In England, Trips to See Those Bloomin’ Gardens

A tour to the English countryside escorted by Michael Smith, a lecturer for the Royal Horticultural Society, runs from May 31 to June 10. Highlights include visits to the private gardens and homes of members of the Cottage Garden Society and to Barnsley House, Hidcote Garden, Kiftsgate, Bodnant Gardens and Hadspen House. Guests will stay in first-class hotels in Bath, Stow-on-the-Wold and Chester.

The itinerary includes the Cotswolds and northern Wales. An optional three-night extension is offered in London, where the Montague Hotel, near the British Museum and the theater district, is the base from which to explore. Included are a theater show, visits to Kensington Palace and the Victoria and Albert Museum for the Queen Victoria centenary exhibit, and afternoon tea at the Lanesborough.

The group size is limited to 24.

Cost: $2,595 per person, double occupancy. Optional London extension $875 per person, double. Air fare is additional.

Contact: Michele Abrate, Armstrong and Hedges; telephone (877) 838-5142, Internet https://www.teagardentravel.com.

California: Train

Farr Discovery Rail Tours has planned a two-night, three-day excursion via Amtrak’s Pacific Surf-liner to Ventura Harbor, Feb. 17 to 19.

An afternoon boat cruise to Anacapa Island offers a chance to see both gray and rare blue whales. A flat-bottom boat ride on Lake Cachuma to watch nesting bald eagles and other migratory waterfowl is followed by a visit to a miniature horse farm near Solvang. The highlight of the tour is a visit to the eucalyptus groves near Pismo Beach to see the thousands of monarch butterflies that stop there on their winter migration.

Cost: $319 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip rail in business class from most Southern California cities, two nights’ first-class hotel accommodations, two excursion boat trips, one breakfast, two lunches, admission fees and motor coach sightseeing.

Contact: Farr Discovery Rail Tours; tel. (800) 225-8728.

Pismo Beach: Camping

An old-fashioned camping trip to Pismo Beach on the Central Coast will be conducted on Presidents’ Day weekend, Feb. 17 to 19. On guided hikes, participants will view thousands of monarch butterflies and hundreds of elephant seals.

Cost: $110 for adults, $70 for children, includes campground reservations, guided hikes and all meals.

Contact: Family Adventure Tours, 1164 Alvira St., Los Angeles, CA 90035; tel. (323) 377-7565, Internet https://www.ifamilycamp.com.

France: History and Wine

Theodore Clarke of New Renaissance Productions is leading “In the Footsteps of Joan of Arc--a Historical Journey and Wine Tasting Tour of France,” April 29 to May 15. During this 17-day journey, Clarke will lead the tour along the historic route taken by St. Joan, from her birthplace in Domremy in eastern France, through the various sites in the Loire River Valley where she led battles against the English, to Reims where she saw Charles VII crowned king of France, and finally to Rouen where she was tried and convicted of heresy and burned at the stake.

Several lectures will take place in historic churches associated with her life and times. Along the way the group will be given classes in wine appreciation by Yvonne Rich, a wine expert. The classes will include tastings of wines from the Alsace-Lorraine, Loire and Champagne regions, as well as Calvados, the apple brandy of Normandy.

Cost: $3,195 per person, double occupancy, including hotels, some meals, lectures and entrance fees. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Betchart Expeditions, 17050 Montebello Road, Cupertino, CA 95014; tel. (800) 252-4910.

France: Highlights

A 12-day tour of France to see some of the country’s highlights will depart May 31. The group will fly on Air France to Paris and stay three nights at a hotel near the Tuileries Gardens and the Louvre. Highlights include a tour of Paris and a cruise on the Seine.

The group will then travel on the TGV train to Provence for five nights. The hotel in Avignon is next to the papal palace. Guests will visit the little towns of Ventoux, Sault, Malaucene and Arles, memorialized by artist Vincent Van Gogh.

Then it’s on to a two-night stay in Nice with stops in Cannes and Grasse, the perfume capital. There is free time in Nice. On the final day the group visits Monaco to watch the changing of the guard at the prince’s palace.

Cost: $2,646 per person, including air fare from Los Angeles, all breakfasts and seven dinners, hotels, entrance fees and guides.

Contact: Geoffrey’s Tours and Cruises; tel. (888) 530-0604.

Morocco: Shopping

“The Tribal Markets of Southern Morocco,” from March 22 to April 3, is an opportunity to explore ancient bazaars where stalls overflow with Berber jewelry, antique carpets, pottery and brightly dyed textiles. Guests will visit weavers, potters and silversmiths and meet one of the foremost collectors of Berber folk art at his private gallery in Marrakech.

Participants will travel by motor coach through desert landscapes and journey to mountain villages.

Ancient palaces made with beautiful tiles and Roman ruins full of perfectly preserved mosaics will be explored in Fes and Rabat.

Travelers can buy saffron at bargain prices in the region where it’s grown. Cinnamon is a bargain too.

Next, the group will go to the weekly market in Zagora, where people from the Sahara ride into town to sell their wares.

Cost: $3,895 per person, double occupancy, including guides who are knowledgeable about Moroccan folk art and crafts; deluxe accommodations; round-trip air from New York and from Casablanca to Agadir; all hotels; breakfast daily and several dinners and lunches.

Contact: Specialty World Travel; tel. (800) 242-2346, https://www.specialtyworldtravel.com.

Charleston and Savannah

The charm of the South is highlighted on an eight-day tour of Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, Ga.

The gardens of Middleton Place, one of the oldest formal gardens in America, and Magnolia Gardens will be featured during the four-night stay in Charleston. Tours of the historic district include St. Michael’s Church, St. Andrew’s Parish Church, the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon and the Great Hall where President George Washington was entertained. A tour of the Citadel and a cruise to Ft. Sumter round out the visit to Charleston.

A tour of Beaufort, the second oldest colonial city in South Carolina, is included.

The Savannah itinerary features a guided tour of the city’s squares, with refreshments served in an 1856 private home and a family-style lunch at Mrs. Wilkes’ Boarding House.

Also included are guided tours of Georgia’s “Golden Isles,” St. Simons and Jekyll islands.

The tour runs April 16 to 23.

Cost $1,795 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from LAX to Charleston, deluxe motor coach transportation, seven nights’ accommodations, 12 meals, sightseeing and admissions.

Contact: Great Western Tours; tel. (800) 344-7090 and (626) 578-1161.

Yellowstone: With Snow

Visit Yellowstone National Park while the snow covers it and the crowds are gone. Two travel dates are available: Feb. 26 to March 3 and March 5 to 10. Guests will stay in Jackson, Wyo., and at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. Touring throughout the park is aboard track-driven snow coaches.

Cost: $1,075 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare to Salt Lake City, ground connections to the park, lodging and some meals.

Contact: Main Street Tours, 1751 W. Torrance Blvd., Suite M, Torrance, CA 90501; tel. (800) 300-6246, https://www.mainstreettours.com.

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