CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW + PARIS

Welcome to London! After clearing arrival formalities, you will be met and escorted to the waiting coach & guide. We’ll set out to explore the beauty of Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. Contemporary sculptures are dotted around between pretty gardens and majestic trees. The Palm House, a jaw-dropping example of Victorian engineering, is sure to impress. Lunch at leisure. Afterwards, head to the hotel for check-in. The balance of the day is at your leisure. Tonight, we’ll enjoy a welcome dinner (3 courses + 1 drink pp) at the hotel to get to know each other better. Night in London. (D)

Breakfast at the hotel. The highlight of our adventure, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, is yours to enjoy for a full day. From gardens designed to conjure up a slice of anywhere from Provence to Japan, to urban patches with remarkable water features, this is the place to see the very best of contemporary garden design. Lunch at leisure. Night in London. (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, we’ll marvel at the grand designs at Cliveden, with its colourful gardens for every season and glorious views over the River Thames. Lunch 2 courses (NO drinks) in a restaurant. Next, we’ll swap English country houses for an elegant French château at Waddesdon Manor. Feast your eyes on the intricate parterre garden and listen out for birdsong in the rococo influenced aviary. Then, it’s time to travel to Windsor where we’ll rest for the night. Night in Windsor. (B,L)

Breakfast at the hotel. Wake today with a free morning stretching out in front of you. And what better way to spend it than discovering Windsor’s real highlights? Listen out for the sounds of drums, then pause on the High Street to see the royal guards, in their classic red uniforms and tall ‘bearskin’ hats, march up to the castle. You can pay a visit to the castle itself, which is one of the oldest in Europe that’s still in use. Lunch 2 courses (NO drinks) in a restaurant. We’ll come back together to visit the Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park. Look out for an array of rare plants from around the world as we walk through its themed gardens that showcase the beauty of the seasons. After the visit, Afternoon Tea in Windsor. Night in Windsor. (B,L)

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we’ll enjoy the morning among the tranquil surrounds of RHS Garden Wisley, taking in the sounds of water flowing through the rock garden and relaxing in the Alpine Meadow. T Lunch 2 courses (NO drinks) in a restaurant. Then we’ll continue to our next destination: Hever Castle. Keep your eyes peeled for giant chess pieces, classical statues, Italian grottoes and colourful tulips in the garden. This was the castle that was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn – Henry VIII’s second queen. This afternoon, we’ll continue to Ashburn Forest for short tour (depending on time left after the visits) and on to Tunbridge Wells. Night in Tunbridge Wells. (B,L)

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we’ll swap architectural layouts for a naturalistic approach to planting at Great Dixter. We’ll tour the old timber-framed house that was home to famous British gardener Christopher Lloyd – and explore the gardens that were his pride and joy. Lunch at leisure. Next, we’ll explore Sissinghurst Castle Gardens, renowned for their romantic design and colourful rose arrangements. Tonight, we’ll enjoy our farewell dinner (3 courses + 1 drink pp) in a restaurant in Tunbridge Wells. Night in Tunbridge Wells. (B,D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Our first stop today will be Scotney Castle. With tumbledown walls, turrets strewn with ivy and a tangled garden, this medieval relic is straight out of a fairy tale. Lunch at leisure. Then, we’ll travel to Ightham Mote. It dates back over 700 years and can only be reached by crossing an ancient stone bridge that stretches over its very own moat. The end of our action-packed last day will bring us back to London. Night in London. (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to St Pancras Station to board the Eurostar to Paris. Pickup in Paris, Gare du Nord, and head out to Giverny, Monet's home & gardens Claude Monet, one of the world’s most celebrated artists. The vivid colours in every room paint a picture of his life and the gardens outside are brimming with flowers in every shade. Lunch at leisure. Honfleur home for one night is the charming port town of Honfleur, which you may recognize as the subject of a fair few Impressionist paintings. Dinner (3 courses + NO drink) at the hotel. Night in Honfleur / Le Havre. (B,D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we’ll take a wander past Honfleur’s historic buildings and 17th-century harbour on a walking tour before tracking heading to Normandy. Lunch at leisure. Here, we’ll pause to taste the fruits of the region’s cheese factory- orchards – from cool, crisp ciders to heady, amber-hued calvados. On to Bayeux for one night. Night in Bayeaux / Caen. (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we’ll be enjoying viewing the Bayeux Tapestry and museum. We will depart Bayeux and drive to the enchanting Mont Saint-Michel, crossing the tidal causeway to wander the buzzing island village where we will enjoy tour and lunch on your own. On the way to Dinan, we’ll stop off for photos at Dol-de-Bretagne, where we’ll see the famous Menhir de Champ-Dolent. Dinan for overnight. Night in Dinan. (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a half-day to yourself in Dinan-quaint medieval town. You can enjoy lunch on your own. We will head out 1 pm sit back and enjoy the countryside as we travel towards the Loire Valley to Blois. Night in Blois / Loire Valley. (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. 10h00 visit of the Château Villandry (2hrs visit) Drive to La Cave des Roches. 13h30 Lunch (2 courses – NO drinks) followed by the visit of La Cave des Roches (with Mushrooms plant). Back at the hotel in Blois by the end of the day (+/- 17h30). Dinner at leisure, then return transfer from the hotel to Blois Castle for the Blois Château light show. Back at the hotel after the show. Night in Blois / Loire Valley. (B,L)

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit of Chateau Amboise (2hrs). Lunch (2 courses – NO drinks) and then visit of Chambord Castle (2hrs) Night in Blois / Loire Valley. (B,L)

Breakfast at the hotel. A fitting finale to our tour is a visit to the celebrated Chartres Cathedral and free time to stroll the streets and have lunch on your own. Believed to be one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in France, it’s a beautiful image to take with us back to Paris in time to catch a night cruise with dinner (3 courses + welcome drink), where we say ‘au revoir’. Night in Paris. (B,D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer with a coach to CDG Airport for the flight back home. No assistance planned for the transfer to CDG Airport