Sri Lanka · WORKSHOPS

The 15 Best Workshops & Classes in Sri Lanka

31 tours  ·  from $13

Cooking, gem cutting, mask carving, batik. These 15 sessions are priced and clear about how much you make yourself and what you take home at the end.

Ella: Traditional Sri Lankan Cooking Class - Fresh ingredients and the logic behind Sri Lankan cooking
Cooking Classes, Ella Tours, Tour Reviews, Workshops

Ella: Traditional Sri Lankan Cooking Class

1.Traditional Sri Lankan Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 788 reviews · 2 hours · from $19Our pick

Join Ranjani, often called Ranji, for a two-hour small-group cooking class in Ella. Prepare dishes such as dhal, curry, coconut sambol, hoppers, and string hoppers in an open-air traditional kitchen, then eat together from banana leaves. Recipes arrive by WhatsApp after class.

“This experience was cooking at one workstation with the host demonstrating some of the more complicated techniques whilst inviting attendees to take it in turn to help with other tasks. Throughout the experience she provided lots of interesting facts and advice and the food at the end was excellent. If that’s the kind of cooking experience you enjoy then this is highly recommended. If you’re looking for a cooking experience where everyone has an individual workstation and you eat the food you personally cooked, then this isn’t for you. The teacher was good at giving insight into traditional recipes and the health benefits of good home style cooking.”

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Organic cooking class sigiriya (kumara & family) - Cooking over the family’s wood fires
Cooking Classes, Sigiriya Rock Fortress Tours, Sigiriya Rock Fortress Tours in Sigiriya, Sigiriya Tours, Tour Reviews, Workshops

Organic cooking class sigiriya (kumara & family)

2.Organic cooking class sigiriya (kumara & family)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 650 reviews · from $28Top rated

At Kumara and Thanuja’s home near Sigiriya, you’ll tour an organic garden, learn about spices and Ayurvedic plants, prepare several Sri Lankan dishes, arrange the table, and eat together. Expect about two and a half hours, an outdoor kitchen, family guidance, bottled water, and herbal tea.

“The cooking class started with a walk through the organic garden with a lot of explanations about what we saw there. Then we started cooking, many different curries, spring hoppers and some desert. Really friendly family with a heart for cooking.”

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Galle: Traditional Gems & Jewellery Workshop with Transfers - Choosing a stone and a design
Galle Tours, Tour Reviews, Workshops

Galle: Traditional Gems & Jewellery Workshop with Transfers

3.Traditional Gems & Jewellery Workshop with Transfers

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 539 reviews · 4 hours · from $13Best value

At Chandralal Jewelry Works near Kotapola, you learn traditional silver jewelry techniques with guidance from Hasara, Sarah, Ashan, and the family team. Choose a ring, pendant, earrings, or bracelet, examine local stones, help shape your piece, and share lunch or dinner at the family home.

“I loved this amazing workshop and the beautiful ring I made with the help of the very kind and talented artisans! All of the people working there (the translator, artisans and the family hosting us) were very accomodating and simply lovely! It was very informative and also fun to see all the steps which go into making a silver ring with an embedded gem stone and we could try all the different techniques (heating the silver, hammering and folding it, flattening it with a press, adding texture with a little hammer and at the end we also polished the rings) and even got some very delicious dinner at the end!…”

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Kandy Village Cooking Class - Choosing vegetables, spices, and chicken or fish
Cooking Classes, Kandy Tours, Tour Reviews, Workshops

Kandy Village Cooking Class

4.Kandy Village Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 536 reviews · from $25

Join Shyama and her family for a three-hour Sri Lankan cooking class near Kandy. Start at the municipal market, choose five vegetables plus chicken or fish, then cook several curries in a village kitchen and eat the meal you prepare. Pickup is offered, but confirm return transport.

“Attended this cooking class during our stay in Kandy and loved it. The experience was fun, authentic, and hands-on, starting with a visit to the local market before cooking our chosen dishes in a traditional village kitchen. Our host was warRead more”

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Sea waves sri lankan cooking class - Key details that make this class different
Cooking Classes, Galle Tours, Tour Reviews, Workshops

Sea waves sri lankan cooking class

5.Sea waves sri lankan cooking class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 467 reviews · from $59

Join Susanthi and a chef with more than 30 years of experience for a private-style Sri Lankan cooking class near Unawatuna. Visit fish and vegetable markets, choose ingredients, cook five vegetables with fish or chicken, then eat beside a jungle view.

