Camels and Tents in a Faraway Land--Tunisia

Amelia Tours’ 12-day “Golden Tunisia” itinerary is designed to expose travelers to unusual or little-known sites in the north African nation. Guests will explore the ancient ruins of Carthage; walk through Tunis’ medina, the historical and cultural heart of the old town; and visit the resort towns along the eastern coast of Tunisia, including Mahdia and Sousse.

The group also will see the isolated Sahara Desert and stay overnight in a deluxe camp, see the film locations for “Star Wars” in Matmata, ride a camel and dance with local tribal people at a folkloric dinner under tents.

Tour departures are scheduled for April 27 and Oct. 8.

Cost: from $2,800 per person, double occupancy, including hotels, daily breakfast, tour escort, round-trip airport transfers, hotel taxes and entrance fees. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Amelia Tours; telephone (800) 742-4591.

Alaska: Cruise

View Alaska’s Inside Passage from the deck of the Spirit of ’98 on a one-way cruise between Seattle and Juneau (air fare back is included). The ports include Ketchikan, Skagway and Haines. The ship, which accommodates up to 96 passengers, will cruise in Misty Fjords National Monument, Tracy Arm Fiord, Frederick Sound (for whale viewing) and Glacier Bay National Park.

Cost: from $2,565 per person, double occupancy, including the seven-night voyage and an eighth night at a Juneau hotel preceding or after the cruise. Call Cruise West for departure dates.

Contact: Cruise West, 2401 4th Ave., Suite 700, Seattle, WA 98121; tel. (800) 426-7702.

Southwest: Indians

The remote, rugged land of southern Arizona and New Mexico is the locale where leaders and warriors such as Cochise and Geronimo led small bands of Apaches against the forces of the U.S. and Mexico in a series of clashes known collectively as the Apache Wars.

“Apache Wars: Cochise, Geronimo and Crook” is a learning vacation offered by HistoryAmerica Tours, in partnership with the History Channel. The seven-night tour begins March 19 in Mesa, Ariz. Neil Mangum, expert on the Apache Wars, will be the guide. A special guest will be Silas Cochise, great-grandson of the legendary chief.

The group will tour the sites of the Bascom Affair in Siphon Canyon, the Ghost Dance at Cibicue Creek, the historic crossroads of Apache Pass, the ruins of Ft. Bowie and the site of Geronimo’s capture. Also included in the exploration are Ft. Verde, Ft. Huachuca and Ft. Lowell.

Cost: $1,395 per person, double occupancy, including hotel accommodations, transportation via deluxe motor coach and 14 meals.

Contact: HistoryAmerica Tours, P.O. Box 797687, Dallas, TX 75379; tel. (800) 628-8542, Internet https:// www.historyamerica.com.

Canada: By Sea and Air

A five-night tour offered by Martin’s Travel & Tours begins with a three-day cruise from Los Angeles May 10 to Vancouver, British Columbia, aboard the Ocean Princess. Arrival in Vancouver is followed by a floatplane flight over the Gulf Islands, landing in Victoria Harbour.

After an overnight stay at the Sooke Harbour House Inn & Restaurant, a BC Ferry excursion through the Gulf Islands returns the group to Vancouver for a night at the luxury Metropolitan Hotel.

Activities along the way include tours of Victoria and Butchart Gardens, a Native American-hosted dinner and show, and shopping in Vancouver. Visitors return by air to Los Angeles on May 15.

Cost: from $1,345 per person, double occupancy, including the cruise, all meals on board, hotels with breakfasts, dinner show in Vancouver and air transportation.

Contact: Roxanna Galbreath at Martin’s Travel & Tours; tel. (310) 390-7685.

England: Teatime

Enjoy a cup of tea (actually, several cups), with a small-group tour of England that highlights traditional British teatime. May 22 to June 3, four days in London will include tea at Claridges Hotel and Fortnum & Mason. Also planned is a tour of Windsor Castle, a pub walk and a night at the theater. The next stop will be Bath, with a private tea at a country manor owned by the royal family.

A small village outside Bath will be the setting for a traditional dinner served in a private home. Shakespeare’s hometown, Stratford-on-Avon, is the next stop, for a theater performance, followed by a visit to Warwick Castle and two days in the Cotswolds, with a garden tea in the quaint village of Castle Combe.

Cost: $3,595 per person, double occupancy, including international round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, most meals, teas and entrance fees. Group size is limited to 12.

Contact: Penelope’s Tea Time, tel. (310) 640-2190, Internet https://www.PenelopesTeaTime .com; or Del Amo Travel, tel. (800) 553-2744.

Europe: Hiking

Trips ‘n’ Trails is offering four hiking trips to Europe this spring and summer. The itineraries are suitable for hikers of all abilities and are planned for wildflower season. Hiking each day starts from a picturesque mountain village where travelers will stay in small inns.

Tuscany, May 18 to 31: hiking and sightseeing in Chianti and Florence, including two nights at the Maggio Music Festival, four days on the island of Elba. Cost: $2,450.

Switzerland, July 1 to 15: The group will explore two areas, Bernese Alps and Valais. Cost: $2,350.

Italy, July 15 to 29: the Lake Garda region, Verona and opera, the Dolomites. Cost: $2,350.

Italy/Austria, July 29 to Aug. 12: the Lake Garda region, opera in Verona and the Tirolean mountains of Austria. Cost: $2,300.

All prices are per person, double occupancy, and include transfers, rooms with private bath, local taxes, all breakfasts, most dinners and services of experienced local guides. Not included: international air fare and lunches.

Contact: Trips ‘n’ Trails; tel. (800) 969-3575, Internet https://www.psln.com/trails.

Ohio River: Cruise

Relive the music of the ‘50s and ‘60s on the American Queen paddle-wheel steamboat July 24 to 28. The cruise will go from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh on the Ohio River, with port stops along the way in Ohio and West Virginia.

Performing on the cruise will be Jon “Bowzer” Bauman (formerly of Sha Na Na), Danny and the Juniors with Joe Terry, and Terry Mike Jeffrey, who impersonates Elvis.

Cost: from $980 per person, double occupancy, including all meals and entertainment on board, a welcome reception and a captain’s dinner. Round-trip air fare and transfers can be added for $150. Pre- and post-hotel stays are also available.

Contact: Don Eslinger at Historic Tours of America, 20325 Seabright Lane, Huntington Beach, CA 92646; tel. (714) 536-3434.

Japan: Culture

Music, theater and traditional Japanese culture are the focus of a trip Oct. 3 to 16. World music expert Tom Schnabel, host of NPR’S “Cafe LA” on KCRW-FM (89.9), will lead the trip along with longtime Japan resident and expert Steve Mime. Cities to be visited include Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. The tour begins in Tokyo, where for five days travelers explore public art, architecture, music and theater. They are introduced to Kabuki theater and Shinto music in a shrine.

After a ride on the bullet train, guests arrive in Kyoto to visit Zen temples, monasteries and gardens. They experience a classic tea ceremony, demonstrations by master artists and craftspeople, a walking tour of the Gion district and a performance by a noh theater group. During an afternoon trip to Osaka, participants dine while watching a performance of bunraku, a traditional puppet theater. Guests will walk three to five miles each day.

Cost: $3,500 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from Los Angeles, accommodations, most meals and entrance fees.

Contact: Rachel Newman at Esprit Travel, 2101 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 101, Santa Monica, CA 90403; tel. (310) 829-6060 or (800) 377-7481.

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