Coast wildlife of land, sea and air in the Inside Passage

CANADA

Paddle a kayak through the misty, sheltered islands of British Columbia’s Inside Passage on a quest for orcas, eagles, grizzlies and other wildlife.

The summer trips, which are suitable for novice kayakers, are timed to coincide with the annual gathering of killer whales, the huge orcas, which travel in pods of six or more off the coast of Vancouver Island in search of salmon.

“The whales are funneled through the narrow channels, usually in small groups but sometimes in super-pods as large as 100 whales,” said David Arcese, expedition director. “You feel an overwhelming awe at being so close to them.”

Arcese said the salmon also draw grizzly bears, which fish from shore, and hundreds of eagles.

Orca adventures are three to five days; some include a one-day trip aboard a whale-watching boat besides kayaking trips. Participants stay in tents in a base camp. Other types of trips, including a one-day grizzly watching excursion, are also available.

Cost: The four-day trip is $799 per person, including lodging, food, equipment, guide services and transportation from Port McNeill, B.C., to the base camp. Transportation from Los Angeles to Port McNeill is not included. Trips are scheduled from June 29 through Sept. 15.

Contact: Northern Lights Expeditions; (800) 754-7402, www.seakayaking.com.

ENGLAND

A high point

for World War II aviation buffs

SOAR with England’s legendary war birds during a tour tailored for historians, World War II buffs and aviation enthusiasts.

The July 5-to-17 trip will include the Flying Legends Air Show, which fills the sky over Duxford with European and American fighter aircraft of the two world wars. The group also will visit various air museums, aircraft collections and World War II museums. It will spend three nights in Stratford-upon-Avon, four nights in Cambridge and three nights in London.

Cost: $3,125 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, accommodations with daily breakfast, transportation, museum and air show fees and other sightseeing trips.

Contact: Irvine-based Jerren Travel Service; (714) 731-8020, www.jerrentravel.com.

FRANCE

Eat, drink and cook with a pair

of local experts

JOIN Denise and Jean-Pierre Moulle -- he is the former head chef of Berkeley’s famed Chez Panisse restaurant -- for four days of cooking and wine tasting in Bordeaux.

The tours, planned June through October, include morning outings to markets and afternoons in the Moulles’ farmhouse kitchen. The group also will visit wine chateaux and cellars in the region.

Other French tours this summer include a week in the Pyrenees and Gascony July 13 to 19, and a visit to the Pyrenees and the Carcassonne region, home of the medieval Cathar sect, Sept. 14 to 19.

Cost: The Bordeaux tour is $1,800 per person, double occupancy, including lunch, dinner and ground transportation. Neither lodging nor airfare from Los Angeles is included.

Contact: Jean-Pierre and Denise Moulle, (510) 848-8741, www.twobordelais.com.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Up by ship, back by train and not

a plane in sight

CRUISE the Pacific Coast from Los Angeles to Vancouver, Canada, then hop aboard a train for your return trip on a holiday that’s made to order for people who like to travel but hate to fly.

The April 29-to-May 11 trip begins with lunch aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach before participants board the Norwegian Sun. The five-day cruise north includes port calls in Seattle and Victoria, Canada.

Tour group members spend two nights in Vancouver before boarding the train to return to Seattle for two nights. They’ll also spend two nights in Portland, Ore., where they’ll ride the Mt. Hood Scenic Railway and visit Multnomah Falls. Other sightseeing excursions are scheduled in Vancouver and Seattle.

The return trip to Los Angeles will be on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train.

Cost: $1,595 per person, double occupancy, including transportation, accommodations, many meals and excursions.

Contact: Walnut Creek-based Train Holidays; (800) 543-2846, www.trainholidays.com/th.

ITALY

From Stradivari

to Verdi, a trip filled with music

TUNE in to Italy on a musical tour that includes opera under the stars.

The June 24-to-July 5 tour includes performances of “Aida” and “Turandot” at Verona’s Summer Opera Festival.

Among other highlights will be a musical evening boat tour of the Venetian canals, dinner at an 18th century palazzo in Verona, featuring the music of Verdi, and a visit to Verdi’s home in Busseto. Participants will also visit Cremona, known for its stringed instrument artisans, and hear music played on an antique Stradivari violin.

Among the places the group will stay: Lake Maggiore, Verona, a village near Venice and Milan.

Cost: $3,375 per person, double occupancy, including accommodations, most meals, ground transportation, some entrance fees and upgraded seating for the opera performances. Airfare from Los Angeles is not included.

Contact: Bel Sogno Tours Inc.; (714) 526-2244, www.belsognotours.com.

The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. These should be confirmed with travel agents, cruise lines or tour operators.