TOURS & CRUISES

MEXICO

History with hot sauce

Stroll the steep, cobblestone streets of picturesque San Miguel de Allende on a culinary tour that focuses on Mexico’s colonial past.

The July 15-21 tour includes four nights in San Miguel and two nights in nearby Guanajuato.

The group also will visit the town of Dolores Hidalgo, considered the cradle of Mexican independence and a center for the design and manufacture of the popular Talavera ceramic pieces.

“This tour is a good mix for anyone interested in food, fun or shopping,” said organizer Nancy Zaslavsky, author of “A Cook’s Tour of Mexico” (St. Martin’s Press, 1995).

“We’ll be looking for the best in regional cuisine, from street food to top restaurants.”

Zaslavsky will teach at least two cooking classes during the tour. The group will dine at traditional restaurants that specialize in foods such as chiles en nogada (meat-stuffed chiles with a walnut sauce), regional tamales and carnitas.

San Miguel de Allende, designated a historic landmark in the 1930s, draws artists and writers.

Like Guanajuato, it is known for its folk art and architecture, which varies from Baroque to neoclassical to the twisted columns and elaborate leaf work of Churrigueresque.

Cost: $1,950 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $350), including accommodations, all meals and tastings, ground transportation, entrance fees and guide. Air transportation from LAX to San Miguel is not included.

Contact: Nancy Zaslavsky, (310) 440-8877, www.nancyzaslavsky.com.

*

CANADA

A bit of France, but closer

EXPLORE the bays and byways of the native lands of the Acadians on nine- and 12-night tours of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

In the mid-18th century, the British expelled the French Acadians from their homes in what is now Nova Scotia. Some resettled in Quebec and New Brunswick, Canada, but others traveled as far south as Louisiana, where they came to be known as Cajuns.

Maxxim Vacations, which has been in business for 10 years, offers daily departures from May 1 to Oct. 31.

The go-as-you-please “Tres Bon Acadian” highlights include the Acadian Historical Village at Caraquet, one of the oldest French settlements in New Brunswick; Moncton; and the Cape Breton Highlands. An optional two-night add-on to Prince Edward Island is available.

Cost: from $1,399 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $729), including round-trip airfare from LAX on Air Canada; nine nights in B&Bs;, inns and hotels; and car rental with unlimited mileage. The 12-night package starts at $1,679, with a single surcharge of $979.

Contact: Maxxim Vacations, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada; (800) 567-6666, www.maxximvacations.com.

*

ALASKA

Plenty of sunshine, all night long

Wake up to 24 hours of daylight on a summer solstice adventure

in the Arctic Circle

where sunset becomes sunrise.

The four-day tour, which departs from Fairbanks and ends in Anchorage, begins June 19. Participants travel north along the Dalton Highway, known as the “Haul Road” from its days as the supply route for workers during the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.

The tour crosses the North Slope to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, continuing to Deadhorse, on the outskirts of the Prudhoe Bay oil fields. Participants tour the oil fields before departing for Anchorage by plane.

“There’s a fascination with being near the top of the world on the longest day of the year,” said tour representative Mark Mumm.

The tour departs daily from May 26 to Aug. 31, so travelers who can’t make the summer solstice dates can still experience more than 20 hours of daylight in May and 21 hours in July.

Cost: $959 per person, double occupancy ($359 single surcharge), including three nights’ lodging, transportation to and from the Arctic Circle and airport transfers. Air transportation to Alaska is not provided.

Contact: Gray Line of Alaska, (800) 544-2206, www.graylineofalaska.com.

*

PANAMA

A good place to take to the water

Snorkel in the Caribbean and swim in the Pacific on a five-day package to Panama. The hotel-and-air package is available April 15, May 6 or 27, Aug. 19 and Oct. 14 and 25.

Cost: $856 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $161).

Contact: Gate 1 Travel, (800) 682-3333, www.gate1travel.com.

The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. Send information to Tours & Cruises, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012 or travel@latimes.com.