Holidays and tours for garden lovers
Holidays Welcome to our 2012 programme of tours to the worlds most beautiful gardens and visits to the very best of the garden shows.
If you like the idea of a holiday spending some time visiting beautiful gardens, in the company of garden lovers, then 'Beautiful Garden Holidays' was designed with you in mind!
Our most popular tours continue to be the gardens of England, particularly the south of England, such as "St.Ives and the gardens of Cornwall", "Gardens of the Cotswolds", and "St.Mawes & the gardens of Cornwall". Plus there'll always be a 'welcome in the hillsides' when you try our 5 day tours of the gardens of South Wales.
New for 2012!
Gardens of Cornwall and Normandy, from £499
A 5 day garden-filled taster cruise departing June 4th, taking in the colourful flora of Southern Britain and Northern France. A fascinating opportunity to combine the Eden Project and Lost Gardens of Heligan on the Cornish mainland, with Tresco's Abbey Garden on the wonderful Scilly Isles and Monet's garden inspiration at Giverney.
Eastbourne and the Gardens of Sussex, from £449
With a seaside base within our one week itinerary we explore gardens at Sheffield Park, Michelham Priory and the wonderful Great Dixter.
When should I book?
Tours with limited departure dates or peak dates on any tours should be booked early, and if single rooms are required , very early booking is strongly advisable. Only a deposit will be required until 2 months prior to departure. And remember there's often a discount on early bookings. Please ask your consultant for any discount currently applicable.
For our programme of visits to the famous Garden Shows such as Chelsea Flower Show, Tatton Park and Gardeners' World Live, and also for tours to gardens in Europe and Worldwide, please click on the respective box on the left.
U.K garden holidays
We look forward to welcoming you on one of our holidays, sharing the company of garden enthusiasts whilst enjoying the very best of the worlds gardens. Your journey into the world of gardens begins here.....
St.Ives and Gardens of Cornwall from £499
The golden world-class beaches of St.Ives, scented sub-tropical gardens, cobbled streets painting a colourful past and stunning Cornish countryside. Add the fascinating Scilly Isles and you have the makings of a holiday to remember.
A lovely 8 day tour of Cornish & Scilly Isles gardens, with departures fortnightly from May 26 until September 29, on a Saturday. Included are 3 full day excursions to the fascinating Eden Project the Lost Gardens of Heligan, which includes a guided tour, and Tresco Abbey Gardens on the beautiful Scilly Isles.
The Mud Maid, Woodland Walk, Heligan Tresco Abbey Gardens
The special lead-in price of only £499 is on 29 Sept, with all other dates rising to a maximum of just £539. We frequently also offer a discount for early bookings. The prices include luxury coach with joining points across the U.K, 7 nts dinner, room and breakfast in St.Ives and all garden visits.
Stunning St.Ives enjoys a beautiful setting at the south western tip of Cornwall, and boasts crystal blue waters and golden sands, as well as sub-tropical temperatures, which help to promote the growth of more unusual plants and shrubs. Our hotel, the St.Ives Bay Hotel, enjoys panoramic views of Porthminster beach and bay. There's a lounge area with bar and small dance floor and entertainment most evenings. We welcome individuals, couples and groups/societies.
The St Ives Bay Hotel Eden Project, hosing the Tropical Biome
Single room supplement £18.50, advance registration for these also being taken for 2013 to ensure availability. Sea view supplement £37.50
Cotswolds gardens, 5 days from £329
The beautiful Cotswolds, designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, epitomise the idyllic rural life of a bygone era, and we explore some of the country's finest gardens which are found in this delightful setting.
This year, the first full day excursion visits the gardens at Highgrove House, where HRH The Prince of Wales has spent 30 years transforming the grounds into what have been acknowledged as some of the most innovative gardens in the United Kingdom. We travel on to visit Malmesbury.
The second full day visits the beautiful Cotswold villages of Bourton-on-the-Water and Moreton-in-Marsh. We go on to visit Kiftsgate Court, created by three generations of lady gardeners, which is a series of interconnecting gardens each with its own distinct character.
From only £329 incl. luxury coach, 4 nts dinner, room and breakfast and all excursions over two full days, these garden tours are always a delight.
