SMCCCD Study Abroad

Tour Dates: April 7-18, 2024

Application Deadline: November 1, 2023

Program Overview: Home to 21 World Heritage Sites, Japan is one of the most popular travel destinations—and for good reasons! This beautiful, East Asian Island country has something for everyone, from stunning sceneries to delicious food and fascinating culture.

For an 11-day tour in April 2024, you'll visit Japan’s great cities of Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima, and visit their numerous cultural locations, such as the world-famous Asakusa, Tokyo Sky Tree, and Akihabara. You'll also have the chance to experience some of the country's unique traditional landmarks, like Kiyomizu Dera Temple and UNESCO World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine. Expert tour managers will lead your journey and handle the logistical details while providing you with professional resources throughout. Knowledgeable guides and travel ambassadors will provide you with an insider’s view of life in Japan. And all this time, you are traveling while making a difference to a community college student.

Program Leader: Chikako Walker

Japan 2024 Itinerary  

Tour Dates: March 4 - April 1, 2023

Application Deadline: December 8, 2022

Program Overview: Immerse yourself in the art history and studio art practices of France, focusing on en plein air, or landscape, drawing and painting as developed and practiced by great artists and movements such as Claude Lorraine, the “Father of Outdoor Painting”, Nicolas Poussin, the Barbizon School, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism.

For an 4-week tour in April 2023, visit Paris, Aix-en-Provence, Barbizon, Giverny, Arles, St. Rémy-en-Provence, Baux-de-Provence, and Avignon, and visit France's numerous cultural locations, such as the world-famous Musée d’Orsay, Musée du Louvre, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Fondation Claude Monet, Paris Opera House, a walking trail of Van Gogh sites in St. Remy, the Palais des Papes, and more. Expert tour managers will lead your journey and handle the logistical details while providing you with professional resources throughout. Knowledgeable guides and travel ambassadors will provide you with an insider’s view of life in France. And all this time, you are traveling while making a difference to a community college student.

Program Leader: Rebecca Alex

France 2024 Itinerary  

Tour Dates: March 29, 2019 – April 6, 2019

Application Deadline: January 3, 2019

Program Overview: With a landscape of great tropical beauty, Cuba as a nation has amazing spirit and pride. A unique mix of Afro-Caribbean and Spanish colonial culture can be experienced in the people, art and architecture. Evidence of the more than 50 year Embargo can be seen, but the Cuban people continue to have great hope for the future at this very important juncture of their history. Make your way through Havana, Cuba’s vibrant capital, from an old town Havana tour to a Classic Car Sunset show. Visit the Museum of Fine Arts, a Cigar Factory, a Rum Museum, meet local artists and much more that Cuba has to offer.

For an 8-day tour in April 2019, visit Cuba and enjoy a variety of experiences, including: a Salsa Dance Class; a farm-to-table experience, including lunch; a walking tour of Old Town Havana; a Classic Car Sunset Tour with drinks at the Hotel Nacional; a visit to the Soroa Orchid Farm and Botanical Garden; a visit to Viñales Valley; a visit to Psicolab Cuban art co-op; a visit to a Cigar factory, a Rum Museum and the Almacenes San Jose; a tour of Hemingway locations including la Finca Vigia and Marina Hemingway; a visit to the Gran Teatro; a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts; an evening show at La Taberna Social Club; a visit to the Morro Castle fortress for the shooting of the cannons ceremony. And all this time, you are traveling while making a difference to a community college student.

Cuba 2019 Itinerary  

Tour Dates: Sep 1, 2019 – Sep 11, 2019

Application Deadline: June 7, 2019

Program Overview: Let us roll out the green carpet so you can enjoy the raw beauty of this timeless landscape. See it cover the streets of Dublin in a quilt of fact and lore, from the fiction of James Joyce to the legend of Big Jim Larkin, whose bronze monument is a bold reminder of his realness. And before the city streets lose their charm, follow the trail of daffodils that outlines the Ring of Kerry. Expert tour directors will lead your journey and handle every logistical detail while providing you with a professional resource throughout. Knowledgeable guides and travel ambassadors will provide you with an insider’s view of life in Ireland.

For a 10-day tour in September 2019, visit Cuba and enjoy a variety of experiences, including: sightseeing in Dublin, Bru Na Boinne, Kinsale, Cork, and Kerry; a guided tour of historic sites like Blarney Castle and Kylemore Abbey, ferry and minibus tour of the Aran Islands and Inis Mor, a visit to the Cliffs of Mohera and scenic drive to Galway, and entrance to Muckross House and Farm. And all this time, you are traveling while making a difference to a community college student.

Ireland 2019 Itinerary  

Tour Dates: July 23 – August 5, 2019

Application Deadline: April 26, 2019

Program Overview: South Africa’s million-plus square miles host a variety of landscapes, from breathtaking coasts and mountains in the south to the grassland bush in the north. The tip of the continent encompasses everything from the austere flats of the Karoo Desert to the subtropical beauty in Natal’s exotic beaches, capped by the majestic Drakensberg mountain range. In this trip, you will appreciate South Africa’s rich history from a visit to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg to Nelson Mandela’s home in Soweto and a guest lecture at the University of Johannesburg. You will have the opportunity to analyze and reflect on the socioeconomic, political, historical, and religious factors that contribute to South African cultural identity.

