SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR GARDEN LOVERS RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW & THE WORLD HERITAGE SITES & GARDENS OF ENGLAND
13 to 25 May 2019 12-Day UK Garden Tour Highlights
• Full Day at Chelsea Flower Show • Fully escorted by Jon Houghton - Award-winning Horticulturist and Landscape Designer • Picturesque Cotswold villages with charming cottages and gardens with more than 40 years experience working in Australian and UK gardens. • Hidcote Manor Gardens – One of the best-known and most influential garden Jon graduated from University of Melbourne with a degree in Horticulture and honed his craft in UK gardens in the initial years. Upon his return, he • World renowned gardens of Sissinghurst Castle, Kiftsgate Court and Rousham was appointed the Head Gardener of Bolobek Garden, considered as one of the finest in Victoria, working under Lady Joan Law-Smith. Jon runs his • Stourhead Landscape Garden – A living Work of Art; best example of landscape own landscaping business now. He is passionate about gardens and style of garden travel, and looks forward to a rewarding time on this UK garden tour. • Godinton House Gardens – one of the best kept secrets of Kent • Great Dixter – a place of pilgrimage for horticulturists from across the world • Stonehenge -one of the wonders of the world and the best-known prehistoric monument in Europe. • Historic Towns of Canterbury, Windsor and Stratford-upon-Avon • Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew – UNESCO World Heritage Site • Blenheim Palace and Gardens– World Heritage Site, UK national treasure • Hever Castle – Romantic double-moated castle once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn • Full-day London city tour plus extra free-and-easy day in London • Total of 15 gardens, castles and historic attractions ITINERARY
Day 1 MON 13 May 2019 Day 4 THUR 16 May 2019 Day 7 SUN 19 May 2019 Day 10 WED 22 May 2019 Depart Australia Kent | Canterbury Cathedral | Godinton House Witney |Stratford-upon-Avon | Anne Hathaway RHS Wisley | Windsor Castle Cottage | Kiftsgate Court Garden | Hidcote Manor Meet Tour Leader at Mel Airport for exciting The impressive Cathedral is located in the very After breakfast, enjoy a morning visit to RHS Wisley, journey. Singapore travellers join flight on 14 heart of the city and has been a place of worship Travel through wonderful Cotswold to the lovely the historic home of the Royal Horticultural Society May. for over 1400 years. Enjoy a guided tour to learn town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Enroute, visit the (RHS). It houses one of the largest plant collections in more about this iconic site followed by some time pretty house and gardens at Anne Hathaway’s the world ranging from the exotic to cottage gardens, Day 2 TUE 14 May 2019 to discover the city at leisure. In the afternoon, Cottage, the childhood home of Shakespeare’s wife. and bonsai walks to Alpine meadows. In the meet the coach and transfer to Godinton House. In the afternoon, continue to Kiftsgate Court Gardens afternoon, return to Windsor for free time and a visit Set in 12 acres of tranquil gardens, including a which offers spectacular views across the Cotswolds; to the Castle with an audio-guided tour. Evening at Arrive London | Hever Castle parkland, lily pond and impressive topiary, this is a water garden, woodlands and a wild garden are leisure a real gem. Tea and homemade cakes will be amongst its highlights. Time to explore and also Flight arrival approx. 7.45am. Coach transfer to served. enjoy a traditional English devonshire tea before the medieval Hever Castle , famed as the childhood last visit of the day to Hidcote Manor Garden. This is Day 11 THUR 23 May 2019 home of Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. a small intimate garden, with each section designed One of the loveliest castle in Europe with Day 5 FRI 17 May 2019 as a ‘room’. RHS Chelsea Flower Show | Airport awarding winning gardens. Enjoy tea/coffee London | Royal Botanical Gardens Kew | Witney with home baked cookies on arrival at garden. Day 8 MON 20 May 2019 Check out after an early breakfast and depart for west London to enjoy a full day at leisure at the ever Overnight in Kent. Enjoy a panoramic of London to see such iconic popular RHS Chelsea Flower show. This world sights as Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Stourhead | Stonehenge | Windsor renowned annual event is a highlight in the the Tower of London, The Houses of Parliament WED 15 May 2019 horticultural calendar each year with gardeners from Day 3 and Trafalgar Square. Visit to the impressive Visit the world-renowned parklands of Stourhead, around the world competing with one another for the Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew – a 326 acre considered one of the world’s finest landscaped coveted design awards. Chelsea’s Great Pavilion Kent| Sissinghurst Gardens | Great Dixer UNESCO-listed world heritage site. gardens with scenes resembling artwork. In the houses nurseries and growers from across the globe afternoon, short travel to Stonehenge, a place dating with experts on hand to assist with questions and is a We will drive through the lovely Kent countryside Day 6 SAT 18 May 2019 back to 5000 years, with mystical stone structure must for any keen gardener. There is also a Discovery to the world-renowned Sissinghurst Castle surrounded by numerous Bronze Age Mounds and area which explores the current research and science Gardens. Created by Vita Sackville-West and structures. The onsite museum in the visitor centre is within the horticultural world. Meet again late Harold Nicolson, this intimate garden offers Witney | Rousham House and Gardens | a must see, exhibiting treasures found in the area and afternoon for the transfer into central London for much for the visitor including a Rose Garden, The Blenheim Palace giving a full history of the site those wishing to be dropped here, before continuing White Garden, The Herb Garden and The Nuttery to London Heathrow Airport for the return journey – an orchard of local cobnut trees. In the A morning visit to Rousham House and Gardens, TUE 21 May 2019 home. afternoon, we will travel further into the Weald located on the edge of the Cotswolds. Day 9 of Kent to Great Dixter, the family home of Remarkably, this garden has had little alteration gardener and gardening writer Christopher over the past 350 years and is a rare example of London Free and Easy Day 12 FRI 24 May 2019 Lloyd. Enjoy a guided tour of the gardens that one of the first gardens to be designed and surround the house, where there is a riot of landscaped in Britain. Continue this afternoon to Travel into Central London for a day of independent Transit in Singapore colour from every view point, giving the effect of the magnificent Blenheim Palace, home to the activities. A return transfer to Windsor will be a less planned and more natural garden. Duke of Marlborough and birth place of Sir provided. Dine independently tonight in Windsor or Winston Churchill. London. For those interested in attending a West Day 13 SAT 25 May 2019 End production on this evening, tickets can be organized at an additional cost. Arrive Home Tour Details
* OUR TOUR INCLUDES • Singapore Airlines economy group airfare and taxes Melbourne/London/Melbourne • Air Conditioned Deluxe Coach throughout • Deluxe accommodation (Royal Turnbridge Wells Spa Hotel, Oxford Witney Hotel, Clarion Collection Harte and Garter Hotel) • Daily Breakfast, most dinners as indicated, 1 lunch, morning/afternoon tea as indicated • All entrance fees to Chelsea flower show, gardens and attractions • Fully escorted by Horticulturist and Landscape Designer • Excellent Blue Badge Tour Guides where indicated • All gratuities for guides, drivers, porters and restaurants * OUR TOUR COSTS • Twin share per person full package A$9,980 • Single Supplement A$1,000 * BOOKING • Non-refundable Deposit of $1,500 pp and full payment due before 20 Feb 2019 * CONTACT • Julie Roche M: +61 401 804 210 E: [email protected] • Sarah Goh M: +61 430 188 138 E: [email protected]
Price is based on minimum of 15 passengers. Departure from other Australian cities or Singapore available on application. Group meals do not include beverages. Travel insurance is compulsory. Visa is exempted for Australians and Singaporeans; other nationalities please speak with us.