The Gardens of England & Wales with Chelsea Flower Show - 2022

15 days
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4.6/5 Excellent
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Small Group Tour
Take a once in a lifetime trip across Britain, hobnobbing with London’s high society at the Chelsea Flower Show and promenading through the Trentham Gardens of Llandudno Bay, in Celtic Wales. This grand three-week journey showcases the vast Victorian Greenhouses of the Royal Botanical Society at Kew, the magnificent riverside gardens of King Henry VIII at Ham...

Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Wheelchair Accessible
Trip pace
Full schedule

Highlights

    • : Our Well-Being Directors take a proactive approach to your welfare ensuring all well-being regulations are met (available on tours with 21 or more guests).
    • : Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
    • : Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
    • : We only work with establishments we are confident will consistently adhere to our high well-being standards, which include hotels, restaurants and sight-seeing venues.
    • London: Experience the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show, an inspiring and enjoyable showcase of fabulous floral displays and cutting-edge garden design. Immerse yourself in colour and ingenuity as you enjoy the very best show gardens, flowers, and gardening from around the world.
    • Woking: Explore the beautiful Bowes-Lyon Rose Garden and delight the senses with roses of all shapes, sizes, colours and fragrances. Stroll through the picturesque orchard, the huge cathedral like Glasshouse and the Exotic Garden.
    • Chipping Campden: Hidcote Gardens is astunning collection of small gardens within a garden, with water features, wildflower areas and relaxing pools. Created last century by the great horticulturist Major Lawrence Johnston, the garden is famous for rare shrubs and trees, and its outstanding design features.
    • Welshpool: Explore the gardens of Powis Castle. Under the gaze of the dramatic medieval Castle, wander Italianate terraces blasted from the solid rock, marvel at spectacular yew hedges, dancing statues and lavish herbaceous borders.
    • London: Enjoy a Thames River Dinner Cruise and admire this magnificent city from the water. Sit back and take in the striking landmarks and bridges, and enjoy the eclectic riverbank architecture along with a delicious meal.
    • London: Have a tasty lunch in a typical English pub. More than a place to have a drink, the pub is an important social space where people, friends and families come together. Often the focal point of community life in villages, towns and cities, expect a vibrant atmosphere, delicious home cooked food and a great selection of ales and wines.

What's this trip about?

    Take a once in a lifetime trip across Britain, hobnobbing with London’s high society at the Chelsea Flower Show and promenading through the Trentham Gardens of Llandudno Bay, in Celtic Wales. This grand three-week journey showcases the vast Victorian Greenhouses of the Royal Botanical Society at Kew, the magnificent riverside gardens of King Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace and the long-lost grounds of Heligan, on the Cornish Coast. View Wales from up high, as you ascend the country’s tallest peak on the Snowdon Mountain Railway. From the shores of England’s Lake District to Robin Hood’s Sherwood Forest stomping grounds in Nottingham, these horticultural highlights are a joy to behold.

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeIntimate group - 12 max
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityUnited Kingdom
End CityLondon

Destinations

  • Europe
  • United Kingdom
  • England

Attractions

  • Cotswolds
  • Hampton Court Palace
  • Lake District
  • London

Trip includes

    • Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.
    • From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
    • We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
    • If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
    • Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
    • Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).

Popular Trips

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive London

On arrival you are transferred from London Heathrow Airport to your hotel, Rubens at the Palace. Your base for the next four nights, this five-star hotel celebrates the very best of British culture, from the red tail-coated doormen to themed bedrooms. Ideally located ...

Day 2: Chelsea Flower Show

A transfer in the morning takes you to the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show. Bringing together the very best show gardens, flowers, and gardening from around the world, lose yourself amongst the magnificent floral displays and model gardens. Enjoy elaborate displays f...

Day 3: London Sightseeing

With a Local Expert, explore the iconic sights and streets of London. See famous landmarks including Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral and Trafalgar Square. Admire the Royal residence of Buckingham Palace and savor a taste of British pageantry as you watch the Changing of ...

Day 4: Kew Gardens & Hampton Court Palace

This morning visit the famous Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. Explore inside the vast Victorian glasshouses and see the indoor galleries. Later, discover the wonders of majestic Hampton Court Palace, home to the Kings and Queens of Britain since the time of Henry VIII. Discover the magnificent State Apartments and explore the riverside gardens.

