(FORTUNE Magazine) – Sunbathing on the beach may look sublime in travel ads, but enough of today's multitasking executives want to do more on their weekends away than get a tan, which helps explain the growing popularity of mini-learning vacations. Whether it's a course on identifying antiques, concocting the recipes of famous chefs, or mastering rock climbing, weekend "upskilling" is a hot phenomenon. Traditionally such programs were held on college campuses, and participants had to rough it in dorms or cheap motels. Increasingly, however, first-class resort hotels are offering guests a chance to pick up a new skill or two--quickly. Here's a sampling of some of the more intriguing options.

THE EQUINOX

The British School of Falconry has opened its first U.S. outpost at the plush 18th-century Equinox resort/spa in Manchester Village, Vt. You begin with a 45-minute introductory course on handling birds of prey, for $120. The first order of business is learning to greet the school's collection of 12 Harris hawks. (Some, like the females Moet and Chandon, are named after brands of giant British distiller Guinness, the major shareholder of the Equinox and its famous sister hotel, Gleneagles, in Scotland.)

Ten minutes into the lesson, one of the majestic birds will be perched on your gloved left fist as an instructor discusses the nuances of flying them. A gentle swoop of the arm sends the hawk skyward, but to get the crafty raptor back you must bait him with a piece of beef. Keeping the birds at their perfect flying weight requires more daily weigh-ins and food measurements than the Jenny Craig diet.

Once you've mastered the flight and retrieval process, you can take a walk with one of the hawks in the lush meadowlands surrounding the Equinox. The birds follow participants from tree to tree, "sort of like a dog with wings," laughs instructor Robert Waite. Or sign up for a hunt at a nearby game preserve, and watch the birds zero in on rabbits, quail, and pheasants. Prices range from $130 for a 90-minute walk to $398 for a full-day hunt.

For a slightly less predatory experience, the Equinox has joined forces with Land Rover to offer courses on how to handle your four-wheel-drive sport-utility vehicle on ice-slicked roads or steep terrain. "I thought I knew a lot about driving," says Philip Gilpin, CEO of privately held ACE Transportation in Boston, "because I do some 75,000 miles a year." Then he took Land Rover's $120 introductory class and for one hour tackled a stomach-turning obstacle course of winding ascents, foot-high rocks, and sudden dips. "Now," says Gilpin, who plans to return for more, "I can handle the steepest inclines and all of Boston's potholes in my Ford Explorer."

To get drivers comfortable with off-road adversity, instructors have participants wheeling over log bridges and scaling the sides of hills in one of three models--the Range Rover 4.0 SE, the Defender 90, or the Discovery. During winter months, the school will make use of Vermont's snow to teach the rules of cold-weather traction. Besides the school's own course, Land Rover offers a more advanced experience: tackling the trails and old logging roads in the nearby Green Mountains. Prices start at $315 for two-hour outings for one, two, or three people; rates go up to $995 for a full day.

The Equinox offers an array of other programs, including horseback riding, fly-fishing, croquet, and a full spa. Room rates range from $159 to $899; 800-362-4747.

DISNEY INSTITUTE

When the Institute opened in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., last year, skeptics assumed that Disney's new theme vacations of "discovery and exploration" would be, well, a bit Mickey Mouse. But even jaded globetrotters are finding the institute's offerings sophisticated, ambitious in scope, and rewarding. Best of all, Disney will babysit the kids: Classes on the inner workings of show biz and closely supervised field trips around Disney World are available for kids ages 7 to 15. (Children who are 10 or older can also participate in adult programs with their parents.)

The institute currently lists 40 courses; you can pick up skills on everything from self-defense and TV production to outdoor photography. "The people who take our courses are professionals, and it's important that we don't waste their time," says Karen Nelson Sinibaldi, who teaches Internet navigation and desktop publishing. One of her students, for example, wanted to create a human resources Web page for her company. Sinibaldi helped her locate the sites for pacesetting companies in the field, like Southwest Airlines, which the student used as a guideline.

At the institute, which sprawls over 57 acres, you design your own schedule. The average course lasts three hours, which means you can squeeze in up to three classes each day. Beware: Culinary (Taste of the World, Healthy Cooking, Studio Baking) and animation (Computer Animation, Clay Animation, Disney Voices) courses are in great demand, so book early. Former Pan Am executive Alan Loflin raves about a wine-tasting class amusingly called Wine, Wonders, and Song: "I had studied with a master sommelier before going to Disney, but I still learned a lot about the subtle differences between Chiantis and pinot grigios."

If you prefer lighter fare, there are plenty of other activities. Celebrities like actor James Earl Jones and director Martin Scorsese have been known to drop by for afternoon forums. And the huge fitness center is a marvel: a sea of Cybex machines, interactive videogames in front of each Stairmaster, and treatments like aromatherapy body massages and seaweed facials. Six swimming pools are scattered throughout the campus.

Prices, based on double occupancy, start at $499 for three nights, the minimum stay. The three-day package includes a one bedroom suite in a clapboard bungalow, all classes, baggage handling, gratuities, and a one-day pass to any Disney theme park. The optional three-meal plan at the institute's restaurant, Seasons, is $51 per day, and spa treatments begin at $35; 800-496-6337.

HYATT RESORTS

Hyatt launched several new "enrichment programs" this past spring. On the high road, Hyatt has opened a Hopi Indian Learning Center at its Scottsdale, Ariz., resort. Lectures on Hopi migration, burial grounds, and language will round out the resort's white-water rafting and desert tours. Rates are $300 to $2,055 for a four-room casita; 800-233-1234.

But perhaps the best example of "enrichment" Hyatt is offering is on a, well, lower road. Rather than clutter your garage space--and credit card--with a trendy Harley-Davidson Fat Boy (the toy of choice on Wall Street these days), head to Hyatt's Coral Gables, Fla., resort for the Hop on a Harley program. Licensed motorcycle drivers can rent Harleys there for $150 per day or $699 a week. The really good news is that most Harley models are available; you can cruise the boulevards on anything from an FLHR Road King to the FLSTF Fat Boy. Hyatt will also make arrangements for novices to take a 22-day training course at the local Motorcycle Safety Foundation, located 20 minutes away. You'll learn how to shift, turn, navigate traffic, and brake; the proper Harley wardrobe and attitude must be acquired on your own time. Upon completion, you'll receive a certificate that can be redeemed for a license in most states. The price is about $180.

Room rates range from $189 to $1,800 for a bi-level suite; 800-233-1234.