Sometimes holidays are about switching off and relaxing, but at other times they’re about broadening the mind and discovering something a bit different. So why not master a new skill on your next break? Whether it's learning life-saving survival skills or perfecting your yoga moves, mastering wine-making or learning to bake, there are so many opportunities to add a new string to your bow while you’re away. Here are 50 ideas to make the world your classroom.

From blue whales and big cats to bugs and birds, the possibilities for wildlife encounters on your travels are endless. Enlist on an expert-led wildlife conservation holiday such as this one to survey cape leopards in South Africa, and you could go from keen enthusiast to fount of knowledge. Not only will there be lots of animal-spotting opportunities, you will also help with field research, including conducting game counts, and have the rare chance to help protect vital habitats in Cape Floral Kingdom, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

Learn how to scuba dive and a whole world of underwater wonders will open up to you. You can learn the basics and practicalities pretty much anywhere but Egypt’s Red Sea is particularly good for beginners – sign up for a PADI with Emperor Divers. Once you’ve completed your training and mastered open water dives, sail off on a liveaboard holiday to really immerse yourself in your newfound passion. The pros rate Indonesia and the Galapagos as having some of the best dive sites in the world.

Take your holiday snaps to the next level by perfecting your technical photography skills with a professional at your side. There's no better place to start than in the urban jungle of New York City. This two-hour walking tour is free (you can pay what you wish) and you'll be accompanied around the streets of the Big Apple by a professional who will offer tips to improve your skills.

Discover the extraordinary history of New York City

Learn about the ways of the samurai on a hands-on course in Kyoto or Tokyo, including the basic techniques and etiquette of 'kembu', a sword-based martial art used by samurai. It’s not all about physical combat, however. Modern-day samurai programmes in Japan are as much about training the mind with meditation and art sessions as they are about honing the body.

Whether you're throwing pots on a wheel or performing traditional glazing and firing, there are many inspirational places where you can learn the ancient art of pottery. Join an intensive workshop with an artisan potter and ceramic teacher in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, that focuses on throwing and firing techniques. Guests enjoy home-cooked meals and art tours of the area too.

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Get special access to recently unearthed excavations on an expert-led archaeology holiday. There are a wealth of tours for amateur archaeologists that will let you dig deep into the histories of some of Europe, Asia, Africa and South America’s most fascinating civilisations. Some will even give you in-the-field experience, and you could volunteer to help dig on a live site such as Vindolanda on Hadrian's Wall.

Harness the healing powers of meditation or master mindfulness on your next escape. There are retreats around the globe to suit the entire spectrum of tastes and budgets. For example, you could retreat to learn the art of meditation from gurus in India’s ashrams, such as Osho International Meditation Resort in Pune in the west of the country. This is one holiday you will definitely return from feeling re-energised.

Few ingredients spark such obsession as chocolate, and if you’re a serious cacao obsessive perhaps it's time you fine-tuned your own chocolate-making skills. There are many places around the world where you can take your sweet tooth to the next level: you could take a truffle-making workshop in Brussels in Belgium, or learn about the highly prized bean’s cultivation in cocoa plantations in a destination like Grenada in the Caribbean.

Canter off on a ranching holiday in America's 'Wild West' to learn the ways of the cowboys. At this ranch in Colorado you’ll head out on horseback on guided trails, and there are special programmes for kids too. And you don't even have to ride to enjoy the fun – other activities include fishing, yoga and camp fires.  

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Tennis isn't just a fun way to keep fit in the fresh air, it can be very social too. Whether you're a total novice or just want to work on your form, there are lots of resorts around the world where you can enrol in tennis academies to pick up techniques from pros and compete in tournaments. You can’t go wrong with the pro-owned Rafa Nadal Academy in Majorca, which has courses for kids and adults.

We all love a spot of stargazing on holiday, but can you actually identify any of the constellations? There are awesome astronomer-led tours in most of the world's prime star-spotting spots, and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada is one of the world's best Dark Sky Parks. Another excellent option is Chile’s Atacama Desert, where tours will take you to ogle crystal-clear skies through telescopes, while in Europe we recommend Tenerife and Northumberland in the UK.

