MONGOLIA & RUSSIAMongol games and MoscowTravel the...

MONGOLIA & RUSSIA

Mongol games and Moscow

Travel the historic Trans Siberian Railway from Mongolia to Moscow with author and art historian Olivier Bernier.

The 16-day journey begins July 8 in Seoul. The group arrives in the Mongolian capital, Ulan Bator, in time for the annual Naadam Festival.

“It’s like the Mongolian Olympics,” said Jim Friedlander, whose company, Academic Arrangements Abroad, is organizing the trip for the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“All the clans gather in the capital to compete in horse racing, archery and wrestling.”

The group spends four days in the capital, then boards the train for Russia, stopping in Ulan Ude in east-central Russia, and at Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake. Participants cross Angara Inlet by boat, and continue to Irkutsk and the Ural Mountains before arriving in Moscow.

Along the route, Bernier will lecture on the history and art of the region.

Cost: $13,450 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $5,350), including hotel and train accommodations, meals, ground transportation, lectures, entrance fees, transfers, gratuities, taxes and porterage fees. Airfare from Los Angeles is not included.

Contact: Academic Arrangements Abroad, New York; (800) 221-1944, www.arrangementsabroad.com.

CALIFORNIA

A naturalist

in the desert

STUDY the biodiversity of the desert and see the wildflowers of Joshua Tree National Park on a one-day tour and seminar with naturalist Mark Wheeler on April 17.

The seminar and moderate hike will begin at 8 a.m. at the Oasis Visitors Center. Participants should bring a lunch and water.

Other botany, wildlife, photography and cultural classes are available at the park through May.

Cost: $45 per person, including naturalist guide and park admission. Transportation to the site is not included.

Contact: The Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park, Twentynine Palms; (760) 367-5535, www.joshuatree.org.

TAHITI

Art classes

in paradise

Paint the scenes painted by Paul Gauguin -- or just visit the Gauguin Museum -- on a 12-day trip to Tahiti and Huahine, French Polynesia.

The July 14 tour is led by watercolorist Carol Duchamp.

The group will visit the Harrison-Smith Botanical Garden and attend the annual Heiva Festival, a celebration of Tahitian folklore that includes Polynesian dancing, music and crafts.

Cost: $4,050 per person, double occupancy ($1,120 single surcharge), including airfare from L.A., accommodations, some meals, ground transportation, art instruction, excursions and museum admissions.

Contact: Art Trek, Bolinas, Calif.; (888) 522-2652, www.arttreks.com

ITALY

Craggy peaks, scenic hikes

HIKE the Dolomites in the Italian Alps on an 11-day trip with the Sierra Club.

The July 10 tour visits Tyrolean and Ladin villages. The group will stay in hotels in Selva, Corvara and Cortina and dine on simple cuisine and local wines.

Participants will travel by cable car or cab to nearby ranges for daily hikes and stay two nights in a mountain hut.

Cost: $2,215 per person, double occupancy, including lodging, most meals, ground transportation, guides, equipment rentals and activities. Airfare from Los Angeles is not included.

Contact: Sierra Club Outings, San Francisco; (415) 977-5522, www.sierraclub.org/outings/national.

WESTERN EUROPE

Significant battlefields

Explore the battlefields of Western Europe on a two-week tour of France, Germany and Luxembourg led by historian and World War II Marine veteran Ed Bearss.

The June 13 trip begins in Paris, and includes visits to Vierville-sur-Mer at Normandie, Omaha Beach and the D-Day Museum in Bayeux.

The tour includes the site of the battle of Waterloo, where Napoleon was defeated by the Duke of Wellington, and a visit to Aachen, Germany, in the foothills of the Ardennes, where a major battle was fought in World War II and where Charlemagne was crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. The group will study the Battle of the Bulge and pay homage at the American Cemetery at Hamm, Luxembourg.

Cost: $4,895 per person, double occupancy ($800 single surcharge), including 13 nights’ accommodations, most meals, tour director, guide, admissions, taxes, baggage handling and gratuities. Airfare from L.A. is not included.

Contact: History- America Tours, Plano, Texas; (800) 628-8542, www.historyamerica.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; e-mail travel@latimes.com.