Cotswolds Highlights with Chelsea Flower Show. 

Sunday 17th May

After our morning pick-up at Heathrow Airport, we head north to the charming, 4-star King’s Head Hotel, Cirencester, in the heart of the historic market town.

En-route we’ll stop for lunch and independent exploration at the World Heritage Site of Blenheim Palace – the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. It is a monumental and historic palace with fabulous formal gardens and ‘Capability Brown’ landscape grounds stretching over 2,000 acres.

This evening join your tour director and travel companions for dinner (included).

Monday 18th May

Today we begin with one of the Cotswolds’ most exciting private gardens, Ablington Manor. This utterly beautiful Cotswolds Manor is surrounded by equally stunning gardens which have been developed over almost 40 years by the current owner. We will enjoy a tour of the gardens with the owner, a treat indeed as they are rarely open to the public.

We then make a visit to the famous Barnsley House for lunch (included). A tour of British gardens is not complete without a visit to the late Rosemary Verey’s wonderful gardens at Barnsley House. It is now a luxury boutique hotel but the gardens have been beautifully maintained. We meet the head gardener for an introductory talk.

We return to Cirencester where your evening is at leisure.

Tuesday 19th May

We begin today with a visit to Bourton House Garden. This privately owned garden won the prestigious HHA/Christie’s ‘Garden of the Year’ Award following a twenty year transformation from wilderness into inspirational garden with stunning colour combinations and rare, unusual and exotic plants.

We stop in the charming Cotswolds town of Broadway. There will be time for lunch and exploration of its superb shops and art galleries, or visiting one of the town’s museums. After lunch we continue onto Kiftsgate Court Gardens, a delightfully laid out plantsman’s garden on top of a hill with magnificent views over the Vale of Evesham and a claim to the largest rose in England.

We conclude our day with an exclusive visit to the famous Hidcote Manor Garden where we will be treated to a private dinner (included) and access to the gardens once the crowds of the day have gone. Major Lawrence Johnston is claimed to have been the originator here of the ‘garden room’. It is exciting to see this first example in its original form with his skilful use of flowers, shrubs and trees.

Wednesday 20th May

We wave good-bye to the Cotswolds and begin our journey south. Our first garden visit is to the private gardens at Malverleys.This new English Flower Garden is set within the grounds of a country estate. Begun in 2010, the 10-acre gardens have been designed by head gardener Mat Reese in conjunction with the owners, and are influenced by Great Dixter in Sussex and the writings of iconic gardeners Christopher Lloyd, William Robinson and Vita Sackville-West.

We then continue onto West Green Garden – one of England’s finest manor house gardens, marrying traditional style with contemporary design – created by acclaimed garden designer and Chelsea Flower Show award winner, Marylyn Abbott.  We will have lunch in the gorgeous garden conservatory (included) and free time to explore the stunning gardens.

In the afternoon, we check into our hotel, the 4-star Foxhills Hotel & Spa. Your evening is at leisure.

Thursday 21st May

Today we enjoy a day at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, a highlight every time this world class show is in our itinerary. You will see magnificent floral displays, extraordinary show gardens, garden tools and products, a host of garden structures and artefacts by world famous names at this classic event close to London’s fashionable shopping.

We return to the hotel for dinner (included).

Friday 22nd May

Today we visit three diverse gardens created by the garden-loving Stuart-Smith family. We first see The Barn Garden, home of the acclaimed designer, Tom Stuart Smith. We then visit his sister’s garden at Serge Hill. Kate is a keen plantswoman and will provide lunch in her garden (included). Finally we see Bella Stuart-Smith’s delightful garden at Pie Cottage. These lovely private gardens will delight with their stunning designs, exuberant planting and stylish features.

We return to the hotel for our final night dinner (included).

Saturday 23rd May

For our final visit of the tour, we go to  RHS Wisley, the home of the Royal Horticultural Society. Full of ideas and information, the garden delights and inspires in any season of the year. We enjoy a guided tour so you’ll be sure to see the very best of these impressive gardens. The shop offers a large collection of books on gardening and all sorts of garden-related gifts. We stay for lunch (independent) at Wisley.

In the afternoon, we make two coach drop-offs; the first at Heathrow Airport and the second in central London. We can advise on departure planning.

Please read our Tour Joining and Departure Arrangements information sheet here.

King’s Head Hotel, Cirencester  

The Kings Head Hotel is an elegant boutique hotel with 45 stylish bedrooms, located in the heart of Cotswolds in the historic market town of Cirencester. The exact age of the Kings Head is not known, but it was certainly in existence as a coaching inn in the middle of the fourteenth century. The Kings Head is listed as a building of special architectural and historical interest with strong links to the English Civil War. Happily, today it is a haven of peace and comfort.

Foxhills Hotel & Spa  

Foxhills is an oasis of tranquillity with a 19th century Manor House at its centre on a 400 acre estate with picturesque woodland. The hotel boasts two championship golf courses and excellent leisure facilities with four swimming pools and award-winning health spa. The luxury executive rooms are complimented by three restaurants offering contemporary British cuisine. The hotel is ideally situated for access to Heathrow and central London.

TOUR PRICES: Prices are per person, based on twin/double room share, with single supplement (solo occupancy of a double room) shown separately. Prices are payable in £GBP.

Tour cost per person (sharing twin or double room)	Single Supplement (for single occupancy of a double room)
£3,250 (GBP)	£370 (GBP)

PRICES INCLUDE: Accommodation at 4-star hotels with en-suite facilities based on twin/double room share; buffet breakfast daily; 3 lunches and 4 dinners; admissions to gardens and the RHS Chelsea Flower Show; deluxe coach travel with professional driver; guided tours as described in an information pack provided at the start of the tour; services of your Sisley tour director throughout; arrival transfers are included only if you are joining the tour at Heathrow Airport on the first morning of the tour.

PRICES EXCLUDE: Airfares; passport and/or visa fees; beverages; laundry; telephone calls; lunches and dinners (except where included in the itinerary); gratuities; souvenirs and items of a personal nature.

EXCHANGE RATE INFORMATION: You can get an idea of the cost of the tour in your local currency by using a currency converter. Conversion rates are based on institutional or inter-bank daily rates. Retail conversation rates include fees and will generally differ from these rates.

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To assist you in pre and post tour planning, you might wish to read our tour Joining and Departure Arrangements. Click opposite for further details.