For a 10-day tour in the summer of 2019, visit Cuba and enjoy a variety of experiences, including: sightseeing in Johannesburg, Capetown, and Robben Island. You will also enjoy a full-day excursion to the Cape of Good Hope including transport by private minibus, entrances to Cape Point National Park and Boulder’s Beach Penguin Colony, an optional guided hike along Cape Point and the services of a professional guide throughout; a round-trip ticket for a ride on the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway; a Game Drive, Elephant Bush Walk, a guided visit to Cango Caves, an optional forest trail walk through Tsitsikamma National Park, a ferry cruise on Knysna Lagoon and a wine tasting and tour; and entrances to the Apartheid Museum and Mandela House. And all this time, you are traveling while making a difference to a community college student.

South Africa 2019 Itinerary  

Tour Dates: June 6 to June 16, 2018

Application Deadline: March 22, 2018

Program Overview: In the midst of the Mediterranean, discover an island with personality all its own—full of flavor and teeming with one-of-a-kind art and architecture. From multicultural Palermo to breathtaking Taormina, each stop on this tour of Sicily reveals unexpected treasures; Experience the unique melding of cultural influenec; See first hand lavish cathedrals, palaces and mosaics; Taste gelato in Palermo, the famous home of gelato; Walk through Syracuse’s ancient Greek theater and Roman amphitheatre; Take in the stunning views of Mount Etna from Taormina.

For a 10-day tour in the summer of 2019, visit Cuba and enjoy a variety of experiences, including guided sightseeing and excursions to Monreale, Palermo, Agrigento, Piazza Armerina, Syracuse, Catania, Taormina Region. You will also enjoy a traditional Italian cooking class and wine appreciation class and tasting. And all this time, you are traveling while making a difference to a community college student.

Tour Dates: May 25 – June 4, 2017

Application Deadline: Feb 19, 2017

Program Overview: Dive into this unexpected melting pot, where a history of international influence has formed a land of many cultures. A millennia of cultivation finds synagogues, mosques and cathedrals sitting side by side. In a country composed of 17 autonomous states, five official languages and three distinct religions, there is a lot happening that isn’t as simple as just “Spanish.” Expert tour directors will lead your journey and handle every logistical detail while providing you with a professional resource throughout. Knowledgeable guides and travel ambassadors will provide you with an insider’s view of life in España.

For an 11-day tour in the early summer of 2017, visit Cuba and enjoy a variety of experiences, including guided sightseeing and excursions in Barcelona, Valencia, Granada, Costa del Sol, Seville, and Madrid. Enjoy sightseeing tours, ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco, explore Costa Del Sol, view amazing Spanish art and architecture of historic significance, enjoy a Spanish cuisine cooking class, and more. And all this time, you are traveling while making a difference to a community college student.

Spain 2017 Itinerary

Tour Dates: May 25 – May 31, 2016 | May 29 - June 5, 2017

Application Deadline: Feb 18, 2016 | Feb 23, 2017

Program Overview: Great Britain and France may look small on the map, but navigating their wondrous sites can be daunting. If you like to move a little faster, chase the wealth of landmarks in an action-packed week of exploration. Start in the busy streets of London and say hello to Big Ben. Wander the smoky Dickensian streets of cobblestone and hanging lamps, or stroll across Windsor Bridge and admire its stout castle on the horizon. Take a train to Paris to enjoy a baguette under the Eiffel Tower or saunter through the gardens of Versailles. Expert tour directors will lead your journey and handle every logistical detail while providing you with a professional resource throughout. Knowledgeable guides and travel ambassadors will provide you with an insider’s view of life in London and Paris – ensuring you see the museums, eat local, enjoy parks and outdoor events, and much more.

For a 7-day tour in 2016 and an 11-day tour in 2017, travel and enjoy a variety of experiences, including guided sightseeing and excursions in London and Paris. Enjoy sightseeing tours, a trip to the British Museum, a local theater performance, and historical sights like the Tower of London, Stonehnge, St. Paul's Cathedral, Hyde Park, Picadilly Circus, and more. And all this time, you are traveling while making a difference to a community college student.

London and Paris 2017 Itinerary  

Tour Dates: June 7 – June 14, 2016

Application Deadline: March 4, 2016

Program Overview: History is all around you in these timeless cities. You'll find yourself inspired by the likes of Wagner, Strauss, Kandinsky and Klee in Munich. Make time to visit the Marienplatz and watch the Rathaus-Glockenspiel automatons run through their play, then travel a few streets over to visit the richly-decorated Asamkirche church, created in the southern German late Baroque style. And don’t forget to eat and drink – strudel, bratwurst and biergartens, oh my!

In Prague, centuries of history await you. Once the seat of the Holy Roman Empire, Prague Castle has its own cathedral within its walls. Special staircases in the castle were designed to allow horses to parade into Vladislav Hall for tournaments – and that’s just the beginning of the amazing history you’ll learn. When you leave the castle, you’ll pass Svaty Mikulas (St. Nicholas) Church – catch a concert if you can – and then cross the world-famous Charles Bridge, which could accommodate five horse-drawn carriages abreast. Today, it’s a great place to view the golden statues of saints and buy art and souvenirs.

Expert tour directors will lead your journey and handle every logistical detail while providing you with a professional resource throughout. Knowledgeable guides and travel ambassadors will provide you with an insider’s view of life in Munich and Prague, ensuring you see the most meaningful and memorable sights. And all this time, you are traveling while making a difference to a community college student.

Munich and Prauge 2016 Itinerary