TOURS & CRUISES

ITALY

Fine-arts fellowship

Join other art aficionados for a tour of Italy hosted by the Oceanside Museum of Art. Masterpieces of art (Michelangelo’s David, Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus”) and architecture (the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum) are on the schedule, as are a visit to the Vatican and a private wine tasting at Vicchiomaggio castle in Greve, among other highlights.

Dates: Oct. 19 to 31

Itinerary: Rome, Florence, Perugia, San Gimignano, Siena and Assisi.

Price: $3,799, double occupancy (single supplement $4,499) includes accommodations, 12 breakfasts, two lunches, three dinners and a tax-deductible contribution of $200 to the Oceanside Museum of Art. Membership in the museum, starting at $30 per person, is required. Round-trip airfare from Los Angeles is $1,299, including taxes and fuel surcharges. Info: Travel of America, West Covina, (800) 228-8843. For museum membership, call (760) 721-2787.

IRELAND

Emerald Isle by the pint

Practice your pub crawl during a singles-accented tour of Ireland that includes daily stops at watering holes, a visit to the Old Jameson Distillery in Dublin, plus visits to the Cliffs of Moher and the Connemara region.

Dates: Nov. 8 to 13

Itinerary: Shannon, Galway, Clifden, Dublin.

Price: $1,119 per person ($1,099 per person, double occupancy) includes round-trip airfare from Los Angeles to Shannon and the return flight from Dublin, daily breakfast, one dinner, tour guide and transportation.

Info: Dooley Vacations, New York; (877) 331-9301, www.dooleyvacations.com.

MEXICO

Big day, in 8 days

Visit the Mexican mountain town of Pátzcuaro, a World Heritage Site known for its butterfly fishermen and a center of celebrations during annual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) activities when Mexicans honor their ancestors. A side trip takes tour-goers shopping for handmade local wares in Tlaquepaque. Optional tours include visits to cemeteries to see grave-site activities during the holiday ($100 per person). Dates: Oct. 26 to Nov. 3

Itinerary: Guadalajara, Jalisco and Pátzcuaro

Price: $1,599 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $803), including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles to Guadalajara, hotels and ground transportation between Guadalajara and Pátzcuaro.

Info: Conrado Terrazas, Hot Viajes, Los Angeles; (213) 200-6161, www.hotviajes.com.

MICHIGAN

Sip and sail

Sample wine with a sommelier aboard the Manitou, a replica of an 1800s schooner, as it navigates Lake Michigan during a four-day tall-ship cruise. Dinners will feature paired wines chosen by a local wine guru and chats about the history of the varietals.

Dates: Sept. 28 to Oct. 1

Itinerary: Grand Traverse Bay and other parts of Lake Michigan

Price: $650 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $300) includes all meals and onboard accommodations.

Info: Traverse Tall Ship Co., Traverse City, Mich.; (800) 678-0383, www.tallshipsailing.com

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Points on the Triangle

Cruise the Mekong River on a monthlong trip that delves into the Golden Triangle region -- biking by paddies, paddling past waterfalls and shopping in the markets of Ta Chi Lek in Myanmar. A cable car will zip visitors over a rain forest in China, a raft will take them through Laos’ Kong Lo cave, and sobering history will be explored at Cambodia’s Killing Fields.

Dates: Nov. 1 to Dec. 1

Itinerary: Includes Jinghong, China; Bangkok and Chiang Rai, Thailand; Myanmar; Luang Prabang, Laos; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Chau Doc and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.

Price: $5,450 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $600), includes tour leader and guide fees and tips, most meals, accommodations, road and river transport, entry fees to attractions. Does not include round-trip airfare from Los Angeles to Bangkok.

Info: Journeys Within; (877) 454-3672, www.journeys-within .com.

-- Amy Hubbard

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