Art, Architecture and History on Tour in Cuba

Havana’s historic architecture is featured on Santa Barbara Museum of Art tours to Cuba from Jan. 5 to 12 and Jan. 12 to 19.

Led by art experts, the group will tour ornate villas, palaces, colonial buildings, museums, a cigar factory, Ernest Hemingway’s former home, artists’ studios, galleries and El Morro, a 15th century fort.

Cost: $3,320 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from Los Angeles, hotel accommodations, most meals and ground transportation.

Contact: Santa Barbara Museum of Art; telephone (805) 884-6436, Internet https://www.sbmuseart.org/travel/index.html.

Turkey: An Odyssey

Troy Tours’ “Winter Classic� journey to Turkey departs several times a month from November through March. The 14-day tour will visit Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia, Antalya, Pamukkale, Kusadasi, Ephesus and Canakkale (the legendary city of Troy).

Cost: $1,499 per person, double occupancy, including international air fare, hotels, entrance fees, many meals and airport transfers.

Contact: Troy Tours; tel. (310) 417-3460, https://www.troytours.com.

Costa Rica: Biking

BikeHike Adventures of Toronto will supply the bike if you supply the muscle on a 15-day trip across Costa Rica, riding from the Pacific side to the Atlantic side. Departures are Nov. 17 and Dec. 22.

Riders will see Manuel Antonio National Park, Orosi Valley, the Pacuare River, Tapanti Cloud Forest and Tortuguero National Park.

Cost: $2,250 per person. Air fare is extra. BikeHike will supply rafts, camping gear, meals and wilderness guides.

Contact: BikeHike Adventures; tel. (888) 805-0061, https://www.bikehike.com.

Egypt: Archeology

UCLA Extension’s 18-day study tour features the archeology of ancient Egypt.

Departing Feb. 2, the trip includes a cruise on Lake Nasser and visits to Alexandria and the Nile Delta; sights around Cairo and the Giza Plateau; the temples of Nubia; the island of Philea; Luxor; and the Valley of the Kings and Queens, where the group will see the tomb of Nefertari and other tombs that are open only with permission of the Egyptian Antiquities Authority. Zahi Hawass, an Egyptologist and undersecretary of state for the Giza monuments, will give lectures. Concluding the tour is a trip to Bahariya, “Valley of the Golden Mummies.�

Cost: $4,905 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, meals and ground transportation.

Contact: UCLA Extension Department of Humanities; tel. (310) 825-2272.

Vietnam: Art

Travelers will explore markets, craft shops, artists’ homes and museums to see ceramics, woodcarvings and handicrafts on an art tour of Vietnam and Cambodia from Jan. 31 to Feb. 12. They will also see the architecture of Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City (the former Saigon) in Vietnam and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Cost: $2,700 per person, double occupancy, including hotels, some meals, guides and land transportation. International air fare is extra.

Contact: Lee at Travelsource; tel. (310) 826-7676.

London: Theater

The theater takes center stage on a trip to London from March 10 to 20 sponsored by the Whittier Cultural Arts Foundation. Five shows in London, one in Stratford, post-play discussions, a tour of London and afternoon tea at the Savoy Hotel fill the schedule. Tours of the Royal National Theatre in London and the Royal Shakespeare complex in Stratford are also planned.

Cost: $2,500 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, daily breakfast and tickets to shows.

Contact: Korfco Tours; tel. (562) 947-6334.

South Pacific: Overview

It will be summer Down Under when a Glendale College tour visits New Zealand, Australia and the Cook Islands from Jan. 3 to Feb. 5. Two professors will lead the tour and discuss the culture of native South Pacific people.

Two weeks will be spent in Queenstown, New Zealand, with hiking trips to Franz Josef Glacier and Milford Sound. The next 13 days will be based in Sydney, Australia, where the itinerary includes visits to museums and the Blue Mountains and a harbor cruise. The last four days will be spent at a resort in the Cook Islands.

Cost: $2,999 per person with four people sharing a room, including air fare from Los Angeles, lodging, entrance fees and some meals.

Contact: Glendale College Study Abroad; tel. (818) 240-1000, Ext. 5515.

Belize: Camping

Island Expeditions is taking people on an adventure tour to Belize in Central America. The nine-day trip begins at the Tropical Education Center in Belize City to learn about the jungle environment. Participants will go kayaking, snorkeling and camping in a rain forest and will stop at Mayan ruins and villages. Departure dates are Dec. 14, 21 and 28.

Cost: $1,899 per person, including accommodations, meals and ground transportation. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Island Expeditions; tel. (800) 667-1630, https://www.islandexpeditions.com.

Central America: Cruise

Archeoastronomy is the study of the heavens as interpreted by archeological discoveries. If you can wrap your mind around that, a cruise on the Universe Explorer with an astronomy and anthropology professor promises to be enlightening.

Passengers will hear lectures about Mayan ruins and other historic sites on the 18-day cruise, which stops in Nassau, Bahamas; Belize City, Belize; the Panama Canal; and Acapulco, Cozumel and Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. Departures are scheduled for Dec. 12 and 30.

Cost: from $2,450 per person, double occupancy. Air fare is extra. Contact: World Explorer Cruises; tel. (415) 820-9200, https://www.wecruise.com.

Easter Island: Festival

Far Horizons of Albuquerque is really going the distance on a trip to Easter Island, which is 2,300 miles west of Santiago, Chile. Nearly 1,000 immense stone statues are scattered over the island’s rolling hills.

The trip is planned to coincide with the Tapati Festival, a celebration of Rapa Nui culture with contests of strength and skill, Polynesian music and feasting. The tour will be led by Steven Fisher, author of six books on eastern Polynesia. A nine-day extension to northern Chile precedes the trip. Easter Island dates are Jan. 25 to Feb. 3.

Cost: $4,295 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from Santiago to Easter Island, hotels, most meals and guide. International air fare is extra. The extension begins Jan. 18 and costs $2,295.

Contact: Far Horizons; tel. (800) 552-4575, https://www.farhorizon.com.

Italy: Venice

The art department of Cal Poly Pomona is planning its eighth annual “Christmas in Venice� tour from Dec. 19 to 28. The tour, which will be led by two university professors, focuses on the art, architecture, history and cuisine of Venice.

The group will tour the Accademia, Guggenheim and Correr museums. A seven-course Christmas banquet in the Danieli Renaissance Palace will be followed by midnight Mass at St. Mark’s Basilica. Other activities include a Vivaldi concert and drinks at Harry’s Bar.

Cost: $3,595 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, daily breakfast, some meals, admission fees and guides.

Contact: Cal Poly Pomona Art Department; tel. (909) 869-3512.

Caribbean: Cruise

Put some twang into life by joining members of the Grand Ole Opry on a seven-night cruise to the Caribbean from Dec. 2 to 9.

The Carnival Victory will depart from Florida and call at four ports: San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Croix and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands; and St. John’s, capital of Antigua and Barbuda. Musicians Charley Pride, Bill Anderson, Jimmy Dickens and Jean Shepard will perform, have question-and-answer sessions and host autograph parties.

Cost: $899 per person, double occupancy. Air fare and taxes are extra. Contact: Corporate Travel Service; tel. (877) 927-9777.

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The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. These should be confirmed with travel agents or tour operators.