Iconic Gardens of England & Wales in Spring, with Chelsea Flower Show

You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. At 6.30 pm, enjoy dinner and a lecture about Chelsea Flower Show by a leading garden designer.

Explore Chelsea Flower Show’s gardens, marquee and stalls. The world’s greatest flower show will once again take place with the usual cutting-edge garden design, fabulous floral displays and garden retail exhibits. From here, we continue to Oxford. After settling into our accommodation, enjoy a short orientation tour of Oxford.

This morning, visit Waddesdon Manor, known for its colourful parterre, walks, fountains and statuary. Built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild between 1874 and 1885, the manor also boasts a collection of artworks numbering in the thousands. Afterwards, visit Rousham House and Gardens, home to one of England’s most historically significant landscapes. Designed by William Kent in the 18th century, it remains a remarkably preserved and pioneering example of English garden artistry.

Arrive today at Coughton Court House and Garden in Warwickshire. For more than 600 years the Throckmorton family has lived on this remarkable estate. Guided by a member of the family, we come to appreciate the history of the house and its treasured heirlooms. Continuing to the award‑winning gardens, we see sweeping herbaceous borders, fragrant rose gardens and traditional orchards carpeted with spring bulbs. The property also features tranquil bog gardens and elegant courtyards. After lunch on the estate, we journey west to Wales, travelling through dramatic countryside to reach the charming village of Betws‑y‑Coed.

Discover the whimsical world of Portmeirion, a fantastical folly village in North Wales dreamt up by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. The visionary architect spent five decades crafting this Italianate masterpiece to prove that beauty and imagination could enhance the natural landscape without spoiling it. Portmeirion also served as the setting for the TV series The Prisoner. Afterwards, visit Bodnant Garden, which features views across Conwy Valley. With its intimate corners, sweeping lawns, grand terraces and verdant woodland, Bodnant lays claim to possessing many gardens within one across its expansive grounds. Marvel at the stunning Laburnum in full spring bloom.

This morning, visit Powis Castle and admire its world-famous terraced garden that boasts stunning vistas from its series of terraces, embellished by clipped yews and herbaceous borders. Back in England, stop in at Sir Roy Strong’s garden, The Laskett, which has continued to evolve since works began there in 1974. Roy is the former director of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

Travel to RHS Wisley Garden. This world-renowned garden is home to a wide variety of plants, from stunning flowers to towering trees. Explore the various gardens, including the Rock Garden, the Mediterranean Garden, and the Glasshouse. Enjoy lunch in the Terrace restaurant before continuing to Hever Castle, where we spend the next two nights. This stunning castle and gardens were once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second wife.

Enjoy a visit to Great Dixter, the family home of gardener and gardening writer Christopher Lloyd. The garden, and his writings about it, were the focus of his energy and enthusiasm for the better part of his life. Admire the property’s wildflower meadow and long border with hot colours. Continue to Sissinghurst to see the 1930s White Garden created by Vita Sackville-West and her husband.

Today, visit Chartwell, the magnificent home and gardens of Sir Winston Churchill. The house is still much as it was when the Churchill family lived here, with pictures, books and personal mementoes evoking the career and wide-ranging interests of this influential family. Our tour ends in London at approximately 3.00 pm.