TOURS & CRUISES

CALIFORNIA

Colorfast walks in the desert

Follow the sun to a rainbow of spring wildflowers on a six-day hiking trip through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

The March 14 tour, which begins and ends in San Diego, includes daily hikes into remote desert canyons and through narrow, water-carved passages. The group will see petroglyphs and archeological remains. Nights will be spent at a Borrego Springs hotel.

“The trip is planned during the peak wildflower season, when California’s deserts come alive,” said Mike Palucki, who organized the tour. “We hike through boulder-strewn washes to lush palm oases and then spend time poolside in the afternoon.”

Anza-Borrego, with more than 600,000 acres, is the largest desert state park in the contiguous U.S. and is known for its desert wildlife, including mule deer, bighorn sheep, chuckwallas, iguanas and kit foxes. The group hikes mornings and evenings to improve chances of seeing wildlife, Palucki said. Evenings sometimes include stargazing.

Cost: $900 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $300), including transportation from San Diego to Anza-Borrego, accommodations, some meals, guided hikes and activities. Transportation to San Diego is not included.

Contact: Knapsack Tours, Walnut Creek, Calif.; (925) 944-9435, www.knapsacktours.com.

AFRICA

Botswana with binoculars

Roam the Okavango Delta of Botswana on 11-day safaris in southern Africa.

The tours, departing Tuesdays through June, include five days of game viewing in Botswana, two days at Victoria Falls in Zambia, and two nights in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In Botswana, participants will go on two game drives daily and can arrange canoe trips and guided walks.

Cost: starting from $3,745 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $985), including international round-trip airfare, accommodations in safari camps and hotels, breakfast daily and all meals on safari, game-viewing excursions, taxes, entrance fees and sightseeing tours in Victoria Falls.

Contact: African Travel Inc., Glendale; (800) 421-8907 or (818) 507-7893, www.africantravelinc.com.

ASIA

Himalayan

lore and more

Explore the myths and legends of the Himalayas on a 19-day tour of Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and India.

The escorted April 24 tour is sponsored by the Bowers Museum of Santa Ana in conjunction with its “Treasures From the Roof of the World” exhibit, through Sept. 12.

The tour arrives and departs from Delhi, India.

The group will visit Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan; Katmandu, Nepal; and Lhasa and Gyangze, Tibet.

The region is especially known for its cultural treasures and rugged landscapes.

Cost: $6,195 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $1,050), including international airfare, accommodations and most meals.

Contact: Worldview Tours, Lakewood; (800) 373-0388 or (562) 630-3311, www.worldviewtours.com.

ENGLAND

Photographing landscapes

Capture the big picture through the lens of a camera on an 11-night photography tour to southwest England.

The June 6 tour, which will visit Dorset and Devon counties, focuses on picturesque landscapes, such as fishing villages, thatched cottages and colorful rural gardens.

“We’ll see unspoiled English landscapes with patchwork farmland, narrow country lanes and dramatic coastlines,” said Barbara van Zanten-Stolarski, organizer of the tour.

Cost: $2,530 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $220), including accommodations, some meals and ground transportation. Airfare to England is not included.

Contact: France Photogenique, Torrance; (310) 378-2821, www.francephotogenique.com.

ITALY

Rome pilgrims to visit pope

Join pilgrims traveling to Rome for an audience with Pope John Paul II on a 12-day tour to Italy and Bosnia-Herzegovenia.

The May 4 tour will be led by the Rev. Kenneth Schmit of St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church in Los Alamitos. The group will visit various Italian cities and Medugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Cost: $3,627 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $490), including round-trip airfare, accommodations and most meals.

Contact: Santiago Pilgrimages, Lake Forest; (949) 581-9936.

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