TOURS & CRUISES

MEXICO

Capital’s architects up close

MEET the masters of Mexican architecture on a fall tour of the capital that will visit private homes and public buildings designed by Mexico’s top architects.

The Oct. 21-24 tour will include the works of Luis Barragan (1902-88), considered the father of modern Mexican architecture. Barragan, who won a Pritzker Prize in 1980, had a profound influence on three generations of architects.

“We’ll see Barragan’s recently restored Tacubaya home, garden and studio, where he spent his last years,” said tour organizer Bonnie Lewis. The group also will visit other well-known Barragan works, including Convento las Capuchinas, Pedregal de San Angel and Satellite City Towers.

The itinerary includes tours of Mexico City homes and buildings designed by other established and emerging architects, such as Juan O’Gorman, Enrique Norten, Ricardo Legorreta, Andres Casillas and Miguel Angel Aragones. Some of the architects will meet the group at their sites.

The tour will be led by Anibal Figueroa, architecture professor at Metropolitan University in Mexico City, and Max Underwood, architecture professor at Arizona State University, Tempe.

Cost: $1,150 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $245), including accommodations, two meals, ground transportation, entrance fees and a $50 per person donation to the Casa Luis Barragan Foundation. Air transportation from LAX to Mexico City is not included.

Contact: Painted Desert Art and Cultural Tours, Scottsdale, Ariz.; (480) 991-6994, www.painteddesert.com.

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ITALY

Days of wine, walks and silk in Tuscany

DRAW inspiration from the vineyards, villages and rolling hills of Tuscany during a weeklong cultural tour and silk painting class.

The Sept. 11 tour will be led by Laguna Beach silk painter Olivia Batchelder during the harvest season. Participants will stay in a country farmhouse near Pienza and go on daily excursions, learning how to paint landscape scenes onto silk.

Cost: $2,295 per person, including six nights’ lodging, two meals daily, five days of instruction and excursions, supplies and round-trip ground transportation from Chiusi, a train station stop between Rome and Florence. Airfare from LAX to Italy is not included.

Contact: Tuscany Institute; (800) 943-8070, www.tuscanyinstitute.com.

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EGYPT

Archeology, culture and

a Nile cruise

Dig into the history and culture of Egypt on a 16-day tour sponsored by the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art in Santa Ana.

The Oct. 9 tour, which will be led by Egyptologist Fadel Gad, will include commonly visited archeological sites, such as the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Sphinx, as well as sites not open to the public. Among these are new excavations near the Sphinx.

The itinerary also includes a four-night cruise on the Nile River and visits to Cairo and Luxor.

Cost: $4,400 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $800), including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles to Cairo, cruise, accommodations, two meals daily, guest lecturers and tour guide, domestic flights in Egypt, transfers and site admission fees.

Contact: Joy Travel International, Culver City; (310) 313-2588 or (800) 538-8746, www.joytravelinternational.com or www.bowers.org.

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ITALY

Immerse yourself in Italian culture

Say ciao to Italy and the island of Sicily on a 16-day tour that visits well-known cities and picturesque villages.

The Aug. 21 tour includes three days on Sicily, where the group will visit Palermo, Monreale, Mondello, Marsala and Taormina.

Situated between Italy and North Africa, the island and its culture have been influenced by various invaders, including Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Normans.

Other stops on the tour are Rome, Florence, Pisa, Venice, Assisi, Pompeii and the isle of Capri.

Cost: $3,736 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $462), including round-trip air fare from LAX to Rome, accommodations, breakfasts and seven dinners, baggage handling, admission fees and the services of a tour director.

Contact: Newport Mesa Travel, Newport Beach; (800) 223-0915, www.newportmesatravel.com.

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