 nights
Available year round

 

Join us for an extraordinary gastronomic experience based in the beautiful Costa del Sol, Andalucía, Spain. You will be surrounded by a professional staff with one goal in mind: to create the most memorable gastronomic holiday for you that will exceed your expectations and ensure at all times that the highest customer satisfaction is achieved. Choose from a weekend or a six night program.
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The Legacy of Al Andalus Print E-mail

(Options: Customized Tours, Tapas Tours, Day Cooking Lessons and Excursions)
Andalusia, Spain - 7 nights
Available year round

 

The Legacy of Al Andalus will enable you to discover and explore the abundant history and culture of three of the most enchanting cities in the region, Seville, Granada and Córboba - especially in its exceptional food and wine. In Andalusia, life is lived to the fullest and eating and drinking are taken very seriously. This holiday offers you unrivalled gastronomy, incredible wines, food and cultural visits.

 

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Los Pueblos Blancos in Andalusia Print E-mail

(Options: Full Day Market Visit, Cooking Classes, Gibralter and Tangiers Excursions)
Estepona/Marbella, Spain - 5 nights
Available year round

 

Explore the beautiful and impressive white washed villages (los pueblos blancos) of Andalusia while also partaking in healthy, hands-on organic cooking classes at a beach villa in an open kitchen facing the beautiful blue Mediterranean Sea. Your hostess not only speaks Arabic, French, English and Spanish, but  is a passionate cook and advocate of healthy, organic food.

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A Taste of Seville Print E-mail

(Options: Customized Tours, Tapas Tours, Day Cooking Lessons and Excursions)
Seville, Spain - 3 nights
Available year round

 

A Taste of Seville offers exceptional sherry, wine and foodie tours in Sevilla. Your guide will take you to the finest bodegas, food producers and hidden gems in the area. This three night tour is the perfect immersion into Sevilla offering beautiful accommodations, gourmet dining and the inside scoop on the finest tapas bars in the area.

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 BOOKING INFORMATION:  Each program lists the Fees Per Person, Deposit, Dates and what is Included. Use the right side navigation (the booking information link) to view this information listed at the bottom of every program.

 

CANCELLATION POLICIES:  Please inquire about the cancellation and refund policy of the tour in which you are interested. 

 

CLIENT REMARKS: Our clients' thoughts and remarks about their experiences are 'click expandable' at the bottom of our tours. Use the right side navigation (the client remarks link) to view this information.

 

MAPPING: Our exciting destinations are depicted in regional mapping for each program. You can also access Google MapsTM when available! In some cases mapping may give clients a general sense of location due to changes in venue. Please inquire about specific location.

 

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THE SICILIAN GOURMET
"An incredible visit of Sicily, the tours to the archeological sights were very informative. Having dinner with Angela’s parents was a memorable experience. Our hosts did everything they could to make sure that they met our needs. Silvano was outstanding. We could not have had a better guide. He was on time, very informative and made sure that he met our needs." 

Karin D., Austin, Texas


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