The Tourist Sites By Night

Darkness need not be a deterrent to sightseeing. Across the globe, more and more destinations are keeping their doors open way past sunset. Between 8 and 10 p.m., visitors to the ancient ruins of Tulum on Mexico's Caribbean coast can see the 15 pyramids bathed in shades of red, blue and amber, illuminating the walled city (gzarpa.com).

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Jerusalem's Old City has also started offering evening tours, taking visitors through the ancient Jewish and Christian quarters, as well as David's Citadel and Tekuma Park. The tour includes stories, live musical performances and meetings with residents (tour.jerusalem.muni.il).

With a glass of champagne in hand, passengers can enjoy a night flight aboard a luxury helicopter over the Las Vegas Strip, taking in views of the neon downtown and the Stratosphere Tower (looktours .com/las-vegas-helicopter-tour.html).

And in London, adventurers can follow the shadowy trail of Jack the Ripper by moonlight, wandering down alleyways to the sites where he murdered his victims. The 105-minute tour leads groups from clue to clue in the East End, where police tracked the serial killer (jack-the-ripper-walk.co.uk).

The Singapore Zoo offers night-safari tours by tram through its 2.5-acre tropical jungle. Guests can spot more than 1,000 species of nocturnal animals, made visible by subtle lighting (nightsafari.com.sg). What to do during the day? Catch up on sleep.

© 2008