Tours & cruises: the Grand Canyon and more

GRAND CANYON, ARIZ.

By rail to the gorgeous gorge

Fall deeply in love as the Grand Canyon Railway’s four-day “Romance to the Rim” package whisks the two of you to comfort at the canyon’s edge.

Itinerary: Round-trip travel from Williams to the South Rim.

Dates: Through Jan. 29.

Price: $399 per adult (double occupancy), including first-class train travel, two nights at the recently renovated Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, one night at El Tovar, a narrated motor coach tour of the South Rim, most meals including dinner with wine in El Tovar’s dining room, an in-room bottle of sparkling wine and a fruit basket.

Info: Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Greenwood Village, Colo.; (800) 843-8724, www.thetrain.com.

HONOLULU

Whooping it up at Waikiki

Celebrate the Royal Hawaiian’s relaunch at its grand opening gala; the Pink Palace celebrates its major renovation on March 7 and is offering the “Grand Opening Gala Package” to draw revelers to its Waikiki location.

Dates: March 5 to 10.

Price: Starting at $1,680 per couple (mention rate code GALAPKG), including a three-night stay, daily breakfast, two tickets to the grand opening gala and the pre-gala event, a tour of the historic hotel and a souvenir gift.

Info: Royal Hawaiian, Honolulu; (866) 716-8140, www.royal-hawaiian.com.

ISRAEL

A show of faiths

Take a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to experience the highly spiritual sites of the three main Abrahamic religions. Tours include visits to the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, the Sea of Galilee, the Mount of Olives, Qumran and the Dead Sea.

Itinerary: Tel Aviv to Caesarea, Haifa, Tiberias, Nazareth and Jerusalem.

Dates: April 20 to 29.

Price: $2,998 per person (double occupancy; single supplement $650), including round-trip airfare from L.A., nine nights in upscale hotels, private guided tours via motor coach, private airport transfers in Israel and most meals. Airport tax is not included.

Info: Hope Lutheran Church, Los Angeles; (323) 938-9135, www.hopelutheranchurch.net/trips.php or Harvey Wehrmeister, (323) 874-7206.

GREECE

Island hopping on a budget

Cruise the Greek islands even if you’re not awash in cash. The seven-day “Grecian Delights” itinerary island hops through azure Mediterranean waters aboard the intimate Viking Star.

Itinerary: Rhodes to Nissiros, Kalymnos, Kos, Halki, Symi and Lindos.

Dates: May 7 through Oct. 8.

Price: Starting at $872 per person.

Info: Zeus Casual Cruises, New York; (800) 319-7776, www.varietycruises.com.

AUSTRALIA

Camera-ready locations

Live the set of the Hugh Jackman-Nicole Kidman movie by visiting featured locations on the northwestern part of the continent with Intrepid Travel’s 10-day “Australia on Location” package.

Itinerary: Broome to the Windjana Gorge, Mt. Barnett, El Questro, Kununurra, Kakadu National Park and Darwin.

Dates: Various departures from July to October.

Price: From $3,490 per person, including taxes; three nights in a hotel and six nights camping; guide services; four-wheel-drive vehicle, boat and plane transport; and six breakfasts, seven lunches and six dinners. Excludes international airfare, airport transfers, sleeping bag rental ($25 if you don’t take your own) and visa and passport fees.

Info: Intrepid Travel, Boulder, Colo.; (800) 970-7299, www.intrepidtravel.com.

-- Avital Binshtock

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itinerary@latimes.com