“great experience and atmosphere, from buying ingredients to a great tasting lunch, the lady of the house was a great cook and in a good mood!! I recommend”

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Ella: Sri Lankan Cooking Class with Neranji at Homestay - The kitchen lessons that make the class worthwhile
Cooking Classes, Ella Tours, Tour Reviews, Workshops

Ella: Sri Lankan Cooking Class with Neranji at Homestay

6.Sri Lankan Cooking Class with Neranji at Homestay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 276 reviews · 2 - 3 hours · from $19

Join Neranji in her Ella home kitchen for a hands-on Sri Lankan cooking class lasting two to three hours. Prepare seasonal curries, sambols, salads, papadom, or coconut roti, learn traditional spice and coconut-milk techniques, eat your meal, and take home recipes and spices.

“Fabulous- a high light of our stay in Ella -Neranji was so lovely, knowledgeable and a great cook! Food was amazing!!”

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Ella : Cooking class with amazing Spice Garden Tour - Meeting Sam, Senaka, Upulu, and the cooking team
Cooking Classes, Ella Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Workshops

Ella : Cooking class with amazing Spice Garden Tour

7.Cooking class with amazing Spice Garden Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 239 reviews · 4 hours · from $32

Spend four hours with the Ella Nine Arch Spice Garden team, starting with a guided walk led by hosts such as Sam, Senaka, or Upulu. See vanilla, cinnamon, cacao, curry leaves, and medicinal plants, then cook curries, coconut sambol, banana chips, and rice in a small English-speaking group.

“It was an amazing experience. We had a very interesting and informative garden trip where we were told about the spices and the way they are produced. Then we had a cooking class in a very warm and friendly atmosphere. The food was nice (we had dinner in the end), but the process of cooking together with people from different countries was the best part. The organization was also perfect. I was worried about how we would get to the hotel as it was remote and it was already late, but we also had a comfortable transfer. Besides you can buy natural spices from the garden. I was looking for…”

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Sajee’s Place Cooking Class - Starting with spices and basic kitchen skills
Cooking Classes, Sigiriya Tours, Tour Reviews, Workshops

Sajee’s Place Cooking Class

8.Sajee’s Place Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 237 reviews · from $35

At Sajee’s Place in Sigiriya, Sajeeva and Suzy guide you through a hands-on Sri Lankan cooking class. You’ll learn to wash rice and lentils, make coconut milk, handle local spices, and prepare several vegetable curries, sambol, and a chicken or fish curry before eating together.

“We had a wonderful morning together with Sajee and his wife Suzy. We learned a lot about the Sri Lankan herbs, spices and cooking from this super friendly couple. Our teenage daughters loved to be hands on in the cooking class and prepRead more”

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Colombo Cooking Class - From egg hoppers to curries and dessert
Colombo Tours, Cooking Classes, Tour Reviews, Workshops

Colombo Cooking Class

9.Colombo Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 151 reviews · from $60

Join Piumi and her family for a private, hands-on Sri Lankan cooking class in Colombo. Over about three hours, you will prepare at least 10 dishes, including curries, egg hoppers, and traditional desserts, then sit down to eat what you made. Lunch and dinner sessions are available.

“Very interesting insight into Sri Lankan life and the important role food and cooking plays in daily life. Piumi is an excellent cook and teacher. I’m vegetarian and she showed me how to prepare and cook ten different vegetarian curries and the resulting lunch was delicious. Can very highly recommend this tour.”

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Galle Unawatuna Cooking Class - Inside a traditional Sri Lankan home kitchen
Cooking Classes, Galle Tours, Tour Reviews, Workshops

Galle Unawatuna Cooking Class

10.Galle Unawatuna Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 142 reviews · from $30

Spend about 3.5 hours learning Sri Lankan home cooking in Galle or Unawatuna. Madhu, Madha, or Nisansala may host the class, which can include a market visit, six curries, seafood, sweets, and a meal in a private home kitchen.

“Authentic Sri Lankan cooking and dining experience 💛 from the preparation to cooking to eating. It was all very traditional and I learnt so much about Sri Lankan cooking and food. Big bonus the food was delicious and there was sooo much! We ended up making 13 dishes! A must do!”

