Taking a trip back in time

PICTURE petroglyphs on a weeklong Southwestern photography and archeology tour. The Oct. 16 excursion, led by photographer Bruce Hukco and research archeologist Scott Ortman, will travel from Cortez, Colo., to Utah, where the group will visit Canyonlands National Park, Beef Basin, Moab and Arches National Park.

“Even if people are familiar with the area, they’ll get a whole new look at it,” said Theresa Titone of the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. Ortman “knows the area like the back of his hand.”

The group will hike through areas populated in the course of 11,000 years by prehistoric cultures -- including Paleo-Indians and Anasazi (the ancestral Pueblo Indians) -- and by Fremont and Ute Indians.

Two nights will be spent camping, two nights will be shared accommodations in hogans at the research center’s campus, and two nights will be spent in motels.

Cost: $1,595 per person, double occupancy ($140 single surcharge for motels only) including tuition, accommodations, meals, ground transportation, entry fees and permits. Transportation from Los Angeles, $50 membership fees and camping gear are not included. Gear can be rented for an additional $100.

Contact: Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, Cortez, Colo.; (800) 422-8975; www.crowcanyon.org.

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CHINA

Classic sites and sounds

SAMPLE Shanghai, Beijing and Xian on a 13-day tour of China.

The Sept. 28 trip includes a three-day cruise of the Yangtze River aboard the 206-passenger Victoria Queen, from Chongqing to the Three Gorges and Yichang.

The tour takes in the Great Wall and a performance of the Beijing Opera. The group will see the life-size terra-cotta warrior figures in Xian and watch acrobats perform in Shanghai.

Cost: $3,048 per person, double occupancy ($1,098 single surcharge), including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, hotels, meals, cruise, ground transportation, sightseeing and admissions.

Contact: Windsong Tours, Marina del Rey; (310) 821-6510.

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ITALY

Trip benefits cancer fund

WaLK for the cure in Tuscany with other breast cancer survivors and friends and family.

The weeklong tour will begin Sept. 4 in Florence. Participants will stroll Renaissance hill towns including Greve and Siena, visit wineries, historic sites and take a cooking class.

Net profits from the tour go to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Cost: $2,995 per person, double occupancy ($355 single surcharge), including hotels, most meals, tour guides, admissions and gratuities. Airfare from Los Angeles is not included.

Contact: Classic Journeys, La Jolla; (800) 200-3887; www.classicjourneys.com.

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TAHITI

A special plus for the kids

SAIL from Papeete to Moorea for seven nights aboard the 320-passenger cruise ship Paul Gauguin. Parents can relax while the kids go exploring, supervised by lifeguard-certified naturalists.

The cruises, Aug. 13 and 20, offer a learning program for kids 9 through 15 that is focused on the environmental and cultural issues of Polynesia.

They examine coral reef habitats, see how vanilla and black pearls are cultivated, learn from local youth how to paddle an outrigger canoe and hike in the rain forest. The 513-foot ship travels to the islands of Raiatea, Tahaa and Bora-Bora.

Cost: $2,195 to $9,121 per person, double occupancy ($995 to $9,121 single surcharge), including accommodations, meals and gratuities. Optional enrollment in the youth program is $199 per child. Children 3 through 8 sail for free. Airfare from Los Angeles to Papeete and excursions for adults are not included.

Contact: Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; (800) 285-1835 , www.rssc.com/specials.

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IRELAND

Land of the smiling eyes

SEE lush countryside and historical sites on a six-night budget tour of the Emerald Isle. Departures are Sept. 7, 9, 16, 21, 28 and 30.

The escorted tour travels by bus through the southern region of the country, stopping for two nights each in Dublin, Galway and Killarney.

The group will see the 8th century Book of Kells at Trinity College and tour St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin and visit Blarney Castle and the Ring of Kerry near Killarney.

Cost: $1,739 per person, double occupancy ($289 single surcharge), including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, hotels, most meals, local taxes and hotel service charges.

Contact: Adventure Vacations, Inc., La Jolla; (800) 600-5587, www.adventurevacationsinc.com.