We stay at the Cotswolds Water Park Four Pillars Hotel, set in a beautiful watery landscape. The hotel boasts an excellent range of amenities with its lakeside restaurant, leisure club and 'Spa 6' luxury health spa with indoor pool, hydro pool, jacuzzi, gym, sauna and steam room. Soak up the atmosphere at The Old Boathouse Gastro Pub, or relax with a quiet drink in the comfortable Lounge Bar.
This elegant contemporary 4 star hotel and spa enjoys an ideal position within the Cotswold Water Park, and set amongst rural surroundings in the heart of the Gloucestershire countryside makes for a super choice. (see 'Trip Advisor' reviews website for the excellent reviews)
Departure dates (Mondays) Jun 4 £344 Jul 16 £344 Aug 13 £344 Sep 3 £329
Our prices are per person, based on sharing twin rooms. Limited single rooms may be available on request (supp.£105) but we strongly advise early booking for these. Not all departures are available from all joining points so please check with our reservations staff which dates apply from your local area.
St. Mawes and gardens of Cornwall, 5 days from £334
A holiday in one of the most exclusive waterside villages within Cornwall. St. Mawes, full of character and colour is simply scenic and a superb place from which we can go exploring the wonderful Cornish gardens nearby.
An inexpensive 5 days to glorious Cornwall, boasting some of the most picturesque coastlines and landscapes in the country. Our base in the pretty harbour village of St. Mawes provides the perfect setting for a leisurely break with a full day tour included to the awesome Eden Project. These giant 'biomes', big enough to contain the Tower of London, act as the world's climate zones, containing thousands of important and beautiful plants from every corner of the world. Zones such as the Tropical zone and the Mediterranean zone reproduce exactly the climate and growing conditions of these parts of our planet, and to be able to walk between such diverse environments within a few minutes is truly an experience for the garden enthusiast not to be missed!
A half day magical mystery tour around the Lost Gardens of Heligan is also included. Exotic plants, lush greenery and a blaze of colour- it's a horticultural haven.
Theres plenty of time to immerse yourself in the nautical atmosphere of the Cornish Riviera back in St.Mawes, and to unwind back at your hotel-the Ship and Castle. Set in an enviable position right by the harbour, the bar lounge overlooks the sea and holds entertainment on several evenings of a relaxed fashion in an intimate atmosphere. Some stunning sea-view bedrooms are available for a £22 supplement (please book early for these). Single rooms once again incur a supplement of just £10.
Departures leave regularly throughout the season every Monday from May 28 through to September 24, returning Fridays. Prices start from only £334 on the 24th September and rise to £359 (the same price as 2009!) This includes Half Board for 4 nts sharing twin rooms, return coach from your choice of departure point, and the Eden Project and Heligan excursions.
Not all dates are available from all joining points so please check with our reservations staff for dates available from your local area.
The Coach Operator- Shearings Coaches
All these tours are once again operated by Shearings luxury coaches. With over 100 years' experience of organising superb holidays, Shearings operates the largest, most luxurious holiday coach fleet in the country, offering a wide choice of joining points around the U.K.
Self drive and Rail: Should you prefer to make your own arrangements for travel to and from the hotel base by car or train, we can omit the return coach travel and you may then join the group for the full itinerary.
Air Travel: For those wishing to travel to our hotel base by air, please call the Flightcentre for flight information and reservations.
Should your travelling partner not share your passion for gardens, our comfortable hotels are in attractive settings, such as St.Ives, where there will almost certainly be enough to keep them occupied whilst you are garden visiting!
Holidays to gardens coming soon!
Forthcoming holidays include the gardens of Yorkshire and Hampton Court within the U.K, and France, Holland, North Thailand and South Africa. For details on these, or any holiday destination where you would like to visit gardens during your stay, please contact our reservations staff. Holidays to destinations featured in the television series 'Around The World In 80 Gardens' can also be arranged by our experienced travel staff.
Thank you so much for your interest in our garden holiday programme for 2012. We look forward to seeing you on one of our holidays to the worlds prettiest gardens soon! and as 'Alan T' used to say 'Whatever the weather- enjoy your garden!'
Bookings and Brochures
Tel: 020 8858 6677 Fax: 020 8853 0257
Post: Beautiful Garden Holidays, 95 Old Woolwich Rd, Greenwich, London SE10 9PP. U.K
Email: derek@flightcentregreenwich.co.uk
For general holidays, cruises and flights worldwide please visit our Flightcentre site at www.flightcentregreenwich.co.ukUseful Websites to visit