Buddhist point of view

GAIN insight into Chinese culture and religion on a tour of China led by author and UCLA professor Robert Buswell.

Buswell teaches Chinese and Korean Buddhism, directs the Center for Buddhist Studies at UCLA and practiced as a Buddhist monk for seven years in China, Thailand and Korea.

The 17-night tour departs April 18 and travels from Beijing to Shanghai. The itinerary features a three-night cruise of the Yangtze River and a stay in Tibet.

Sites around Beijing include the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and Tiananmen Square. Participants walk a part of the Great Wall, which stretches nearly 4,000 miles from the East China Sea to Central Asia, and ride rickshaws through the city’s warren of old alleyways, where traditional communal neighborhoods still exist.

They’ll see the life-sized terra-cotta warriors and tour the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum in Xian and tour the Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Chengdu.

The group’s visit to Lhasa, Tibet, includes visits to a monastery, temples and the home of a Tibetan family.

They cruise the Yangtze from Chongqing to Yichang, through the Three Gorges and view the Three Gorges Dam.

In Shanghai, tour participants tour the Shanghai Museum, view the architectural gems of the Bund and take in a performance of acrobats.

Cost: $4,895 per person, double occupancy ($1,395 single surcharge), including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, internal airfare, hotel and cruise accommodations, meals, sightseeing and entrance fees.

Contact: UCLA Alumni Travel, Westwood; (800) 825-2586, www.uclalumni.net.

CALIFORNIA

Yosemite with gourmet chefs

FEED your senses on a three-night culinary tour of Yosemite National Park that begins Jan. 28.

Activities include cooking demonstrations by guest chefs from around the country, including Neal Fraser of Grace in Los Angeles.

Participants enjoy a five-course dinner at the venerable Ahwahnee Hotel -- a National Historic Landmark -- a chefs’ reception and the sights of Yosemite in winter.

Cost: $685 per person, double occupancy ($100 single surcharge), including ground transportation from Southern California, accommodations at Yosemite Lodge, classes, reception and gala dinner.

Contact: Glendale Community College, Community Services Education; (818) 240-1000, Ext. 5048, www.glendale.edu.

MEXICO

Pre-holiday

family cruise

TAKE the kids on an eight-night cruise to the Mexican Riviera that begins Dec. 18.

The Los Angeles sailing, aboard the 700-passenger Seven Seas Mariner, stops in San Diego, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.

Two children under 18 sail free when accompanied by two adults. Youth counselors on board supervise activities for children.

Cost: $2,748 per person, double occupancy, including accommodations, meals and gratuities. Shore excursions and taxes are not included.

Contact: Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; (800) 477-7500, cruise information, (877) 505-5370, www.rssc.com.

DUBAI & OMAN

Desert tennis, anyone?

EXPERIENCE ancient mosques, modern architecture -- and some championship tennis -- on a tour of Dubai and Muscat, Oman.

The nine-night tour, which begins Feb. 22, includes tickets to the Dubai Tennis Championships. The tournament is held Feb.19 to March 3 in Dubai City.

Between matches, the tour group visits the old city, including the Al Fahidi Fort. Participants also take a day safari through the mountains and dine at a Bedouin campsite in the desert.

In Oman, travelers tour the city of Muscat, including the Grand Mosque, the Muttrah Souk and the Al Alam Royal Palace. They travel to historical forts Nizwa, Bahla and Jabrin.

Cost: $4,455 per person, double occupancy ($1,400 single surcharge), including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, hotels, some meals, tickets, tours, entrance fees and airport transfers.

Contact: Advantage Tennis Tours, Laguna Niguel; (800) 341-8687, www.advantagetennistours.com.

IRELAND

Loping past leprechauns

GALLOP through the woods and sleep in a castle in the foothills of Ireland.

The seven-night equestrian trips, which are offered year-round, are based at Kinnitty Castle. Riders venture out on the 10,000-acre estate’s trails. The castle is in the Slieve Bloom Mountains, west of Dublin.

Optional activities include golf, fishing, falconry, game hunting, tennis and hiking.

Cost: $2,380 per person, double occupancy ($395 single surcharge), including accommodations, some meals, guided rides, horse and tack. International airfare is not included.

Contact: Cross Country International, Millbrook, NY; (800) 828 8768, www.equestrianvacations.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.