Jumping off waterfalls, scrambling along gorges, rappelling down riverside cliffs, wading through water and whizzing down natural slides... if you like nothing more than splashing about in water, canyoning or canyoneering could be the outdoor activity for you. Learn the ropes of this adventure sport from the experts and it could even become a way of life. Zion National Park in southwest Utah is a top spot to learn the fundamentals and put them into practice with a range of canyon hikes.

Kitesurfing is surely one of the coolest water sports going – try your arm at it and you may well be hooked for life. Once you've mastered the basics of launching, landing and controlling your kite on land, you’ll move into the water, where you’ll soon be riding waves, doing jumps and even nailing freestyle tricks. Le Morne Lagoon on Mauritius's southern tip is an excellent place to learn.

From edible weeds and flowers to wild herbs, berries, fungi and seaweed, finding food in the wild has become quite trendy in recent years. But few people are confident enough to really live off the land, so sign up for a course with an expert forager while you're away. The world is (sometimes literally) your oyster when it comes to foraging, and wild food is entrenched in the culinary cultures of the Nordic countries. Go foraging by kayak and wild camp on this delectable adventure in the wilds of northern Sweden.  

Ice climbing is among the most extreme of all extreme winter sports. But if scaling frozen waterfalls and ascending ice-covered rock faces sounds like your idea of a good time, you’ll never look back. The Rockies offer some of the world's best ice climbing, with routes to suit a range of abilities. Sign up for a reputable course and you’ll quickly get to grips with crampons, ice axes and complicated rope systems and be shimmying up an icefall in no time. Next stop: snowkiting.

Whether you're reeling in piranha on an expedition down the Amazon, bone-fishing in the Caribbean, fly-fishing in Montana or catching cod in Norway, there are so many incredible places where you can learn how to fish. But there's no doubt that the Whitsunday Islands (between the northeast coast of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef), are among the very best. You can chase marlin and Spanish mackerel on a reef fishing expedition near the Great Barrier Reef. As well as mastering an age-old activity and hauling in the catch, you'll learn how to properly prep fish for the dinner table.

If you’re more prone to surfing the internet on holiday than hitting the waves, why not throw yourself in at the deep end on your next break and sign up for surfing lessons? It might seem daunting, but get the right teacher and you’ll be riding North Cornwall’s waves or catching swells in Sydney in no time.

Incredible historic images tracking the development of surfing in the US

 

Did you get the sailing bug on your last beach break? Sign up for a sailing course and this summer you could skipper your own yacht to explore Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast, island hop in Greece or skirt the Cote d’Azur in France. There are loads of courses out there that can give you a globally recognised qualification, whether you’re a beginner or a serious sailor looking to secure the title of 'Yachtmaster'. You can even get the kids learning the ropes on this family course in the pretty port town of Split.

Channel your inner adventurer by learning not just how to survive but how to thrive in the wild. From building temporary shelters, lighting fires, identifying wild food, wilderness cookery and wildlife tracking, these life-saving skills could hold you in good stead if you’re planning an intrepid expedition, or even on your next camping jaunt. British survival expert Ray Mears runs various courses at his wilderness school Woodlore, including some to the Scottish highlands.

Whether it's basket weaving in India, ancient calligraphy in Japan or knitting in the Faroe Islands, learning local handicrafts is a wonderful way to get to the heart of a destination’s culture. Many community-led projects welcome overseas visitors and will teach them traditional methods. It’s a fantastic way to not only pick up a new skill but also to connect with new people and a different way of life. Vedic Walks organises workshops with artisans in Rajasthan that range from carpet weaving to silver carving.

 

The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site is one of the UK's most stunning areas of coastline. But it's not just the gorgeous sunsets that attract visitors – the region is famed for its prehistoric fossils. Charmouth is one of the best spots for hunters and it's likely you'll come away with an ancient ammonite or two even in the peak summer season. While you should never hammer or dig for fossils, loose items on the beach are fine for collectors to take, as they would otherwise be washed away and destroyed by the sea.

