TOURS & CRUISES

ALASKA

By air, sea, rails and roads

Dive into a world of ice-blue fiords, tidewater glaciers and wilderness adventure on a 10-night tour of Prince William Sound and Denali National Park by ship, bush plane, back-country van and domed railcar.

The tours, which depart weekly through Aug. 17, begin in Anchorage and include a four-night cruise aboard the 143-foot Spirit of Alaska. The ship will cruise Prince William Sound, focusing on wildlife and on islands and fiords. The itinerary includes Blackstone Bay and its large concentration of glaciers, Esther Passage, Icy Bay, College Fiord and the Knight Island-Chenega Glacier Region.

“The small size of the vessel allows it to stop and move close to wildlife on land and in the water,” said tour company representative Elliott Gillies.

During the tour’s land segment, the group will travel by glass-domed rail car to Talkeetna, where they will stay at a wilderness lodge before boarding a bush plane for a flight to Kantishna Roadhouse, a lodge in Denali National Park.

Cost: From $3,699 to $4,899 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge starts at $1,730), including cruise, accommodations, transportation, most meals, activities, taxes and port charges. Round-trip airfare to Alaska is not included.

Contact: Cruise West, (800) 888-9378, www.cruisewest.com

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CANADA

Roam the Rockies with Smithsonian

Explore the Canadian Rockies by rail and bus on a nine-day educational tour sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution.

The trip, which includes a two-day rail journey from Banff to Vancouver, is being offered July 24, Sept. 25 and Oct. 9.

Included is a tour of Banff National Park as well as visits to Lake Louise, Icefields Parkway, Moraine Lake and Calgary, Alberta.

A Smithsonian study leader will accompany the group.

A city tour of Vancouver will follow the rail trip.

Cost: $1,899 to $2,099 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $400 to $600), including accommodations, transportation during the tour, 14 meals, lectures and sightseeing. Airfare from L.A. to Calgary and return from Vancouver is not included.

Contact: Smithsonian Journeys, (888) 427-5384, www.collettevacations.com/Smithsonian.

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IRAN

A carpet tour of bazaars and ancient cities

Venture off the beaten path on a three-week cultural tour to Iran that will focus on villages and major carpet- and textile-producing areas.

The Sept. 19 tour, which will include gardens, mosques and bazaars, is scheduled to visit Kerman, Isfahan, Kashan, Nain and Shiraz.

The tour might not appeal to everyone: The State Department on May 14 warned that Americans who go to Iran should exercise caution. But Gloria Van Gieson, who will lead the tour, said, “The safety of our passengers is of paramount importance. I’m confident there will be no problems.”

Cost: $3,335 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $695), including two flights within Iran, accommodations, meals, a national guide, local guides, entrance fees and transfers. International airfare is not included.

Contact: Glorious

Adventures, (818) 893-9030, mariposagrp.com/Gloria.

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MONTANA

Revisit the battlefield of Little Bighorn

Walk the paths of Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Lt. Col. George Custer and the 225 soldiers of the 7th U.S. Cavalry on an eight-day, in-depth study tour of Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.

The July 18 tour, led by historian and former monument superintendent Neil Mangum, will focus on Custer’s Last Stand, the 1876 battle that pitted the U.S. soldiers against American Indian fighters at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Other tour topics will be the Indian wars on the Northern Plains from 1865 to 1877, including the Great Sioux War of 1876-77. The group will visit battlefields in Montana and Wyoming.

Cost: $1,795 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $300), including accommodations, most meals, transportation in Montana and Wyoming, taxes, baggage handling and gratuities. Transportation to Montana is not included.

Contact: History America Tours, (800) 628-8542, www.historyamerica.com.

The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. Send information to Tours & Cruises, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 or write via e-mail to travel@latimes.com.