TOURS & CRUISES

ECUADOR

Galapagos’ mild wild animals

JOURNEY to the Galapagos Islands with the Sierra Club and marine biologist Carolyn Braun.

The two-week tour begins Dec. 17 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, with a tour of the historic sights of the country’s major port. The group will then fly to the Galapagos, where participants will embark on the 75-foot motor yacht Estrella del Mar for eight days of cruising.

“These islands are one of the great wonders of the world,” Braun said. “No matter where else you have traveled, the Galapagos experience is unique. Anywhere else, wild animals -- if they can be observed at all -- usually run from sight. In the Galapagos, a person walks among the animals as if you were one of them.”

The itinerary includes stops at most of the major islands, including Bartholome, Fernandina, Isabella, Santa Cruz and North Seymour, although stops may vary slightly depending on weather or other factors.

Local naturalists will point out snorkeling and hiking sites and discuss the flora and fauna of the islands, besides their history and the political forces that affect them.

The group also will fly to Quito and explore the city’s markets; spend a day bird-watching and hiking in the Bellavista Cloud Forest; travel to the equator and tour the Equatorial Monument; and visit Otavalo to see the open-air market known for weavings, ceramics and other crafts.

Cost: $3,395 per person, double occupancy, including all accommodations and meals, internal airfare, transportation and airport transfers. Round-trip airfare from Los Angeles is not included.

Contact: Sierra Club Outings, San Francisco; (415) 977-5522, www.sierraclub.org.

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ITALY

A lake, then a leaning tower

LINGER at Lake Como on a late-summer road trip through Italy.

The 15-day tour, which begins Sept. 1, includes two nights in the Lake District and three nights each in Florence, Rome and Sorrento.

The group will tour Tuscany, take day trips to Capri and the Amalfi Coast and stop in the town of Pisa.

Cost: $4,250 per person, double occupancy ($1,050 single surcharge), including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, hotels and most meals.

Contact: Stan Mazin Travels, Sherman Oaks; (818) 990-4499, www.stanmazin.com.

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EASTERN EUROPE

Solemn and uplifting sites

SAMPLE the old-world ambience of the capitals of Eastern Europe on a two-week tour.

The excursion, which begins Sept. 15, starts in Warsaw, where the itinerary includes Lazienki Park’s palaces and the Chopin Memorial. The group also will visit the Royal Castle and the Cathedral of St. John.

Participants will take a guided tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps outside of Oswiecim, then head to a ski resort in the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia.

In Budapest, Hungary, participants will cruise the Danube. And in Vienna, they will tour the city, the Viennese woods and take a boat ride in the Seegrotte, a subterranean lake formed after a 1912 mining accident.

The last stop on the tour is Prague, Czech Republic. There they will visit the Old Royal Palace, St. Vitus Cathedral and the Golden Lane, St. Nicholas Church and St. George’s Basilica.

Cost: $2,980 per person, double occupancy ($800 single surcharge), including round-trip airfare from L.A., hotels, most meals, tour guide, ground transportation, airport taxes and transfers and entrance fees.

Contact: Hermes Travel and Tours; (310) 701-5556, www.hermestoursonline.com.

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HAWAII

A date with a natural island

Get off the beaten path on a weeklong air, hotel and rental-car package for families on the island of Molokai.

The package, available in August, includes opportunities for kayaking, snorkeling, mountain biking, horseback riding and sport fishing.

Molokai, called Hawaii’s most natural island, receives fewer tourists than some of the more developed islands in the chain; some say it reflects Old Hawaii.

Cost: $1,533 to $1,914 per person, double occupancy ($2,557 to $3,318 single surcharge), including round-trip airfare, seven nights’ accommodations at Molokai Ranch; compact-car rental; and buffet meals for children under 12.

Contact: Pleasant Holidays, Westlake Village; (800) 818-9889, www.pleasantholidays.com or AAA Travel Agency, Automobile Club of Southern California, (877) 222-1020, www.aaa-calif.com.

The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. Send information to Tours & Cruises, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, or e-mail travel@latimes .com.