TOURS & CRUISES

FRANCE, ITALY

Well placed in Europe

Amble through the Louvre and climb the Spanish Steps on an 11-day package trip to Europe that includes Paris, Rome, Venice and Florence. Centrally located hotels mean easy access to attractions: In Paris, visit the Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay and take a one-hour sightseeing boat trip on the Seine; in Rome, swing by the Colosseum; Venice brings St. Mark’s Square; in Florence, see the Duomo and more.

Info: Adventure Vacations, La Jolla; (800) 600-5587, www.adventurevacationsinc.com.

Date: Daily departures through May 15 and from Sept. 5 to Oct. 29.

Itinerary: Travel independently to Paris, Venice, Florence and Rome.

Price: $3,035 per person, double occupancy (single supplement $640) includes round-trip airfare from Los Angeles to Paris and flights within Europe, accommodations, train travel from Venice to Florence and Florence to Rome, Seine cruise, airport taxes, guidebooks and maps, daily breakfast.

MEXICO

An escape to Ensenada

Treat Mom -- or maybe just yourself -- to an overnight stay in Ensenada. The Mother’s Day weekend trip takes visitors to L.A. Cetto Winery for a tour and tasting, stops by the La Bufadora sea geyser and squeezes in some shopping time.

Info: Baja California Tours Inc., La Jolla; (800) 336-5454, www.bajaspecials.com.

Date: May 14 and 15.

Itinerary: Ensenada.

Price: $199 per person, double occupancy (single price $262), includes round-trip motor-coach travel from San Diego, excursions and an overnight stay at Coral Hotel and Marina.

OREGON

Tuneful rafting on the Rogue

Float along the Rogue River on four- or five-day rafting trips accompanied by musicians and a winemaker. The June paddling tours follow the Rogue for 39 miles. Visitors camp at rustic sites along the way. At night, musicians perform (on the June 13 trip, there are flute and harp tunes; on June 20, it’s guitar, fiddle and recorder) and the winemaker breaks out his bottles and talks about his wares. The later June trip includes a day of hiking and romping on shore under the guidance of a naturalist.

Info: James Henry River Journeys, Bolinas; (800) 786-1830, www.riverjourneys.com.

Date: June 13 to 16 and June 20 to 24.

Price: June 13, $895 per person ($835 for those 17 and younger; minimum age 7); June 20, $995 per person. Includes on-river meals, guides, entertainment, ground transportation and equipment. Does not include transportation to and from the meeting point in Galice, Ore.

NAMIBIA

Wide angle view of Africa

Search for feathered and furry photo ops on an African jaunt led by wildlife photographer Michele Burgess. “I make sure that photographers get their photos,” Burgess said. “We’ll be there at the right times,” such as at sunrise and sunset in the 1,000-foot-high sand dunes of Sossusvlei -- the dunes are at their reddest at those times of day. Then, tour-goers can snap away at Walvis Bay, known for its numerous flamingos, and Cape Cross, where fur seals breed. The tour, which follows the Skeleton Coast, also includes four nights at Etosha National Park, where the accommodations are close to watering holes frequented by giraffes, elephants, gazelles, lions and more, Burgess said. Tell them to say “cheese.”

Info: In Focus with Michele Burgess, Huntington Beach; (714) 536-6104, www.infocustravel.com.

Date: July 18 to Aug. 2.

Itinerary:Windhoek, Walvis Bay, Cape Cross, Skeleton Coast, Cheetah Conservation facility near Otjiwarongo.

Price: $7,025 per person, double occupancy (single supplement $910), including round-trip airfare from New York to Johannesburg, accommodations, daily breakfast, seven lunches, 11 dinners, ground transportation, an English-speaking guide, entrance fees. Does not include round-trip airfare from L.A. to New York.

-- Amy Hubbard