For the Sake of Auld Lang Rhyme in London

Is “Humpty Dumpty” just a nursery rhyme or really the story of the beheading of Charles I? Learn the history behind English nursery rhymes on a tour to historical sites in England. The Nursery Rhymes and Legends tour runs June 22 to July 2, and is designed for adults and children over 10.

On the itinerary are London, Winchester Cathedral, Salisbury, prehistoric sites, Bath, King Arthur’s Glastonbury Abbey, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick Castle, Coventry, Nottingham, Banbury Cross, Broughton Castle and the Cotswolds. The program begins with two nights in London and visits to sites from nursery rhymes such as “London Bridge Is Falling Down” and “Pussycat, Pussycat, Where Have You Been?”

From London, the tour travels to Winchester to visit the cathedral where Jane Austen is buried. Guests hear the story of John Lund, organist and collector of rhymes. “Little Jack Horner” is on the next day’s sightseeing itinerary with a visit to Mells Manor, the Somerset Manor House of the Horner family. Then it’s time to hear the myths and legends of King Arthur at Glastonbury Abbey.

In Gloucester guests visit the site of Beatrix Potter’s “Tailor of Gloucester’s House.” Guests visit Derby to hear the legend of the “Great Derby Ram,” then on to Nottingham and the Great Oak in Sherwood Forest.

Cost: $2,095 per person, double occupancy, including hotels, motor-coach transportation, continental or full English breakfast daily, four dinners, hotel service charges and taxes, airport transfers and the services of a tour director throughout the program. Air fare is additional.

Contact: Ancestral Tours to Great Britain; telephone (800) 846-8980.

Thea-tah, Darling?

A 14-day theater tour to London and Edinburgh, Scotland, from Aug. 5 to 18, will take participants to the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and to see London’s West End productions and international entries in the Edinburgh Festival. The tour starts with four days in London: the sights, shows, a backstage tour of the Royal National Theatre and tea at the Savoy Hotel. Guests continue by coach to Stratford-upon-Avon and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Then, six days are spent in Edinburgh for the Edinburgh International Festival and Festival Fringe shows and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Cost: $2,450 (based on double occupancy; single supplement available) includes round-trip air fare Los Angeles-London, transfers, ground transportation, accommodations, tea at the Savoy Hotel, one-week bus pass in London and Edinburgh, 10 shows and a backstage tour of the Royal National Theatre. Contact: Lee Korf at KorfTours, 9811 Pounds Ave., Whittier, CA 90603; tel. (562) 947-6334.

Finland’s Outdoors

An eight-day walking trip featuring a close-up look at the unique birds, wildlife and forests of Finland’s northernmost region is set for June 15 to 23. A Walk Through Lapland is being offered by the Harvard University Museum of Cultural and Natural History in conjunction with European Walking Tours, a Swiss-based company. Designed for active adults accustomed to moderate exercise, the trip will feature daily walks through the tundra region led by Harvard biologist Don Pfister, who will provide insights into the land’s wildlife.

Home base for the first half of the trip will be the rustic log cabins of Sallatunturin Tuvat in the historic town of Salla, which is surrounded by several of Finland’s national parks. An introductory tour at the Arktikum (Arctic Center) will provide an overview of Lapland’s history as well as its flora and fauna. Travelers will walk through Reindeer Park and Finland’s largest national park, Oulanka.

The group will then transfer by private motor coach to Kuusamo and the Hotel Rantasipi. Located in the Arctic tundra, this area has the largest variety of bird species found in Finland. Cost: $1,990 per person, double occupancy, including most meals and ground transportation. Air fare is not included. Contact: European Walking Tours; tel. (800) 231-8448.

Affair of the Art

Visit Scandinavia and St. Petersburg, Russia, with Louise Lewis, professor of art history at Cal State Northridge.

The tour, which runs June 2 to 20, stops in St. Petersburg to see the Hermitage; Petrodvorets, summer residence of the czars; and an evening performance of ballet or opera. It moves on via the Finnish express train to Helsinki, Finland, to visit the contemporary Rock Church, carved out of solid rock and topped with a copper dome. Guests take an overnight cruise to Stockholm to visit Drottingholm Palace, the Court Theater and an 18th century theater.

Members fly to Bergen, Norway, to see fine art collections and cruise along the Sogne Fiord, the longest and deepest in the world. A tour will be taken in Copenhagen.

Cost: $4,495 per person, double occupancy including air fare, accommodations, some meals, transportation and overnight cruising with outside cabins. Contact: June Davis, Wide World Tours, Topanga Plaza, 6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Canoga Park, CA 91303-2646; tel. (818) 883-3220.

Canadian Rockies

See the Canadian Rockies for 10 days, including a visit to the Calgary Stampede. The tour begins July 4 in Vancouver with a city tour, then heads to Victoria to see the Butchart Gardens. Sightseeing by motor coach includes Kamloops, Jasper and Banff national parks; Montana’s Glacier National Park; and Calgary for the rodeo.

Cost: $1,649 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare, nine nights’ accommodations, ferry to Victoria and admission fees. Not included: meals. Contact: Friendly Excursions, P.O. Box 69, Sunland, CA 91041; tel. (818) 353-7726.

Tasting France

Cathy Thomas and Sue Young, co-owners of the Tasting Spoon Cooking School of Marina del Rey, are offering a culinary-wine tour of Paris and Burgundy Nov. 5 to 14. The tour includes six days in Paris, a private cooking class and dinner with a chef, excursions to culinary equipment shops, restaurants and museums. There will be three nights on a barge in Burgundy for wine tastings, vineyard tours and dinner in Lyon.

Cost: $3,450 per person, double occupancy, including air fare, all meals on board the barge, five nights in Paris (breakfasts included) and guided tours in Burgundy and Beaujolais. Contact: Sue Young (310) 306-8851 or Cathy Thomas (714) 536-6522.

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