Renowned Gardens & Historic Properties of the UK, with Chelsea Flower Show

Depart The May Fair Hotel London at 8.30 am for the trip west to Bowood House and Gardens. The property features a Grade I-listed Georgian country house with interiors by Robert Adam and a garden designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. Lunch is enjoyed here before we spend some free time exploring Bath this afternoon. A Welcome Dinner awaits this evening.

This morning we travel to the Newt in Somerset for lunch, before continuing to Stourhead. Enjoy the breathtaking 18th-century landscape garden with its lakeside walks, grottoes and classical temples. Stourhead is renowned as being one of England’s most scenic gardens.

Travel to Cornwall, the countryside location of the TV series Poldark. Explore the charming town of Tavistock, home of cream tea, before spending time at the unique Eden Project. This top garden and eco-attraction, renowned for its innovative environmental programs, is also home to the world’s largest greenhouse.

This morning, visit the Lost Gardens of Heligan, the seat of the Tremayne family for more than 400 years. Heligan is one of England’s most mysterious estates and possesses a fascinating history. Today, it’s home to the gloriously restored, award-winning and internationally acclaimed botanical gardens. Continue to Padstow, home to the famous English chef and television personality Rick Stein. Enjoy a gourmet lunch at Rick’s flagship seafood restaurant before exploring the quaint fishing village of Port Isaac, where the popular television series Doc Martin was filmed.

Visit the subtropical paradise of Trebah Garden, which is set against an amazing coastal backdrop. Records of the garden date back to the Domesday survey of 1085. Continue to St. Ives, which exhibits a captivating blend of artistic heritage and coastal beauty. Enjoy free time here before visiting Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture garden. Barbara was a pivotal figure in 20th-century sculpture and one of Britain's most important artists of her time. She is known for her abstract forms and her exploration of the relationship between sculpture and the natural world, which can be seen demonstrated in her own garden.

Today, visit the RHS Garden Rosemoor, which we find nestled in one of Devon’s valleys. The garden blends formal and informal plantings to magical effect. At Somerset’s Hestercombe House & Gardens, discover 300 years of garden design on one inspiring estate. Wander along the lakeside paths of the Georgian Landscape Garden, admire the views from the Victorian Terrace and see the stunning Edwardian Formal Garden, one of the finest examples of Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens’ famous partnership.

Today, visit the world-famous Kew Gardens. As London’s largest UNESCO World Heritage site, it also houses the world’s most diverse collection of living plants. Continue to London and check into your hotel. This evening, enjoy a special dinner and lecture on the ‘Chelsea Flower Show Gardens’, which will give you great insight into the exhibits you will see at the remarkable Chelsea Flower Show.

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 Stockton Bury Gardens, a real plant lovers garden spread over four acres. Enjoy the herbaceous borders, Victorian kitchen garden, glasshouse and water garden, all with a backdrop of historic farm buildings including a medieval pigeon house and tithe barn.

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.