10 expert-led escapes worth booking, from culinary safaris to celestial cruises

As demand for expert-led escapes rises, travellers are increasingly looking for trips guided by scientists, historians and creatives. Many tour operators have reported an increase in demand for journeys that offer indulgence as well as insight — the likes of meditative healing retreats, chef-led foraging courses, writing workshops and more. Here, we highlight 10 expert-led trips that allow travellers to forge new skills through immersive, educational experiences.

1. Take part in a master-led healing retreat in the Maldives

With its clear waters and white-sand beaches, the Maldives has an otherworldly quality to it. This theme continues at the Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, where three beach-fringed islands are strung together, with a ring of circular overwater villas at one end and a halo-shaped spa suspended over the ocean at its centre. This setting is an ideal backdrop for a wellness-focused trip, and the hotel’s Masters of Crafts programme means there’s a rotating roster of experts taking up residency throughout the year.

During Susy Markoe Schieffelin’s residency, the Los Angeles-based sound healer, Kundalini yoga teacher and Reiki master will offer guests one-on-one private sessions and group sound experiences. The soothing frequencies of her signature pure quartz bowls infused with precious metals, gemstones and earth elements, shift the brain into a deeply restorative state and allow profound relaxation, emotional release and energetic realignment to happen effortlessly. Held at spectacular spots across the property, the sound healing can be experienced under the magnificent 100ft-tall banyan tree in the Mystique Garden, in aerial yoga hammocks strung from the ceiling of the fitness studio and even on inflatable lilos floating in the circular infinity pool.

(Read about the experience in detail)

2. Dive the Great Barrier Reef with Master Reef Guides

Aboard Spirit of Freedom, you’ll spend three nights sailing from Cairns to the far northern reaches of the Great Barrier Reef, where cooler currents, resilient coral species and fewer boats bring schools of barracuda, turtles, rays, reef sharks, and 100-kilogram potato cod. You’ll dive up to five times a day across 150 miles of reef, guided by Master Reef Guides and PADI instructors who’ll help you spot rare species and record vital data for Eye on the Reef –– a monitoring programme that helps the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority protect the reef from growing threats like climate change and illegal fishing. The trip ends at Lizard Island, a remote slice of sugar-white sand and granite headlands, home to a world-renowned research station visited by scientists and naturalists –– including Sir David Attenborough, who filmed parts of Blue Planet here –– since 1973. Accessible only by private boat or light aircraft, it’s also home to the exclusive Lizard Island Resort, where luxurious beachfront bungalows come with views of the reef. Here, you’ll see first-hand how science, tourism, and conservation intersect to safeguard the world’s largest reef system.

(What it's like to night dive on the Great Barrier Reef)

3. Learn the art of storytelling from a top writing team in Marrakech

There’s a saying that everyone has a book inside them, but actually writing one takes dedication and often a little help. Just a half-hour drive from the bustling souks of Marrakech, in a 15-acre private estate filled with book-lined rooms, Moorish arches and palm-shaded pools, you’ll find that expert guidance. Here, Alexandra Pringle, former editor-in-chief of Bloomsbury Publishing, and a team that reads like a who’s who of the literary world, are joined by a rotating cast of celebrated guest authors to hold a five-day course including hands-on exercises, immersive workshops and participatory sessions covering structure, character and voice. There’s also free time to work on writing projects throughout the estate’s picturesque nooks, whether it’s under citrus trees in the gardens designed by ethnobotanist Gary Martin or with a glass of Moroccan mint tea amid the elegant North African interiors. Evenings are reserved for candlelit dinners and creative conversation with fellow writers, publishing experts and guest authors.

There are only 14 participants at a time, meaning there’s ample space for individual attention, and at the retreat’s close, each guest receives a one-on-one feedback session tailored to the next step in their writing journey.

