Some people are content to do nothing on vacation. Sleep late, read a book, sunbathe, repeat.
Others get restless. They can’t just relax; they need to keep their bodies and minds active. If that sounds like you, it’s time to plan a skillcation.
What is a skillcation?
In the working world, “upskilling” means improving your abilities or learning new things so you’re better at your job.
Upskilling travel, aka a skillcation, means traveling with the intention of learning a skill or honing your expertise. It’s not the same thing as educational travel, because you’re doing more than gaining knowledge on a subject. You’re practicing it and getting hands-on experience.
Why take a skillcation?
- Life is busy, and it’s rare that we get to dedicate an extended period of time to learning something new just for fun.
- Your skillcation will take you to places beyond the typical tourist spots, so you truly get to know a place and its culture. You may visit family farms, a remote fishing village, a chef’s home kitchen, or the workshop of a master artisan.
- You want a transformational travel experience. This approach to travel seeks to discover new ways of being and connecting with others. Learning a new skill invites you to step out of your comfort zone, so you can grow.
- The skillcation experience doesn’t end when your trip does. You’ll bring your new knowledge and abilities home with you, so you can keep practicing what you’ve learned.
- You get to meet people who share a common interest—a bonus for solo travelers.
10 skillcation ideas
- A knitting vacation: Serious knitters can sign up for a tour to study local stitches and traditions. In Ireland, you can learn the intricately textured, three-dimensional patterns of the Aran Islands.1 In Scotland’s Shetland Islands, you’ll try your hand at the iconic Fair Isle sweater design. Visit sheep farms, wool mills, and artisan yarn makers too.
- A blacksmithing retreat: It’s OK if you’ve never swung a blacksmith’s hammer—you can learn the basics in a weekend. Forge With Intention in Colorado offers a three-day blacksmithing course that teaches basic techniques as you create a set of wall hooks, a roasting fork, and a project of your own design. If you already have some experience, you can book an advanced course in ornamental blacksmithing or making a knife from Damascus steel.
- A learn-to-sail vacation: Intimidated by the thought of learning to sail? In just one week, you can become proficient enough to handle a catamaran. That’s the promise of the Catalina Complete Sailing Course. Spend two days learning basic keelboat skills aboard a monohull sailboat in San Diego Bay. Then, board a large catamaran for a five-day sail to Catalina Island.2 Once you get the needed certifications and experience, you can plan a bareboat catamaran cruise for your next vacation.
- A foraging vacation: Kayak to an island in the Saint Anna Archipelago of Sweden, where the national “right to roam,” or allemensratten, means you can camp wherever you like. Each day, a guide takes you to forage in the forest for lingonberries, cloudberries, mushrooms and herbs. In the evenings, you’ll cook meals with the group over a campfire, making use of locally harvested fish and game.3 It’s not a survival course, but a nature-focused skillcation that teaches you to observe and appreciate the world around you.
- A cheesemaking vacation: Book a skillcation where you can learn the art and science of cheesemaking, like this package at Brush Creek Ranch in Wyoming. Meet the resident herd of goats, learn about cheese culture and aging, make your own ricotta, and taste different varieties (with wine, of course).
- A kitesurfing camp: If you’ve ever seen a kitesurfer flying and flipping over the waves, you may have thought, “There’s no way I could ever do that.” But you can—you just need to dedicate a few days or a week to learning with a qualified instructor. There are kitesurfing camps all over the world, from Sri Lanka to the Dominican Republic to Zanzibar.4
- A dance vacation: In many countries, dance is more than a leisure activity. It’s the heart of the culture and a language all its own. You can study tango in Buenos Aires, practicing in the milongas (tango clubs). Head to Cali, Colombia, the Salsa Capital of the World, to learn salsa. For bachata, spend two weeks at BailaMar Bachata Camp in the Dominican Republic.
- A rural upskilling vacation: Learn the skills your ancestors knew, such as how to milk cows, sow fields, shepherd a flock, or build a stone wall. If you find you really love the rural life, you may want to turn your skillcation into an extended volunteer trip. Workaway has thousands of farm stay experiences around the world that offer free lodging in exchange for labor. You might find yourself harvesting coffee in Ecuador, pruning an olive grove in Italy, or tending llamas in southern France. Just do your research ahead of time, so you know what to expect.
- A traditional crafts skillcation: Needlework. Spinning. Weaving a Charleston sweetgrass basket, which is one of the oldest art forms of African origin in the United States. You can spend a week learning any of these skills—and more—at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina. The school was founded in 1925 by a couple who were inspired by the folk schools in rural Denmark.
- A wilderness skills vacation: “Vacation” may be the wrong word for these trips, as the experience is pretty intense. The expeditions offered by NOLS, a nonprofit global wilderness school, offer the chance to “gain hands-on experience in climbing, sailing, backpacking, and more, while learning to manage risk and make critical decisions with expert mentorship.” Guides are there to teach and support you—but not make life easy for you—as you venture into the Tanzanian savannah or the wilds of Alaska.
Wherever your quest for knowledge takes you, protect yourself with travel insurance. Find out why more than 55 million American travelers choose Allianz Travel Insurance each year: Get a quote for your next adventure.
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