Shanghai · Choose your experience
Best Cooking Classes in Shanghai
Shanghai cooking classes are really three different products: fold xiaolongbao, learn a couple of home dishes, or book a proper cooking-school session. Start with what you want to eat, not with the price. Then check how much English the kitchen actually runs in, because that varies more than the food does.
Quick picks
Cici's Shanghai Xiaolongbao Class
First-time visitors who want English instruction, small groups and a choice of pork or vegetarian filling.
Existing catalogue source checked
GemTravel Xiaolongbao and Tea Class
Travellers who need a language other than English or an experience advertised as wheelchair accessible.
Existing catalogue source checked
Chef Yin's Shikumen Soup Dumpling Class
Travellers who want to practise the 18-pleat technique, enjoy old lane-house spaces or need a vegetarian filling.
Existing catalogue source checked
How I picked these
These options come from the Shanghai catalogue and supplied research. The selection answers: Do I want to fold soup dumplings, cook home-style dishes, or sit through a full cooking-school session? Records are filtered before text is written, ranked by documented evidence and language access, then limited to 12 options. Research notes are not proof of a personal visit.
No personal visits are claimed. Classification as an indoor or cultural activity is an editorial mapping, separate from verification of price, language or availability.
Compare the options
| Experience | Best for | Price per person | Activity time | Booking | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cici's Shanghai Xiaolongbao Class | First-time visitors who want English instruction, small groups and a choice of pork or vegetarian filling. | RMB 520–548 (source checked) | 150 min (check selected option) | Required | Low — English support was source checked. |
| GemTravel Xiaolongbao and Tea Class | Travellers who need a language other than English or an experience advertised as wheelchair accessible. | RMB 691 (source checked) | 120–150 min (check selected option) | Required | Low — English support was source checked. |
| Chef Yin's Shikumen Soup Dumpling Class | Travellers who want to practise the 18-pleat technique, enjoy old lane-house spaces or need a vegetarian filling. | Not confirmed | 150 min (check selected option) | Required | Low — English support was source checked. |
| Bonnie's Family Dumpling Class and Meal | Families and curious travellers who want conversation, a home setting and the option to discuss vegetarian food or allergies in advance. | RMB 578–580 (source checked) | 240 min (check selected option) | Required | Low — English support was source checked. |
| Join a Five-Star Chef for Shanghai's Most Popular Soup Dumpling Making Experience - Eatwith (Klook) | Travellers who want an English-supported chef-led class and can book for at least two. | RMB 705–743 (source checked) | 180 min (check selected option) | Required | Low — the listing offers Chinese and English support. |
| Shanghai Half-Day: Morning Kung Fu + Soup Dumpling Masterclass (Yin Studio) | Families and couples who want both martial arts and dumpling making in one half-day programme. | Not confirmed | 240 min (check selected option) | Required | Teaching language is not confirmed. |
| Tascovery Gourmet School - Chinese Dim Sum & Xiaolongbao Cooking Class | Travellers who want structured dim sum instruction in a classroom and can arrange a session ahead of time. | RMB 195 (source checked) | 120 min (check selected option) | Required | Low — English support was source checked. |
| Nanxiang Xiaolongbao Making Session | Budget travellers who want a heritage craft experience and do not mind travelling out to Nanxiang or learning in Chinese. | RMB 58–120 (source checked) | Not confirmed | Required | High — no evidence of English instruction was found. |
The experiences
Cici's Shanghai Xiaolongbao Class
Make soup dumplings in a host studio, then eat them.
- Best for
- First-time visitors who want English instruction, small groups and a choice of pork or vegetarian filling.
- Price per person
- RMB 520–548 (source checked)
- Activity time
- 150 min (check selected option)
- Booking
- Required
- Language
- Low — English support was source checked.
Before you choose: The current booking pages and meeting point were checked on 2026-09-22. Confirm the selected host and exact session before paying.
GemTravel Xiaolongbao and Tea Class
Make xiaolongbao and taste tea with an instructor.
- Best for
- Travellers who need a language other than English or an experience advertised as wheelchair accessible.
- Price per person
- RMB 691 (source checked)
- Activity time
- 120–150 min (check selected option)
- Booking
- Required
- Language
- Low — English support was source checked.
Before you choose: The current provider and booking pages were checked on 2026-09-22. The precise venue should still be confirmed with the selected session.
Chef Yin's Shikumen Soup Dumpling Class
Practise soup-dumpling folding in a shikumen-style kitchen.
- Best for
- Travellers who want to practise the 18-pleat technique, enjoy old lane-house spaces or need a vegetarian filling.
- Price per person
- Not confirmed
- Activity time
- 150 min (check selected option)
- Booking
- Required
- Language
- Low — English support was source checked.
Before you choose: The provider page confirms 2 hours 30 minutes, a choice of vegan or pork filling, the 18-fold technique, and tuition in English, Japanese and Chinese. A dual-filling add-on extends the session by 30 minutes. Price is only shown in the visitor's currency, so no renminbi figure was captured.