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Market Tour and Hands-On Cooking Class Colombo - The market visit makes the food easier to understand
Colombo Tours, Cooking Classes, Markets, Shopping Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Workshops

Market Tour and Hands-On Cooking Class Colombo

11.Market Tour and Hands-On Cooking Class Colombo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 140 reviews · from $80

Chef Nim leads a five-hour Colombo-area experience that starts with a local market visit and continues at Villa Ivy Crest. Choose a menu, help prepare a five-course Sri Lankan meal in clay pots, learn family cooking tips and dining etiquette, then eat what you made. Lunch and dinner options are available.

“Nim organised transport from our Colombo hotel to his local market .That worked seamlessly! Market shopping was fun,with Nim being most informative about a whole range of fruit and vegetables that were unfamiliar to us. Upon arrival Read more”

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Cooking Class: Sajee’s Place Cooking Class sigiriya - Learning the spice logic behind Sri Lankan curry
Cooking Classes, Sigiriya Rock Fortress Tours, Sigiriya Rock Fortress Tours in Sigiriya, Sigiriya Tours, Tour Reviews, Workshops

Cooking Class: Sajee’s Place Cooking Class sigiriya

12.Cooking Class: Sajee’s Place Cooking Class sigiriya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 117 reviews · 3 hours · from $36

Join Sajee and Suzy for a hands-on Sri Lankan rice-and-curry class near Sigiriya. You will prepare dhal, chicken or fish, three vegetable curries, a stir-fry or temper, sambol, rice, and papadams, then eat the meal together. English instruction, recipes by PDF, and groups limited to 10.

“we had a truly memorable experience at Sajees Place Cooking School Sigiriya. Sajee explained about the different herbs and spices typically used in Sri Lankan cooking and the difference between what is used for dishes vs curries. We then got to prepare together a chicken curry, several vegetable curries and a vegetable dish as well as a delicious coconut sambal using coconut we had freshly grated. All the food was super tasty and it was lovely chatting with Sajee and his wife, Suzy, as we cooked together. I would highly recommend Sajee's cooking class!”

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Organic Cooking Class sigiriya home Kitchen(Kumara & family) - Gathering ingredients from the family garden
Cooking Classes, Sigiriya Rock Fortress Tours, Sigiriya Rock Fortress Tours in Sigiriya, Sigiriya Tours, Tour Reviews, Workshops

Organic Cooking Class sigiriya home Kitchen(Kumara & family)

13.Organic Cooking Class sigiriya home Kitchen(Kumara & family)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 116 reviews · from $28

Join Kumara and his family at their home in Sigiriya for an organic Sri Lankan cooking class. Gather garden ingredients, learn about homemade spices, help prepare several curries on a wood stove, then eat the meal together.

“If you want an authentic Sri Lankan experience, this cooking class ticks all the boxes. You arrive at the modest rural home of a Sri Lankan multi-generational family who live off their land. The short tour of their land show cases the incredible variety of herbs and spices they grRead more”

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Private Traditional Sri Lankan Cooking Class in Kandy with Hotel Transfers - Choosing a curry and preparing the meal
Cooking Classes, Kandy Tours, Private, Tour Reviews, Workshops

Private Traditional Sri Lankan Cooking Class in Kandy with Hotel Transfers

14.Private Traditional Sri Lankan Cooking Class in Kandy with Hotel Transfers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 115 reviews · from $120

Join Chitra for a private Sri Lankan cooking class in Kandy, with hotel pickup, a tea or coffee welcome, spice lessons, hands-on chopping and curry making, and a shared meal. Choose a curry, with vegan and gluten-free options available.

“This is a family business. Cooking is authentic, informative, fun. The results were delicious and the talk around the table was really interesting.”

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Ella Sri Lanka : Mom's Kitchen Cooking class - The first steps: ingredients, tools, and local cooking habits
Cooking Classes, Ella Tours, Tour Reviews, Workshops

Ella Sri Lanka : Mom’s Kitchen Cooking class

15.Ella Sri Lanka : Mom’s Kitchen Cooking class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 113 reviews · 2 hours · from $20

Join Irosha and her mother, Kamala, for a two-hour, hands-on Sri Lankan cooking class near Ella. Cook four to six curries, sambol, rice, and papadam with fresh ingredients, wood fire, traditional grinding, and simple recipes you can repeat at home. The class includes the meal and serves no more than six people.

“We had such a great time with this cooking class. We can absolutely recommend this experience. The hosts were very lovely and the food was a 10/10”

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