Small Group Tour with exclusive guided tours, five star hotel, meals and private transfers 1st July to 7th July A selection of must-see gardens in the beautiful South
Professional guided tours of Southern England s greatest gardens and castles. This is the perfect tour for gardeners and garden lovers of all degrees of knowledge. The south of England is the perfect region to discover beautiful gardens in a tour. We have handpicked the must-see gardens that are just spectacular during mid- Summer. Visit the well-known gardens of Sissinghurst and Hever Castle and discover world leading research garden at Wisely RHS Gardens and fairy tale Great Dixter. Your personal guide will take you to two gardens per day and will take you on a journey through the most interesting villages and small towns. Enjoying some traditional country pub lunches. This wonderful experience will undoubtedly inspire new developments in your own garden. Small Group Tour with exclusive guided tours, five star hotel, meals and private transfers.
Day 1 Monday, 1st July 2019 Private meet and greet LHR and tour of Windsor Castle and transfer to Sussex You are welcome to fly into the UK the day before and stay near Heathrow, we can arrange for this extra night accommodation and private transfer on the morning of the 1st of July. Professional Chauffeur-driven service Your chauffeur will meet you inside the arrivals hall, assist with luggage and escort you to the vehicle. Windsor Castle is a working palace, weekend home to the Queen and the largest and oldest continuously inhabited castle in the world. Visit the opulent State Apartments and enjoy a personal guided tour of the magnificent St George s Chapel, the last resting place Britain s Kings and Queens. The landscaped grounds are of great interest to us and we will explore before heading south. See the exquisitely constructed details of the one twelfth scale Queen Mary s Dolls House. This gift and work of art for Queen Mary was displayed at the festival of Britain in 1924. We stop for lunch at a country pub nearby and sample excellent local food before heading into Sussex. LUNCH: INCLUDED traditional country Inn. INCLUDED: GROUP DINNER AT THE HOTEL Overnight: South Lodge Hotel, Sussex
Day 2 Tuesday, 2nd July 2019 Arundel Castle and Petworth House Luxury coach with professional guide This vast hill-top castle, surrounded by castellated walls, was first built by the Normans. Your guide will show you around Arundel Castle which features a fine collection of paintings, furniture and the amazing Baron s Hall. From the 11th century, the castle has been in the ownership of the family of the Duke of Norfolk for over 400 years. The Castle now features a NEW garden based on an old Italianate style garden. This wonderful new and theatrical addition to Arundel will inspire you. LUNCH: INCLUDED traditional country Inn. Petworth has a rich and varied history waiting to be discovered. Stroll through state rooms saturated with internationally important paintings by artists such as Van Dyck, Reynolds, Titian and Blake together with classical and neo-classical sculptures. Follow in the footsteps of JMW Turner who spent long periods at the mansion and whose paintings of Petworth park can be seen here today. The estate represents landscape gardening on an extremely grand scale. INCLUDED: GROUP DINNER AT THE HOTEL Overnight: South Lodge Hotel, Sussex
Day 3 Wednesday, 3rd July 2019 Wakehurst Place and Nymans Garden and wine tasting Luxury coach with professional guide Visit the Elizabethan Wakehurst house, lakes, formal gardens and natural woodland, with a vast collection of botanic gardens and tree collections. Wakehurst marked an international conservation milestone in 2010, having conserved seeds from ten per cent of the world s plant species. Tour the South Downs National Park, rolling farmland, ancient woodland and lowland heaths and picture perfect villages, traditional country pubs and flourishing vineyards. LUNCH: INCLUDED Stop for lunch at the Bolney Wine Estate while enjoying a sparkling wine tasting. Southern England has become a world class sparkling wine making region. Nymans Gardens is a beautiful secret of the Sussex Weald with rare and beautiful plants, shrubs and trees from all over the world. In the late 1800 s Ludwig Messel bought the Nymans Estate in the Sussex High Weald to make a dream family home. Inspired by the wooded surroundings he created a garden with plants collected from around the world. Here his family entertained friends, enjoyed relaxing, playing and picnicking in the garden and woods. INCLUDED: GROUP DINNER AT THE HOTEL Overnight: South Lodge Hotel, Sussex
Day 4 Thursday, 4th July 2019 Hever Castle and Penshurst Place Special 4th July dinner Luxury coach with professional guide Nestled down an old country lane is Hever Castle and Garden, a small romantic castle surrounded by spectacular Italian style gardens. The castle was the childhood home of Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII. The award-winning gardens at Hever offer walks, nooks and hidden gardens. The rose garden alone features 4,000 roses. LUNCH: casual lunch at Hever (not included) Penshurst Place is the ancestral residence of the Sidney family. The Baron s Hall is a beautifully preserved ancient Great Hall. The State Dining Room, Tapestry Room, Long Gallery and the Nether Gallery display a vast collection of paintings, armoury and artefacts. The gardens at Penshurst have records dating back to 1346 and are considered one of the most beautiful gardens in England. The 48 acres are divided by miles of yew hedges to create a series of outside rooms, all with different themes. INCLUDED: GROUP DINNER AT THE HOTEL Overnight: South Lodge Hotel, Sussex
