Tours

18-day, 17-night tour on private jet across CHINA, BHUTAN, INDIA and SRI LANKA, staying at Amanresorts accommodations, Oct. 4-21, 2014. Group limit, 18. Highlights: In China, Forbidden City in Beijing, Great Wall, private breakfast cruise on West Lake/in Bhutan, Tiger’s Nest monastery/in India, pink city of Jaipur, tiger safari, camel safari/in Sri Lanka, Galle’s ancient fort. From Beijing, $49,950 per person, double occupancy. Frontiers Elegant Journeys (Gibsonia, PA; 800/245-1950).

A 7-day, 6-night VIP tour of top wineries in the Lombardy region of ITALY, Oct. 21-27, 2014. Half of the meals are gourmet. Highlights: From Milan to Lake Como/at Sondrio in Valtellina, sample red wines/sparkling wines at Lake Iseo/white wines at Lake Garda. Land, $3,389. Single supp., $364. Wine Lovers Tours (New Haven, CT; 800/256-0141).

8-day/7-night walking tour (“moderate,” 7-9 miles per day). Highlights: From Lisbon airport to Belmonte/Malceta Nature Reserve, refuge of Iberian lynx/walk along Coe River and picnic, swim/in Zézère Valley, Manteigas village/Monteiro village, where farmers plow with donkeys/500-million-year-old fossils at Penha Garcia/Idanha-a-Velha/medieval fortress of Monsanto. Land, $2,977-$3,028, depending on date. Single supp., $49 per night.

Breakaway Adventures (Mount Pleasant, SC; 800/567-6286).

Frank Cunningham — South Haven, MI

New Zealanders like to refer to the Milford Track as “the finest walk in the world,” and they have a point. I’ve had the good fortune to take some terrific hikes over varied terrain — restful countryside, awesome mountains, captivating seascapes and even the Grand Canyon, rim to rim — and I found the Milford Track stunning. 

16 days, 15 nights, June 18-July 3 & Aug. 27-Sept. 11, 2014. Highlights: In Ulaanbaatar, 19th-century Gandan Monastery, dinosaur skeletons and eggs at Natural History Museum/in Gobi Desert, Eagle Valley/desert ger camps/at Khongoryn Els, ride Bactrian camels to 2,600-foot-high “singing” sand dunes/in Bayanzag, Flaming Cliffs/Khögnö Khan Uul Nature Reserve/ruins of ancient Mongol capital of Karakorum/Erdene Zuu, possibly the country’s oldest-surviving Buddhist monastery. Land, $5,495-$5,895 per person, double. Single, $6,290-$6,690.

14-day, 13-night festival tour of SRI LANKA, July 27-Aug. 11, 2014. Highlights: In Colombo, Cinnamon Gardens, Sea Street, Dutch Church of Wolfendhal/in Sigiriya, climb fifth-century rock fortress/elephantback safari/in Kandy, decorated elephants, performers parade under full moon/in Royal Botanical Gardens, flying foxes, orchid house, spice-and-herb gardens/in Nuwara Eliya, tea factory tour/Yala National Park. Land, $3,895. Single supp., $1,295.

8-day, 7-night tour in TURKEY, Sept. 13-20, 2014. Highlights: In Constantinople, sixth-century Yerebatan Sarayı cistern, Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia/Byzantine mosaics in Chora Church/in Thrace, Anastasian Wall/private Bosphorus cruise /Ottoman fort Rumeli Hisarı/Sadberk Hanım Museum/Topkapı Palace/Blue Mosque/cake and tea at Pera Palace Hotel. Land, £2,185 (near $3,645). Single supp., £325 ($542).

9-day, 8-night tour through southern Croatia. Through September 2014. Highlights: Dubrovnik hinterland/in Cavtat, Račić family mausoleum/in Orebič, winery tour/Rector’s and Sponza palaces/folklore performance at Ljubač family farm/on island of Korčula, 1912 hotel/historic Trogir/in Salona, Roman ruins/in Split, Diocletian’s Palace/Dalmatian folk a capella performance. Land, from $3,351 per person, double (varies by departure date). Single, $5,220. Prices less if no private tour on Day 2.

8-day, 7-night hiking tour (challenging) through Dolomite Mountains in ITALY, July 5-12, Aug. 2-9 & Sept. 6-13, 2014. Head lamps, ice axes, etc., provided. Highlights: Via ferrata (iron paths) through mountain passes/WWI ruins in open-air museums/stays in rifugios (huts)/at Mt. Lagazuoi, hidden military forts/Marmolata Glacier. Land, €1,990 (near $2,728); more if fewer than four in group. Single supp., (hotels only), €65 ($89).

11-day, 10-night bicycle tour (14-31 miles per day) through ENGLAND’s Cotswold district. Highlights: Meet in Cheltenham; ride through villages/Cotswold Wildlife Park/Hidcote Manor Garden/Bourton-on-the-Water/Northleach, historic wool town/Sudeley Castle/Iron Age fort at Crickley Hill/mosaic floors and artifacts in Chedworth Roman villa. Land (B&B), £960 (near $1,601) per person, double. Single, £1,151 ($1,920). Can upgrade to hotel.