On the Road to Ruins, Colonial Cities in Peru

UCLA Extension is offering an educational tour of archeological sites and colonial cities in Peru from June 1 to 15. The itinerary includes the important Inca sites of Machu Picchu, Pisac and Ollantaytambo, as well as Sipan and other ruins in northern Peru. The tour will visit the colonial cities of Lima, Cuzco and Trujillo, and the Inca village of Chincheros for demonstrations of ancient handicraft traditions. There is also an optional extension to Chavin de Huantar, site of new archeological discoveries. Tour leader Ron Boytner, a specialist in Peruvian archeology, will lecture on ancient Andean civilizations throughout the trip.

Cost: $4,785 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, hotel, meals, land transportation and entrance fees.

Contact: UCLA Extension Department of Humanities; (310) 825-2272.

Africa: Safaris

Two 11-day luxury safaris to Tanzania and Kenya are available for those who want to see big game animals. The Tanzania safari will visit Lake Manyara National Park, home of the tree-climbing lion, then proceed to game viewing on the plains of the Serengeti before spending a day at Ngorongoro Crater. The Kenya safari offers two days of game viewing at Samburu National Reserve wildlife sanctuary and a visit to Mountain Lodge, a “tree hotel” in the Mt. Kenya forest, where large animals gather at a floodlighted water hole. The tour continues on to the Rift Valley and Lake Nakuru National Park. Two days on the open plains of the Masai Mara are the highlight of this safari. Both safaris depart weekly through June 10 and can be combined.

Cost: Each tour is $2,595 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles to Nairobi, accommodations, meals, all entrance fees, transfers, guides, day rooms in Zurich on the way to Kenya and overnight rooms in Zurich on the return.

Contact: Miller Travel & Tours; (949) 364-0567.

Mexico: Anthropology

A journey to the heartland of the Olmecs--mother culture of the Mayas--is planned from April 18 to May 2 with the Collectors Council of the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art in Santa Ana. The tour includes a boat trip up the Usumacinta River, a visit to the ruins of Yaxchilan and a stop at the murals of Bonampak. It will be led by anthropologist and council president Mark Gumbiner.

Other highlights include a tour of Mexico City, the National Museum of Anthropology, the Anthropology Museum of Jalapa, festivals in Amatenango del Valle (a mountain village known for its pottery) and other sites such as El Tajin, Palenque, Comalcalco, Zempoala and Teotihuacan. The group will also track down Olmec stone heads in Villa Hermosa.

Cost: $2,780 per person, double occupancy, including entrance fees, lodging, most meals and membership in the Bowers Museum and the Collectors Council. Air fare to Mexico is not included.

Contact: Mark Gumbiner; (949) 830-9005.

Greece: Photography

See and photograph Greece with professional photographer Donald Lyon. He will help beginning photographers (and serious amateurs) improve their skills while they learn about Greek culture. Lyon will teach travelers how to evaluate light and color and improve compositions.

The April 7-to-23 “Reflections of Greece” itinerary includes stops in Crete, the Peloponnesus peninsula, Delphi and the monasteries of Meteora.

Cost: $3,661 per person, double occupancy, including hotels, some meals, ground transportation and guides. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Close-Up Expeditions; (800) 457-9553, www.cuephoto.com.

Oregon: Family Rafting

A rafting trip with the kids on Oregon’s Rogue River is available from Abercrombie & Kent of Oak Brook, Ill. The five-day run starts near Medford and includes rafting skills, hikes, tracking basics and swimming races. The rapids are rated Class II to Class IV. Class II rapids are gentle and rolling. Class IV are rough, and you’ll get very wet.

Cost: $1,480 per person, double occupancy, and $1,325 for children younger than 12. Included are nights in tents at a river camp, most meals and rafting gear. Departures are weekly in July and August. Air fare to Medford is extra.

Contact: Abercrombie & Kent; (800) 323-7308, www.abercrombieandkent.com.

Turkey: Tales of Gods

John Barker, a professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will give lectures about Greek and Roman myths and Homer’s tales of gods and heroes on a 19-day archeological tour of Turkey that departs May 5.

The trip starts in Istanbul, where tourgoers will see the bazaar, Topkapi Palace Museum, Agia Sophia Church and the Blue Mosque. It will continue to Troy, the ancient sites of Pergamum, Sardis and modern Izmir. Excursions will be made from the seaside resort town of Kusadasi to the ancient Greek and Roman cities of Priene, Miletus, Didyma and Ephesus. The itinerary will proceed along the Turquoise Coast to the seaside town of Kalkan, stopping at Demre for a visit to the church of St. Nicholas. Next on the itinerary will be the ancient sites of Limira, Phaselis, Olympos, Perge and Anatolia.

Cost: $3,448 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, all meals, entrance fees and guides.

Contact: University Educational Travel; (800) 525-0525, www.uet.com.

Russia: Waterway History

“Journey of the Czars,” a cruise along Russia’s waterways on the 242-passenger Novikov Priboy, will explore St. Petersburg and Moscow and the secluded Russian countryside bordering the Volga, Svir and Neva rivers.

Departing July 11 and Aug. 4 and 28, the trip will start with three nights in Moscow, where tourgoers will see Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Kremlin and the Tretyakov Art Gallery. The cruise will continue through Russia’s countryside on the way to St. Petersburg, visiting villages such as Uglich and Yaroslavl. On Kizhi Island, participants will see the 18th century wood Church of the Transfiguration. Three nights will be spent in St. Petersburg for sightseeing at St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Hermitage and the summer home of Peter the Great.

Cost: $3,095 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from New York, the 12-night cruise, all meals and excursions. The reverse trip is available on other dates. Air fare to New York is extra.

Contact: INTRAV; (800) 456-8100, www.intrav.com.

France: Bike and Cook

Discover France, a tour company based in Scottsdale, Ariz., is offering a seven-night biking and cooking tour of Provence. Participants will cycle through villages, picnic in the countryside and spend three mornings cooking with a master chef. The kitchen lessons will be tailored to each person’s expertise and will culminate with the group eating the lunch they made. On other days the group will cycle into the Provencal countryside, through fishing ports and past olive groves and fruit orchards. Participants will stay in the hilltop village of La Cadire d’Azur in an 11th century abbey that has been converted to an inn.

Although bicycling is a major part of this trip, the distance covered is about 20 miles per day and is broken up by picnic lunches and visits to markets, local museums and churches. The terrain is rolling countryside. Some biking experience is necessary.

Tour dates are May 26 to June 2, Sept. 1 to 8 and Sept. 22 to 29.

Cost: $1,725 per person, double occupancy, including all meals (except breakfast and lunch on Day 1 and lunch and dinner on Day 8), bicycle rentals and van support. Not included: air fare to France and entrance fees.

Contact: Discover France; (800) 960-2221, www.discoverfrance.com.

London and Edinburgh

A theater tour with six nights in London and seven at the Edinburgh Festival is being sponsored by the California Educational Theatre Assn.’s Past Presidents Council from Aug. 5 to 21. Featured are 11 shows, a tour of the Globe Theatre and post-play discussions. Historical sites in both cities will also be visited.

Cost: $2,991 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, air fare from London to Edinburgh, hotels, a backstage tour at the Royal National Theatre, daily breakfast, bus pass and tea at the Savoy.

Contact: Korf Tours; (562) 947-6334.

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