TOURS & CRUISES

CALIFORNIA

Ride into wild horse country

Stalk the wild bunch in the foothills near Lassen Volcanic National Park on two- and three-day trail rides into Northern California’s Wild Horse Sanctuary, where herds of mustangs and burros roam free.

The pack trips, which run from the first weekend in May through October, follow meandering trails created by the animals through oaks and pines and past volcanic outcroppings, wildflowers, streams and meadows.

“It’s a way to escape the big city and enjoy the outdoors,” said Fred Sater, a sanctuary representative. “Participants have a unique opportunity to see the animals in a natural setting, rich in Native American and pioneer history.”

Riders stay in cabins at a base camp at Vernal Lake. “They’re rustic but civilized,” Sater said. Baths are shared.

About 200 mustangs and burros rove the Wild Horse Sanctuary, which was set up in 1978 as a nonprofit haven for horses and burros. Many of the animals were rescued from federal Bureau of Land Management territory. The sanctuary is near Shingletown, 40 miles southeast of Redding.

Cost: $295 per person for a two-day trip; $395 for a three-day trip, including guides, accommodations and meals.

Contact: Wild Horse Sanctuary, (530) 335-2241, www.wildhorsesanctuary.org.

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ALASKA

A road trip

with an

uphill climb

Travel the back roads of Alaska on an eight-day cultural tour.

The May 25 trip includes two nights in Fairbanks, two nights at Denali National Park and three nights at Mt. Alyeska.

Cost: $2,148 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $450), including round-trip airfare from LAX to Fairbanks, home pickup and drop-off, accommodations and some meals.

Contact: AFC Tours, San Diego, (800) 369-3693, www.afctours.com.

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PACIFIC ISLANDS

A cruise to World War II battle sites

Explore the Pacific Island battle sites of World War II on a 24-day cruise from Honolulu to Osaka, Japan.

The May 17 voyage, aboard the 594-foot Pacific Princess, will stop at Midway Island, Guadalcanal, Papua New Guinea, Marianas Islands, and Okinawa and Hiroshima, Japan. World War II-oriented activities are planned. A reverse itinerary departs July 25.

Cost: Rates for the May 17 voyage start at $3,069 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge starts at $2,946); the July 25 sailing starts at $2,499 double occupancy (single surcharge starts at $2,349). Airfare from LAX to Honolulu and from Osaka to Los Angeles is not included.

Contact: Joan Irvine Travel, Newport Beach, (866) 508-7477.

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EUROPE

D-day cruise with author, retired officers

Stand on the beaches of Normandy during the 60th anniversary of the historic D-day landings on a 14-day cruise from Lisbon to Dover, England.

The May 31 cruise, aboard the 593-foot Oceania ship Insignia, will visit Saint-Malo and Honfleur, France -- near the World War II landing beaches. Other stops will be Bilbao, Spain; Dublin; Brugge, Belgium; and Plymouth, England.

Historian David McCullough, who won Pulitzers for biographies of Harry Truman and John Adams, will be aboard, with retired military officers and historians.

Cost: Cabins start at $2,499 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge starts at $1,875). International airfare is not included.

Contact: Let’s Travel, Santa Monica, (800) 458-7477 or (310) 451-5805, Ext. 40, www.letstravel-sm.com.

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FRANCE

Architecture, art in Paris, French Riviera

GET the big picture during a 13-day art-and-architecture tour of the French Mediterranean.

The June 28 tour, led by artist and UCLA educator Judith Corona, will visit the villages and studios where Van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse, Renoir and Cezanne lived and worked. The tour will include Paris, Provence and the Cote d’Azur.

Cost: $3,350 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $1,000), plus $350 UCLA course fee (four units of credit). Included are accommodations and some meals. Airfare to France is not included.

Contact: Art Adventures International, Malibu; (310) 230-9299, www.artadventures.net.

The Times is not responsible for tour changes. Send information to Tours & Cruises, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012 or e-mail to travel@latimes.com.