A Cook’s Tour Through the Mysteries of Morocco

Casablanca-born Kitty Morse, author of nine cookbooks, is hosting her 15th annual trip to Morocco May 29 to June 12. The trip starts in Casablanca, where a city tour includes a visit to a mosque. The tour continues to Rabat to see the Oudaias Kasbah, the Chellah ruins, the Roman ruins at Volubilis, Meknes and the holy city of Moulay Idriss.

Travelers will continue on to Fes, the Middle Atlas Mountains, then to the alpine resort town of Ifrane to share a traditional meal with a Berber family. Also on the itinerary are El Kelaa, Boumalne, Ouarzazate, Marrakech and finally El Jadida for a stay at a resort.

Cost: $4,595 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from New York, accommodations in the best hotel available in each city, air-conditioned coach, most meals and guides.

Contact: Natalie Tuomi at Carefree Vacations, 2727 Roosevelt St., Suite B, Carlsbad, CA 92008; telephone (800) 533-2779 or (760) 720-3454, Internet https://www.kittymorse.com.

Greece: Classics

OPA Tours Greece has two new travel programs for 2001. All tours are led by a Greek archeologist and an American art educator team.

“Classical Greece,” a 12-day tour departing April 30, visits prominent archeological sanctuaries in Athens, Delphi, Marathon, Sounion, Olympia, Epidaurus, Corinth, Mycenae and the excavated sites of Nemea.

A seven-day cruise to the Greek isles and Turkey is an optional addition. Cost: from $2,975.

The 16-day “Hellenic Odyssey” departs Aug. 23. Besides Athens and Delphi, its focus is northern Greece and the area of Epirus. It then goes on to Macedonia and Thessaloniki, Verghina and Pella. This is followed by a private yacht excursion around the sacred Mt. Athos peninsula. A three-day extension to the islands of Mykonos, Rhodes, Patmos and Ephesus is an option. Cost: from $3,740.

Both tours are based on double occupancy and include first-class hotels, round-trip air from New York, all domestic transportation, gratuities, entrance fees, most meals, baggage handling and transfers plus the services of a tour manager and guide throughout.

Contact: OPA Tours Greece; 9345 Glory Ave., Tujunga, CA 91042; tel. (800) 672-7155.

Texas: San Antonio Art

The Collectors’ Council of the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art in Santa Ana has planned a trip to San Antonio, Texas. The focus of the trip will be the San Antonio Museum of Art, where travelers will be given private, curator-led tours of the three main wings of the museum. These include the new $11-million Nelson Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art, the Ancient Art Wing and the Gallery of Oceanic Art.

Other highlights include a cocktail party at a private collector’s home, dinner on a barge on the river and a brunch at La Mansion on San Antonio’s Riverwalk. Accommodations are at the historic Menger Hotel, next door to the Alamo and home of the Roosevelt Bar, where Teddy recruited some of the Rough Riders. Dates are March 1 to 4.

Cost: from $949 per person, double occupancy, depending on the number of travelers, 20 maximum. (Add $165 if you are not already a Bowers Museum and Collectors’ Council member.)

Contact: Janet Seward; tel. (949) 650-4778.

Ohio: Rolling on Rivers

Enjoy a seven-night cruise starting Aug. 28, round trip from Cincinnati, aboard the Delta Queen steamboat. The boat will sail the Ohio and Kanawha rivers to participate in an annual stern-wheel regatta in Charleston, W. Va., followed by a fireworks display over the water.

Cost: from $1,640 per person, double occupancy, including free air fare from Los Angeles if booked by Feb. 28.

Contact: Ken Kaitschuck, Riverboat Cruises, 5550 Riverton Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91601; tel. (818) 762-2744.

Alaska: For Families

Family “safaris” in Alaska for active parents and grandparents and kids 6 to 12 are available from Alaska Wildland Adventures. Trip A (operated June 20 to 28 and Aug. 1 to 9) begins in Fairbanks, where guests board the Alaska Railroad and disembark at Denali National Park for a motor tour and two days of hiking, biking and gold panning, followed by a cruise in Kenai Fiords National Park, a raft ride on the Kenai River, a drive along the scenic Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet and a visit at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Trip B (June 17 to 25 and Aug. 12 to 20) starts and ends in Anchorage and covers about the same ground as Trip A.

Cost: $3,795 per adult, double occupancy, and $3,495 per child, including eight nights in lodges, all meals and ground transport. Sightseeing flights at Denali are extra, as is air fare to Alaska. Other safaris, including one for youths 12 to 19, are available.

Contact: Alaska Wildland Adventures; tel. (800) 334-8730, https://www.alaskawildlandadventures..com.

Amazon: River Cruise

Guidebook writer Rob Rachowiecki will be escorting a natural history tour to the Peruvian Amazon from March 10 to 17. Rachowiecki is also a naturalist and the author of Lonely Planet’s “Peru,” “Ecuador” and “Costa Rica.” Participants will travel more than 650 miles on the Amazon River from Iquitos, Peru, to Tabatinga, Brazil, and back.

The 150-foot-long Rio Amazonas allows for exploration of remote regions in basic comfort. This classic riverboat has three decks, and all passenger cabins have air-conditioning and private baths. Shore boats are used for daily excursions.

Participants may continue their educational adventure with an optional visit to the Andes Mountains to explore Machu Picchu and Cuzco.

Cost: $2,495 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, all meals and guides.

Contact: Charlie Strader at Go Exploring; tel. (800) 446-9660, https://www.goexploring.com.

Montana: Skiing

Adventures Plus, a provider of active vacations in North America, is offering a Big Sky winter multi-sports holiday on March 11. The Huntley Lodge at Big Sky resort will be the headquarters for five nights. Most days are for skiing, but guests will also explore Yellowstone National Park by cross-country skis or snow coach along with naturalist guides. Also planned is a dog sled ride, followed by snowshoeing to a dinner by candlelight in Montana’s back country.

Other meals include a horse-drawn sleigh ride to a remote cabin for dinner and other locals’ favorite restaurants for hearty fare.

Cost: $1,995 per person, double occupancy, including accommodations, some meals and guides. Air fare to Bozeman is extra.

Contact: Adventures Plus; tel. (888) 338-4844, https://www.adventuresplus.com.

Germany: North and East

From April 23 to May 2, a tour is offered that focuses on the northern and eastern portions of Germany. Cities to be visited are Hamburg, the island of Rugen, Mecklenburg, Berlin, Dresden, Weimar, Bamberg and Rothenburg. Hotel stays are two and three nights in each area.

Cost: $3,075 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare, hotels, daily breakfast and dinner, ground transportation. The tour is limited to 20 people.

Contact: Non-Stop Travel; tel. (800) 949-6362; ask for Jeannette.

Ireland: Quality of Light

Join outdoor photographer Linda DeLay-Joseph on a photography tour of western Ireland July 4 to 18.

Set in County Mayo, the tour will visit tiny villages, hidden beaches, ancient abbeys and Druid woods. This is a land of remarkable light and warm people eager to share their rich heritage of music, folklore, literature and history.

Accommodations will be in Hillcrest House, which has a view of Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s sacred mountain.

The trip is limited to 10 participants and is intended for people of all levels of interest and accomplishment in photography.

Cost: $2,695 per person, double occupancy, including accommodations, van transportation, all breakfasts and dinners plus one lunch at Ashford Castle. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Silver Moon Photography, 13337 E. South St., Suite 277, Cerritos, CA 90703; tel. (909) 429-3256, https://www.itsbiz.com/silvermoon.

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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.