Looking Up in England at Vintage Plane Shows

A trip to England from July 11 to 23 features a day of vintage airplanes at the Duxford Flying Legends Air Show and a day at the Farnborough Air Show.

World War II experts will lecture travelers on visits to Cambridge University, the American Cemetery in Maddingly (where there will be a wreath-laying ceremony), Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick Castle. Five nights are scheduled in London, where travelers will tour the War Museum and Churchill’s War Cabinet Rooms, and the Battle of Britain Underground Operations Center in Uxbridge.

Cost: $2,698 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, daily breakfast, scheduled sightseeing and entrance fees and land transfers to and from the airport.

Contact: Jerren Travel Service; (714) 731-8020, www.jerren travel.com.

China: Flower Fest

The peony is considered by some to be China’s national flower, a symbol of prosperity and long life. Each April, the flower is the centerpiece of a festival in Luoyang, one of the nation’s ancient capitals. More than 800 varieties will be on display. The festival is one stop on a 22-day tour that will depart April 8.

The tour features a cruise on the Yangtze River through the Three Gorges, a cruise on the Li River and visits to Beijing, the Great Wall at Badaling, Xian’s archeological site of terra-cotta warriors, Wuhan, Chongqing, Kunming, Guilin, Suzhou and Shanghai.

Cost: $3,195 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare, accommodations, most meals, all travel within China, admissions, guides and tour escort.

Contact: Wan-Da Tour Co.; (888) 369-2632.

Germany: Mountains

Nonstop Travel, a specialist in travel to Germany and Austria, is offering two 14-day tours: The “Spring Tour” will leave May 27 and the “Oktoberfest Tour” on Sept. 30. Travelers will stay at a Bavarian chalet hotel outside Munich. Tours will include Munich and the German Alpine region, King Ludwig’s castles, Nuremberg and Salzburg, Austria.

Cost: $990 per person, double occupancy, including daily breakfast, one dinner, entrance fees and guides. Air fare to Munich is extra.

Contact: Nonstop Travel; (800) 949-6362 or (310) 324-5500, www.nonstoptravel.net.

Scotland: Hiking

Journeys East, a Northern California-based company specializing in tours to rural areas overseas, is offering a two-week walking tour to northwestern Scotland departing July 6. Beginning in Glasgow and traveling through the Outer Hebrides, “Highland Journey” will take walkers through remote landscapes and villages on outdoor adventures as varied as garden ambles and peak climbing. Accommodations will be in country cottages and manor houses.

In Glasgow a day will be spent exploring the architecture of Charles Rennie Mackintosh before the group heads north by train to the Isle of Skye. Tourgoers will also taste some of the country’s single-malt whiskeys. Traveling by ferry, the group will continue to the Outer Hebrides, to North Uist and the isles of Lewis and Harris. The trip is limited to 11.

Cost: $3,985 per person, double occupancy, including all guides, transfers, lodging and meals. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Journeys East; (800) 527-2612, www.journeyseast.com.

New Mexico: Sephardim

Centuries ago Spanish Jews fled their homeland to escape the Inquisition. Some of them first settled in Mexico and then migrated to the territory of present-day New Mexico. Aventura Artistica is offering a “Sephardic Legacy Tour” from July 24 to 31, featuring a two-day seminar presented by historian Stanley Hordes. Travelers will learn about Jewish migration during the Inquisition and the evolution of Jewish culture in New Mexico. Other highlights will be the annual Spanish Market, Santa Fe Opera, Bandelier and Pecos monuments, Georgia O’Keeffe’s house and museums in Santa Fe and Taos. Travelers will stay in Santa Fe and Taos.

Cost: $1,400 per person, double occupancy, including lodging, land transportation, two meals a day and entrance to museums, O’Keeffe’s house, pueblos, the opera and other entertainment. Air fare to and from Albuquerque is not included.

Contact: Aventura Artistica; (800) 808-7352, www.newmexicotours.com.

Peru: Inca Trail

A hike on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is scheduled from April 12 to 23 and from May 10 to 21. Participants will explore archeological sites and visit native villages and traditional markets that feature ceramics, textiles, art and handicrafts. The trip includes visits to Cuzco, the “sacred valley” of the Incas, rafting on the Urubamba River and the ruins of Machu Picchu. Guests will have a chance to interact with Quechua herders of llamas and alpacas in remote mountain communities and get close views of glacier peaks and lakes from camps in the Andes.

Cost: $2,850 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, all transportation and flights in Peru, guides, sightseeing tours, hotels, all meals and camping services. Other tour dates are available year-round.

Contact: Andes Adventures; (800) 289-9470, www.andesadventures.com.

Italy: Artists’ View

Art instruction and sightseeing through Italy with artist Jeff Watts are part of a tour planned by Personalized Travel from Sept. 16 to 27. The group will paint medieval hill towns of Umbria and Tuscany; try the cuisine, such as black truffles over homemade pasta along with local wines, in Norcia; and tour Labro, Orvieto, Spoleto, Ferentino, Deruta, San Gimignano, Florence and Siena.

Nonpainters on the trip will visit museums and go shopping with tour director Roberta Kritzia.

Cost: $3,195 per person, double occupancy, including hotels, 16 meals, baggage handling, airport transfers, art instruction, ground transportation and guided excursions. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Personalized Travel; (818) 994-2402, www.artistravel.com.

Eastern Europe: Culture

Meeting local people is a feature of a tour of Bulgaria and Romania offered from May 29 to June 17 by Trips That Make a Difference. Tourgoers will visit villagers and stay overnight in their homes, try pastries at outdoor cafes and join discussions with local leaders. Sightseeing includes castles, frescoed monasteries, timbered cottages and 19th century mansions. Easy hikes to gorges, waterfalls, fields of wildflowers and mountains are planned. Romanian and Bulgarian folk performances are also included.

Cost: $3,275 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from Los Angeles, ground transportation, lodging, sightseeing fees and most meals. Group size is 15.

Contact: Trips That Make a Difference; (818) 992-4526.

England and Ireland

Combine the historic sights and natural wonders of Ireland with the grass tennis tournament at Wimbledon in England on a tour from June 23 to July 3. Tourgoers will have reserved seats for two days at Wimbledon and have access to the Wimbledon hospitality lounge, where English tea will be served.

In Ireland, a five-day tour includes excursions to Dublin and Waterford, where guests will tour the crystal factory, and Killarney and Shannonside. The final day will include a stay at Bunratty Castle Hotel and an Irish banquet.

Cost: $2,995 per person, double occupancy, including hotel accommodations, daily breakfast, seats at Wimbledon, transportation, guided visits and excursions, and farewell banquet. Air fare to London and return from Dublin are extra. Group size is 16.

Contact: Advantage Tennis Tours; (800) 341-8687, www.advantagetennistours.com.

Baja: Schooner Race

Horizons West Adventures of Torrance is inviting sailing fans to join a race to Mexico, from April 26 to 28, aboard a historic 73-foot schooner as it competes in the Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race. One of the largest international yacht races, it attracts 500 to 600 competitors every year. The Dirigo II will sail in the Ancient Mariner Class and compete for the trophy against other classic schooners. Guests will be able to help crew during the race, or they can relax and enjoy the trip.

Cost: $425 per person, including meals and return bus transportation from Ensenada.

Contact: Horizons West Adventures; (562) 799-3880, www.horizonswestadventures.com.

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