Retracing Footsteps of the Apostle Paul

The Biblical Archaeology Society and the Biblical Resources Study Center of Jerusalem are offering a study tour and cruise called “The Life of Paul.” Participants will travel Mediterranean waters from May 8 to 18 to lands visited by Apostle Paul during the early years of Christianity. Guests will visit and learn the biblical and historical significance of such places as Corinth, the Greek islands, Cyprus, Antioch, Antalya, Kas, Kusadasi and Athens.

James Fleming, a biblical geographer, and Eleni Zachariou, an expert on Greek culture, will lead the tour.

Cost: from $3,190 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from New York, all meals, ground transportation, cabin on ship and sightseeing.

Contact: Biblical Archaeology Society; telephone (800) 221-4644.

Gardens of Spain

Enjoy spring wildflowers and country gardens in Spain May 18 to 31 while driving through the areas of Castile and Andalusia. Participants will visit the cities of Toledo and Segovia as well as Cordoba, Seville and Granada. The tour begins in Madrid, the capital and cultural center of Spain, and ends at Costa del Sol on the Mediterranean.

Designed for a small group, this tour offers an opportunity to visit private town and country gardens as well as estates and ranches and meet with Spanish families in their homes. Castles, cathedrals, museums and local cuisine are featured throughout the tour. A pre-tour features Spanish cuisine in Madrid, and a post-tour in Marbella includes excursions at the Costa del Sol.

Garden designer Katherine Greenberg will escort the tour.

Cost: $3,890 per person, double occupancy, including first-class accommodations, bus and train within Spain, breakfast daily and some meals, all sightseeing and tour fees. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Landmark Travel, 335 Village Square, Orinda, CA 94563; tel. (510) 253-2600.

Mandalay and Beyond

A tour to explore Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand with an experienced art historian and photographer is being offered by the Southern Asian Art Council of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. “Mandalay and Beyond,” Jan. 10 to 29, will be accompanied by John Listopad, assistant curator for South and Southeast Asian Art at the museum.

Travelers will start in Myanmar with three days in Pagan, which has many archeological sites. Ancient pagodas etch the skyline with thousands of golden spires. Three days in Mandalay include an excursion up the Irrawaddy River to Mingun, royal palaces of two ancient capitals, and centers of traditional silk weaving and bronze casting.

Two days are spent on the Shan Plateau, exploring Pindaya Cave and observing the local culture and Inle Lake’s leg-rowing boatmen. In Yangon (Rangoon), a visit to the Shwe Dagon Pagoda completes the Myanmar tour.

Also seen are the Khmer temple complexes of Phimai and Panom Rung, and the ancient cities of Lopburi, Ayutthaya, Sukhothai and the city-state of Chiang Mai. A final day in spent in Bangkok.

Cost: $5,595 per person, double occupancy, includes round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, transfers, best hotels, all meals, local transportation and sightseeing with local guides, and an American tour manager.

Contact: Glorious Adventures, 10007 Gaynor Ave., North Hills, CA 91343; tel. (818) 893-9030.

Good Greece

An American art educator and a Greek archeologist team will lead two in-depth explorations of Greece for three weeks beginning May 5. The first tour, called “The Return,” is for those who have been to Greece before. Sightseeing includes a visit to a cheese factory in the village of Metsovo, luncheon at a country estate on an island, and tours of recently excavated sites at Nemea and Kata Zakro in Crete.

Cost: $4,350 per person, double occupancy.

“The Classical Greece” tour is 16 days departing Sept. 24 and visits Athens, Delphi, Olympia, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Salonika and Sparta. It features the option of either a three- or seven-day Aegean cruise. Prices begin at $3,275.

Both tours include round-trip air fare from New York, some meals, baggage handling, first class or better hotels, and all sightseeing.

Contact: OPA Tours Greece, 9345 Glory Ave., Tujunga, CA 91042; tel. (800) OPA-7155.

Falling for Australia

A 16-day tour Down Under that departs March 27 will take guests to see the best-of-Australia. The tour starts in Sydney with a harbor cruise and visits the Sydney Tower, the Rocks, an art museum, the Colonial Buildings and Parliament House on Macquarie Street and the Opera House. Next, the group will fly to Cairns for a drive along the coastal Cook Highway to Port Douglas. There, guests will take a boat ride to the Great Barrier Reef to go snorkeling. The following day is a visit to the Daintree River Rain Forest.

Then it is on Ayers Rock National Park, the Aboriginal Arts and Crafts Center and Alice Springs to see Standley Chasm and Glen Helen Gorge. Travelers will board the GHAN (an overnight train) to see the Outback and arrive in Adelaide and the lake village of Mount Gambier. Guests will stay overnight at the coastal resort town of Lorne before visiting Melbourne for two nights.

Cost: $2,395 per person, double occupancy, including lodging with breakfast daily, airport transfers, all ground transportation and guides. Air fare is not included.

Contact: The Gurnham Group, 11950 Ventura Blvd., Suite 4, Studio City, CA 91604; tel. (800) 475-0004.

Dive Into Bahamas

Sportours is offering a dive trip to Columbus Isle Bahamas Feb. 21 to 28. Participants will dive six days along ancient coral reefs, and in coral caves, patch reefs and blue holes. Guests will stay at Club Med Columbus Isle, an all-inclusive resort.

Cost: $2,199 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, airport transfers, lodging, all meals, taxes and services charges.

Contact: Sportours, 2335 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020; tel. (800) 660-2754.

Central Asia

Visit Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan on a 15-day journey to central Asia. Departure dates are May 8, June 12, July 10, Aug. 14, Sept. 11 and Oct. 9. This trip is for those who welcome adventure and are prepared to accept the uncertainties as well as the rewards.

Cost: $4,500 per person, double occupancy, including accommodations, meals and ground transportation. International air fare is not included.

Contact: Universal Travel System, 1434 6th St., Suite 6, Santa Monica, CA 90401; tel. (310) 393-0261.

Easter in Guatemala

A 13-day tour with photographer Lisl Dennis runs April 5 to 16. Participants will visit exotic markets and scenic landscapes of jungles and volcanoes. The itinerary includes sites around Guatemala’s 18th century city of Antigua, and a chance to photograph the city’s Easter processions. The trip also includes the Indian market at Solola, an overnight on the shores of the volcano-rimed Lake Atitlan, and the handicraft villages of Quezaltenango.

Cost: $3,950 per person, double occupancy, including hotels, most meals and ground transportation. Air fare is not included.

Contact: Geographic Expeditions, 2627 Lombard St., San Francisco, CA 94123; tel. (800) 777-8183.

Sporting Mexico

A 15-day multi-adventure tour is being offered that includes hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, four-wheel driving and white-water rafting in the state of Veracruz in Mexico. Tour dates are: Jan. 17 to 31, Feb. 14 to 28 and March 14 to 28. Trips originate in Mexico City.

Cost: $1,475 per person, double occupancy, including accommodations (camping and hotels). Air fare is not included.

Contact: The Alternative Adventure Co., 2200 Lakeshore Blvd. W., Suite 101, Toronto, Canada M8V 1A4; tel. (888) 288-8379.

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