A Hop, Skip, Jump All Over Europe

Saddleback College Community Education is offering a grand tour of Europe July 19 to Aug. 1. The tour covers England, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and France, and is designed for a first-time visitor to Europe. The tour incorporates the capitals of London, Paris and Rome, but will also stop in some of beautiful smaller cities of Europe such as Canterbury and Rye, England; Brugge, Belgium; Rothenburg, Germany; Salzburg, Austria, and Lucerne, Switzerland. Participants will hear lectures about the art, music, architecture, history and general culture of the areas visited. The tour includes accommodations in the historic 15th century Mermaid Inn in Rye; wine tasting on the Rhine River; picnics en route, and a farewell dinner in the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Cost: $4,275 per person, double occupancy, including air fare, hotels, most meals, entrance fees and guides. Contact: The European Experience, P.O. Box 6691, Laguna Niguel, CA 92607; telephone (714) 495-2905.

Sampling Vietnam

A journey to see the highlights of Vietnam departs June 8-16. The tour includes major historical sites such as the Iron Triangle and Cu Chi tunnels. In the Mekong Delta region in the south, participants see patchworks of brilliant green rice paddies tended by farmers in conical hats. Guests tour the cool plateaus of the Central Highlands, home to many hill tribes. Other highlights are the ancient imperial city of Hue, a religious and historical center for its dynasty of the Nguyen emperors. Visitors also visit China Beach and the Marble Mountains.

Cost: $1,999 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, meals, entrances and guides. Other departure dates are available throughout the year. Contact: VivaUSA International Tours, 1840 W. 17th St., Santa Ana, CA 92706; tel. (800) 360-VIVA.

Virginia Gardens

Virginia’s 62nd annual Historic Garden Week will be the cornerstone of a journey showcasing private gardens, historic estates and art galleries from Washington D.C. to Williamsburg and the James River Plantations in Virginia. Timed to capture the beauty of flowering dogwoods, azaleas, peonies and spring bulbs, this seven-night tour departs April 19. Sponsored by the California Arboretum Foundation and Mission Creek Studios, it will be accompanied by an artist and a Harvard University horticulturist.

Featured art collections range from those in Washington’s Textile Museum, the National Gallery and at Hillwood, estate of the late Marjorie Merriweather Post, to those at Richmond’s renowned Fine Arts Museum and the Rockefeller Folk Art Center in Williamsburg. Guests will also meet contemporary artists in select studios and private galleries.

Other activities include an evening at Ford’s Theater and dinners with gourmet cuisine, including regional delicacies such as Chesapeake Bay crab cakes and Martha Washington gingerbread. Accommodations include historic hotels and a country inn overlooking the Rappahannock River.

Cost: $1,995 per person, double occupancy, including accommodations, porterage, entries, participation on Historic Garden Week in Virginia, Ford Theater performance, 14 meals, ground transportation, services of guides. Contact: Learned Journeys, P.O. Box 30626, Santa Barbara, CA 93130; tel. (800) 682-6191.

Great Mediterranean

A cultural tour-cruise that covers artistic and scenic sights in Lisbon, Madrid, the French Riviera, Italy and Greece leaves Los Angeles Aug. 5 for 15 days. Two days are spent in Lisbon to see St. George Castle, Jeronimo Monastery, the Alfama Quarter and Belem Tower. Two days are in Madrid to visit the Prado Museum, the Royal Palace, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Espagna, Cibele Fountain with an optional excursion to the El Escorial, Valley of the Fallen and Toledo. One day is taken in Barcelona to admire the Pueblo Espanol, the Gothic Quarters and Gaudi’s cathedral.

The seven-day cruise begins in Barcelona, stopping first at Cannes and visiting Nice, Monaco and Monte-Carlo. The next port of call, Civiavecchia, allows a full day exploration of Rome’s great masterpieces. Next is Sorrento, along with Capri and Pompeii. The fourth port call is Taormina with the impressive Greek theater and the active volcano Mt. Etna. Cruising the Mediterranean, the ship will stop first at Crete to see Knossos, the cradle of Western civilization, then at picturesque Santorini. The final port call will be Athens. During the final two days in Athens, the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the Agora and the Archeological Museum will be seen.

Cost: $2,595 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from Los Angeles to Lisbon and from Athens to L.A, all meals and entertainment, hotels in Lisbon, Madrid and Athens, sightseeing tours, airport transfers and lectures by Albert Benzie, professor of philosophy and humanities. Contact: Albert Benzie, Mesa College, 7250 Mesa College Drive, San Diego, CA 92111-4998; tel. (619) 454-1434.

Gardens of Provence

Private and public gardens in the south of France are the focus of a 12-night tour departing May 29 and led by garden writer Dick Tracy of the Sacramento Bee. The itinerary contrasts the Roman civilization in Provence with the modern-day glamour and luxury of the French Riviera. The group also takes excursions through several small French hill towns.

Cost: $4,515 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, daily breakfast, most dinners, all sightseeing and entrance fees. Contact: Lucas and Randall, 4208 N. Freeway Blvd., Suite 101, Sacramento, CA 95834; tel. (800) 505-2505.

Amish Country

Lang’s Great Escapes is hosting its Amish Traditions Tour of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country for six days beginning on various dates from April through November. The tour includes visits to the Chester County Historical Society Museum and the Historic Rock Ford, an 18th century home.

Participants get an opportunity to learn about the history of the region and to meet with the Amish people. The group will visit the homes of Amish quilters and crafters, where opportunities to purchase handcrafted items are available.

Group size is limited to 20. The tour begins and ends in Philadelphia. Cost: $695 per person, double occupancy, including ground transportation, hotels and some meals. Contact: Lang’s Great Escapes, P.O. Box 117386, Burlingame, CA 94011-7386; tel. (800) 97-AMISH.

England’s Goddess

Goddess Tours is offering a trip to London Aug. 5 for women only for its 16-day “Goddess Tour,” which explores the myths, legends and sacred sites of the Ancient Goddess in England, Wales and Cornwall.

The sacred goddess dates back to pre-Celtic times. Visits include Glastonbury, ancient Penwith, Penzance, Land’s End, Bath, the Conwy Valley, the Isle of Angelsey, Cirencester, Avebury and Stonehenge.

Cost: $2,500 per person, double occupancy, including accommodations, full breakfasts and dinners daily, land transportation, entrance fees and services of guides.

Not included: air fare to England. Contact: Wilson and Lake International, 468 B St., Suite No. 3, Ashland, OR 97520; tel. (800) 227-5550.

Caribbean Plant Life

Plant lovers can visit the Caribbean islands of Jamaica and Dominican Republic. This tour, from May 23 to June 3, focuses on the endemic plants of these two islands, as well as a visit to some botanical gardens.

The tour will be led by Robert Ornduff, professor botany at UC Berkeley and Robert Gustafson, retired collections manager in botany at the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum. The itinerary is based on the travels of both leaders in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

This tour offers an opportunity to see many of the native palms, orchids, ferns and bromeliads in a variety of habitats ranging from rain forests to coastal limestone forests. Cost: $3,400 per person, double occupancy, including hotels, air fare and land transportation, some meals and airport transfers. Contact: Geostar Travel, 1240 Century Court, San Rosa, CA 95403; tel. (800) 624-6633.

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