The Rise of the Skillcation
Learning while you’re on holiday makes for a rich and fulfilling travel experience.
By Corrina Allen
Whether you want to hone a skill or learn something entirely new, there’s likely a skillcation to match your interests. | PHOTO: ARNAUD MARIAT/UNSPLASH
Like many people in cold-weather Canada, I come from a family of knitters. My grandmother knitted intricately patterned wool sweaters for my siblings and me. In summer, she’d make herself lightweight camisoles from thin strands of linen. When I took up knitting a few years ago as an antidote to too much screen time, I was immediately hooked. But I lacked my grandmother’s skills and confidence, and I was afraid to venture beyond the safety of knitting simple squares and rectangles.
In 2025, I set myself the goal of making a sweater — one that I’d be willing to wear out of the house. But I knew I’d need support, the kind that comes from working alongside a community of knitters whose expertise I could access in real time.
I booked a trip with Adventure Canada, a company offering small-ship expeditions to Fair Isle and the Faroe and Shetland Islands, places where knitting is both a renowned art and a practical necessity. On board, I participated in the Fibre Arts program led by expert knitter Anne Eunson, sitting in on sessions where knitters, embroiderers and weavers gathered to work on projects and receive guidance. By the time I returned home, I had the skills to knit the shapes I needed to make a complete sweater — and the confidence to take them on.
I’m not alone in seeking out a travel experience that offers the chance to learn or hone a skill. Skillcations, as they’re known, are increasing in popularity. According to Hilton’s 2026 trend report, 72 percent of travellers seek vacation experiences that offer the opportunity to develop a talent or skill. A skillcation can take many forms, but no matter what kind you’re drawn to, one thing is certain: you’ll come home from your travels with more than just photographs and souvenirs. Skillcations not only equip travellers with newfound abilities; they can also inspire a deeper connection to the destination itself.
Ready to get inspired? Here are five types of skillcations to consider for your next holiday.
(From left) Traditional Faroese knitting designs; knitting practice on the ship at Adventure Canada’s Fibre Arts program; hand-knit puffin sweaters at a community arts sale in Elduvik, Faroe Islands. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF CORRINA ALLEN
(From top) Surfing lessons cater to newbies and experienced surfers alike; learning about Antarctic ecosystems up close; an HX Expeditions guest peers into a microscope in the ship’s Science Centre. | PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES/UNSPLASH+; COURTESY OF HX EXPEDITIONS
Sports and recreation
Are you a thrill-seeker, or do you like the idea of pushing yourself physically? A skillcation that invites you to try a new sport could be right for you.
In Costa Rica, the Agua Tibia Surf School welcomes aspiring surfers of all skill levels, with learning options that range from single 90-minute sessions to week-long courses. Newbies learn how to “read” and catch waves, as well as how to master the all-important “pop-up” that takes them from lying flat to standing on the board. More advanced surfers can go beyond the basics, learning signature surfing moves such as carving, check turns and floaters.
Science and wildlife
If you love the idea of combining environmental research with cruising to far-flung destinations such as Antarctica and Greenland, consider joining a trip with HX Expeditions. Onboard “Science Centres” are set up so guests can participate in real research projects with visiting scientists, collecting data, sampling and examining material such as phytoplankton, and conducting experiments. Supplemental expert-led lectures help provide guests with a deeper understanding of the wildlife, marine ecosystems and environments you’ll encounter — no lab coat required.
Newbies learn how to “read” and catch waves, as well as how to master the all-important “pop-up” that takes them from lying flat to standing on the board.
Language learning
Seasoned travellers know there’s no better way to learn a new language than to be immersed in it. Language learning trips are a perennially popular option: Google searches for “language holidays” have grown by 315% over the last 12 months, and language learning is in the top three categories of skillcation with the highest level of demand among travellers.
Learning a language while travelling doesn’t mean spending your vacation in a classroom. Il Sasso in Montepulciano, Italy, offers on-the-go Italian classes for individuals or pairs. Over the course of one week, participants spend three hours a day learning Italian while exploring the town, visiting churches and museums, relaxing in local bars and cafés, and visiting markets with their teacher.
