GREECE--The ancients come alive on a springtime tour to classic sites

Stroll down paths the ancients trod, ramble around the Acropolis or escape to a quiet island on a vacation to Greece led by an American art educator and an archeologist.

The 16-day springtime trip will take travelers to classic destinations and less known ones. The itinerary includes Athens, Delphi, Ioannina, Metsovo, Meteora, Thessaloniki, the villages of Zagorohoria and a four-day visit to the island of Crete. Joyce Helfand, a Los Angeles museum educator, and Nanda Kontopoulos of Athens will lead the trip, which departs L.A. May 14.

“I fell in love with ancient Greece, but the modern Greeks made me stay in love with it,� said Helfand, who has led tours to the Mediterranean nation for 19 years. “It’s a beautiful country with a remarkable history.�

Cost: $4,250 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, accommodations, sightseeing, domestic transportation, most meals, baggage handling and all gratuities. Air fare from LAX to JFK is not included.

Contact: Arcadia-based OPA Tours Greece; (800) 672-7155, www.greecetravel.com/opa/.

CUBA

Music, art and atmosphere in lively Havana

SPICE up your life this winter with a weeklong tour to Cuba, sponsored by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

Three trips are offered: a week in Havana departing Jan. 3 or five nights in Havana and two nights in Trinidad leaving Jan. 10 and Jan. 17.

“There’s an incredible ambience in Havana,� said Shelley Ruston, director of special programs for the museum. “The art scene, the wonderful architecture, the musical events. So much is happening there.�

Once generally recognized as the most beautiful city in Latin America, Havana is a favorite of preservationists who are restoring its ornate villas and palaces. Travelers will be exposed to the art, architecture and culture of the island. In addition to a tour guide, there will be guest lecturers and a museum escort.

Cost: $3,485 per person, double occupancy, including nonstop flights between Los Angeles and Havana, accommodations, most meals, sightseeing, transportation, admissions, most gratuities and insurance.

Contact: Santa Barbara Museum of Art; (805) 884-6476, www.sbmuseart.org. The museum is licensed by the Department of the Treasury to conduct tours to Cuba.

ENGLAND

January sales beckon shoppers to London

If you’re born to shop, don’t let 5,456 miles of North America and the Atlantic Ocean get in your way.

Harrods, London’s well-known department store, will hold its annual January sale. Other London merchants and department stores will slash prices too. And Virgin Atlantic Vacations has a three- or six-night London shopping fling that will get you there to enjoy the fun.

Cost: Rates for the Jan. 16 shopping trip, timed to coincide with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, start at $619 per person, double occupancy, for the three-night package and $679 for the six-night package. Included are round-trip air fare from LAX, accommodations, daily continental breakfast, round-trip rail transportation between London airport and the city center, hotel taxes, service charges and a $39.50 gift certificate to Harrods.

Contact: Washington-based Virgin Vacations; (888) YES VIRGIN (937-8474), www.virgin-vacations.com.

TAHITI

Hawaii and the South Seas on the Queen Elizabeth 2

Set sail for the South Pacific aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 -- the world’s best-known ocean liner -- on a low-cost journey that will take you from Los Angeles to Hawaii to Papeete, Tahiti.

The 13-day voyage departs Jan. 18 for a four-day trip to Oahu, where passengers spend two days, sightseeing during the day and sleeping aboard the ship. From there, the ship heads south to French Polynesia, reaching Tahiti in four days. Three days are spent at the Sheraton Tahiti before travelers fly home.

The price starts at $1,995, double occupancy.

“It’s an affordable rate,� said Christopher Kyte, chairman of Uncommon Journeys. While in Hawaii, travelers have a luncheon at the historic Royal Hawaiian Hotel; in Tahiti, a sightseeing tour is included. Passengers making reservations by Dec. 9 receive free return air fare from Tahiti to Los Angeles.

Contact: Uncommon Journeys; (800) 323-5893, www.uncommonjourneys.com.

IRELAND

A festive time

on the old sod at St. Patrick’s Day

Unearth a lucky shamrock or hunt for a pot of gold on St. Patrick’s Day during an eight-night tour to Ireland.

The March 12 package, which includes air fare, a rental car and bed-and-breakfast stays, will put you in the old country in time for its annual parades and festivals honoring the Irish patron saint.

“All over Ireland, it’s festival week. Limerick, Killarney, Cork, Waterford and many small towns will have parades,� said Lynn Rueff of PS Tours and Travel Inc. “But the biggest celebration is in Dublin.�

The package is flexible, with travelers setting their own pace and itinerary. Bed-and-breakfasts are located throughout the country.

Cost: $748 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from LAX on Aer Lingus, accommodations with private bath, full breakfasts daily, standard compact car, local service charges, taxes and unlimited mileage.

Contact: Granada Hills-based PS Tours and Travel Inc.; (818) 831-8687, e-mail [email protected].

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