Tours

12 days / 11 nights. Highlights: Venice / Roman Arena in Verona / “David,” Baptistry, artisans in Florence / Siena / wine tasting in Chianti / Rome / Villa d’Este / Pompeii / Isle of Capri / day cruise along the Amalfi Coast. Land, from $4,045. Single supp., $932. Intrepid Vacations (Riverton, NJ; 800 / 505-5497).

17-day / 16-night tour includes whitewater rafting, camping, Dec. 1-18, 2013 & Feb. 3-19, 2014. Highlights: Tiger’s Nest / Thimphu / rafting on Pho Chhu (Pho River), Mangde Chhu, Drangme Chhu / Trongsa Museum / Bumthang / bird-watching in Thrumshingla National Park. Land, $7,495. Single supp., $560. O.A.R.S. (Angels Camp, CA; 800 / 346-6277).

7-day/6-night tour, Sept. 23-28, 2014, includes passes to Ryder Cup golf tournament. Highlights: Explore Edinburgh/watch final practice rounds at Gleneagles/Ryder Cup Opening Ceremony/Fourball and Foursomes matches/Closing Ceremony/Glasgow/Loch Lomond/Oban/play golf at Musselburgh, “oldest golf course in the world.” Land, from $5,450. Kensington Tours (Wilmington, DE; 888/903-2001). 

Bali’s Ulun Danu Temple can be visited on a yoga retreat with Sacred Earth Journeys.
10 days/9 nights, Nov. 2-11, 2013. Highlights: Daily yoga and meditation sessions/Pura Luhur Uluwatu temple/legong dance show at Ubud Palace/cycle through Ubud rice paddies/Don Antonio Blanco Museum/walk through rainforest and swim under Les Waterfall/West Bali National Park/snorkel at Menjangan Island/Ulun Danu Temple. Land, $1,995. Single supp., $650. Sacred Earth Journeys, Ltd. (Burnaby, BC, Canada; 877/874-7922).

11 days/10 nights, March 17-27, 2015. Highlights: Capital of Faroe Islands, Torshavn/Tinganes, the world’s oldest parliament/1,000-year-old St. Olav’s church/view solar eclipse with an astronomer/in Iceland, aurora borealis/Skogar Folk Museum/Gullfoss waterfall/Geysir Hot Springs/Hvalfjörður fjord. Land, $7,110. Single supp., $1,600. Note: take first five days of tour only for $3,810; single supp., $1,200. The Great Canadian Travel Company (Winnipeg, MB, Canada; 800/661-3830).

12 days/10 nights, Sept. 19-30, 2013. Highlights: In Moscow, Fabergé eggs and crown jewels at the Kremlin/Bolshoi Theatre backstage tour/in St. Petersburg, Hermitage Museum/Peterhof. From Los Angeles, $5,990. Single supp., $1,290. EastWest Tours (Placentia, CA; 800/359-6719).

13 days / 12 nights, Feb. 22-March 7, 2013. Highlights: Dancers, drummers, torchbearers and 100 decorated elephants in the Nawam Maha Perahera Festival in Colombo / frescoes in fifth-century Sigiriya Rock Fortress / hill capital of Kandy / Bo Tree in Anura­dhapura / Dambulla rock cave temple / tea plantations in Nuwara Eliya / Yala National Park for wildlife / Dutch city of Galle / Bentota beach. Land, $3,550. Single supp., $995. Round-trip airfare from L.A., from $990 plus airport taxes. Ceylon Express International (Huntington Beach, CA; 800 / 423-9566).

7 days/6 nights, Oct. 11-17, 2013. Highlights: Cooking classes from cookbook author Joanne Weir/St. Remy market/chocolate tasting/olive oil, local rosé wine and sea salt tastings/visit Châteauneuf-du-Pape wineries/Academy of Wine & Taste dinner at Château de Clary/Les Baux/Uzès market. Land, $5,000. Single supp., $1,000. Joanne Weir’s Culinary Journeys (San Francisco, CA; 415/262-0260).