Treasured Cloth (The Arts, Local Traditions)
Go behind the scenes at the Ixchel Textiles Museum in Guatemala City, which displays nineteenth- and twentieth-century handwoven fabrics, folk paintings, photographs, and sculptures. The curator will meet you for a wine reception and lead a private tour of the museum and its prep room, where you'll see pieces undergoing restoration. He can also bring out special pieces from storage according to your interests. Cost: $500. Source: Mylène Mogendorff, Geographic Expeditions, San Francisco (415-922-0448; mylene@geoex.com; geoex.com).

Rock of Ages (History)
Gain access to Pacal's Tomb and its beautifully carved 15-ton stone sarcophagus inside the Temple of the Inscriptions in the southeastern state of Chiapas. With special permission from the National Institute of Anthropology and History, you'll enter the seventh-century crypt of Pacal the Great, off-limits to the public for more than a year; discovered in 1952, it is one of the most spectacular finds in Mayan archaeology, proof that Mayan pyramids weren't just temples but burial vaults. Cost: $2,800, including two nights' accommodations. Source: Mylène Mogendorff (see Guatemala).

Mexico
Giving to the Arts (The Arts, Philanthropy)
Enjoy wine, dinner, and conversation with Mexico's preeminent graphic artist, Francisco Toledo, in his studio. Toledo has also been commended for philanthropic efforts in his hometown, Oaxaca. One recent project is the Centro de las Artes de San Agustín (CaSa), which endeavors to develop ecologically sound processes for textile making, graphic design, and photography. Cost: $3,000, including a donation to CaSa. Source: Jim Kane, Culture Explorers, Philadelphia (215-923-6800; jim@culturexplorers.com; culturexplorers.com).

New York
The Big Cheese (Culinary)
Tour the private underground cheese-curing caves at Murray's Cheese Shop in New York City with affineur (or cheese ager) Zoe Brickley, who cares for hundreds of cheese wheels, turning and washing them regularly to distribute the butterfat and improve flavor while they ripen. Afterward, test out your new appreciation for fromage at a tasting, where seasonal wedges will be paired with wines. Cost: $800. Source: Adrianna Gallo, Murray's Cheese, New York City (212-243-3289, ext. 14; adrianna@murrayscheese.com; murrayscheese.com).

Peru
Digging Up the Dead (History)
Visit the Puruchuco archaeological site, an Incan cemetery on the outskirts of Lima, with Peruvian archaeologist Guillermo Cock. The site contains the remains of at least 2,200 people but is threatened by a shantytown that has sprouted above it. Visit Cock's laboratory, currently the resting place for a mummy that once appeared on the cover of National Geographic. Cost: $220. Source: Lisa Rhody, Abercrombie & Kent, Oakbrook, Illinois (800-554-7094, ext. 366; lrhody@abercrombiekent.com; abercrombiekent.com).