Yellowstone, Where the Wild Things Are

Get a natural high at Yellowstone National Park this fall on two-day wildlife safaris that will stalk the park’s wolves, grizzlies and elk.

The expeditions, sponsored by the nonprofit Teton Science School of Jackson Hole, Wyo., are timed to coincide with the park’s autumn transition when animals prepare for winter, and aspens and cottonwood trees turn yellow and gold.

“The big draw are the bull elk,” said Marlene Claflin, an administrative director at Wildlife Expeditions, a division of the science school.

“It’s the time of year when they bugle to round up their harems for mating. It’s fascinating: a high, piercing sound that echoes through the forest.”

There are wolves and grizzlies to see too. The wolves, drawn by the large number of elk, are busy hunting. And the bears are stocking up on food for their winter hibernation.

Biologists familiar with the terrain and with the animals lead the tours, scheduled from Sept. 17 to Oct. 5. Besides wildlife viewing stops, the expeditions will visit Old Faithful Geyser, the waterfall at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs.

Cost: $450 per person, double occupancy, including hotel, meals, round-trip transportation from Jackson Hole into Yellowstone and park entrance fees. Round-trip air fare from LAX to Jackson Hole is not included.

Contact: Wildlife Expeditions; (888) 945-3567, www.wildlifeexpeditions.org.

Guatemala: Folk Art

Explore the land, culture and art of Guatemala during a two-week tour that coincides with the nation’s festive All Souls’ Day celebration.

The tour, which begins Oct. 22, focuses on the crafts and folk art of the Central American country. Guatemalans celebrate All Souls’ Day on Nov. 2 by inviting the souls of deceased relatives to return to Earth, where they are welcomed with special foods, decorations and huge, colorful kites.

The tour group will visit Guatemala City, Antigua, Chichicastenango, Huehuetenango, Lake Atitlan and various smaller Indian communities. Excursions are planned to visit artists and craftsmen in their homes and villages.

Cost: $2,743 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Guatemala City, accommodations, all meals, activities and gratuities.

Contact: Gordon Frost Folk Art Tours; (415) 663-1919, www.gordonfrost.com.

Italy: For a Song

With the summer tourist season over, many agencies that specialize in European tours are discounting their trips to capture fall and winter business.

Among the low-cost specials is a $199 package that includes five nights in one of Italy’s best-known cities: Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples or Palermo. The package, based on double occupancy, includes hotel, breakfasts and service charges but not air fare. It can be purchased for travel from mid-November through mid-February. It is not available for the Christmas/New Year’s period.

Contact: TourCrafters; (800) 482-5995, www.tourcrafters.com.

Mexico: Turtle Watching

Give nature a helping hand during a Baja Discovery tour that focuses on saving an endangered species.

The six-day trips, which will depart Sept. 28 and Oct. 5, are based in Punta Rancho San Cristobal, a coastal region 12 miles north of Cabo San Lucas. At night, participants search for Olive Ridley turtles as they come ashore to lay their eggs, moving the eggs to a nursery to guard them from predators. During the day, the hatchlings are released to the sea.

Participants will stay in a tent camp with naturalists. A nonprofit Mexican environmental association sponsors the camp to help sea turtles in southern Baja. About 30,000 hatchlings were released from the camp’s nursery last year.

Guided hiking tours, a boat excursion and snorkeling are also included.

Cost: $1,195 per person, including ground transportation from the Los Cabos airport to Punta Rancho San Cristobal, land transfers, four nights at the turtle camp, meals at the camp, excursions, one night in a hotel and a donation of $100 per person to the Mexican environmental association, ASUPMATOMA. Air fare from Los Angeles to Los Cabos is not included.

Contact: Baja Discovery; (800) 829-2252, www.bajadiscovery.com.

Japan: Autumn Leaves

Watch Japan’s maples put on a vibrant show of colors during two-week tours that depart Oct. 26 and 28. The tours will visit Japan’s best-known cities besides making stops at historic rural areas in the mountains near Mt. Fuji. The trips will begin with four nights at the Hyatt-Regency in Tokyo. Other stops are Nikko, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and the smaller Mt. Fuji-region cities of Hokone, Takayama and Gifu.

The group will travel by plane, bus, boat, train and cable car.

Cost: $2,700 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles to Japan, accommodations, most meals, airport taxes, transfers, English-speaking guide and travel protection plan.

Contact: Hermes Travel and Tours Inc.; (310) 791-5556, www.hermestoursonline.com.

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