What to Expect: Eat, sleep, and breathe dance at an old Buenos Aires mansion transformed into an Art Nouveau homage to the golden age of tango. The weeklong program provides daily two-hour group lessons, followed by nightly trips to nearby milongas (tango-only dance clubs), where you will test your new moves against experienced locals. Classes are held in salons located in the hotel and led by instructors who can make a dancer out of the most uncoordinated pupil. Additional private instruction can be scheduled for those who need extra practice. A bus tour of the city and professional tango show are included, as are accommodations; among the features of the mansion's well-appointed suites are hot tubs and views of the historic neighborhood.

Where: Mansion Dandi Royal, Tango Residential Academy, Buenos Aires, Argentina: The hotel is in the San Telmo district, where the tango was born. The neighborhood's tattered, but elegant residences remain home to artists, and its Sunday flea market is beloved.

Basics
Phone: 54-114-361-3537
Web: mansiondandiroyal.com
Cost: Seven nights, $655, including lodging

Painting

Why: Because if you're going to learn to paint, why not let an already picture-perfect scene serve as your inspiration?

What to Expect: Begin with two days of intensive drawing and color-theory classes, then hone your new or improving skills (the program is designed for artists of all skill levels) by painting in the studio and on location in Italy's Anversa hills. Participants mix their own paints using pigments and organic materials, and experiment with layering and other mixed-media techniques. Mornings are dedicated to structured classes, while afternoons allow for informal instructor feedback, open studio time, and excursions into neighboring villages. For extra inspiration, hike in the Gole del Sagittario, a nature reserve, or stroll the nearby botanical gardens. Accommodations—simple single- or double-occupancy furnished apartments in the village—are included in the tuition.

Where: The Abruzzi Mountain Workshop, "Drawing and Painting: The Essence of Shape and Color," Anversa, Italy: An idyllic village perched in the Apennines of the country's Abruzzi region, 75 miles east of Rome.

Basics
Phone: 212-243-4702
Web: artworkshopitaly.com
Cost: $2,050, including lodging and some meals

Wildlife Conservation

Why: You've longed to see the fastest mammal on earth in the wild (and at full sprint, if you're lucky) and want future generations to be able to do the same