Why this course rather than another
Chiang Mai offers around thirty cooking schools. We work with Smile Organic Farm because it ticks the five criteria that matter:
- Real organic farm — you pick the herbs you cook.
- Small groups (6-10 students max) — individual station, leader available.
- Authentic local market — not the tourist market remade for coaches.
- Native vegetarian/vegan options, not transplanted at the last minute.
- Recipes provided in PDF — so you don't forget anything when you get home.
What makes the day special
- You start from the field, not the supermarket. The herbs come out of the ground 15 minutes before going into your wok.
- The curry pestle is a highlight. Grinding galangal, lemongrass, chili peppers and roots with a traditional pestle is cooking you don't do anywhere else — except in Thailand.
- The chef has time. This is not a TV production style cooking show. He is a craftsman who calmly passes on his craft to you.
Three formulas
| Formula | Schedules | Dishes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full day | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | 8 dishes | 1,300 THB |
| Half day morning | 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | 5 dishes | 850 THB |
| Half day afternoon | 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. | 5 dishes | 850 THB |
Our advice: if it's your first day in Chiang Mai, take the morning — you see the local market first, it's the best rite of arrival.
What to bring
- Hair tied back if you have it (the farm can be a little windy).
- Camera — the finished dishes look great.
- Appetite: you eat everything you cook.
Our tip: many travelers follow the evening with the Sunday Walking Street Market (every Sunday, 4 p.m.-10 p.m., in the old town). Street food, Lanna crafts, live music — the perfect extension of your cooking day.
Detailed programme
8h00
Hotel pick-up
Air-conditioned minibus to local market. Welcome snack and tea.
8h30
Market visit
The chef introduces you to Thai herbs (holy basil, coriander, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir leaves), curry pastes, vegetables, fish. You taste the curiosities (ant eggs, grilled grasshoppers — optional!).
9h30
Organic farm
20-30 min walk in the rice fields and vegetable gardens. Picking fresh herbs for cooking (basil, peppers, lemongrass).
10h15
Cooking session 1: starters and soups
Fresh spring rolls (or tempura), Tom Yum Goong (lemongrass shrimp soup) or Tom Kha Gai (coconut chicken soup).
11h30
Cooking session 2: curries and stir-fries
Curry paste with drumstick (you make it yourself), then Green Curry or Massaman. At the same time, Pad Thai or Pad See Ew in the wok.
13h00
Tasting meal
We eat everything we cooked together. Relaxed conversation, photos, paper recipes handed out.
14h30
Return to hotel
For the half-day morning formula: end of the course. For the full day: 3 additional dishes (mango sticky rice dessert, coconut milk dessert).
Included / Not included
Included
- Return transfer from your hotel (Chiang Mai old town, radius 3 km)
- Guided tour of a local Thai market
- Guided walk in the partner organic farm
- Welcome snack + drinks (water, tea)
- All fresh ingredients
- Individual cooking station (wok + work surface)
- English-speaking head teacher (French-speaking on request, subject to reservation)
- E-book of recipes in PDF (sent by email after the course)
- Apron and charlotte
Not included
- Additional meals (you eat what you cook! 5 to 8 dishes, plenty to be full)
- Alcoholic drinks
- Hotel transfer outside the old town (+150 THB)
- Chef tip (optional)