If you’d like to combine language learning with a physical challenge, book with Responsible Travel, a tour operator offering guided walks along sections of Spain’s Camino de Santiago. Guests attend Spanish classes in the mornings, then spend afternoons hiking, birdwatching, exploring local villages and visiting traditional cideries and cheesemakers.
“Learning a language pairs wonderfully with walking,” says Tim Williamson, Responsible Travel’s co-managing director. “[And] because our language and walking holiday here is led by people who are embedded in their community, you experience these things in a very immersive way.”
Become a better wildlife and landscape photographer on a National Geographic Expedition. | PHOTO: TRAVELPHOTOBLOGGERS/ALAMY
Arts and culture
Arts and culture buffs can skillcation, too. Interested in the history of Japanese ninjas? At Ninja Samurai Tokyo, participants can spend an afternoon learning the art of samurai swords and ninja weaponry from a Japanese sensei. Upon arrival, guests are kitted out in historic shinobi shōzoku — traditional ninja attire — before beginning hands-on ninja training. Lessons include sword-wielding, ninja star throwing and kuji-in meditation practices, as well as an introduction to Japan’s feudal history. A highlight of the course? Testing your aim with a traditional Japanese blow-dart.
For amateur photographers ready to devote an entire holiday to developing their craft, multi-day photography tours with companies such as National Geographic Expeditions combine hands-on instruction from professional photographers with travel to diverse (and photogenic) regions such as Patagonia, the Moroccan desert and the Scottish Highlands. The payoff: memories of spectacular landscapes and experiences, plus enhanced photography skills and images that do the trip justice.
At Ninja Samurai Tokyo, participants practice the art of sword-wielding. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF NINJA SAMURAI TOKYO
Olive oil is the subject and the star at Eumelia Organic Agrotourism Farm. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF EUMELIA
Food and drink
Culinary skillcations offer the opportunity to bring home knowledge and techniques that you can use on a daily basis. They can range in length from just a few hours to multi-day experiences. In Vietnam, where coffee has been elevated to an art form, coffee lovers can enrol in Up Travel Vietnam’s half-day specialty coffee workshop, learning how to craft the perfect espresso-based drink from bean selection to latte art. Participants also learn to make phin, traditional Vietnamese pour-over coffee.
For olive oil aficionados, consider Eumelia’s agrotourism farmstay in Greece’s southern peninsula. Guests spend several days participating in the autumn olive harvest. They learn the principles of permaculture and regenerative agriculture, attend olive oil-centric cooking classes, and sit down to olive oil tastings in a luxurious, eco-friendly setting. A tasty bonus: each guest is shipped six litres of the farm’s own olive oil to use at home so they can recreate the recipes they learned onsite.
“The retreat goes well beyond the harvest itself,” says host and owner Marilena Karadima. “What people carry home isn’t just a jar of olives or a bottle of oil — it’s a completely new relationship with food, land and the rhythms of the season. There’s a depth to learning here that you simply can’t replicate in a classroom.” AMA
The dusk sky over Eumelia Organic Agrotourism Farm in Greece; farm guests learn the principles of sustainable agriculture; firelight and farm bounty at Eumelia. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MARILENA KARADIMA
Skill-Building Travel Experiences
From pottery in Kyoto to baking in Copenhagen, discover immersive travel experiences that let you learn something new while exploring the world.
In Kyoto, Japan, try a pottery class
Get hands-on with Japanese ceramics and learn the techniques behind shaping, glazing and firing your own piece.
In Oaxaca, Mexico, try traditional cooking
Learn the secrets behind regional Mexican dishes, from grinding spices and chiles to preparing classic sauces and tortillas.
In Lisbon, Portugal, try tile painting
Put your own spin on Portugal’s iconic azulejos by learning traditional tile-painting techniques and creating a piece to take home.
In Cusco, Peru, try textile weaving
Discover the patterns, techniques and traditions behind Andean textiles by trying your hand at weaving with local materials.
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