TOURS ETC. : TRAIN TREK TO SIBERIA TAKES TRAVELERS INTO REMOTE RUSSIA.

Byline: Daily News and Wire Services

A train ride aboard the Trans-Siberian Express takes participants to Irkutsk, Siberia's main city, during a 18-day tour of the remote region of Russia.

The tour begins with four days in Moscow before boarding the train for Irkutsk, where participants spend three days. The trip, sponsored by Russian Travel Bureau Inc., continues on to Tashkent, capital of the Uzbek Republic, and Samarkand with its dome-topped mosques, before leaving for St. Petersburg and a visit to the Hermitage Museum.

Priced at $4,519 to $4,849 per person, double occupancy, the excursion includes air fare from New York, most meals, accommodations, train travel and sightseeing. Information: [phone].

Rafting for women only: Two California rafting trips, one down the Carson River, the other down the American River, target women with a penchant for adventure.

The June 13-15 trip along the East Fork of the Carson River, south of Lake Tahoe, is especially geared to rafting novices. The run is a Class II - relatively easy. Cost is $280 per person.

The Aug. 8-10 trip along the South Fork of the American River is a Class III run, through rapids with names like Troublemaker and Meat Grinder. Cost is $250 per person.

Offered by Merlyn's Journeys, both trips include all meals, rafting and camping equipment. Transportation to the embarkation point is not included. Information: [phone].

Highlands of Scotland: A 10-day tour departing July 21 for the highlands of Scotland will trace the footsteps of Connor and Duncan MacLeod, a pair of 400-year-old immortals depicted in the TV series, ``The Highlander,'' fighting beside Bonnie Prince Charlie. The tour focuses on the history and beauty of the highlands with two-night stays in Edinburgh, Inverness, Fort William and Isle of Skye.

Sponsored by Davis-Panzer Inc., producers of the TV series, the trip is priced at $2,440 per person, double occupancy, for land only. The tour includes all breakfasts and dinners, first-class accommodations and sightseeing. For those wanting to add air and three days in London, the cost is $3,999 per person double occupancy (meals in London include only breakfast and one dinner). Information: [phone].

Bicycling in Yosemite: A June 5-8 photography and bicycle tour of the Yosemite Valley will include accommodations at Curry Village and Sunday brunch at the Ahwahnee Hotel. Participants will bike over level paths and roads as the trip leader tows the group's camera equipment in a trailer. Quest Photography Tours of Los Angeles is sponsoring the trip. Information: [phone].

Packaging the Grand Canyon: The Boulders resort in Scottsdale, Ariz., has put together a three-night Grand Canyon package that includes a stay at the resort and an air/ground day tour of the Grand Canyon.

Available June 21-Sept. 9, the package includes three nights in a Boulders casita, an aerial tour of the Grand Canyon, a ground tour that visits Mather, Hopi, Trail View and Bright Angel points, an IMAX movie about the ancient site and a buffet lunch. A panoramic camera is also included. Cost is $995 for two people. Information: [phone].

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Photo: Siberian cities with their Asian influence, such as this rooftop in Ulan Ude, are the destinations of a train trek through Russia.