9 Cooking Classes in Sigiriya Worth Getting Up For

1.Organic cooking class sigiriya (kumara & family)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 650 reviews · from $28Our pick

At Kumara and Thanuja’s family home in Sigiriya, you’ll tour an organic garden, learn about spices and herbal plants, and help prepare a multi-dish Sri Lankan meal. Expect curries, sambal, string hoppers, dessert, a traditional table setting, and a warm family welcome. The class lasts about two and a half hours and costs $28.

“Fantastic host Kumara - very knowledgeable, all food grown in his garden and made farm to table. Best thing I’ve done in Sri Lanka!”

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2.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 may prepare seasonal vegetable curries, chicken or fish curry, coconut sambol, rice, lentils, and fresh coconut milk while learning how local spices work. The class lasts about three hours and ends with your own cooked meal.

“Sajee en zijn vrouw waren ongelofelijk. Ze leerden ons zes verschillende curry’s en bijgerechten maken. We kregen heel veel uitleg. Onze zonen van 10 en 13 verveelden zich geen minuut. Zelf kokosmelk maken, zelf rijst en linzen wassen, zelf Read more”

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

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

At Sajee’s Place near Sigiriya, Sajee and his wife Suzy guide you through a hands-on Sri Lankan rice-and-curry class. You prepare dhal, chicken or fish curry, three vegetable dishes, a stir-fry, coconut sambol, rice, and papadams, then eat together and receive recipes for home.

“Sri Lankan flavours - from spice to delicious food Sajee and Suzy did an amazing job explaining the spices and vegetables used in Sri Lankan cuisine. We explored different techniques on how to get the best flavours and create 7 authentic Sri Lankan dishes. They were both always ready to ask any questions we had and also just gave general cooking tips. Giving us also insight into the importance of food in their and others daily life. We really enjoyed our time and would very much recommend this to anyone wanting to learn more about Sri Lankan food. Side note: Spice tolerance is adjusted on the fly so nothing to…”

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

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

At Kumara and his family’s home in Sigiriya, you’ll gather organic garden ingredients, learn about homemade Sri Lankan spices, cook several curry dishes on a wood stove, and share the finished meal. The class lasts about two hours, costs $28, and welcomes groups of up to 10 people.

“It was a really nice cooking class with such a nice and warming teachers that knew everything about herbs and taste. You will have a great time with them if you book this cooking class and learn some nice recipies as well.”

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5.Organic Cooking Class with Garden Visit by Sinhagiri

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 65 reviews · from $28

Meet at Green Hut Nature Resort in Sigiriya at 4:00 pm for a small-group cooking class led by an experienced local housewife. Walk through the garden, pick organic vegetables, prepare rice and curry step by step, and eat what you cook. Groups are limited to five people.

“It is a very nice experience to cook with a local who knows Sri-Lankan cooking, especially when you like the food. It's a great traditional kitchen and everything is clean and wel prepared. The tour through the garden is a bit thin since the garden was not really wel kept jet. I would absolutely recommend the course although its a bit expensive.”

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6.Malee Cookery Lessons

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · from $30

Spend about three hours at Malee’s home near Sigiriya, learning traditional Sri Lankan cooking from Malee and her daughter. You’ll prepare up to eight dishes, including a seafood curry, vegetable curries, dhal, sambals, rice, and fruit. The lesson uses both simple traditional tools and modern kitchen equipment, with pickup available.

“We enjoyed a interesting and fun afternoon with Malee and her daughter who assisted with preparations. We cooked chicken curry with 4 vegie curries, a dalh and two sambal, one with banana flower. All of us were engaged in the preparations and cooking activities. When the meal was ready we could all dig in with great appetitie. Recommended!”

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7.Organic Cooking Class Sigiriya TASTY TASKS

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · from $38

At TASTY TASKS in Kimbissa, near Sigiriya, you’ll learn to prepare Sri Lankan curries, sambol, pol roti, sweets, and more with a welcoming local family. Pick fresh ingredients, work with clay pots and a firewood stove, then sit down to a generous vegetarian or vegan meal. Tuk-tuk pickup is free within about 5 km.

“Really nice authentic cooking class. Very welcoming family. Food was really delicious. Nice experience. Would highly recommend.”

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8.Sri Lankan Privet Cooking Class with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · from $39

Spend about three hours in a family-run village kitchen near Sigiriya, learning to prepare eight Sri Lankan curries, including seafood. You will use traditional tools alongside a few modern ones, help cook lunch, tour the garden, and finish with curd and treacle. Pickup is offered, and the private class includes an English-speaking guide, tea or coffee, and water.

“Was a lot of fun. We were picked up at our guesthouse. Got a tour of the garden. And we cooked delicious (if we say so ourselves)!Auto-translated”

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9.Sigiriya Rock Climb, Village Tour+Cooking Class & Elephant Safari

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $87

Start with Sigiriya Rock Fortress, then ride a bullock cart and boat through Hiriwadunna before preparing a Sri Lankan lunch with local cooks. Finish at Minneriya National Park in a safari jeep. The private 8 to 9-hour tour includes transport, lunch, water, and an English-speaking driver, but park and fortress fees cost extra.

“If you’re considering a trip to Sri Lanka and don’t know where to start, reach out to Dulaj at Lanka Day Explorers. I contacted him on WhatsApp just a few days before my trip — I was traveling solo from NYC for a week — and he quickly Read more”

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