Tours

14 days, 13 nights. Departures Oct.-Nov. 2020 and Jan.-April 2021. Highlights: In Sandton, Liliesleaf heritage site/visit a shebeen (house tavern) in Soweto/in Johannesburg, Apartheid Museum/three nights in Kruger Nat’l Park, with game drives to see giraffes, the Big Five/nature walk near Knysna/wine tasting in Stellenbosch, Franschhoek/Cape Town. From Sacramento, San Francisco, Reno or Spokane, $4,999 ppdo. Single supp., $700. Collette (Pawtucket, RI; 800/468-5955, gocollette.com...

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8-day, 7-night food & wine tour in central ITALY. Departures June 14 & 21 & Aug. 2, 2020. Highlights: Transfer from Rome to medieval town of Sulmona for tour, visit to 11th-century Roccascalegna, cooking lessons/10-course fish feast on a trabocco (fishing pier)/wine tasting in Prezza/gelato in Raiano. $3,299 per person, double occupancy (ppdo). Italian Cooking Holiday (Providence, RI; 401/516-6158, italiancooking.holiday).

8-day, 7-night photo tour in southern ITALY. Departures Oct. 4 & Nov. 29, 2020 & Jan. 31, March 28 & Oct. 31, 2021. Highlights: In Catania, Piazza Duomo Catania/villages around Mt. Etna/island of Isola Bella/in Taormina, Teatro Greco, Riviera dei Limoni/in Siracusa province, Piazza Duomo, city of Noto/Baroque towns of Modica, Ragusa. €3,150 (near $3,469) ppdo. Single supp., €500 ($551). Focus on Sicilia (Sicily, Italy; info@focusonsicilia.com, www.focusonsicilia.com)....

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8-day, 7-night “easy active” trip with hiking, cycling, kayaking. (Must be able to swim.) Departures May-September 2020. Highlights: Old Town Dubrovnik/kayak near Zaton Bay/catamaran to Elaphiti Islands for paddle boarding, swimming/12th-century wall in Mali Ston/bike in Mljet Nat’l Park/ferry to Korcˇula for Old Town/wine tasting in Lumbarda/island of Hvar. $4,099 ppdo. Single supp., $899. REI Adventures (Kent, WA; 800/622-2236, www.rei.com).

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8-day, 7-night luxury tour of two cities. Departures April-Sept. 2020. Highlights: In St. Petersburg, private “sunset” cruise, museum at 18th-century Peter and Paul Cathedral, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, Fabergé museum, the Hermitage, Peterhof palace, Russian nesting doll workshop/high-speed train to Moscow for Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral, backstage tour of Bolshoi Theatre. $5,042-$5,725 ppdo. Single supp., $1,140-$1,170. Luxury Gold Vacations (Cypress, CA...

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13-day, 12-night “strenuous”-level hiking trip in northern JAPAN. Six days of hiking 2-6 hours a day. Departures Aug. 21 & Sept. 11, 2020. Highlights: In Tokyo, Sensō-ji Buddhist temple/hike to Nikko Nat’l Park/cruise Sumida River to Hamarikyu Gardens/Oze Nat’l Park/Tochiomata Hot Spring/bullet train to Dewa Sanzan for 13th-century Gyokusenji Temple/feudal town of Kakunodate/bike through Tono valley. From $4,950 ppdo. Single supp., $390. Oku Japan (Kyoto, Japan;...

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Waiting to pay homage to Cameroon’s sultan at the Nguon Festival in Foumban. Photo by Chris Johnston for Steppes Travel

12 days, 11 nights, Dec. 2-13, 2020. Group limit, 8. Highlights: En route from Douala to Melong in Western Highlands, Ekom Falls/in Bamileke kingdom, beaded elephant masks at Bandjoun/in Foumban, seat of Bamoun Dynasty since 14th century, dances and feasts at Nguon Festival/Yaoundé/visit with Baka ethnic group in rainforest/Pongo-Songo chimpanzee sanctuary. From $6,745 ppdo. Single supp., $815. Steppes Travel (Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England, UK; in US, 855/203-7885, www.steppestravel....

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11 days, 10 nights. Departures June-Oct. 2020. Highlights: Windhoek/drive to Namib Desert for Namib-Naukluft Nat’l Park, red dunes at Sossusvlei/near Swakopmund, Walvis Bay Waterfront, catamaran ride/nature drive along Damaraland’s Aba-Huab River/game drives in Etosha. From £4,297 ($5,591) ppdo. Single supp., £525 ($683). Reef & Rainforest (Totnes, Devon, England, UK; phone +44 1803 866 965, reefandrainforest.co.uk).

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