Tours

October 2013 issue

“La Via Francigena”

14-day/13-night walking tour on a pilgrims’ path in ITALY, Sept. 23-Oct. 6 and Oct. 10-23, 2014. From 11 to 15 miles of walking per day. Highlights: Piazza del Campo, Siena/Castiglione/walk through olive groves by Lake Bolsena/walk the Roman road Via Cassia/City of the Popes, Viterbo/Etruscan amphiteater in Sutri/Via Trionfale (Road of Triumph)/Saint Peter’s Square, Rome. Land, $3,400 (near $4,536). Single supp., $400. Spanish Steps (Aspen, CO; 877/787-9255).

June 2013 issue

“Bali Bliss Retreat”

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).
November 2013 issue

“Faroe Islands Solar Eclipse & Iceland Aurora”

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).

April 2013 issue

“Russia”

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).

January 2013 issue

Sri Lanka’s Nawam Maha Perahera Festival

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).

February 2013 issue

“Culinary Journey To Provence, France”

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).

September 2013 issue

“North Iceland Aurora Challenge”

9 days / 7 nights, Feb. 20-28, 2014. Highlights: From Reykjavík, travel west to climb Grabrok Volcano / learn about Icelandic horses / Akureyri, capital of northern Iceland / Eyjafjörður, Iceland’s longest fjord / microbrew beer tasting / view aurora borealis at Lake Mývatn / Namaskar hot springs / snowshoe in a lava labyrinth at Dimmuborgir / Goðafoss waterfall / Christmas garden / fish-leather tannery at Sauðárkrókur. Land, from $1,450. Single supp., $250. Brekke Tours & Travel (Grand Forks, ND, 800 / 437-5302). 

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December 2012 issue

Route of The Caravans

17-day / 16-night Silk Road tour; departures April 13, May 12, July 14, Sept. 8 and Oct. 6, 2013. Highlights: 11th-century caravan towns near Bishkek, KYRGYZSTAN / Almaty, KAZAKHSTAN / Akbar’s pottery house in Tashkent, UZBEKISTAN / visit artisans in Ferghana valley / Samarkand / Bukhara / Khiva / Khujand, TAJIKISTAN / Ashgabat, TURKMENISTAN. Land, $5,280. Single supp., $620. Bestway Tours & Safaris (Burnaby, BC, Canada; 800 / 663-0844).