Day 5 Friday, 5th July 2019 Great Dixter and Sissinghurst Castle gardens Luxury coach with professional guide The gardens at Sissinghurst are rightly world renowned. When Vita Sackville-West and Harold purchased the estate in the early 1930 s it looked very different. The run-down estate was bought and redesigned to incorporate the gardens which can be seen today. It takes the gardeners 10 hours to mow the lawn each week and around 30 man-weeks are required to cut the hedges in early autumn. LUNCH: INCLUDED traditional country Inn. Great Dixter garden is in the arts and crafts style, and features topiary, a long border, an orchard and a wild flower meadow. The planting is profuse, yet structured, and has featured many bold experiments of form, colour and combination. The garden is currently managed by Fergus Garrett, who worked closely with Lloyd up until his death in 2006 as Head Gardener and introduced new innovations into the planting scheme. In the grounds of Great Dixter are three 18th-century oast houses, under a common roof, and a 15th-century barn. INCLUDED: GROUP DINNER AT THE HOTEL Overnight: South Lodge Hotel, Sussex
Day 6 Saturday, 6th July Hampton Court and Wisely RHS Gardens Luxury 16 seat coach with professional guide Enjoy a private guided tour inside Hampton Court Palace, with architecture and furnishings reflecting the tastes of kings and queens over a period of some 300 years. Tour the authentic Tudor kitchens. The 60 acres of gardens run down to the river Thames and include fountains, displays of over 1 million flowering bulbs, a historic yew hedge maze, formal gardens and the Great Vine, the largest grape vine in the world. LUNCH: casual lunch at Hampton Court (not included) Wisley is the historic home of the Royal Horticultural Society and houses one of the largest plant collections in the world. The garden has unforgettable borders and roses during our visit the great border will be in full bloom. Apart from being an experimental garden it is truly beautiful, it is not surprising to learn it is one of the UK s most visited gardens. INCLUDED: GROUP DINNER AT THE HOTEL Overnight: Great Fosters, Surrey ONLY 5.6 miles from Heathrow
Day 7 Sunday, 7th July 2019 Private Transfers to Heathrow from Great Fosters (15 mins drive time) Chauffeur-driven service I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for all your help in making our trip to London a once in a lifetime trip. The itinerary was superb and the accommodations were perfect. I would not change a single thing. ORIHEL, T.
Additional Information Your Accommodation
Additional Information The Hotel South Lodge, Sussex South Lodge is a luxury hotel with a beautiful new spa located in heart of the South Downs National Park. There are breath-taking views of the South Downs, state of the art spa and award-winning dining. The suites and rooms here at South Lodge are an irresistible fusion of the past and present. Every room is individually styled and designed so that no two are the same, with gorgeous soft furnishings, plump cushions and quirky furniture. We provide flawless attention to detail and homely charm in bucket loads and did we mention the spectacular views over the South Downs.
Additional Information The Hotel Great Fosters Great Fosters hotel is a fabulous hotel set amongst 50 acres of stunning gardens and parklands. This stately historic monument is immaculately preserved. The luxurious hotel offers a lot of facilities and has two restaurants to choose from. One has locally sourced food in an informal setting, the other has more of a fine dining experience. The outdoor swimming pool features listed 1920s bathing boxes and is a perfect oasis to relax.
Additional Information Travel in comfort and style Your Coach We will be providing a new Mercedes Luxury coach with all the latest comfort and safety features. Your guide, tour manager and expert on-site guides: Andrew has been a touring the entire UK since 1998. He has taken care of many groups over years, built friendships and inspired people to return to the UK and explore different regions. Andrew has been a passionate gardener ever since owning his first plot 20 years ago and loves to share his knowledge of the background history England s gardens. This tour will give you a chance to have meet and ask question from expert horticulturalist from England s most spectacular show gardens. Some of our visits will be private and exclusive.
Additional Information Quotation: from 3,500 GBP per person (approximately $4,420) per person, based on two people sharing. Subject to availability. Single room supplement applies. Contact email: info@luxuryvacationsuk.com WHAT IS INCLUDED IN YOUR QUOTATION: Complimentary water in luxury coach Local tax Credit card fees Guided tours each day 5-star accommodation including breakfast THESE ITEMS ARE NOT INCLUDED: Gratuities Travel Insurance Flights All services subject to availability at time of booking. 4 *lunches and ALL **evening meals. *Single course, **3 course All entrances fees Virtuoso on-site Visit Britain Partner European Tour Operator Association Member UK-Inbound Member
We look forward to seeing you soon!