In San Antonio, Holiday Revels on the Riverwalk

Sparkling lights along the San Antonio River will brighten the holidays in Texas from Nov. 28 to Dec. 3. Corliss Tours’ “Holiday in San Antonio” features five nights at the Marriott Hotel Riverwalk and tours of the area, visiting the Alamo, Fredricksburg and the state capitol in Austin.

Cost: $1,232 per person, double occupancy, including hotel, sightseeing fees and some meals.

Contact: Corliss Tours, P.O. Box 4042, Huntington Beach, CA 92605; telephone (800) 482-4597, https://www.corlisstours.com.

Guatemala: Shamans

If you’ve wondered how the Spanish influenced the religious practices of the ancient Maya, a University of Pennsylvania Museum trip to Guatemala may interest you.

The tour, from March 8 to 16, will explore the preclassical sites of Abaj Takalik and Iximche and includes a trip to Antigua. At sacred shrines, churches and Maya religious services, the tour leader will discuss the blending of Christian and shamanistic beliefs.

Cost: $3,395 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from Houston, lodging, meals and land transportation.

Contact: Far Horizons, P.O. Box 91900, Albuquerque, NM 87199; tel. (800) 552-4575, https://www.farhorizon.com.

Africa: Bird Safari

A trip to Namibia that is for the birds and those who like to peer at them is being organized by Wilderness Safaris of Florida. From Feb. 5 to 15, the tour will visit Namib-Naukluft Park, the wetlands of Walvis Bay and the Ongava Lodge and Reserve at the edge of Etosha National Park. Bird-watching will be by foot, vehicle and boat.

Cost: $3,765 per person, double occupancy, including lodging, most meals, guides and entrance fees.

Contact: Wilderness Safaris; tel. (561) 659-2174, https://www.wilderness-safaris.com.

Egypt: History

An Egyptian history professor will lead a tour to Egypt with an academic bent from Dec. 27 to Jan. 12. Besides seeing the pyramids and other ancient sites, the group will take a four-day cruise on the Nile and a three-night cruise on Lake Nasser. The tour ends with a visit to Alexandria.

Cost: $3,979 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, hotels and cruise ships, most meals, internal flights and admission fees.

Contact: the Classical Alliance of the Western States; tel. (800) 862-6220.

New Orleans: Christmas

European and Caribbean influences permeate the holidays in New Orleans, especially in the French Quarter, where guests will stay on a tour from Dec. 21 to 26. Smithsonian Study Tours will celebrate with jazz brunches, a visit to a Creole plantation and a tour of a Greek Revival home on the site of a former sugar plantation.

Cost: $1,995 per person, double occupancy, including accommodations, many meals, entrance fees and guides. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Smithsonian Study Tours; tel. (877) EDU-TOURS (338-8687), https://www.smithonianstudytours.org.

New Mexico: Sampler

The stops that put New Mexico on many must-see lists--Chaco Canyon Historical Site, Taos, Santa Fe, and Bandelier, El Morro and Petroglyph national monuments--are on the itinerary of a Dec. 6-14 trip with Naturalist Journeys of Montana. Participants will attend holiday events and exhibits and visit the Zuni and Acoma pueblo communities. Hikes and daily lectures complement the trip.

Cost: $1,795 per person, double occupancy, including hotels, some meals, ground transportation and guides. Transportation to Albuquerque is extra.

Contact: Naturalist Journeys; tel. (406) 763-3001, https://www.naturalistjourneys.com.

Peru: Amazon

You won’t have to dirty your hands on a seven-night cruise on the Amazon River through the Peruvian rain forest. The expedition-style 28-passenger river ship La Amatista is air-conditioned, has a private bath in each cabin and serves international and Peruvian cuisine.

Passengers will take small boats to explore tributaries, villages and forests of ceiba trees and to see wildlife, such as howler monkeys. A six-night extension to Machu Picchu is available.

Cost: $3,595 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Miami, land transportation, accommodations, most meals and native guides.

Contact: Thomas P. Gohagan and Co., 224 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 220, Chicago, IL 60604; tel. (800) 922-3088, Ext. 278.

Minnesota: Snowbound

Snow is the backdrop and the point of several tours to Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota.

The five-day excursions are based in a comfortable but primitive lodge.

Participants will cross-country ski, snowshoe and ride a dog sled through a remote wilderness area. Instruction and equipment are provided for all activities. Four departure dates are available: Feb. 6, 20 and 27 and March 6.

Cost: $595 per person, double occupancy, including all meals and lodging. Air fare to Minneapolis and ground transportation to the Boundary Waters are extra.

Contact: Wilderness Inquiry Outdoor Adventures, 808 14th Ave. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55414; tel. (800) 728-0719, https://www.wildernessinquiry.org.

Chile: Lakes

Maxim Tours is highlighting the Lake District of Chile, a lush land of lakes, fiords and volcanoes where, with a guide, travelers can veer off the beaten track.

One itinerary includes three nights at Alerce Mountain Lodge, a good place for hiking or horseback riding, ending the day with a spa or sauna visit and gourmet dinner.

Another option is four nights in Patagonia on the “Pioneer Trail,” a lodge-based horseback and hiking trip from the Rio Cochamo Valley across the Andes and along the Gaucho Trail, used by legendary outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

The best time to visit the Lake District is between October and March, during Chile’s spring and summer. These programs can be extended with a visit to Santiago, Chile, the Atacama Desert or Torres del Paine National Park.

Cost: From $450 to $860, including lodging, all meals and sightseeing. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Maxim Tours; tel. (800) 655-0222, https://www.maximtours.com.

Burgundy: Barging

A barge tour through the Burgundy region of France isn’t a new concept in traveling, but that’s OK. On this trip, travelers will float through Auxerre, with its Gothic cathedral and colorful old town; Vezelay, a hilltop village with a historic basilica; Chablis, home of the wine; Tanlay, which has a handsome Renaissance chateau; and Tonnerre.

The last two days will be spent in Paris at the Hotel Brebant.

The excursion is available on various dates in spring, summer and fall.

Cost: from $2,165 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, transfers, six nights aboard the Litote with all meals, wines and excursions. In Paris, a museum pass is included.

Contact: Claudette Crowther at Summerland Travel; tel. (805) 969-9014.

Italy: Sicily

Mt. Etna’s wrath has quieted, making it a good time for a “Just Sicily” tour over the holidays. The tour to the southern Italian island begins Dec. 23 with a four-night stay in Palermo and includes day trips to the medieval village of Erice, the fishing town of Cefalu and the ruins of Selinunte.

The last four nights are spent in ancient Siracusa and in Taormina. New Year’s Eve is celebrated with dinner and music at a historic hotel.

Cost: $3,300 per person, double occupancy, including hotels, ground transportation, tours and most meals. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Amelia Tours; tel. (800) 742-4591, https://www.ameliainternational.com.

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