Shimla Culinary Cooking and Food Tour India - Dining Experience with a Local Family - 5 - 6 Hours (Half Day)
Experience the warmth of authentic Indian hospitality with our unique Shimla Culinary Cooking and Food Tour, where you are welcomed into the home of a local Indian family for an unforgettable cultural and dining experience in the heart of the Himalayas. More than just a food tour in Shimla, this immersive experience allows you to discover the rich flavours of traditional Indian cuisine, regional Himachali delicacies, aromatic spices, age-old cooking methods, and the fascinating stories behind Indian food culture.
Tour Overview & Description
Duration : 5 - 6 Hours (Half Day)
Location : North India- Shimla
Best Season : February to December
Category : Culinary, Cooking, Food and Cultural
Covering : Visit a local friendly family, Rangoli Patterns, Home Made Street Food Recipes, Indian cuisines, Henna designs, information about Indian arrange marriages and caste system, interaction with locals.
Special About Tour :
Experience the warmth of authentic Indian hospitality with our unique Shimla Culinary Cooking and Food Tour, where you are welcomed into the home of a local Indian family for an unforgettable cultural and dining experience in the heart of the Himalayas. More than just a food tour in Shimla, this immersive experience allows you to discover the rich flavours of traditional Indian cuisine, regional Himachali delicacies, aromatic spices, age-old cooking methods, and the fascinating stories behind Indian food culture.
Unlike commercial cooking classes or restaurant-based experiences, this authentic culinary tour in Shimla takes you directly into a local household where your friendly hosts personally guide you through the preparation of delicious homemade Indian dishes and famous Indian street food recipes in a clean, safe, hygienic, and family-friendly environment. Learn the secrets of Indian spices, traditional cooking techniques, and local food traditions while enjoying meaningful cultural interaction with your hosts.
During this immersive food and cultural experience in Shimla, guests not only participate in cooking and tasting sessions but also enjoy a glimpse into the daily lifestyle, customs, traditions, and celebrations of Indian families. The experience becomes even more memorable with engaging cultural activities such as traditional Rangoli art making, Henna (Mehndi) designing, dressing up in colourful local Indian attire for photography, and sharing stories over authentic home-cooked meals.
This Shimla Culinary, Cooking and Dining Experience with a Local Family is ideal for international travellers, culture enthusiasts, food lovers, solo travellers, couples, families, and anyone looking to experience the real India beyond regular sightseeing tours. It offers a meaningful cultural exchange while directly supporting local families and community-based tourism in Shimla.
For travellers wishing to enjoy a complete local living experience, comfortable accommodation can also be arranged at the beautiful Marigold Home Stay Shimla, offering a peaceful stay amidst the scenic hills of Shimla with warm family hospitality.
Please consider this Shimla Culinary Cooking and Food Tour as an inspiration, as every experience is thoughtfully customised according to your interests, food preferences, travel style, and cultural curiosity. Whether you wish to explore authentic Indian vegetarian cuisine, traditional Himachali dishes, Indian street food, or simply spend quality time with a local family, Summit Safari India will create a truly memorable, personal, and extraordinary culinary journey for you in Shimla.
Place Wise Itinerary : 5-6 Hours (Half Day)
Tour Duration & Timings
The Shimla Culinary Cooking and Food Tour - Dining Experience with a local Family, is conducted two times in a day for Lunch and for Dinner. The duration is approximately 5 hrs.
Lunch programme Timing : Morning 9:00 AM To 2:30 PMDinner Programme Timing : 3:30 PM To 9:00 PM
Duration : 5 hrs
Conducted From : Mid February to Mid December (All days of the week).
Group Size & Tour Options
You can book it as a private, personalised tour or take as a "join-in" basis, where other independent travelers join you (Maximum 6 people in one group).
If you are a part of a group or organization travelling together, we can accommodate 14 pax at a time, together on this tour.
Experience
Your memorable Shimla Culinary Cooking and Food Tour begins at around 9:00 AM when your friendly local host or guide will meet you at your hotel lobby and accompany you to a traditional Indian family home located approximately 30 minutes away from Shimla town. The scenic drive through the peaceful Himalayan surroundings itself adds charm to this authentic cultural experience.
Upon arrival at the family home, you will receive a warm traditional Himachali welcome with flower garlands, traditional Himachali caps, and a refreshing welcome drink. After a brief introduction to the family members, you will be invited to explore their home and gain insight into the lifestyle, traditions, daily routines, and hospitality of a local Indian household.
Your cultural experience begins with Rangoli making, one of India’s most colourful and artistic traditional art forms used to decorate the entrance of homes during festivals and special occasions. Learn how beautiful patterns are created using vibrant colours, flowers, and natural powders while understanding the cultural significance behind this centuries-old Indian tradition.
Later, join the lady of the house for an interactive and hands-on Indian cooking session, where you will learn to prepare 2–3 authentic Indian recipes using traditional spices and homemade cooking techniques. The cooking experience may include Indian curries, seasonal vegetable preparations, traditional Indian bread such as Roti and Puri, along with delicious homemade snacks and famous Indian street food favourites prepared in a clean, hygienic, and family-friendly environment.
The cooking class generally lasts for approximately 1 to 1.5 hours, offering you the opportunity to actively participate in the preparation process while learning about Indian spices, ingredients, cooking methods, and local food traditions. The best part of the experience is enjoying the delicious dishes prepared by you together with the host family.
During the experience, female guests can also enjoy beautiful Henna (Mehndi) designs applied on one hand by the lady of the house, offering a glimpse into another popular Indian cultural tradition often associated with celebrations and festivals.
