TOURS & CRUISES

Genghis Khan inspires a visit to Mongolia and the Gobi

Explore the vast plains of the Gobi Desert and the cities, temples and monasteries of Mongolia on a tour of the former Mongol Empire. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art tour is being held in conjunction with the recent “Legacy of Genghis Khan” exhibit, which drew more than a quarter of a million visitors to the museum.

The Oct. 13-to-29 tour retraces the path of ruler Genghis Khan through Mongolia, Samarkand and Bukhara in the 13th century as he and his armies set out to conquer much of Central Asia.

The trip’s itinerary was planned by LACMA curator Linda Komaroff, who said the tour would focus on giving travelers “a sense of the awesome beauty of the Mongol homeland.” Komaroff, who will lead the tour, said it was inspired by her extensive travels in connection with the exhibit.

Stops will include Seoul; the Mongolian cities of Ulan Bator and Karakoram; Almaty in Kazakhstan; and the Gobi Desert, where several million nomads roam, living in circular, dome-shaped tents called yurts. Participants will stay in yurts at Three Camel Lodge.

Other stops include the Uzbekistan cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent.

Cost: $6,730 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $940), including round-trip airfare on Asiana Airlines from LAX to Seoul and returning from Tashkent, all domestic flights, accommodations, some meals, sightseeing and excursions, escort and local guides. A $500 tax-deductible contribution is included.

Contact: Distant Horizons, Long Beach; (800) 333-1240, www.distanthorizons.com.

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WASHINGTON STATE

Surf’s up at camp sessions designed to teach the basics

Learn to hot-dog your way down the waves during a surf camp adventure off the coast of the Olympic Peninsula.

The three- and five-night camps, which teach surfing basics, are scheduled Sept. 16 to 19 and 25 to 28 and Oct. 5 to 10. The first two are coed; the October trip is for women only.

“Nothing can compare to a session with qualified instructors to get you up and riding waves safely,” said tour director Travis Moegling. “It’s a lot of fun, and there are some great spots in and around Washington state.”

Sessions teach beginning to advanced wave-riding techniques, including proper paddling and board handling; ocean safety; marine and weather conditions; positioning; surfing etiquette; duck diving; and catching a wave.

Other surf camps and surf trips are available in Mexico and Costa Rica.

Cost: $600 per person for three-day camps, $900 per person for five-day camps, including oceanfront accommodations, meals, equipment, instruction and local guides. Transportation to the camps is not included.

Contact: Lost Coast Adventures, Sequim, Wash.; (888) 928-7873, www.lcasurf.com.

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NEW YORK

Plays, tours and a cooking lesson top Big Apple agenda

Set the stage for an autumn visit to the Big Apple -- including tickets to two Broadway shows -- with an Oct. 9-to-13 tour.

The trip will include New York highlights, such as dinner at the 21 club, a private tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a cooking class at Gallagher’s, which bills itself as America’s first steakhouse.

Other activities will include visits to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s country estate in Hyde Park and Eleanor Roosevelt’s hideaway, Val-Kill, in the Hudson River Valley. Participants will also be able to view the city’s annual Columbus Day parade.

Cost: $2,250 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $525), including accommodations, some meals, tickets, tours and activities. Round-trip airfare from LAX to New York City is not included.

Contact: Take My Mother Please tours; (323) 737-2200, www.takemymotherplease.com.

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GERMANY, AUSTRIA

Father Christmas celebrates with seasonal wares

Pack a woolly winter scarf and introduce yourself to Father Christmas this year on a nine-day cruise and tour to Old World holiday markets along the Danube River.

The Dec. 5 tour will visit Christkindlesmarkt, a holiday tradition dating to the Middle Ages that features such merchandise as ornaments, toys and glassware. The seven-day cruise will travel from Nuremberg, Germany, to Vienna, visiting markets in those cities and also stopping for ones in Passau and Regensburg, Germany. There also will be tours in Durnstein and Salzburg, Austria.

Cost: $2,328 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $624), including round-trip airfare from LAX, many meals, escorted visits to markets and other activities.

Contact: Caren Erickson, Riverside-based Maxima Travel/Unique Vacations; (800) 333-9420 or (909) 776-2950.

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NEPAL

Among the high points of this trip:

the Himalayas

Journey to the top of the world on a 20-day tour to Nepal sponsored by the Collectors’ Council of Santa Ana’s Bowers Museum of Cultural Art.

The Oct. 12 tour will include visits to the southern Himalayas and Katmandu Valley. Among the highlights will be a sunrise cruise on Phewa Lake to view the Annapurna Range.

An optional extension to Tibet is available Nov. 1 to 9 for $2,900. Scholar and explorer Phila McDaniel will lead both tours.

Cost: $6,895 per person, double occupancy (single supplement $834), including round-trip airfare from LAX, accommodations and most meals. Bowers Museum and Collectors’ Council memberships are included.

Contact: Janet Seward, tour coordinator; (949) 650-4778.

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