Escorted & Package Tours

Package tours are simply a way to buy the airfare, accommodations, and other elements of your trip (such as car rentals, airport transfers, and sometimes even activities) at the same time and often at discounted prices.

One good source of package deals is the airlines themselves. Most major airlines offer air/land packages, including American Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/321-2121; www.aavacations.com), Continental Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/301-3800; www.covacations.com), Delta Vacations (tel. 800/654-6559; www.deltavacations.com), United Vacations (tel. 888/854-3899; www.unitedvacations.com), and US Airways Vacations (tel. 800/455-0123; www.usairwaysvacations.com). Several big online travel agencies -- Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, and Lastminute.com -- also do a brisk business in packages.

Adventure & Wellness Trips

If you want to turn a trip to Seattle into an adventure, book a multiday kayak tour with Northwest Outdoor Center (tel. 800/683-0637 or 206/281-9694; www.nwoc.com), which offers a variety of sea-kayak tours.

For a very different sort of hiking tour, contact Kit's Llamas, P.O. Box 116, Olalla, WA 98359 (tel. 253/857-5274; www.northolympic.com/llamas), or Deli Llama, 17045 Llama Lane, Bow, WA 98232 (tel. 360/757-4212; www.delillama.com), both of which offer llama trekking tours in Olympic National Park

With its biodiesel vans and Jeeps, EverGreen Escapes (tel. 866/203-7603 or 206/650-5795; www.evergreenescapes.com) is an environmentally conscious tour company specializing in adventurous getaways. Hiking, rafting, kayaking, and bicycling are all options on this company's tours.

Food & Wine Trips

Seattle is the sort of city that foodies and wine lovers dream about -- great restaurants with access to superb local ingredients and dozens of wineries within 30 minutes of the city. If you'd like to focus on food or wine on your vacation, check out some of the offerings from these cooking schools and wine-tour companies.

Culinary Expeditions Tour Company, 1411 Fourth Ave., Suite 1424, Seattle, WA 98101 (tel. 206/264-1270; www.nwculinarytours.com), offers food-focused multiday tours in the Seattle area and also does a variety of special dinners.

If you'd like to hone your Asian-cooking skills, take a class with NuCulinary, 6253 California Ave. SW, PMB 250, Seattle, WA 98136 (tel. 206/932-3855; www.nuculinary.com), which holds cooking classes at the Seattle area's two Uwajimaya Asian supermarkets.

At L'Auberge Bed & Breakfast Inn, 16400 216th Ave., Woodinville, WA 98077 (tel. 425/260-6213; www.edgeof-seattle-cooking.com), you can stay in wine country and spend a couple of days learning new cooking techniques.

For a tour of the nearby Woodinville wine country, get in touch with Bon Vivant Wine Tours (tel. 206/437-1298; www.bonvivanttours.com), which offers half- and full-day tours of the area and also does 3-day tours to eastern Washington's wine country.