Taking the creative approach

AWAKEN the artist within during a nine-day tour of the City of Light.

The Nov. 11 Paris tour is designed for women in the creative arts. Participants will meet for discussions on the Left Bank near the spot where Gertrude Stein held her post-World War I salons.

“A big part of the trip is to help women expand their network,” said tour leader and former Paris resident Karen Kane, who will set up meetings with gallery owners and auditions for performing artists during the tour.

The group will tour places such as Dada artist Man Ray’s studio and Musee de la Vie Romantique, dedicated to writer George Sand. Participants will visit the Pompidou Centre and view the Impressionist collection at the Musee Marmottan Monet. The itinerary also includes an organ concert at Notre Dame Cathedral.

Cost: $2,499 per person, including hotels, some meals, excursions and Paris airport transfers. Airfare from Los Angeles is not included.

Contact: Paris by Design, Cambridge, Vt.; (800) 430-5436, www.parisbydesign.com.

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MEXICO

A spree in Guadalajara

SHOP the mercados till you drop on a four-night trip to Guadalajara that begins Nov. 9.

The tour will include visits to Tlaquepaque and Tonala to seek out ceramics, blown glass, fabrics and antiques.

The group will tour the Cathedral of La Asuncion in Guadalajara and see the well-known murals of Jose Clemente Orozco in the Government Palace and other government buildings.

Cost: $975 per person, double occupancy ($300 single surcharge), including hotel, some meals, ground transportation, guides and airport transfers. Airfare from Los Angeles is not included.

Contact: Now Voyager Travel, Huntington Beach; (800) 872-7847, www.yourvoyagenow.com.

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NEW YORK

Broadway nights, art sites

SEE the Broadway musical “Spamalot” and a lot of art on a weeklong tour of New York City.

Participants in the Dec. 16 trip visit the Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art and take in Broadway hits including “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”

Los Angeles artist Diane Calder leads the group to galleries in SoHo and Chelsea.

Cost: $1,920 per person, double occupancy ($825 single surcharge), including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, hotels, some meals, ground transportation and airport transfers.

Contact: Broadway Melody Tours, Pacific Palisades; (323) 227-8370. Travel arrangements made by En Route Travel, Pacific Palisades.

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MEXICO

Golfing with the guys

EXPERIENCE deliverance from the honey-do list on an all-guys getaway to Puerto Vallarta.

The three-night package, available now through Dec. 17, includes a bucket of beer on arrival, a tequila tasting, a cigar-rolling demonstration and a daily nine-hole round of golf.

Participants can add on a chartered deep-sea fishing outing or a jungle-canopy zip-line tour.

Cost: $838 and up, depending on date and availability. Included are accommodations, hotel taxes, beer on arrival and daily round of golf. Airfare from Los Angeles is not included.

Contact: CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort; (800) 223-6388 (request rate GGOB), www.casamagnapuertovallarta.com.

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CANARY ISLANDS

Self-guided hiking tours

AMBLE about the island of Tenerife at your own pace on a weeklong hiking tour.

The self-guided tours are available daily year-around. On arrival, participants are given an orientation and provided route maps showing their reserved hotel locations as well as a local contact for any logistical problems.

Hikes are about five hours long and moderate to intensive. Hotels are spaced about one day’s hike apart. “They usually arrive around dinnertime,” said tour representative Bryen Dunn.

Cost: $1,395 per person ($245 single surcharge), including hotels with private bath, most meals, route notes, maps and luggage transfers. International airfare is not included.

Contact: Active Journeys Inc., Toronto, Canada; (800) 597-5594, www.activejourneys.com.

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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.