Find a Kodak Moment on a Climb Up Mt. Fuji

Guides for All Seasons is offering two summer itineraries in Japan for hikers. The Alps of Japan, June 28 to July 9, combines time in Tokyo, the Mt. Fuji area and the North Alps. The tour starts with a two-day climb on Mt. Fuji. The group will rest at a family inn in Kawaguchi before heading to the North Alps for hiking the trails. Each night, members will stay in local inns. A Kyoto extension is available.

Cost: $4,569 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from LAX, some meals,ground transportation, all lodging, sightseeing in Tokyo, and English-speaking guide.

The second trip is an ascent of Mt. Fuji with no additional time in the North Alps; it runs from Aug. 16 to 24. This itinerary also spends time in Tokyo.

Cost: $3,299 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from LAX, some meals, ground transportation in Japan, lodging, sightseeing in Tokyo and guide.

Contact: Guides for All Seasons, 202 County Road, Calpine, CA 96124; telephone (800) 457-4574 or (916) 994-3613.

Nouveau Nova Scotia

A tour to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island runs Aug. 19 to 26. In Nova Scotia, guests tour Louisbourg National Historic Park and Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Then participants will cross the newly opened Confederation Bridge, a multiple-span bridge crossing nine miles of the Northumberland Strait from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island, to see Prince Edward Island National Park.

Cost: $1,895 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from LAX to Halifax, motor coach transportation, gratuities and some meals. Contact: Main Street Tours at 1751 W. Torrance Blvd., Suite N, Torrance, CA 90501; tel. (800) 300-6246.

German Christmas

Gerhard’s Odysseys is offering its 10th annual Christmas markets tour highlighting Germany, Austria and the Alsace region of France. Participate in an Old World Christmas in Europe by visiting the Christkindlesmarkt (Christmas Market), a tradition that dates back hundreds of years.

There will be two departures: A Nov. 28 trip will focus on Germany and Austria with overnight stops in Heidelberg, Rothenburg and Munich in Germany, and Scharding and Salzburg in Austria. The Dec. 6 trip features the Black Forest of Germany and the Alsace region. Overnights are in Munich, Rothenburg, Freiburg and Mainz in Germany and Strasbourg, France.

Cost: $1,390 per person including sightseeing, some meals, gratuities and guides. Air fare is not included. Contact: Gerhard’s Odysseys, 921 S.W. Morrison, Suite 426, Portland, OR 97205; tel. (503) 223-2402.

Photographing France

A week in a southwestern French village studying photography and art--along with roaming the countryside and socializing with les villageois--is being offered by Atelier Le Bez, a school in Le Bez, France, just south of Brassac. Classes, conducted in French or English, are offered year-round, and consist of tutorials, demonstrations, field trips and lectures. The atelier has a darkroom and painting studio, along with five double bedrooms with a shared bath. Hotels are nearby for those wanting more privacy.

Cost: from $470 per person, including weekly courses, meals, room and darkroom chemicals. About 30 people per week can be accommodated. Le Bez is accessible from the Toulouse airport or the Castres rail station. Contact: Michael Giammarella, U.S. representative for Atelier Le Bez; tel. (718) 631-0096.

Easy Tibet

A trip to Tibet for those who have always wanted to see it but were worried about acclimatizing to the altitude, runs Sept. 1 to 19. Designed to start out at a pace that allows visitors to first catch their breath, the tour begins in Tsedang, which is at a lower altitude. Then the tour proceeds to Lhasa, and toward the end, everyone is expected to be well-adapted enough to allow for extensive day trips out of the capital into more remote regions, including nomadic areas.

The tour leader is Gary Wintz, a lecturer and writer who has been to Tibet more than 30 times. Wintz has personal connections with local Tibetans.

Cost: $4,990 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from Hong Kong, accommodations, meals in Tibet, transfers, transportation, sightseeing and admissions. Air fare from Los Angeles to Hong Kong is not included but can be added for $1,375. Contact: Marilyn at Travel Arrangers at (818) 793-1466.

Egypt, Israel

Travel With Norma is planning a 25-day tour of Egypt, Israel and Jordan that departs from Los Angeles June 28 and returns July 22. The tour includes extensive sightseeing in Egypt. A seven-day Nile cruise with stops at the temples of Karnak and Luxor, the Valley of the Kings, the tomb of Tutankhamen and Aswan. There is an optional tour to Abu Simbel to visit the great Temple of Ramses II.

In the Cairo area, guests will visit the Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza, the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities and outdoor markets. Members also will visit Alexandria and can take an optional Sinai excursion to St. Catherine’s Monastery.

The group will then fly to Tel Aviv, where participants will be taken on a short tour of the city, including the ancient port city of Jaffa, and visit the house of Simon the Tanner before continuing on to Ashkelon and Caesarea to see the Roman theater from the days of King Herod.

The tour includes extensive sightseeing in and around Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea and Masada, Jerico, Tiberias, and Petra in Jordan.

Cost: $4,265 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, airport transfers throughout the trip, first-class hotels, Nile cruise, entrance fees, most meals, air-conditioned motor coach or minivan, and a multilingual guide in Egypt and Israel.

Contact: Norma Saunders at (909) 874-2727 or Darlene at Global Journeys, (800) 784-0887.

Paint in Italy

Attend painting workshops conducted by professional artists in northern Italy. Participants bring their own brushes, canvas, easel and stool. The operators supply the paint, breakfast, dinner, accommodations and studios at the Hotel Bellevue on Lake Como. Instruction is in various media and covers landscapes, portraiture, still life, book illustration and more. Two-week sessions, for about 20 participants each, are available from July 17 through Sept. 11.

Cost: $3,250 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from New York, transfers, lectures and some concerts. Contact: Paint in Italy; tel. (212) 486-1462.

Artsy Europe

Christopher Cook, an art professor from England, is leading two artistic tours to Europe this summer. The first tour, Art Capitals of Europe, runs from July 12 to 27. The tour emphasizes the historical and cultural range of northern Europe’s major cities and focuses on London, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels. Guests visit the major museums in these cities, cathedrals and residences. Experienced American guides will accompany the tour.

Cost: $2,795 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, private coach, some meals and admissions.

The second tour heads farther south, from Paris to Rome. Art’s Grand Tour runs Aug. 2 to 17. It incorporates both historical and contemporary sites, and visits the Uffizi in Florence, the Vatican Museum in Rome and the Louvre in Paris, which are contrasted with modern collections. Guests also see ruins, cathedrals and palaces.

Cost: $2,995 includes air fare from Los Angeles, first-class hotels, some meals, private coach, luggage portage, admission fees and guides. Contact: UET; tel. (800) 525-0525, or write to Christopher Cook at University of Plymouth, Earl Richards Road North,

Exeter, U.K.

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