Editors Note: I know the fall tends to be a time where we begin planting our feet firmly on the ground and staying put, however is that really necessary?  We can still travel and move around and I promise nothing bad is going to happen. I suggest breaking through that feeling and doing something out of the ordinary by taking a trip in the unpredictable fall.  The cooking programs below are a beautiful way to add color to any getaway as well as bring home some real life skills! ~Nitika~

Are you a foodie who’s been there, done that with vacations that are all about hitting up famous restaurants and local food markets? On your next trip, instead of just eating the regional cuisine, learn the art of actually making it by spending a few days at a local cooking school.

Taking a cooking school vacation doesn’t require a big commitment since most spots offer classes for anywhere between one and seven days. And, it’s okay if your culinary skills are limited to boiling pasta. The programs we’ve listed below are taught in small groups of six to ten and cater to every level of home chef from novices to experts. They’re also set among scenic locales including the vineyards in Tuscany and rice paddies in Thailand. Best of all, you end each five or six hour day by feasting on the meal you prepared yourself. Food lovers, gear up for a new kind of epicurean experience.

Villa San Michele of Cookery, Florence, Italy

Situated in a 15^th century monastery on the outskirts of Florence, this school teaches students about Tuscan cuisine in eight different classes ranging from two to six days. You might go for “A Symphony of Pasta,” a three-day class on the art of pasta or the “Single is Beautiful and Tasty Too,” a package where participants learn to prepare Italian dishes for one person. Classes are usually five and a-half-hours a day. All guests stay in the villa itself which has 46 rooms overlooking the surrounding Chianti vineyards. The villa also arranges wine tasting trips and excursions into Florence.

Cost: Courses start at $1,300 and include accommodations and cooking classes.

Visit www.villasanmichele.com for more information.

Gourmet Retreats, Casa Lana, Calistoga, California (Napa Valley)

It’s hard not to get into the spirit of cooking at this one-acre property. Aromatic herbs grow along all the walkways, and the land is rich with a vegetable garden and numerous fruit trees including peach and fig. The one to five day classes change focus seasonally. While all cover basics such as knife skills, winter courses emphasize braising and slow cooking while the summer is more about grilling. The six-hour days also include excursions to local olive oil makers or beef producers. Students enjoy their meal with wine and also receive a manual with everything covered in class. There are two guest rooms on site and several bed and breakfasts within walking distance.

Cost: Classes start at $160. Accommodations add on another $175 a night.

Visit www.gourmetretreats.com for more information.

La Villa Bonita, Cuernavaca, Mexico

Located just outside of Mexico City in a traditional 16^th century hacienda, this school offers four and seven day classes on Mexican cuisine. The six participants start each morning by visiting the local markets with their instructor to select the ingredients for the day which include making tortillas, salsas, mole dishes, empanadas or flan. There are also trips to nearby villages to sample regional cuisine. Guests stay in the villa itself in spacious, light-filled rooms and can enjoy the property’s pool during their downtime. At the end of their stay, they get a set of Mexican cooking utensils including a comal, the flat-iron used to make tortillas.

Cost: Classes start at $1150 and include accommodations, airport pickup, classes, breakfast, lunch, all tours and one on one time with the chef.

Visit www.lavillabonita.com for more information.

The Conscious Gourmet, Six annual retreats in various U.S, locations including Santa Fe, the Catskill Mountains and Sedona.

You won’t pack on the pounds at this healthy culinary academy which has three and five-day programs taught by Diane Carlson, the former co-president and chef of the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health in New York City. The emphasis is on fresh, unprocessed, high-quality food. Students prepare multi-course meals starting with a soup and ending with dessert (all sweets are made using natural sweeteners). Haddock with kalamata olives, tomatoes and basil and chocolate mousse cake with fudge frosting are just some the recipes participants will learn. Mornings start with yoga classes or hikes, and evenings consist of related lectures such talks on the relationship between food and mood. The classes are typically held at retreat centers.

Cost: Classes start at $795 and include yoga, breakfast, lunch, classes, lectures, hiking trips and, in most cases, accommodations.

Visit www.theconsciousgourmet.com for more information.

Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School, Chiang Mai, Thailand

This famous school in northern Thailand offers one to five day courses on Thai cooking. Students get an introduction to Thai ingredients and make pastes and noodle dishes and learn how to carve fruits and vegetables. Each recipe is demonstrated by an English speaking chef, and after preparing four dishes, students sit down to enjoy their food while surrounded by miles of lush green rice paddies. Accommodations are at the nearby Jasmine Rice Village, a resort that features balconies, ethnic Thai décor and views of rice fields and water feeding buffalo from its 15 rooms.

Cost: Classes start at $130 and include accommodations, cooking classes, dinner and a tour of the local handicraft village.

Visit www.thaicookeryschool.com for more information.

***This article was written by Guest Contributor and New York Times Journalist Shivani Vora. To view Shivani’s full bio and contact information click here!***