TOURS & CRUISES

HAWAII

Bike, snorkel and hike on a Big Island multisport adventure

Take time to stop and smell the plumeria on an eight-day bicycle tour of Hawaii’s Big Island that will have you basking in the sun and snorkeling in warm seas this winter.

The tour, which departs every other week through May, circles the island, stopping at Kilauea Volcano, the Kohala Coast, the City of Refuge, Waipio Valley and Hapuna Beach. Among other activities, bicyclers will ride along the ocean in the Puna District, visit the black sand beach in Pololu Valley and cycle to the cliffs at South Point.

“It’s a multi-adventure trip. We snorkel and hike and bike,” said Martha Travis, marketing director for Bicycle Adventures.

Other spring bicycle tours visit Central California; Bryce and Zion national parks in Utah; Santa Fe and Taos, N.M.; the Northern California wine country; and the San Juan Islands of Washington.

Cost: The Big Island trip is $2,364, including accommodations, meals, guide services, entrance fees and support. Air fare from Los Angeles is not included. Bike rental is $144. There is no extra charge for solo travelers.

Contact: Bicycle Adventures; (800) 443-6060, www.bicyclead ventures.com.

CENTRAL EUROPE

Let castles and churches take you back in time

Step back to the Middle Ages on a 21-day tour of Central Europe that visits castles, churches and museums in Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany.

Among the cities travelers will see on the May 2 trip are Budapest, Hungary; Bratislava, Slovakia; Prague, Czech Republic; Vienna and Salzburg, Austria; and Munich, Germany.

Travelers also will take a hydrofoil cruise on the Danube. In the Czech Republic, they will visit castles in Prague, Karlstejn, the spa town of Karlovy Vary and the beer manufacturing town of Pilsen.

“It will be springtime, with lilacs and flowers blooming everywhere,” said tour organizer Eva Havrankova Haight, a native of Central Europe who now lives in San Juan Capistrano. “Of course, there will also be many concerts and a great deal of music, since we are going to Vienna and Salzburg.” The group will visit Mozart’s birthplace in Salzburg.

Cost: $3,983 per person, including round-trip transportation on British Airways from LAX, airport greeting and check-in service, hotels, 38 meals, transfers, baggage handling and transportation within Europe, including the Danube cruise.

Contact: Eva’s Tours; (949) 489-0488.

CALIFORNIA

Take a luxury break from holiday season stress

Leave the holiday rush behind and settle back for a spa treatment at the Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort & Spa in Palm Desert.

The 400-acre resort is offering a $125-a-night special through Jan. 11, with Dec. 27 to Jan. 1 blacked out. You can relax in the 30,000-square-foot European-style spa, play golf or tennis or visit one of 13 restaurants. The usual rate is $295 a night.

The hotel decorates lavishly during the holidays, using thousands of lights to outline palm trees and massive toy soldiers, which greet guests during December. Carolers and other holiday entertainments are scheduled.

Contact: Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort & Spa; (800) 965-8296, www.marriotthotels.com. The rate code is TZOF.

ENGLAND

Learn while you earn -- college credits, that is

Broaden your horizons by spending a semester studying at Oxford, England, this spring.

The program, from Feb. 24 to May 29, is sponsored by Riverside Community College. Students can receive up to 18 units of credit for such courses as philosophy, humanities, economics and political science. Courses are held at an Oxford University college, with Riverside faculty serving as instructors.

Oxford University, a renowned international research center, has more than 40 colleges. Scientific research in Oxford dates to the 15th century.

Jan Schall, coordinator of international education at the college, said this will be the 14th year for the program. “It’s a great opportunity for students to study abroad at a reasonable cost,” she said.

Students will stay with families and have a private room, receive two meals a day and participate in a field trip to London, where they will tour the Tower of London and Parliament. Another field trip will take them to Bath to visit the Abbey and the Roman Baths. They will take side trips to Stonehenge and Warwick Castle.

Cost: $5,755, including round-trip air fare to London from LAX, airport fees and taxes, transfers and insurance. Tuition fees ($11 per unit) are not included.

Contact: Jan Schall; (909) 222-8438.

ITALY

Have a look at the jewels of the Tyrrhenian Sea

Explore the Amalfi Coast of Italy on an eight-day, six-night package through March 31.

You’ll spend a day visiting Capri and Anacapri, half a day touring the ancient city of Pompeii and half a day touring Naples. Travelers will spend six nights at the Hotel Posa Posa in Positano, the “pearl of the Amalfi Coast.”

Cost: $1,399 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from LAX or San Francisco, breakfasts, airport transfers and three private excursions by car with an English-speaking guide. Optional add-ons include a four-night stay in Rome, Florence or Venice.

Contact: Los Angeles-based Picasso Travel; (800) 462-8875 or (310) 645-1506, www.splendida italia.com.

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