Early gifts from Viator include holiday-themed destination experiences, seasonal excitement and savings on activities around the world

San Francisco, CA. – November 20, 2006 – Travelers can add some cheer to the holiday season this year by taking advantage of seasonal destination activities around the globe. Viator.com has a number of activities to make the most of a holiday getaway, a winter wonderland, or a night out on the town close to home. Many of Viator’s featured holiday activities take place for a very limited time, or in some cases just once, so travelers should plan quickly to avoid missing out on once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Spur-of-the-moment travelers, however, are also in luck as Viator adds new activities every week, with plans for special Las Vegas New Year’s excitement coming soon. Viator.com gift certificates can also provide a great solution for the last minute shopper, redeemable toward featured holiday activities and other worldwide experiences.

Northeastern United States
There’s no place like New York during the holidays. The New York Holiday Lights Tour includes sparkling spectacles like the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and Ice Skating Rink, world famous window displays of Lord & Taylor and Saks and a festive laser light show at Grand Central Station. This tour runs from November 28 to January 6, with prices starting at $39.00 for adults and $32.50 for children. It’s got glamorous costumes, synchronized kicks to the ceiling, a 3-D film and even an appearance by Santa Claus. Tour the home of founding father and U.S. President George Washington during the Mount Vernon by Candlelight Tour in Washington, DC. Fridays and Saturdays from December 1 through 9, visitors can see how the Washington family entertained during the winter season as 18th Century characters share stories about Christmas hospitality from 200 years ago. Hot cider and cookies by the fire conclude the tour, priced from $39 for adults and $19 for children.

West Coast Cruisin’
A Pacific Northwest holiday tradition is the The Christmas Ship® Festival. Aboard ship, some of the finest Northwest choirs sing holiday greetings, while Santa mingles with guests spreading holiday cheer. On the water, other decorated boats join in the festivities by following The Spirit of Seattle, the official Christmas Shipâ„¢, forming the world’s largest holiday flotilla. Running only from December 1-23, cruise tickets are $22.00 for adults and $11.50 for kids. Bring the whole family to Carlsbad, California to celebrate the joys of the season at LEGOLAND. The Holiday Block Party is a two-week only event, running from December 21-30. Guests can see the only 30 foot Christmas tree built with over 245,000 forest green DUPLO bricks, and a LEGO Santa complete with sleigh and a team of reindeer. Adult day passes are $52, kids pay $44. Book and travel by December 31, and adults save 10% off each ticket.

Holiday Dinner Shows
A holiday tradition makes its return to Orlando as Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner & Show celebrates the holidays with Christmas at Dixie Stampede. The show features spectacular holiday music, ice skating, snowfalls, majestic horses and even an appearance by St. Nick himself. Tickets start at $49.50 for adults and $23.94 for kids. The adult ticket price includes Dolly’s holiday gift – a 5% discount through the holidays. The Arabian Nights Annual Holiday Show in Orlando is full acrobatic elves, dancing reindeer, Sugar Plum Fairies, a disbelieving Sultan, and a determined Princess with her Genie. The Holiday Show delivers all the romance and excitement only Arabian Nights can bring to life! The show runs through January 1, 2007. Tickets start at $49.60 for adults and $31.00 for children.

Christmas with the King
Celebrate the Holidays at Graceland, and experience the holiday décor just as Elvis did every year. In addition to the exterior splendor, the Platinum Tour package includes the Graceland Mansion audio-guided tour along with self-guided tours of Elvis’ two custom jets, the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum, a memorabilia museum called ‘Sincerely Elvis’, the all-new Elvis After Dark exhibit and a 22 minute film showcasing Elvis’ fascinating career. Prices start at $27.20 for adults and $13.94 for children.

Once-in-a-Lifetime in Austria
Travelers stroll through the foothills of the Alps along the Salzach River with a knowledgeable tour guide during the Silent Night, Holy Night Christmas Eve Guided Tour. The Silent Night Chapel in Oberndorf (Salzburg, Austria) celebrates Christmas Eve Holy Mass outside because of the small size of the interior. This guided tour starts at $44.00 for adults and $22.63 for children. The Christmas Time Horse Drawn Sleigh Ride starts with a ride along the Salzach River Valley past many of Austria’s most popular ski resorts, followed by an ascent up the “Steirische Ramsau” 3,281 feet above sea level. Passengers enjoy a beautiful Austrian village and lunch at a local inn while they listen for the jingling of sleigh bells – the signal to embark on this once-in-a-lifetime journey by sleigh through a winter wonderland. From December 25 to 31 only, this tour starts at $60.33 for adults and $44.00 for children.

Say G’day to 2007 before Most of the World
The clock strikes midnight in Australia long before many other continents around the world. Ring in 2007 on the Sydney Showboats 2006 New Year’s Eve Celebration Cruise where a glittering cabaret spectacular in the tradition of the Moulin Rouge and the Lido awaits revelers, along with a three-course gourmet meal, fine wines and one of the best fireworks displays in the world, from one of the most beautiful vantage points in the world, Sydney Harbour. Seats are limited and this cruise will sell out. Standard package prices start at $594.74 per person, and premium package prices start at $743.62. Revelers can stay in the same time-zone but usher in the New Year in a different Australian city. The Melbourne 2006 New Year’s Eve Party Cruise features fabulous food, flowing drinks and non-stop entertainment, including spectacular views of the fireworks at midnight. The Silver Package departing from Princess Walk starts at $163.75 per person, and the Gold Package, departing from Southbank Promenade starts at $182.36 per person.

Winter Wonderland
Beginners and advanced snowmobile riders alike enjoy the views of incredible Lake Tahoe and the Carson Valley during the Top of Tahoe Tour in South Lake Tahoe. The two-hour tour, with experienced guides, starts at $109.00 per person and winds its way through the dense forests and pine and aspen nearly 9,000 feet above sea level. The Evening Ice Walk and Campfire in Banff, Canada, starting at $43.46 for adults and $22.18 for children, includes a brisk stroll to historic Stewart Canyon Bridge and an exploration along the shoreline of Lake Minnewanka. Ice-hikers listen to the crackling of the frozen lake’s ice cap and then the crackling of the campfire, capping the evening off with hot chocolate while roasting marshmallows.

* All prices listed are per person and are accurate at press time.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 20th, 2006 at 8:00 am and is filed under Departure Lounge, Press Releases. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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