Bonnie's Family Dumpling Class and Meal
Make dumplings with a local host and share a meal.
- Best for
- Families and curious travellers who want conversation, a home setting and the option to discuss vegetarian food or allergies in advance.
- Price per person
- RMB 578–580 (source checked)
- Activity time
- 240 min (check selected option)
- Booking
- Required
- Language
- Low — English support was source checked.
Before you choose: The live GetYourGuide listing and current meeting area were checked on 2026-09-22. This is a dumpling meal, not a xiaolongbao-only class.
Join a Five-Star Chef for Shanghai's Most Popular Soup Dumpling Making Experience - Eatwith (Klook)
Join a chef-led soup-dumpling class.
- Best for
- Travellers who want an English-supported chef-led class and can book for at least two.
- Price per person
- RMB 705–743 (source checked)
- Activity time
- 180 min (check selected option)
- Booking
- Required
- Language
- Low — the listing offers Chinese and English support.
Before you choose: The current Klook product was checked on 2026-09-22. The published booking lead time is two to seven days.
Shanghai Half-Day: Morning Kung Fu + Soup Dumpling Masterclass (Yin Studio)
Combine a morning kung fu session with a soup-dumpling workshop.
- Best for
- Families and couples who want both martial arts and dumpling making in one half-day programme.
- Price per person
- Not confirmed
- Activity time
- 240 min (check selected option)
- Booking
- Required
- Language
- Teaching language is not confirmed.
Before you choose: Two providers publish the same product. The GetYourGuide page gives 4 hours, an 8:50 meeting at Guangyuan Road 153, kung fu from 8:50-10:00 and the dumpling workshop 10:30-13:00, capped at 8 participants and not suitable under 6. Klook lists the same half-day. Prices are shown per visitor currency, so the 1,750 renminbi figure in the research snapshot was not reconfirmed this round.
Tascovery Gourmet School - Chinese Dim Sum & Xiaolongbao Cooking Class
Learn Chinese dim sum in a cooking school.
- Best for
- Travellers who want structured dim sum instruction in a classroom and can arrange a session ahead of time.
- Price per person
- RMB 195 (source checked)
- Activity time
- 120 min (check selected option)
- Booking
- Required
- Language
- Low — English support was source checked.
Before you choose: The active Tascovery listing and current school address were checked on 2026-09-22.
Nanxiang Xiaolongbao Making Session
Learn Nanxiang soup-dumpling techniques with a specialist.
- Best for
- Budget travellers who want a heritage craft experience and do not mind travelling out to Nanxiang or learning in Chinese.
- Price per person
- RMB 58–120 (source checked)
- Activity time
- Not confirmed
- Booking
- Required
- Language
- High — no evidence of English instruction was found.
Before you choose: Jiading district government publishing confirms the address, the 134 door number, phone booking on 69120286 and a master-led process of mixing, rolling, filling and pleating. The official Nanxiang Old Street ticket page lists the DIY session at 58 per person, while other reporting quotes 80-120 per head, so the range is carried. Opening hours conflict between 7:30-17:30 and 9:00-17:00 with Monday closure. No English instruction has been evidenced.
How to choose
- Cici's Shanghai Xiaolongbao Class: First-time visitors who want English instruction, small groups and a choice of pork or vegetarian filling.
- GemTravel Xiaolongbao and Tea Class: Travellers who need a language other than English or an experience advertised as wheelchair accessible.
- Chef Yin's Shikumen Soup Dumpling Class: Travellers who want to practise the 18-pleat technique, enjoy old lane-house spaces or need a vegetarian filling.
- Bonnie's Family Dumpling Class and Meal: Families and curious travellers who want conversation, a home setting and the option to discuss vegetarian food or allergies in advance.
- Join a Five-Star Chef for Shanghai's Most Popular Soup Dumpling Making Experience - Eatwith (Klook): Travellers who want an English-supported chef-led class and can book for at least two.
- Shanghai Half-Day: Morning Kung Fu + Soup Dumpling Masterclass (Yin Studio): Families and couples who want both martial arts and dumpling making in one half-day programme.
- Tascovery Gourmet School - Chinese Dim Sum & Xiaolongbao Cooking Class: Travellers who want structured dim sum instruction in a classroom and can arrange a session ahead of time.
- Nanxiang Xiaolongbao Making Session: Budget travellers who want a heritage craft experience and do not mind travelling out to Nanxiang or learning in Chinese.
Before booking
- Check the exact product, date, meeting point and language before paying.
- Prices and durations marked “Not confirmed” cannot be used as a firm budget or schedule.
FAQ
Has Chelsea personally tried every option?
No personal visit is claimed here. These previews use existing catalogue evidence and supplied research notes.
Can I rely on every price and time shown?
Only explicitly mapped figures appear. Check the caveat beside each option and confirm the selected package with the provider.
Will I need to speak Chinese?
Language support varies by activity and session. Use the language column, then confirm with the provider before booking.