TOURS, ETC : TOUR GOES BEHIND THE SCENES IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

An insider's view of Washington, D.C., with visits to the diplomatic reception rooms of the Department of State and Marjorie Merriweather Post's Hillwood estate, is on the itinerary for an Oct. 22-26 tour sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The five-day trip to the nation's capital will also include a visit to an embassy, the Kreeger Museum, the Library of Congress and the White House.

Price of $1,444 per person, double occupancy, includes accommodations at the Mayflower Hotel, several meals, transportation and sightseeing. Air fare to Washington, D.C., is not included. Single supplement is $320. Information: [phone].

Canadian Rockies via train, ship: The Canadian, a classic vista-dome train, will transport travelers through the Canadian Rockies and Norwegian Cruise Lines' Windward will sail them home to Los Angeles in an 11-day tour starting Sept. 19.

Guests board the train in Edmonton, Canada, and travel to Jasper, Banff and Lake Louise. Stops are made at the Athabasca Glacier, Maligne Canyon and Pyramid Lake. The journey continues to Vancouver, where travelers spend a day and a half before boarding the ship for a five-day cruise down the coast. Stops are made in Seattle and San Francisco. Offered by Train Holidays, the trip starts at $1,995 per person, double occupancy, and includes accommodations, sightseeing, many meals, air fare to Edmonton and the cruise to L.A. Information: [phone].

Rain forest odyssey: A seven-day tour of Venezuela's Amazon rain forest includes visiting a Piaroa Indian community via boat and easy jungle hikes to habitats of tropical birds, crocodiles and river dolphins.

Sponsored by Eco Voyager, the tour also features stays in five-star hotels in Caracas and a private lodge on the Coro Coro River. Price of $1,795 per person, double occupancy, includes round-trip air fare from Miami. Information: [phone].