Camp in Death Valley

Hike California’s Death Valley on a six-day camping trip starting Dec. 20 for singles and Dec. 27 for couples or groups.

The first days are spent in Mesquite Springs, where the group will visit Ubehebe Crater and cycle to Scotty’s Castle for a tour.

Then, in Furnace Creek, the group will bike past dunes and alluvial formations and hike around Zabriskie Point and Dante’s View to see the Devil’s Golf Course.

Cost: $1,398 per person, double occupancy ($100 single surcharge), including tent lodging (with shower facilities some nights), bedding, cook and guides, and ground transportation from Las Vegas.

Contact: Backroads, Berkeley; 800-462-2848, 510-527-1555 or www.backroads.com.

Cruise and bike

Balance the comforts of a cruise with vigorous mountain biking on a nine-day trip through the southern Caribbean Islands departing Feb. 4.

Cyclists traveling on the Norwegian Spirit will visit Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, Tortola and Antigua. Mornings will be spent cycling about 25 miles followed by picnics, snorkeling and swimming. Late afternoons are free for touring.

“I like to call it a cushy bike trip,” said Linda Black, founder of Bike &Cruise Tours.

Cyclists should have moderate biking ability. “Terrain can vary,” Black said, “from pavement to potholes to off-road through the sugar cane fields.”

Cost: Starting at $1,705 per person, double occupancy only. Price includes accommodations, meals, two cocktail parties, bicycle rental and tour fees, support vehicles, guides and ground transportation. Airfare to Miami is not included.

Contact: Bike &Cruise Tours, Gresham, Ore.; 503-252-3699 or www.bikeandcruise.com.

Colonial Christmas

Revisit early American Christmas traditions on an eight-day tour of historic Williamsburg, Va., and the surrounding area on Dec. 21.

The tour begins in Washington, D.C., with a reception dinner followed by a day of sightseeing in the capital.

Besides Colonial Williamsburg, the group will tour Mount Vernon, Monticello, Jamestown and Yorktown. Christmas dinner will be served in a historic tavern.

Cost: $2,669 per person, double occupancy ($1,019 single surcharge), includes lodging, meals, ground transportation and tours. Airfare to Washington is extra.

Contact: Maupintour, Las Vegas; 800-255-4266 or www.maupintour.com.

Travel deals

Good bargains around the globe:

Vail Resorts is discounting multiday lift tickets for its Colorado and Lake Tahoe resorts. Buy a 10-day ticket, good at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly, for $379 for adults, $159 for children ages 5 to 12. Blackout dates are Dec. 17-Jan. 1. Buy and use at least one day by Jan. 31. Purchased separately, the 10-day ticket would cost at least $619 per adult. Info: 800-842-8062, www.snow.com.

Get a $500-per-person discount on a luxury train tour between Washington, D.C., and New Orleans. The American Orient Express tour starts at $2,690 per person double if booked before Nov. 19. The six-night trip departing D.C. March 30, April 13 and April 27 features a Civil War theme. A reverse itinerary departs March 23, April 6 and 20, and May 4. Info: 800-320-4206, www.americanorientexpress.com.

Qantas is offering an Aussie Air Pass to U.S. residents. Starting at $999 per person low season, you get round-trip air from Los Angeles or Honolulu to Australia and three domestic flights to Zone 1 destinations, which include Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Taxes are about $137 extra. Ticketed separately, a L.A.-Sydney-Brisbane-Melbourne-Sydney-L.A. fare, for example, would be about $1,385. Purchase by Dec. 31. Info: 888-505-6252.

Six nights at a resort on Spain’s Costa del Sol, including air from New York, is $399 per person double with a deal from OffPeakTraveler.com. The package includes round-trip air to Malaga and six nights at Club la Costa at Marina Park. Taxes are an extra $159. Depart Thursdays Nov. 4-June 9; holiday surcharges apply. Air alone is about $402. Info: fax 212-888-2682, www.offpeaktraveler.com.

Travel classes, seminars

Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door hosts free travel classes most Saturdays at 11 a.m. at the Edmonds Theater, 415 Main St., Edmonds.

Oct. 30 – Italy.

Nov. 6 – Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Classes are free, reservations recommended. Call 425-771-8303 ext. 298 or visit www.ricksteves.com/seattle.

The Savvy Traveler offers free travel seminars at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. most Saturdays at 112 Fifth Ave. S., Edmonds.

Oct. 30 – 10 a.m. Southern Italy.

Oct. 30 – 1 p.m. Eastern Europe.

Nov. 6 – Kenya and Tanzania.

Nov. 13 – 10 a.m. Tuscany and Umbria.

Nov. 13 – 1 p.m. Italian art for travelers.

Nov. 20 – Costa Rica.