Tours

17 days/15 nights, Oct. 17-Nov. 2, 2012. Highlights: In Jerusalem, City of David excavation, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, lectures from scholars, Dead Sea Scrolls/Masada/Jericho/Tiberias/Capernaum/Golan Archaeological Museum/Bronze Age Megiddo/Tel Aviv. Land, $5,985. Single supp., $1,670. Archaeological Tours (New York, NY; 866/740-5130).

16 days/15 nights, departing June 8 & Oct. 19, 2012. Highlights: In Addis Ababa, National Museum, Trinity Cathedral/boat to Lake Tana monasteries/Gondar/Simien Mountains National Park/rock-hewn churches in Lalibela/stelae, Queen of Sheba ruins in Axum/visit tribal people in Lower Omo Valley. Land, $6,800 (with 8-12 people), $7,500 (5-7). Single supp., $1,300. Internal air, approx. $1,200. Geographic Expeditions (San Francisco, CA; 800/777-8183).

Tour packages include flight from Papeete to Mangareva, Tahiti. From there, head to Pitcairn aboard sailing vessel Xplore or supply ship Claymore II. Homestay accommodations on Pitcairn. Eight-day Xplore voyage, $4,400; 15-day, $5,000, departing in spring. Eight-day Claymore II voyage, $6,650; 15-day, $7,350, February-December 2012. Pitcairn Travel (6/123 Waminda St., Morningside, QLD, 4170 Australia; phone, to Australia, +61 406 609 022 or, to Pitcairn Island, +64 9 984 0163).

Eight-day/seven-night cruise of the Sea of Cortez, MEXICO; departures November 2012-April 2013. Highlights: Board the 86-passenger Safari Endeavour in La Paz/kayaking, snorkeling, paddle boarding/sea lions on Los Islotes/hike in cactus forest on Isla San Francisco/searching for blue, fin, sei, orca and sperm whales/explore Bahia Agua Verde/Loreto, Baja’s first Spanish settlement/tiny Isla Coyote. From $2,995 (Master Cabin) to $6,795 (Commodore Suite). Single cabin, from $3,995. American...

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Eight days/seven nights in FRANCE, May 15-22, 2012. Highlights: Explore wine regions of Médoc, St. Emilion, Graves, Sauternes/visit oystering town of Arcachon. Land, $3,289. Single supp., $530.

Wine Lovers Tours (New Haven, CT; 800/256-0141).

13-day/12-night, “moderate” walking tour (longest walk, six miles), April 20-May 2, 2012. Highlights: Wine and cheese tastings/two cooking classes/Cinque Terre/13th-century La Castiglia in Saluzzo/Mombracco (“Leonardo’s Mountain”)/Barolo/Turin. Land, $6,390. Single supp., $640.

World Expeditons (Level 5, 71 York St., Sydney, NSW, Australia; fax 02 8270 8401 or phone, in US, 800/567-2216).

Eight-day/seven-night cruise from Istanbul, TURKEY, to BULGARIA, ROMANIA and UKRAINE, summer 2012. Highlights: Embark in Istanbul/Nessebar, Bulgaria/Histria, the “Romanian Pompeii”/Sebastopol/Khan Palace in Bakhchisaray/catacombs at Nerubayskoye village/Odessa. Cruise price, per person, €1,650 (near $2,260) C cabin, €1,850 B cabin or €2,050 A cabin. Single supp., 50%.

Wild Earth Travel (Box 7218, Christchurch 8240, New Zealand; phone +64 [0] 3 365 1355).

13 days/11 nights, May 12-24 & Sept. 26-Oct. 8, 2012. Highlights: Tokyo/ride cable car in Mt. Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park/cruise on Lake Ashi/Miyagawa morning market/Gold-Leaf Museum, Kanazawa/Japanese tea ceremony in Kyoto/cycle through Imperial Palace grounds, geisha district in Kyoto/Nara. From Los Angeles or San Francisco, $5,595. Single supp., $1,395.

Smithsonian Journeys (Washington, DC; 877/338-8687).