4. Join a spiritual reboot with a meditation master in Portugal

With his viral 21-day meditation challenge and 21 of his books making it onto The New York Times’ bestseller list, Deepak Chopra has been at the forefront of the meditation revolution for decades. Through his teachings, he guides individuals to embrace inner strength, wisdom and the potential for personal growth. Five intimate days with the expert will likely leave you transformed, and in Portugal’s Algarve region, against a backdrop of dramatic Atlantic beaches, a lucky few can do just that, spending one-on-one time with both Deepak and two leading experts from his team.

Daily sessions explore the connection between body, mind and the universe, diving into themes of joy and compassion. There’s a mix of guided meditations, workshops and the use of AI technology designed to personalise the experience. Valuable Q&A sessions also invite participants to ask big questions about meaning, purpose and potential. Alongside all this, expect restorative yoga sessions with author and yoga master Sarah Platt-Finger and gratitude circles with transformational leadership expert Nika Smirni, as well as free time to explore Faro, take a cooking class or indulge in some wine-tasting.

5. Feast & forage with a celebrated chef on safari in Kenya

In Laikipia County, where vast plains and shrubby savannahs are scattered with umbrella-shaped acacia trees, the landscape unfurls beneath the snow-capped peak of Mount Kenya. It’s here that TV chef Valentine Warner and food events curator Clare Isaacs bring their culinary flair to the wild, hosting a one-of-a-kind supper club experience with an adventurous edge. Deep in the savannah, the duo gathers an intimate group of 18 guests for a five-day, feast-focused escape.

Learning about the land is at the heart of the trip. Alongside one of Kenya’s leading botany experts, Valentine leads foraging expeditions into the bush, seeking out native ingredients and showing guests how to cook with them in inventive, locally inspired ways. Back at El Karama — a boutique, family-run safari lodge — guests roll up their sleeves to create dishes deeply rooted in Kenyan culinary traditions, from goat grilled over an open fire to greens sautéed with wild herbs, before dining banquet-style at long tables under a canopy of stars. Valentine, naturally, takes the lead, but food isn’t his only obsession. “Born to fish, forced to work,” he’s joked on television more than once, so don’t be surprised if you’re roped into a fishing marathon at a nearby river, followed by a well-earned bankside picnic.

Beyond the kitchen, there’s ample time for classic safari experiences, from game drives to spot the Big Five to quiet, fireside moments with your expert hosts-turned-campmates.

6. Unlock Mexico City’s best-kept secrets with creative locals

Creative to its core, Mexico City has long drawn artistic souls, from the bohemians of the early 20th century to today’s contemporary designers, chefs and collectors. Now, a new kind of access is available: an immersive experience guided by some of the city’s most influential insiders, offering a deeper, more personal look at the capital’s cultural identity.

At the heart of it all is Cristina Kahlo, great-niece of Frida, who opens the doors of Casa Azul (the artist’s iconic former home) for an exclusive, after-hours tour and tequila-tasting. In the surrounding neighbourhood of Coyoacán, another local expert leads a food pilgrimage through Frida’s favourite haunts. And for a lucky few, Gabriela Ruiz, one of Mexico’s most acclaimed chefs, welcomes travellers into her kitchen to cook and eat alongside her. Additionally, renowned art collector and antiques dealer Rodrigo Rivero Lake shares the stories behind his eclectic gallery, opening a window into Mexico’s artistic past and present. These encounters form part of a tour offering behind-the-scenes access to places that few ever get to experience.

7. Explore the Indonesian spice islands with a marine historian

Jeffrey Mellefont isn’t your average tour guide. A seasoned blue-water mariner, celestial navigator and leading authority on seafaring history in Southeast Asia, he brims with a deep, lived knowledge of the ocean. His life’s work has taken him across the Indonesian archipelago, researching traditional navigation and maritime culture. On this expedition to the Maluku Islands, he’s not just a guide, he’s a living link to the past, offering a singular perspective on the history, landscapes and marine life of one of the world’s most storied regions.

These fertile isles were once the world’s only source of cloves, nutmeg and mace, which earned them the name the Spice Islands. On this 12-day voyage from Ambon to Ternate, travellers will sail aboard a traditional wooden phinisi ship, following ancient routes once navigated by spice traders.

