Once, a good vacation was anywhere that let you turn your brain off. Now, we realize that planning a trip around feeding your mind can be much more rewarding—with long-lasting benefits.

Any travel can open your mind. What’s even more interesting is using it to go beyond observing—to gaining knowledge and capabilities in subjects you care about.

Call it intelligent travel, or learning-based travel… point being, this kind of trip switches your brain on. “People are prioritizing quality of life and they view travel as a great way to cultivate their interests while also relaxing and having fun,” says Ashley Ganz, founder of the luxury travel company, Artisans of Leisure, referring to the growing desire to learn from local pros, in the context in which their traditions, products, and methods originated.

Specialized curators, like Ganz, are programming wildly creative voyages designed to feed your curiosity and passions. The perks? They’re outstanding. These tailored, educational trips open doors. You get access to the masters of craft, and to exquisite sites and spaces. Needless to say, you are not following a guide holding a flag. You’re getting in deep with experts, gaining place-specific wisdom and niche expertise. Something else happens, too: When your brain is fully engaged, time stretches because you’re doing more, so a good getaway feels longer than the actual calendar suggests—a welcome bonus.

When you do return home, you have the great fortune of being wowed by the destination and culture you’ve visited, and also, probably, wowed by your own intellectual growth.

The following travel companies and programs operate on this principle. They put in meticulous thought and draw from deep global connections and insider know-how to design luxurious experiences that prioritize learning. At the same time, caring deeply for those cultures, and for their lands and practices. If you want your next trip to leave you smarter, this is a good place to start.

“People are prioritizing quality of life and they view travel as a great way to cultivate their interests while also relaxing and having fun.”

—Ashley Ganz, founder, Artisans of Leisure

For Lovers of Craft and Design

The Luminaire

Adam Sebba, founder of The Luminaire, has a mission that he articulated on a panel at the annual Organic Spa Experience, Wellness, and Travel event: to make intelligent travel irresistible and sexy. His M.O.? Build a company that sends curious people into the world with access to the kinds of minds and places that aren’t typically found on the tourist circuit.

Among The Luminaire’s list of journeys are several that focus on traditional craft. If your heart pounds at the idea of joining a Japanese woodturner at work or learning how to assemble the intricate mechanics of a fine Swiss watch, this is your lane.

In Switzerland, the horology (study of timepieces) itinerary gives aficionados access to the elite world of fine watchmaking. Over three days in Geneva, guests participate in a hands-on workshop at the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, visit MB&F’s M.A.D.House, and tour the Patek Philippe Museum’s private collection with an expert guide.

Japanophiles can join the 10-day, country-wide journey through 13 heritage crafts which includes studio visits with masters, like a samurai swordsmith, a 300-year-old sake distiller, and a family of woodworkers preserving generations-old techniques.

And if you want more, The Luminaire’s catalog also spans archaeology, conservation, astronomy, literature, and so on.

For Those Who Want to Bring Real Life Skills Home

Black Tomato

With the conviction that travel can make your life better in concrete, practical ways—not just while you’re gone, but especially once home—Black Tomato created a program called Bring it Back. These are journeys designed to shift how you think, work, and optimize your day-to-day with real-life skills through encounters with the people and systems that are doing it successfully elsewhere.

“True luxury lies in experiences that resonate long after the journey ends,” says cofounder Tom Marchant. “When someone returns home with new skills, fresh perspectives, and practical wisdom, it’s a game changer.”

For example, on its Iceland “business” trip, you soak in geothermal baths and trek glaciers, of course, but you also get guidance for your personal business growth through meeting various specialists who discuss economic resilience and innovation. In Morocco, the lessons are in creativity. You might spend the day with a designer, meet founders of creative hubs, and stay in the desert with the person who made the eco-conscious camp you’re sleeping in.

There are many more highly curated trips: “You can study mindfulness with Buddhist monks in Bhutan,” says Marchant. “Or, learn sustainable farming alongside pioneering vintners in Slovenia.” Its motto sums it up well: Good things come to those who think.

For a Deep Dive into Culinary Culture

Silversea Cruises – S.A.L.T. Program

Silversea’s S.A.L.T.—short for Sea and Land Taste—is a layered program of shore excursions and onboard labs designed to connect you to a place through the culinary culture (in regions like the Mediterranean, South America, and Southeast Asia), teaching you where food comes from, who grows and cooks it, and what it means to local life, with access to people and experiences not typically open to travelers.

On land, S.A.L.T. Experiences might have you visiting a family-run farm, tasting biodynamic wines at a private vineyard, or cooking alongside a famous local pizzaiolo in Italy. Back at sea, the Lab turns a professional kitchen into a classroom where you cook local dishes under expert hosts. There are also Talks—onboard lectures and demos led by cookbook authors, historians, and chefs—delving into how regional food reflects history, migration, and innovation.

For an Inside Look at Architecture, Gardens, and Historic Homes

Artisans of Leisure

If you’re interested in exploring how people live beautifully, Artisans of Leisure creates your kind of trip. “We arrange private learning tours of historic country houses, grand palaces, and all types of gorgeous gardens in destinations around the world,” says Ganz. “These are subjects dear to many of our travelers.”

Imagine: access to tropical modern architect Geoffrey Bawa–designed homes in Sri Lanka, visiting traditional Japanese gardens in Kyoto such as Katsura Imperial Villa, joining a workshop with a perfumer in France.

Its scope is wide, and the proficiency and connections are vast. “We work with our clients to determine what they would like to get out of their visit,” says Ganz. That might mean arranging a private meeting with a museum curator, setting up a studio visit with a local artisan, or booking a behind-the-scenes tour of a landmark. The itineraries are flexible, but always centered on gaining transportive knowledge.

For Travelers Who Want to Learn About Nature on the Ground

andBeyond

Imagine floating down the Amazon, surrounded by dense green life, guided by naturalists and local guardians of the land who explain how climate, soil, and human activity shape biodiversity. Aboard the andBeyond Amazon Explorer (debuting in 2026), you’ll visit remote villages, learn about medicinal plants from shamans, and visit sacred sites within the rainforest culture.

Switching continents, andBeyond Suyian Conservancy in Kenya is a chance to be schooled in active ranching and wildlife conservation by working with local herdsmen and Maasai or Samburu guides. And in India, on the Project Tiger itinerary, wildlife guides will teach you how to track tigers through scat patterns and territorial markings.

andBeyond’s educational approach extends further: In Tanzania, travelers can walk with Hadzabe hunter-gatherers to learn traditional tracking techniques and foraging practices; in Namibia, desert ecologists explain how plants and animals adapt to extreme conditions. Across all itineraries, the company pairs expert guides with access to local communities, ensuring that travelers come away with deep knowledge about the places they’ve been.