Tours

8 days, 7 nights in Baja, MEXICO, March 12-19, 2016. Highlights: In Todos Santos, surfing lesson and cooking lesson/5-hour drive to Magdalena Bay to view and pet whales/in La Paz, snorkeling, swimming with Los Islotes colony sea lions. Land, $3,250 ppdo ($3,350 for groups of 4 or 5). Single supp., $780. Journeys International (Ann Arbor, MI; 800/255-8735, www.journeysinternational.com).

 9 days, 8 nights. Highlights: Arrive in Casablanca/in Meknes, Bab Mansour Gate, Royal Stables, Jewish quarter/walking tour of Fes/in Middle Atlas Mountains, Berber village of Imouzzer du Kandar/in Marrakech, 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque, Saadien Tombs/in Tahanoute, share home-cooked meal on rooftop. Land, from $2,943 ppdo (based on group size and dates). Kensington Tours (Wilmington, DE; 888/903-2001, www.kensingtontours.com).

15 days, 14 nights. Some meals. Overnights at ryokans (traditional inns). Highlights: In Tokyo, Tsukiji Fish Market, Ginza district, Tokyo Skytree (world’s second-tallest structure)/in Kamakura, Bamboo Temple/soak in hot springs at Hakone Yumoto Onsen/in Takayama, temples, sake breweries/400-year-old Himeji Castle/in Hiroshima, Peace Memorial Museum & Park/in Kyoto, Nijo Castle. Land, $4,144-$4,994 ppdo, based on dates. Single supp., $494-$594. Samurai Tours (Denver, CO; 866/316-7268, www.samuraitours.com).

9-day, 8-night kayaking tour off the coast of ITALY, June 2-10, 2016. Highlights: In Olbia, historic center/next to Supramonte Mountains, launch kayaks at Cala Conone on Gulf of Orosei to explore sea caves, grottoes/hike into Gorropu Gorge/Bronze Age Nuragic sites/coastal town of Alghero/Porto Ferro bay/kayaking, swimming at Caprera and La Maddalena islands. Land, $4,595 ppdo. Single supp., $750. Tofino Expeditions (Salem, OR; 800/677-0877, www.tofino.com).

 6-day, 5-night “easy” bike tour (averaging 31 miles a day on level terrain). Departures June 21, Aug. 2 and Sept. 6 & 13, 2016. Highlights: From Vienna, AUSTRIA, to Potzneusiedl for former residence of Batthyány nobility/ride along Leitha River/Esterházy Palace/in Bratislava, SLOVAKIA, Danubiana Meuleensteen Museum for Contemporary Art/private cruise on Danube to Budapest, HUNGARY. Land, from $5,295 per person, double occupancy (ppdo). Single supp., $600. Butterfield & Robinson (70 Bond St., 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON, M5B 1X3, Canada; in No.

10 days, 9 nights, Dec. 3-12, 2015. (TIP: Take easy-to-slip-off shoes for frequent trips outside for bird-viewing.) Highlights: In Quito, Yanacocha Reserve, home to sword-billed hummingbird, glossy flowerpiercer, Tyrian metaltail and more/mountain town of Mindo, home to over 360 bird species/at Sachatamia Lodge, view birds, butterflies/walk trails with family at farm of Angel Paz, home to giant antpitta, Andean cock-of-the-rock/Milpe Reserve/Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, home to orchids, toucans, tanagers/San Isidro. Land, $2,690 ppdo. Single supp., $325.

10 days, 9 nights, Dec. 3-12, 2015. (TIP: Take easy-to-slip-off shoes for frequent trips outside for bird-viewing.) Highlights: In Quito, Yanacocha Reserve, home to sword-billed hummingbird, glossy flowerpiercer, Tyrian metaltail and more/mountain town of Mindo, home to over 360 bird species/at Sachatamia Lodge, view birds, butterflies/walk trails with family at farm of Angel Paz, home to giant antpitta, Andean cock-of-the-rock/Milpe Reserve/Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, home to orchids, toucans, tanagers/San Isidro. Land, $2,690 ppdo. Single supp., $325.

10-day, 9-night tour in GHANA, Nov. 27-Dec. 6, 2015. Highlights: In Accra, W.E.B. Dubois Center for Pan African Culture, Black Star Square, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park/town of Tamale/in Salaga, site of major slave market during slave trade, join atonement ceremonies/Kintampo waterfalls/in Kumasi, Manhyia Palace Museum, Prempeh II Jubilee Museum/woodcarvers’ and weavers’ villages/memorial at Elmina Castle/in Assin Manso, Emancipation Day Celebration. Land, $2,385 ppdo. Single supp., $635.

10 days, 9 nights on the South Island’s west coast, October-November 2015 & 2016. Hikes 2-8 miles per day. Group-prepared meals. Highlights: From Christchurch, drive across Canterbury Plains to Southern Alps/Arthur’s Pass National Park for short hike/drive to Greymouth/Pancake Rocks/Paparoa National Park/town of Hokitika, known for pounamu (jade)/guided kayaking in Okarito Lagoon, home to black swans, herons, tui/Rob Roy Glacier. Land, $2,995 ppdo. Single supp., $400. Wilderness Inquiry (Minneapolis, MN; 612/676-9400, www.wildernessinquiry.org).

 15-day, 14-night tour in Southeast Asia. Highlights: In Siem Reap, CAMBODIA, ruins of Beng Mealea, Angkor Wat/in Saigon, VIETNAM, War Remnants Museum, Cu’ Chi Tunnels, Mekong Delta boat trip/Ha· Long Bay/in Hanoi, tour Old Quarter, sample bia ho’i (beer)/in Luang Prabang, LAOS, cooking class/boat trip to Pak Ou Caves/in Bangkok, THAILAND, Grand Palace, Wat Pho temple. Land (depending on dates), $3,990-$4,470 ppdo; $4,770-$5,250 single. Insider Journeys (Westminster, CO; 800/342-1957, www.insider-journeys.com).