Tours

8-day / 7-night walking tour of northern ITALY, Oct. 12, 2012, and June 14 & Oct. 11, 2013. Highlights: Medieval Saluzzo / walk to a 13th-century castle in Manta / walk with views of the Ligurian Alps / visit wine maker in Barolo / go truffle hunting / enjoy local cheeses, chocolates, snails, mushrooms, wine. Land, €2,425 (near $2,953). Single supp., €175. Hedonistic Hiking (Box 200, Porepunkah, VIC, 3740 Australia; phone +61 [0] 3 5755 2307, www.hedonistichiking.com).

9-day / 7-night tour of Beijing and Shanghai. Highlights: In Beijing, Forbidden City, Sacred Way, Summer Palace / Great Wall / in Shanghai, the Bund, Temple of Heaven and Huangpu River cruise. From $999 from San Francisco; $100 more from New York. Single supp., $239. China Spree (Bellevue, WA; 855 / 556-6868, www.chinaspree.com).

10 days / 9 nights, departing Oct. 30 & Nov. 11, 2012, and Nov. 10, 2013. Hike from two to eight miles per day. Highlights: Start in Christchurch, South Island / limestone caves in Paparoa National Park / hangi (earth oven) feast / kayak into Okarito Lagoon to see white herons, black swans / hike to Rob Roy Glacier / Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre in Aoraki. Land, $2,395 (2012) or $2,895 (2013). No single accommodations. Wilderness Inquiry (Minneapolis, MN; 800 / 728-0719, www....

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9 days / 8 nights, March 19-27, 2013. Highlights: Professional photographers tour with group and give tips / Cape Town / winery tour / Stellenbosch / penguins at Boulders Beach / Big Five at Sabi Sabi Game Reserve. $4,899 from New York. Single supp., $800. Lion World Tours (Toronto, ON, Canada; 800 / 387-2706, www.lionworldtours.com).

9-day / 8-night polar bear habitat tour in CANADA, October and November 2012 and 2013. Highlights: Toronto / tastings at four wineries near Niagara / Churchill, “polar bear capital of the world” / trek through the tundra to see bears, caribou, wolves, foxes / small-plane aerial tour / view bears from a Tundra Buggy. Land, from $9,060 per person. Kensington Tours (Wilmington, DE; 888 / 903-2001, www.kensingtontours.com).

6-day / 5-night camping, kayaking tour in NORWAY, summer 2013. Easy to moderate activity (up to four hours’ paddling per day and some walking). Highlights: Art Nouveau town of Ålesund / kayak to Vermøya Island/stay at historic Åkernes farm / paddle past Bridal Veil, Suitor and Seven Sisters falls / Geirangerfjord. Land, $2,490. No single accommodations. Tofino Expeditions, Ltd. (Salem, OR; 800/677-0877).

11-day / 10-night tour of TURKEY, May 3-13, 2013. Highlights: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul / Ankara’s Anatolian History Museum / underground cities in Cappadocia / Roman ruins in Aphrodisias / Ephesus / Hellenistic Pergamon / Troy / Gallipoli. Land, $1,925. Single supp., $595. TunisUSA (Wayne, PA; 888/474-5502).

23 days / 22 nights, including 4-night Yangtze River cruise. Highlights: In Hong Kong, Stanley Market, sampan ride on the harbor / Shanghai’s Bund, Yu Yuan Gardens/Three Gorges cruise / in Lhasa, Tibet, Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple / Xi’an / Beijing / Ulaanbaatar / Gobi Desert sand dunes, dinosaur cemetery. Land and cruise, from $5,869. Single supp., $2,955. Hermes Travel (Astoria, NY; 718/274-9777).