City of Light and Other Bright Sights of France

Santa Monica College is sponsoring a tour to France this summer that covers many of the country’s most popular sights. The two-week tour starts Aug. 3 and visits Paris, Bordeaux, the Loire Valley, the Cote d’Azur and D-Day landing beaches in Normandy. Special stops include a Cognac distillery, a Roman aqueduct at Pont du Gard and a perfume factory in Grasse.

Cost: $2,399 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, airport transfers, ground transportation, hotels, some meals, baggage handling and entrance fees.

Contact: Richard Robinson at Santa Monica College; telephone (310) 434-4731.

Morocco: Cooking

The 12th annual 15-day tour of Morocco with Casablanca-born cookbook author Kitty Morse is scheduled May 20 to June 3. The tour begins with two days of cooking demonstrations in Morse’s family home, a restored pasha’s residence one hour south of Casablanca.

The tour continues south along the Atlantic Coast to the quaint fishing port and artist colony of Essaouira before heading inland to Marrakech and two nights at the La Mamounia Hotel. Guests will then cross the High Atlas Mountains, passing dozens of fortified Berber kasbahs, and head northward to the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas Mountains and the alpine resort of Ifrane. Guests will spend two nights in the city of Fes, Morocco’s cultural and culinary capital. They will explore the nearby Roman ruins of Volubilis, Moulouya Idriss, Meknes and Rabat.

Cost: $4,150 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from New York to Casablanca, accommodations, travel by air-conditioned coach, most meals, cooking instruction, entrance fees, guides and porters.

Contact: Natalie Tuomi at Carlsbad Travel, 2727 Roosevelt St., Carlsbad, CA 92008; tel. (800) 533-2779.

Costa Rica: Adventure

Visit five national parks and reserves, including Monteverde, on an 11-day tour to Costa Rica leaving April 8.

The tour begins on the Pacific Coast. Activities include a visit to the Tarcoles River to look for crocodiles and scarlet macaws; a day at Jaco Beach; a tour of Manuel Antonio National Park; and a visit to the Carara Biological Reserve. From here, the tour travels to Monteverde, where guests will ascend the skywalk, a mile-long platform into the cloud forest canopy, to look for the quetzal bird and other wildlife. Next is a visit to the Rain Forest Aerial Tram, near Braulio Carrillo National Park, where guests will get a treetop view of the hanging garden of epiphytes.

Then it is off to the Atlantic Coast and the town of Cahuita, where snorkeling and other activities are available. Two free days will allow guests to try optional activities, such as horseback riding; mountain biking; snorkeling; a visit to a Bri Bri Indian Reserve; or a visit to Aviarios del Caribe, an animal rescue facility and home to two- and three-toed tree sloths.

Cost: $1,900 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from LAX to Costa Rica, hotel accommodations, ground transportation, bilingual naturalist guides and 14 meals.

Contact: Paul Abravaya of Tropical Eco-Tours, 1333 Calle Pimiento, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360; tel. (888) 900-1-ECO.

California: Missions

Travelers can learn about California history on the “California Mission Tour,� a six-night trip that departs from San Diego on April 26. Traveling by deluxe van, tour members will visit 21 California missions as well as Big Sur, the coastal redwoods, wine country and the towns of Solvang, Carmel, Santa Rosa and Santa Barbara. Tour conductor Tom Grady has made a lifetime study of missions in Baja and Alta California.

Cost: $895 per person, double occupancy, including transportation, six nights at deluxe hotels, daily continental breakfast and a farewell dinner.

Contact: Baja California Tours, 7734 Herschel Ave., Suite O, La Jolla, CA 92037; tel. (800) 336-5454 or (619) 454-7166.

North Carolina: History

“Islands, Capes and Sounds� is a learning vacation offered by History America Tours, in partnership with History Channel Tours. The seven-night tour will begin April 24 in Raleigh, N.C. Richard McMurry, a Civil War expert and authority on the American South, will serve as historian-guide.

The tour will visit historic towns such as Edenton, Bath, Washington and New Bern. At Kitty Hawk the group will focus on the history of flight. On Roanoke Island the emphasis will be on Sir Walter Raleigh and the Lost Colony. Other highlights include Ocracoke, the remote fishing village frequented by Blackbeard; historic Ft. Fisher at Cape Fear; and the Museum of the Albemarle near Elizabeth City.

Cost: $1,495 per person, double occupancy, including seven nights’ lodging, motor-coach transportation, 12 meals, a welcome briefing and guides.

Contact: HistoryAmerica Tours, P.O. Box 797687, Dallas, TX 75379; tel. (800) 628-8542, Internet https://www.visi.net/historyamerica.

Greece: Island Walks

Combine a cruise and walking on a 15-day tour of Greece’s ancient civilizations, walking on well-known and lesser-known islands of the Cyclades. There are two sailings: April 9 to 23 and Aug. 6 to 20.

Walks will be led by local island guides on Tinos, Andros, Naxos, Ios, Mykonos, Amorgos, Folegandros, Paros, Sikinos, Melos, Syros, Sifnos, Delos and Santorini. The group will sail in the mornings, with afternoons and evenings spent on the islands. Guests will sleep on the ship. Optional coach tours will be available.

Cost: $1,895 per person, double occupancy, including cabins with two lower berths and private facilities, breakfast and lunch or dinner daily, a captain’s night dinner and Greek dancing. Air fare and gratuities are not included.

Contact: Viking Tours of Greece; tel. (800) 70-VIKING.

Guatemala: Art

The ancient Mayan city of Tikal, as well as colorful villages and their markets, will be visited on a historical arts tour to Guatemala. Professor and artist Raoul de la Sota will lead the tour, from March 19 to 28, which will explore ancient to contemporary art.

The itinerary includes visiting artists in Antigua, Solola, Chichicastenango, Santiago, Atitlan and Guatemala City. Traditional arts such as weaving and products of smaller villages in the Highlands will be viewed.

Cost: $2,397 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, all breakfasts and eight meals, ground transportation, guides and baggage porterage.

Contact: Vanessa Acosta at the Southwest Museum; tel. (323) 221- 2164, Ext. 236.

Nepal: Trekking

“Lhasa & Beyond,� an expedition with Mountain Travel Sobek, will take guests to great heights. Trip dates are May 7 to 24 and Aug. 6 to 23. Hikers will fly into Katmandu and tour the Nepalese capital; fly to Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, and visit Potala Palace and other sites; and drive to the Ganden monastery, a restored pilgrimage center. Then guests will begin six days of guided hiking southward through several valleys to the ancient Samye monastery. A drive back to Lhasa and a return flight to Katmandu will finish the trip. The tour is rated “most strenuous� due to the elevation (up to 17,150 feet).

Cost: $4,350 per person for 10 to 15 participants and $4,850 for six to nine. Air fares are extra. There are seven nights of camping and seven in hotels. All meals are provided, except in Katmandu.

Contact: Mountain Travel Sobek; tel. (888) 687-6235.

The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. These should be confirmed with cruise lines, travel agents or tour operators.