A group tour doesn't necessarily mean fanny packs, buffet lines, and chatty travel companions. Book your trip through one of the organizations below and your guides will be top-notch academics and your companions like-minded souls. And you'll come away with an informed perspective on the history, architecture, and culture of whatever destination you choose.

All tour prices are per person and include guides, meals, and lodgings. Prices quoted are for January 2009.

ANDANTE TRAVELS
This British company specializes in trips to some of the world's most famous sites, from Easter Island to Macedonia. Over the years, owner Annabel Lawson has amassed an impressive network of experts, and each trip includes a guide and a lecturer. Two types of tours are available: the structured Travels in Archaeology, for serious academics, and the free-form Bare Bones, for more leisurely travelers. This month, Andante is adding a new trip through southern India led by archaeologist Robert Harding (44-172-271-3800; tours, $510–$8,200).

ART PURSUITS
A boutique operation in Buckingham, Art Pursuits was founded by art historians Nicola Smith and Joachim Strupp. Tours tend to have a thematic focus—as in "French Royal Gardens" or "Villas of the Veneto"—but also cover regional highlights. The London-based "Study Days" itinerary is ideal for commitment-wary culture vultures (44-128-082-0521; tours, $1,200–$2,800).

COX & KINGS
After 250 years of leading tours, Cox & Kings has it down to a science: long-standing relationships with local guides and pedigreed lecturers, and tons of customizable options. The company just launched a new roster of tours in conjunction with London's Natural History Museum. Nick Baker, host of the BBC's Really Wild Show, teams up with paleontologist Julian Hume for "Madagascar: Land of the Lemur," while BBC Wildlife Magazine editor Sophie Stafford shows travelers the untrammeled reaches of Botswana's Okavango and Kalahari Desert (44-207-873-5000; tours, $3,750–$7,800).

HARVARD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Accomplished scholars accompany small groups on Harvard's in-depth trips. Itineraries change yearly and run the gamut from short jaunts to Belize's barrier reef to a two-week circumnavigation of New Guinea. Other examples: Planetary scientist Charles Burnham takes travelers to Mexico's Copper Canyon; Karel Liem, one of Harvard's top natural history lecturers, leads a Silk Road–themed tour of Central Asia; this month, Charles Darwin scholar Janet Browne heads up the super-luxe one-time "Voyage of the Beagle by Private Jet," a 27-day journey from the Galápagos to Tasmania to Cape Verde that traces the inspiration for On the Origin of Species (617-495-2463; tours, $2,995–$68,950).

MARTIN RANDALL TRAVEL
Gully Wells's trip to Jordan is just one of 200 itineraries in 35 countries available at Martin Randall, in London. Others are the gastronomic-themed "Bilbao to Bayonne," a whirl through Michelin-starred restaurants and world-class vineyards, and "Aalto & Others," an architectural tour of Finland led by Helsinki-based Harry Charrington and including visits to museums, studios, historic villas, and avant-garde buildings. This month's nine-day tour of the Canary Islands is timed to coincide with the annual winter music festival, bringing together top ensembles such as the Vienna Philharmonic and the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra (44-208-742-3355; tours, $1,545–$15,557).

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPEDITIONS
Over the years, National Geographic has steadily enlarged its roster to ensure that there's something for every type of curious traveler—from a 20-day African sojourn by private jet, led by South African wildlife biologist Bill Branch, to a two-week trek through Mongolia, complete with ger tent accommodations and visits to camel-breeding camps. This month, the celebrated mountain climber Gregory Crouch, author of Enduring Patagonia, leads a small group on "Exploring Patagonia, a 13-day trip to Cape Horn, Magdalena Island, and Torres del Paine National Park"—with cooking demonstrations and tastings at Chilean wineries (888-966-8687; tours, $2,695–$59,950).

SMITHSONIAN JOURNEYS
Variety is the draw here, and all tours are headed by Smithsonian-vetted guides. In July, Aron Crowell, the Alaska director of the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center, and former ABC News anchor Sam Donaldson are teaming up for the timely "Arctic Odyssey: A Symposium on Global Warming and Climate Change." The 13-day cruise aboard the icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov will explore the far reaches of the Russian Arctic Circle, where climate change is readily visible. The 16-day "Treasures of Angkor Wat and Vietnam" includes tours of the region's temples led by local historians and a session with a representative of the World Monuments Fund (202-633-6088; tours, $1,099–$59,950).

SPECIAL TOURS
In addition to thoughtfully designed itineraries, Special Tours is known for its ability to gain access to restricted spots, from family castles in Sweden to Australia's private gardens. "Sicily in the Spring" is a primer on the region's varied culture in which historian Peter Lauritzen will explain the Morgantina ruins and the Palermo mosaics. Keeping with the intimate feel, most itineraries include small family-owned or historic hotels (44-207-730-2297; tours, $3,143–$7,852).