Folk Art and Embroidery in Prague and Budapest

Specialty World Travel of Boston has designed a tour for people who like folk art, handcrafted beads and glass, and embroidery. The tour, from Sept. 13 to 27, begins in Prague, Czech Republic. Participants will stay at the Hotel Pariz, an example of Art Nouveau architecture. The antiques stores in Prague are full of rare Art Nouveau objects and crystal. Guests also will visit the town of Cesky Krumlov, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where they will explore an ancient castle. Then they will stay overnight in Karlovy Vary, a spa town known for its natural springs and Bohemian crystal.

After Prague, guests will travel by motor coach to Hungary and stay in Budapest at the Gellert Hotel, a spa facility. Excursions include a folk art festival in Pecs, a visit to a ceramic factory, a tour of a rural factory where glass beads are hand-produced and have lunch in the factory owner’s cottage. Glass beads here are a bargain. Guests will attend the annual Paprika Festival in a Hungarian town known for its embroidery and for village artists who create beaded collars.

Cost: $3,995 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from New York, all hotels, breakfast daily, many dinners, luxury motor coach and expert folk art guide.

Contact: Specialty World Travel; telephone (800) 242-2346, Internet https://www.specialtyworldtravel.com.

Middle East: History

Far East Travel is offering a “Middle Eastern Circle Adventure” through ancient biblical, Roman, Crusader and Ottoman locations, Sept. 20 to Oct 9. Among the sites in Turkey: Istanbul, the Dardanelles, Troy, Izmir, Ephesus, Ankara’s Museum of Anatolia, the tufa landscape of Cappadocia and Crusaders’ stops. In Lebanon, guests will visit Sidon, Baalbek and the American University in Beirut; in Damascus, Syria, stops will be made at the Grand Mosque, St. Paul’s Window and the Citadel of Saladin.

In Jordan and Israel, travelers will visit Greco-Roman Jerash, Amman, Petra, Masada, old and new Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth and Jericho. A cruise along Istanbul’s Bosporus Strait completes the trip.

Cost: $4,975 per person, double, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, deluxe hotels, daily breakfast and dinner, guides and lectures.

Contact: Harry Lawrence at Laguna Beach’s Warren Imports; tel. (949) 494-9778.

Italy: Art Workshops

Enjoy a creative renaissance while exploring the treasures of southern Tuscany in workshops that focus on art instruction and writing. The Tuscany Institute, halfway between Rome and Florence in the Val d’Orcia, is offering four excursions led by American artists and writers. Participants will stay in a refurbished, centuries-old farmhouse from which daily excursions will be taken to nearby medieval and Renaissance hilltop towns.

In the first program, July 3 to 9, Susan Vreeland, author of “Girl in Hyacinth Blue,” will lead the tour. Cost: $1,795 per person, double occupancy.

From Aug. 9 to 19, a drawing and pastels workshop will be led by New York artist Gloria Rabinowitz. Cost: $2,765 per person. This is followed by a second writing workshop, Sept. 4 to 10, taught by Howard Junker, author of “The Writer’s Notebook.” Cost: $1,750 per person, double occupancy.

The final program, Oct. 2 to 9, is a watercolor workshop with artist Michael Schlicting. Cost: $2,095 per person, double occupancy.

For each of the programs, enrollment is limited to eight people. Registration fees include accommodations, two meals daily, round-trip ground transfers from a nearby rail station, daily excursions and instruction. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Tuscany Institute, tel. (800) 943-8070.

Turkey: Ancient Ruins

A “Winter Classic Turkey Tour” is a 14-day trips with departures November through March.

The tour visits Istanbul, Ankara, the Cappadocia area, Antalya on Turkey’s Blue Turquoise coast, Pamukkale, Kusadasi and Canakkale. Members will visit such well-known archeological ruins as Ephesus, Troy, Pergamum and Aphrodisias.

Cost: $1,499 per person, double occupancy, including international air fare from LAX, first-class hotels, entrance fees, daily breakfast and nine dinners, and transfers.

Contact: Signe Buck at Troy Tours, 9800 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 618, Los Angeles, CA 90045; tel. (310) 417-3460, Internet https://www.troytours.com.

Peru: Inca Trail

A hike on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is being offered Aug. 11 to 22 and Sept. 1 to 12. Participants will explore archeological sites, native villages and traditional markets that feature Peruvian ceramics, textiles, art and handicrafts.

The trip includes visits to Cuzco, the sacred Valley of the Incas and Machu Picchu, and rafting the Urubamba River.

Cost: $2,475 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, all transportation and flights in Peru, guides, sightseeing tours, hotels, all meals and camping services.

Contact: Andes Adventures, Devy Reinstein, 1323 12th St., Suite F, Santa Monica, CA 90401; tel. (310) 395-5265, Internet https://www.andesadventures.com.

California: Tall Ship

Cruises to Catalina are available aboard the 130-foot historic tall ship American Pride, which will leave from San Pedro for an overnight stop in Catalina Harbor. The casual cruises are an opportunity for passengers to get involved and help with raising sails and working the helm. Accommodations in bunks and all-you-can-eat meals are available for these two-day trips. Dates are Aug. 10 and 11, and Aug. 19 and 20.

Cost: $195 per person, including accommodations and meals.

A four-night cruise to explore Santa Cruz and Catalina islands is available July 15 to 19. Cost: $595 per person.

Contact: American Heritage, Marine Institute; tel. (714) 970-8800, Internet https://www.americanpride.org.

Africa: Crafts Show

A shopping tour to Africa Oct. 27 to Nov. 5 will provide the opportunity to buy arts and crafts, textiles and fine art at the International African Arts and Crafts Trade Show in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. African artists come from all over the continent to showcase their goods in this event, which takes place every two years.

Travelers will also visit Kaya, a village where fabric is dyed and bronze items are made. Also to be visited: Abidjan, Ivory Coast, for lunch and a city tour, and Niamey, Niger, where silver and leather can be purchased.

Cost: $2,384 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from New York, flight between Burkina Faso and Niger, hotels, daily breakfast, ground transportation and guide.

Contact: The African Festival Hotline; tel. (310) 726-9230.

China: Highlights

A 21-day tour of China that covers the major stops is available Sept. 23. Travelers will visit Beijing to see the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace and the Ming Tombs. In Mongolia, guests will sleep in a yurt and visit Buddhist temples.

Three days are spent in Tibet to see the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple. The next cities include Xian, to see the terra-cotta army; Shanghai, to visit museums and attend an acrobatic performance; Suzhou; and Wuxi. The program is led by an expert in Chinese art and history.

Cost: $3,895 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare, hotels, in-country flights, all meals, ground transportation and entrance fees.

Contact: University Education Travel, 1985 Yosemite Ave., Suite 235, Simi Valley, CA 93063; tel. (800) 525-0525, Internet https://www.uet.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.