Take your love of wine a step further by learning more about the intricacies of viticulture. You could volunteer to work in a winery in France or around the world – the grape harvest is always the best time of year to offer your services. Or sign up for a wine-making class at a Bordeaux wine school to learn the basics of growing vines and tasting wines. Even if you don't go on to grow your own, you'll have had a wonderful wine-filled time.

Always wanted to learn a musical instrument? It's never too late, and there are music courses for beginners around the world. You could take an intensive course on flamenco guitar in Granada in Spain, learn how to strum the sitar in India or find out how to pick a banjo in Oklahoma City. 

Do you have a novel inside you that’s struggling to get out, or are you a frustrated poet? Wave goodbye to writer’s block by escaping to a writer’s retreat that could really get your creative juices flowing. You’ll be surrounded by fellow literary types including published authors who will be on hand to help you hone your craft. Big Sur in California has long been a haven for writers seeking inspiration – you might join their ranks by signing up to this retreat in the Golden State. 

Everyone seems to be enjoying stand-up paddleboarding at the moment (SUP), so why not join them? It's a whole new way of exploring a destination and is easier to learn than surfing, so you’ll be gliding through the water in no time. Tobago's hidden beaches, rivers and lagoons are an idyllic place to master the moves.

Safaris are among the most coveted holidays on Earth, and you don't need to stop at wildlife-watching. Get beyond the typical safari experience by learning about tracking and identifying game, understanding animal behaviour, game driving and how to handle encounters with dangerous creatures. You can brush up on the basic intricacies of bush life on week-long courses run by professional guides in Botswana’s spectacular Okavango Delta.

Take hill walks and hiking holidays to another level by acquiring traditional map and compass reading skills, and learning how to estimate distance and time. Master these potentially life-saving navigational skills, an integral part of safe hill walking, and you can plan out and navigate your own walks around the world safely and confidently. There's no better place to start than picturesque Scotland, with Mountaineering Scotland running one-day navigation courses covering both hills and mountains. 

If you’re a diehard meat lover then honing your butchery skills could be the activity for you. There are excellent hands-on workshops in Europe especially, where you can learn knife skills, how to joint different cuts of meat, make salamis, dry-cure bacon like a pro, or go all in on full nose-to-tail butchery sessions. You’ll often turn the cuts into delicious dishes to tuck into at the end of the class. Cold cut fans can create their own charcuterie in Tuscany on this tasty course.

Farm stays are a great way to dip your toe into life on a working farm and meet people of all ages. Options are available on both the North and South island of New Zealand, and a specialist farm stay could see you doing everything from picking fruit to milking goats on a dairy farm. Some spots offer additional luxuries such as outdoor pools and your hosts are well placed to help you explore the local area too. 

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Ever wanted to be an artisan cheesemaker? Make it your mission by signing up for a cheese-making course this year. It’s highly technical stuff, but there are intensive courses out there where cheese gurus will get you up to speed on the basics (ripening cultures, climate control, rind treatment and handling cheeses throughout the ageing process). You can do a one-day workshop at the Organic Centre in Rossinver, Co Leitrim, where you’ll learn how to make soft and hard cheeses from scratch.

If you're an amateur singer or wannabe comedian, you might find it easier to cast off your inhibitions in a new setting without friends or family watching on. Swerve karaoke nights and seek out open mic nights instead. They're a fantastic way to build up your confidence, nail your public performance skills and eliminate stage fright. Up-and-coming comedians can put their stand-up to the test at London's Comedy Store – King Gong takes place every last Monday of the month.

Never skied before but all your mates hit the slopes each winter? It’s never too late to plan your first ski or snowboarding trip. Sign up to private lessons at a good ski school such as Jasna in Slovakia, and after a few days on the nursery slopes finding your feet and perfecting your snow plough you’ll be able to take on more advanced runs. Slovakia’s largest ski area is a relaxed place to learn with gentle slopes and lots of snow.