Day 5: Wisley Gardens to Cornwall

Today travel to the gardens of Wisley, renowned as the flagship garden of the Royal Horticultural Society. The gardens are proud to showcase inspirational gardening throughout their 240 acres. Most famous is the Bowes-Lyon Rose Garden and the naturalistic Rock Garden, one of Wisley’s oldest and most magnificent features. Then continue to the idyllic county of Cornwall.

Day 6: Lost Garden of Heligan & The Cornish Coast

We visit Heligan, one of the most mysterious estates in England. Unveiled in 1992 from under decades of overgrowth, the Lost Gardens were restored on a shoestring budget and hailed by The Times as “the garden restoration of the century”. Today the mysterious gardens and estate offer over 200 acres for exploration! This afternoon is then free for you to relax at our hotel.

Day 7: Cornwall to Cheltenham

Our journey takes us through the English countryside to Bath. Visit the 18th Century Pump Room and the ancient Baths, then enjoy some free time to browse the quaint streets. Then it’s on to the town of Cheltenham where we stay for the next two nights.

Day 8: Cotswolds Excursion

A full day of sightseeing of the Cotswolds begins with a visit to Hidcote Manor Gardens, once of the greatest arts and crafts gardens in England. Our drive through the Cotswolds brings us to Bibury described as the ‘prettiest village in Britain’.Enjoy a delicious included lunch, before returning to our hotel.

Day 9: Cheltenham to Powis Castle & onto North Wales

Explore the magnificent Trentham Gardens. Enjoy glorious ancient woodland, and discover the Italian Gardens, the Rivers of Grass, and the Floral Labyrinth. At its heart is the spectacular, mile long Trentham Lake, a wildlife haven studded with small islands.

Day 10: Bodnant Garden Excursion

The day starts with a visit to the beautiful Bodnant Gardens, world famous for its botanical collections. Later move onto the village of Llanberis which sits at the foot of Mount Snowdon, Yr Wyddfa, which, at 3,560 feet, is the highest peak in Wales. Enjoy a fabulous trip onboard the Snowdon Mountain Railway, for stunning views of the mountain and surrounding vistas.

Day 11: North Wales to English Lake District

We bid farewell to Wales and continue north to the picturesque English Lake District where you see some of the most beautiful countryside in the world. We visit the village of Hawkshead, famous for its whitewashed cottages and cobbled lanes. Continue to our hotel close to Lake Windermere.

Day 12: English Lake District Experience

Today is devoted to this scenic Lake District wonderland, beginning with a visit to Hill Top, the home of author Beatrix Potter, famed for her beloved animal tales. Here she spent much of her life and wrote 13 of her 23 books. Next admire the finest, oldest and most extensive Topiary Gardens in the world at Levens Hall. Later, perhaps take a cruise on Lake Windermere?

Day 13: Lake District to Chatsworth & onto Nottingham

Heading through the rolling Derbyshire countryside we arrive at the Chatsworth Estate, home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Visiting the house, we see the elegant interiors and admire the art collection of 16 generations of the Cavendish family. Our guided walk...

Day 14: Blenheim Palace to Bampton Village, then onto London

This morning explore the magnificent house and gardens of Blenheim Palace, home of the Duke of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Continue to the village of Bampton to see the street where many scenes from the “Downton Abbey” TV series* were film...

Day 15: Farewell London

After breakfast bid your Travel Director and fellow travel companions farewell, and transfer to London Heathrow Airport to meet your ongoing flight.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $5,559
Price per day$371
Last Updated: 0/30/2024

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Insight Vacations.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Tour Operator

Insight Vacations

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As the global leader in premium tours, Insight Vacations delivers all the sights and insights of destinations up close and personal. Each tour is crafted in true comfort and style with premium 5 and 4 star hotels, small groups and customized coaches with extra leg room. The brand’s category leading dining options including the unique dine-around and dine-at-home experiences means that guests enjoy a culinary journey through the places they visit. An extensive Vegetarian option across all tour series further compliments the elevated dining offering. With a Make Travel Matter Experience®, that creates a positive impact for both the visitor and visited, plus also supports the United Nations sustainable Development Goals, included on each and every trip, Insight Vacations leads the way in immersive responsible travel.

Insight Vacations is part of the family-owned and run The Travel Corporation (TTC), driven by service for over one hundred years.

Why we love this operator
They really care about everyone's individual needs on each tour and they have an incredible attention to detail.
What they’re known for
Premium worldwide tours for curious travelers who want to get closer to the destination in comfort and style.

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Logistics

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Trip ID
insightvacations-CF0105GL03

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