Hitting a High Note at a Sierra Club Program

The Sierra Club, usually known for its high-altitude hiking treks, is sponsoring “Opera in the Mountains,” a weeklong program featuring new and historical recordings, videos, lectures and discussions for opera fans of all levels of knowledge.

The program, limited to a group of 15, will take place Oct. 8 to 14 in a rustic lodge in Donner Pass, just west of Truckee, Calif.

It will include examples of different voices and styles, a seminar on Maria Callas, comparisons of several singers performing the same aria and myriad operatic subjects throughout the daytime and evening hours. In addition to the music, there will be hikes with a guide.

Cost: $595 per person, including lodging and all meals.

Contact: Sierra Club Outings; telephone (415) 977-5522, Internet https://www.sierraclub.org/outings/national. On the Web site the trip is No. 00264A.

Ecuador: Nature

Metropolitan Touring of Ecuador is offering seven- to 11-night trips to the Galapagos Islands and Quito, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The trips feature a four-night stay in Quito, a half-day city sightseeing tour, a full-day Otavalo Indian market excursion with lunch at a country inn and a Galapagos cruise.

The Galapagos segment, which includes all meals, provides three, four or seven nights of lodging. You can stay on the Santa Cruz, a recently renovated 90-passenger ship, or on a hotel-and-yacht program that includes day cruises on the Delfin II motor yacht and overnight stays at Hotel Delfin on Santa Cruz Island.

Cost: from $698 per person, double occupancy, for the seven-day trip and from $1,146 for the 11-night trip. Tours are available year-round. Airport transfers, baggage handling and hotels are included. No meals are included in Quito or Guayaquil. Round-trip air fare is extra.

Contact: Adventure Associates, 13150 Coit Road, Suite 110, Dallas, TX 75240; tel. (800) 527-2500, Internet https://www.ecuadorable.com.

Mideast: Biblical Lands

Mix and match ancient sites on three tours. “Turkey and Greece” is a 22-day program with 14 days of touring in Turkey, including Istanbul, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Antalya, Konya and Cappadocia. The group spends eight days in Greece, including stops in Athens, Corinth, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Olympia and Delphi. Cost: from $1,935 per person, double occupancy.

“Cultural Heritage of Turkey and Egypt” is a 17-day program with 10 days of touring in Turkey, including visits to Istanbul, Ephesus, Pamukkale and Antalya, and seven days in Egypt, including a Nile River cruise. Cost: from $1,595 per person, double.

A 17-day “Treasures of Turkey and Israel” tour offers 10 days in Turkey, including Istanbul, Ephesus, Pamukkale and Antalya, and seven days in Israel, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Netanya. Cost: from $1,695 per person, double. Tours are available on various dates year-round. All tours include entrance fees, buffet or continental breakfast, most dinners, ground transportation, transfers, taxes and service charges. Air fare for all tours is extra.

Contact: Tursem Tours, 55 W. 39th St., Suite 205, New York, NY 10018; tel. (800) 223-9169, Internet https://www.tursemtours.com.

Canada: Kayaking

Kayaking trips leave weekly until Sept. 3 from Vancouver Island to explore the islands and channels of Queen Charlotte Strait between Vancouver Island’s northeastern coastline and mainland British Columbia.

Trip participants will paddle two-person sea kayaks for six days. Along the way, naturalist guides will point out killer whales, porpoises, bald eagles and black bears. No previous kayaking experience is necessary; guides will teach kayaking skills.

Cost: $995 per person, including kayaks, paddling gear, camping supplies (including camp chairs), wetsuits and meals while kayaking. Air fare to Canada is extra.

Tours depart from and return to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island.

Contact: Sea Kayak Adventures; tel. (800) 616-1943, Internet https://www.seakayakadventures.com.

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