Days are split between land and sea. On shore, activities include climbing jungle-draped volcanoes, visiting nutmeg plantations and spotting rare endemic wildlife, while in the water, time is spent snorkelling with whale sharks and manta rays and exploring coral reefs.

8. Marvel at a solar eclipse with astronomy experts in Egypt

The longest total solar eclipse of our collective lifetime will take place in July 2027, and Luxor is being hailed as one of the best places on Earth to witness this rare celestial event. As the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, it will block the Sun’s light for a remarkable six continuous minutes of total darkness — a spectacle unlikely to be matched for generations. To experience the central line of totality in all its glory, precise positioning is key. That’s why four leading experts in eclipse science and astronomy are steering a course along the Nile, inviting travellers to join them aboard the MS Opera, a luxurious yet low-key river vessel.

The languid 10-day cruise will sail from Aswan to Luxor, docking deep in the desert under Egypt’s famously clear skies and offering front-row seats of this once-in-a-lifetime moment. Both astronomy novices and avid eclipse-chasers are welcome aboard, where the expert team will share insights on pre- and post-eclipse briefings, plus expert-led lectures on topics ranging from solar photography to astronomy. Moreover, as travellers journey from Aswan to Luxor, the academics will dive deep into how astronomy and eclipses intersect with Egyptian archaeological history, with regular stop-offs to visit archaeological sites such as Valley of the Kings, Karnak and the Temple of Luxor.

9. See Antarctica from the sky with a team of expert pilots

What’s it like to step out of a helicopter onto a never-before-seen island in Antarctica’s distant south? Gazing upon the polar landscape, there’s a lot going on: endless icebergs, frozen cliffs, a whale kindergarten, sparkling summits and mercurial glaciers. Around you, no footprints, only a vast landscape overrun by glaciers and Ice Age creatures. A pioneer of Antarctica tourism, Quark Expeditions has been operating in the polar regions since 1991, and these days it’s kitted out its flagship vessel, Ultramarine, with two twin-engine helicopters. Weather permitting, that lets passengers soar high, then land on rarely visited islands on both the west and east coasts of the Antarctic Peninsula. Only a handful of people have ever done so in the Erebus and Terror Gulf, Antarctic Sound and the great Weddell Sea. In fact, it could be claimed this makes it the world’s most southerly flightseeing trip. The pilots are world-leading experts in their field, of course, but so too are the ornithologists, marine biologists, polar geographers, historians and geologists that lead the daily rigid inflatable boat cruises and fill in the blanks during lectures and discussions once back on board.

(Here's how to meet Antarctica's penguins with an ornithologist)

10. Experience The Netherlands’ blooms with a celebrity gardener

Each spring, as the Netherlands shakes off its winter chill, its flower fields burst into a vibrant patchwork of reds, purples and yellows. It’s a sight that never gets old for Adam Frost, a RHS Chelsea Flower Show-winning garden designer, Gardeners’ World presenter and an RHS Ambassador for Education. Adam’s accreditations are endless, and such is his love for the Netherlands’ blooms that he hosts a yearly trip there, giving travellers the chance to learn from him while witnessing the North Rhine at its most beautiful. For guests on board the A-ROSA Sena, the experience begins in Cologne before stopping in three of the Netherlands’ most-loved cities: Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht. There’s plenty of time on board to chat to Adam about his near-endless gardening knowledge, whether it’s in relation to the Dutch spring blooms, flowers in general or tips for gardens back home. As well as hosting horticulture-themed talks and intimate Q&As, Adam also accompanies travellers to Keukenhof botanical garden for an exclusive private tour. This sprawling masterpiece has become known as the ‘Garden of Europe’ and spans nearly 80 acres. Spring sees the park at its most spectacular, with a carpet of rainbow colours created by the seven million tulips, hyacinths and daffodils set in a landscape of lakes, trees and pavilions.