Muggles Can Mingle at Some of England’s ‘Harry Potter’ Haunts

Fans can visit locations used in the film “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in England with International Travel Marketing, a California tour company that specializes in small-group tours.

The eight-day tour will visit Gloucester Cathedral, Oxford and the medieval village of Lacock in Wiltshire. At the National Birds of Prey Centre in Gloucestershire, owls similar to Harry’s are on display, and a visit to Cheddar Gorge and Caves is on tap. Activities for children will include ghost hunting, divining at ancient stone circles and learning about Celtic myths and magic along the Wales-England border. Departure dates are year-round.

Cost: $1,795 per adult and $1,275 for children 12 and younger, including hotels, van transportation, daily breakfast and dinner, entrance fees and taxes. Air fare is extra.

Contact: International Travel Marketing; (800) 830-1083, smallgrouptouring.com.

Spain: Pilgrims’ Path

Break in the hiking boots and pack a camera for a 14-day walking trip along the Iberian Peninsula to the Spanish holy city of Santiago de Compostela. The walk traces part of the trail that pilgrims have traveled for 1,200 years.

The group will meet their guides in the Basque capital of Pamplona, then travel north to the base of the Pyrenees and the scenic town of Roncesvalles.

The trip will focus on the most beautiful parts of the trail, and walks will average nine to 12 miles per day. Most of the terrain is flat, and the walking should be easy, but there will be a support vehicle if needed. Tour guides will be available at landmarks and cities along the way, offering background information on the castles, monasteries and villages. Tour company Spanish Steps has several departure dates from April through October.

Cost: $2,899 per person, double occupancy, including hotels, all meals, guides and support van. Air fare to Pamplona is extra.

Contact: Spanish Steps; (877) 787-WALK (787-9255), www.spanishsteps.com.

Tanzania: Safari

Travelers can take in the sights and sounds of Serengeti National Park, East Africa’s well-known game reserve. Park East’s eight-day “Classic Tanzania” will take tour-goers by Land Rover into the Ngorongoro Crater, which has a high concentration of wildlife. Next they will visit Olduvai Gorge, where a 1.7 million-year-old hominid fossil skull was discovered in 1959. Groups of 10 or more can visit Tanzanian schools as part of Park East’s Bring a Book program. Tours are available throughout the year.

Cost: from $2,995 per person, double occupancy, including lodging, most meals and entrance fees. Air fare to Arusha, Tanzania, is extra.

Contact: Park East; (800) 223-6078, www.parkeast.com.

Spain: Architecture

A study tour hosted by Pierce College will take architecture enthusiasts to Spain from June 14 to July 13. Constance Moffatt, an art historian, and John Maloney, an architect, will lead the tour. Participants will share apartments in Madrid. Excursions to Barcelona, Granada, Cordoba and Seville are planned. Spanish classes are included. Three college credits can be earned.

Cost: $2,350 per person, double occupancy, including classes, museum entrance fees, ground transportation and guided excursions. Air fare to Madrid and meals are extra.

Contact: Constance Moffatt; (818) 710-4365, www.accentintl.com.

Brazil: Eco-Tour

Creepy crawly things, exotic plants and animals are the stars of a trip to the Amazon and Pantanal regions of Brazil. The tour, July 17 to Aug. 2, will be led by tropical biologist Paul Abravaya. The Amazon will be explored on a four-day cruise on the Rio Negro that includes jungle treks, canoeing, a visit to Monkey Island rehabilitation center and the city of Manaus. Pantanal is an area of grasslands and waterways. The group will see waterfalls, birds, canyons and flora. The tour will end in a visit to Rio de Janeiro with a day at Copacabana beach and a city tour.

Cost: $3,420 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles and other major cities, accommodations in lodges and hotels, transportation, tours and most meals.

Contact: Tropical Eco-Tours; (888) 900-1326, www.tropicalecotours.com.

Puerto Rico: Architecture

Architect and historian Berenice Sueiro, a native of Puerto Rico, will lead a trip to explore the island’s art and architecture Feb. 1 to 9.

A historical and architectural walking tour of Old San Juan will include El Morro, one of the oldest fortresses in the New World; the Museo de las Americas, which has a collection of folk art from the Americas; and historic churches and many art galleries. Also planned is a tour of the new Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, featuring historical and contemporary Puerto Rican artists.

On a day trip from San Juan, tourgoers will explore the lush rain forest trails at Caribbean National Forest (El Yunque) with a naturalist and visit the historic town of Ponce during its annual carnival celebration, which includes dances and parades. Also on the itinerary are visits to the Hacienda Buena Vista, a former restored coffee plantation, and artists’ studios and private homes.

Cost: $2,495 per person, double occupancy, including hotels, 18 meals, ground transportation and all entrance fees. Air fare is not included.

Contact: Smithsonian Study Tours; (877) 338-8687, www.smithsonianstudytours.org.

Costa Rica: Two Coasts

Cross Costa Rica and see the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea on a 10-day tour with AFC Tours and Cruises of San Diego.

Participants will visit Tortuguero National Park to see Atlantic turtles’ nesting place, the Rio Frio, Cano Negro wildlife refuge and Arenal Volcano and take a guided tour of a cloud forest. Available departures are Feb. 1 to 10 and Nov. 1 to 10.

Cost: $2,139 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, some meals, accommodations and airport transfer service.

Contact: AFC Tours; (800) 369-3693, www.afctours.com.

Antarctica: Cruise

Fathom Expeditions’ trips to Antarctica take place in that continent’s summer, when the ice breaks up, the sun shines day and night, and penguin chicks are just getting their balance. The crew will take passengers on Zodiac boats to get closer looks at whales, seals and penguin colonies. The tour will begin in Buenos Aires before a flight to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, where passengers board the expedition ship, which will sail the Beagle Channel to Drake Passage and on to Antarctica.

Other itineraries include South Georgia Island and the Falkland Islands. Departure dates are Jan. 5, 14 and 25.

Cost: from $4,670 per person, double occupancy, including all meals, tours in Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, hotels, baggage handling and on-board lectures. Air fare to Argentina is extra.

Contact: Conference World Tours; (800) 387-1488, www.fathomexpeditions.com.

Britain: Double the Fun

A double-decker bus is a hotel on wheels for travelers who want to tour the Yorkshire countryside. Five-day tours depart weekly from May through October. The bus has four twin cabins, two restrooms, showers and a dining room. The tour includes stops at the coastal town of Whitby, the walled city of York and the market town of Thirsk.

Cost: $598 per person, double occupancy, including guides and all breakfasts and dinners. Air fare to London and transportation to York are extra.

Contact: British Travel Bureau; (866) 872-7377, www.britishtravelbureau.com.

Arizona: In Circles

CIE Tours International plans six-day bus tours of Arizona. The route begins and ends in Phoenix and passes by or through the Grand Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon, Montezuma Castle National Monument, an ancient five-story Indian dwelling carved into a cliff, Dry Creek Basin and Boynton Canyon. Also planned are a Jeep ride through Sedona to Thunder Mountain and a rail excursion in Verde Canyon. Included are five hotel nights--two at the Ramada Valley Ho Resort in Scottsdale and three at the Arroyo Roble in Sedona.

Cost: from $899 per person, double occupancy, including hotels, two full and two continental breakfasts, a box lunch, two dinners, airport transfers, tour bus and guides. Departures are Tuesdays from Feb. 19 to Nov. 5. Air fare to Phoenix is extra.

Contact: CIE Tours International; (800) 243-8687, www.cietours.com.

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