Swooshing through snow-covered forests in a dog-pulled sled is a magical way to explore the wintry wilderness of Finland's far north. While you could sit back and let the experts take the reins, how about learning how to mush your own team of husky dogs? Sign up for a course with an expert musher and they’ll show you how to harness the dogs, give basic commands, master the whip, drive and break the sled. You'll get to help feed and look after the dogs too.

You’ll be buzzing after learning the age-old skill of beekeeping from an avid apiculturist. Sign up for an intensive course and you could learn how to construct a hive, look after a colony and extract honey. Or glean a few tips on beginner beekeeping workshops to see if it's for you. Slovenia's stunning countryside is a great place to open your mind to apiculture with a strong tradition of beekeeping, and there are workshops around the country. 

Swedish, shiatsu, Thai, hot stone, reflexology, aromatherapy and sports: whichever style of massage you prefer, why not set about mastering the techniques of the masseur on a taster course? Chiang Mai's Sunshine Thai Massage School has a two-week beginners course in traditional Thai massage. Even if you don't take your newfound hobby any further, your healing hands will give you friends for life.

Hopping on a bike is a great way to boost your fitness and see the world. There are routes to suit all levels of experience around the world: easy riders can meander around the rolling vineyards of the Rioja region (learning about local wine as they go), while experienced cyclists can test their stamina on long-distance trails in South America. Mountain bikers can sign up to strengthen their skills on a two-day course before taking on the legendary canyons of Utah.

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Whether you’re training for a marathon or a simple hobbyist jogger, running through spectacular scenery and past ancient sites is an exhilarating way to explore the world. Discover the joys of off-road running amid beautiful landscape (and tighten up your techniques while you're at it) on a high-altitude run in the Italian Dolomites.

Step out of your comfort zone and make this the year you challenge yourself to scale a mountain. Develop your mountaineering skills and boost your stamina on close-to-home accessible peaks or go all out on a beginner-friendly expedition up some of the world’s most iconic mountains. Adventure Peaks has Alpine introduction courses in Chamonix, in France, for adventurers with a decent level of fitness who want to go beyond hill walking and scrambling.

Learn how to swim safely in the great outdoors, build your confidence in open water, hone your breathing techniques and understand the ways of rivers on wild swimming training courses. Already a confident outdoor swimmer? Specialised swim safaris and outdoor swimming holidays such as this one in Norway's Lofoten Islands will help boost your wild swimming prowess and immerse you in some of the world’s most incredible waterways. Despite being above the Arctic Circle, the water ranges from 11 to 15°C (52 to 59°F). 

Fancy yourself a bit of a florist but have been restricted to putting roses in vases every now and then? Fear not: head to FlowerSchool New York to enjoy a variety of flower arranging workshops. From five-day intense contemporary flower design classes to a six-week professional floristry programme, you can learn the special techniques and secrets of the flower industry to wow friends and family. Bloomin’ marvellous.

Nothing focuses the mind on mastering tricky yoga moves or improving breath work like a beautiful, mind-altering location. Whether you’re a novice or an advanced yogi, there are some incredible retreats around the world where you can perfect your technique in daily yoga sessions. They’ll often offer extra activities like meditation, hiking and surfing too. Yoga hot spots include Thailand, India and Bali, where at the Yoga Barn in Ubud you can drop in to the studios for classes or immerse yourself in a longer retreat.

We're not claiming you'll make it to the moon, but you can spend a weekend training to be an astronaut in Huntsville, Alabama. Space Camp for kids has been running since 1982, but there's also a version for grown-ups: the Adult Space Academy. Over one weekend you'll get to launch your own rocket and take part in a simulated mission. You'll stay on-site at the US Space & Rocket Center too.

You might never buy bread again after learning the age-old skill of baking. From making the mother of all sourdoughs in San Francisco to finessing fancy French pain in Paris, there are loads of tempting courses around the world that'll teach you how to make bread from scratch. And it doesn't have to be a variety that belongs to the country: you can rustle up Scandinavian bakes at Bread Ahead in London’s Borough Market or sign up for a sourdough starter class at San Fran's Josey Baker Bread.

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