While interacting with the family, savour freshly prepared Indian street food snacks such as Aloo Tikki and Pani Puri, safely prepared at home using hygienic ingredients. This gives travellers an opportunity to enjoy India’s famous street food flavours in a safe and authentic setting.
One of the most enriching aspects of this experience is the opportunity to interact closely with the local family and learn about various aspects of Indian culture and society, including family values, festivals, traditions, the role of women in Indian households, arranged marriages, and the fascinating diversity of Indian lifestyles. Later, enjoy a delicious home-cooked Indian lunch together with the family in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
By approximately 2:30 PM, your Shimla Culinary Cooking and Food Tour – Dining Experience with a Local Family, enjoy a final cup of tea or coffee of your choice before saying goodbye to your host family. The rest of the day is free for your own activities in Shimla.
What to expect
Authentic Indian experience with a deep insight to Indian Food and Culture with the stories of caste system and arrange marriage system. Participate in cooking classes and learn to cook Indian vegetables and curies with the practical knowledge of How To Use Indian Spices.
Indulge in artistic culture of rangoli making, henna designing and photography in local attire.
Important Note
This is the tour itinerary for the Shimla Culinary Cooking and Food Tour - Dining Experience with a local Family which we run regularly. It can be altered & customised as we like to discuss plans with clients and can make suggestions about special places to visit depending on our clients' interests, and available time.
You can travel reassured, knowing our vast experience and provide you with around-the-clock support to smooth out anything unexpected. The safety and well-being of our guests is paramount.
- Visit a local home and join the culinary and cooking food tour (5 hrs) where your host is an incredible Indian family.
- Indulge in artistic culture of rangoli making, henna designing and photography in local attire.
- Traditional welcome with garlands and Himachali cap on arrival at your host’s home.
- Join the cooking classes (1.30 hrs) and prepare, taste and enjoy 6 to 8 different kind famous Indian authentic recipes including the home made safe Street food.
- Learn the secrets of how to use Indian Spices.
- Taste the home cooked famous street food of India.
- Interact with the family and enjoy the information and stories about the Caste system, Indian arrange marriages, and role of women in Indian society.
- Get a close insight to day to day life of the Indians at their home.
- Dinning experience with local family and choose to book the tour for lunch or for Dinner.
- Tandori Chicken to Aloo Tikki enjoy the best Indian food Recipes.
Accomodation / Hotels
In the last couple of decades Shimla had turned to one of the most favourite and popular tourist destinations of India. To cater to the huge number of tourists visiting Shimla, the town has a large number of hotels to cater tourist of every hue. These hotels are famous for their traditional Indian hospitality and provide services which are at par with the best in the world. These hotels can be categorise as guest house, home stays, Deluxe hotels, Heritage hotels, 3 star hotels, 4 star hotels some of which belongs to Oberio’s group and Radisson. The very famous one in the town is Oberio’s Clarks, Oberio’s Cecil and The Wildflower Hall a little outside of the town.
Accommodation is not included in your day tour, but if required we can arrange the accommodation for you. One can choose the place of accommodation according to one’s requirement and budget.
If required we can provide accommodation using our home stay property in Shimla at Marigold Home Stay Shimla, which itself is a unique travel experience.
Cloths: Cottons with light woollens
Arrangements
You will follow the cooking tour as a private tour accompanied by English speaking local host. We’ll travel two ways with a local taxi from the hotel to your hosts’ home and back to the hotel.
You can take
On request Internal Flights / railway tickets will be provided, to and from New Delhi back at the end of the tour-or you can book your flights/ train tickets directly.
Tour Cost
Price varies by group Size
For 1 pax : INR 5,000 Per Person.
From 2 Pax to 5 Pax travelling together : 3,600 Indian Rupees, Per Person.
From 6 pax to 10 pax travelling together : 3,200 Indian Rupees, per person.
Children 7 Years to 12 Years : INR 1,800 Per Child.
Children below 7 years, accompanying parents : Complimentary.
If you do not require any transportation and have your own mode of transportation to arrive at your host’s home;
The Cost for the tour would be:
For 1 pax : 4,000 Indian Rupee per person.
From 2 pax to 5 Pax travelling together : INR 3,200 Per Person.
From 6 pax to 10 pax travelling together : INR 2,700 Per Person.
Children 7 Years to 12 Years : INR 1,500 Per Child.
Children below 7 years, Accompanying parents : Complimentary.
Inclusions
- Food tour (5 hrs) to learn, cook and enjoy 6 to 8 different kind of famous Indian recipes including the homemade safe street food also.
- Cooking classes for 1.30 hrs with a local English speaking family at their home.
- Constant supply of Bottled Mineral Water.
- Meals including tea/ coffee/ snacks, veg and non veg Indian food and local delicacies.
- Transportation using local taxi from the hotel and back to the hotel at the end.
- Seasonal fruits/ fruit chaat.
- Assisted pick up from the hotel.
- All kind of taxes and GST.
Exclusions
- Any kind of alcoholic drinks like, beer, wine etc.
- Any kind of tips to tour escort / local guides/ drivers.
- Any Kind of Personal Expenses or things which are not mentioned In the “Cost Includes”.
- Please Note: The cost of transportation is included from the hotels in the city center. In case you are staying a little outside or far away from the city center that might cost you extra and we will discuss it with you at the time of booking your day tour.
- If you have your own mode of transportations we offer you special price as per the cost mentioned above.
