English Gardens & The Chelsea Flower Show - A Marco Polo Journey (2024)

Upon arrival, you are met and transferred to your luxury hotel set among gardens. Enjoy a private welcome dinner at this historic manor house.

Ockenden Manor | Meals: D

Journey to Storrington for a private tour of the 16th-century Parham House and its landscaped Pleasure Grounds. Stroll Veronica’s Maze and The Walled Garden, learning how they are organically maintained. After lunch at Parham House, visit nearby Borde Hill Garden, set on 200 acres of traditional English landscape.

Ockenden Manor | Meals: BL

Today, enjoy a private tour of the late Christopher Lloyd’s garden at Great Dixter, conducted before opening hours. Built in the Arts and Crafts style, it mingles vegetables and flowers, a large orchard with pockets of wildflowers and a magnificent herbaceous border. Later, drive to Sissinghurst Castle and stroll its garden. Learn how Harold Nicolson, a diplomat and author, laid down its main lines, while his wife, Vita Sackville-West, a poet and gardening writer, handled the planting. View the influential White Garden, which exemplifies early 20th-century garden designer Gertrude Jekyll’s use of colour themes.

Ockenden Manor | Meals: BD

Drive north to the quaint and charming Cotswolds area, pausing in a wooded corner of North Hampshire for a visit to the gardens of West Green House. Learn how acclaimed designer Marylyn Abbott fused neoclassical and contemporary influences as you tour the grounds with the senior gardener. Then, stay on site for lunch. Later, toast your day with a Scenic Sundowner before dining at your hotel.

Dormy House | Meals: BLD

Enjoy a private visit to Kiftsgate Court Gardens and stroll the harmonious, colour-schemed upper gardens. Afterwards, drive to the lovely town of Chipping Campden to visit its High Street, Jacobean Market Hall and impressive Church of St. James. Continue to nearby Hidcote Manor — one of England’s greatest gardens and a true Arts and Crafts masterpiece — for a guided tour through a series of unique outdoor “rooms.” Nestled in the Cotswolds, a range of hills known for their beauty, the garden offers stunning panoramas across the Vale of Evesham.

Dormy House | Meals: BD

Visit Jackdaws Castle, a renowned facility for British jump racing. Follow horses from their indoor school outdoors to watch them work on their various gallops under the watchful eye of the owner-trainer and his team, all the while taking in the stunning scenery of this magical setting. Return to the yard to watch a horse swim in an equine pool and then join a guide who introduces you to some of the amazing thoroughbreds. Finish with a cordial visit to the owner’s suite. This afternoon, explore Sudeley Castle (resting place of Katherine Parr) or stroll the scenic Cotswolds Way to a nearby neolithic burial site.

Dormy House | Meals: B

Drive to Blenheim Palace, a magnificent edifice set on 2,100 acres of beautiful parkland landscaped by Lancelot “Capability” Brown. Enjoy a special talk and tour focused on the life of Sir Winston Churchill, who was born here in 1874. Examine the breadth of his talent and achievement, from bricklayer to the “Greatest Briton.” After lunch at leisure, continue to London.

Brown's Hotel | Meals: B

Attend the world-renowned Chelsea Flower Show on an exclusive Royal Horticultural Society Members’ Day. Enjoy a four-course luncheon and an open bar, as well as morning and afternoon tea, in an exclusive Royal Horticultural Society hospitality area. Walk countless exhibits showcasing the finest examples of English gardening and some of the most avant-garde show-garden designs in the world. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon, gathering in the evening for a farewell dinner.

Brown's Hotel | Meals: BLD

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and depart.

Meals: B

Minimum age is 10 years.
First group event: welcome briefing at 6:30 p.m. on Day 1.
Last group event: farewell dinner at 7:30 p.m. on Day 8.
Departures are guaranteed to operate with a minimum of 2 guests.

Note: Combine this journey with the first departure of French Gardens: Paris & the Loire to create one grand garden show adventure.

Included with every Marco Polo Journey

• English-Speaking Resident Tour Director and Local Guides
• Hand-Selected Luxury Accommodations (Where Available)
• Airport Meet and Greet with Private Transfers
• Travelling Bell Boy Luggage Handling
• Breakfast in Bed on Select Days
• Full Breakfast Daily; Select Lunches and Dinners
• Traveller’s Valet Laundry Service
• Internet Access (Where Available)
• Entrance Fees, Taxes and All Gratuities Except Resident Tour Director
• 24/7 A&K On-Call Suppor
• Guaranteed Departures with Just Two Guests

Talk to one of our expert Journey Designers or your travel agent about booking this tour as a private journey for your own small group with family or friends. Or, if you would prefer to travel privately, find out more about creating the perfect bespoke Tailor-Made Journey based on this itinerary.