Oxford and the Gardens of the Cotswolds

May 13 - 20, 2011

We don’t offer a tour of the Cotswolds every year, but when we do it is always extremely popular. Our travelers are enthralled by the city of Oxford and many of our past Chelsea participants have taken day trips to the region and wished they had more time. We felt like it was the best location for our home base during this incredible garden tour and we are very excited to offer this package that includes visits to the best gardens of the Cotswolds area. Not only will you love the amazing visits, the private tours, the memorable dining experiences and first-class guides, but you will be traveling with a group of garden lovers just like yourself.

When combined with our 23rd annual Chelsea In Style trip this is the BEST way to see the most spectacular gardens in England.

Sunday, May 13 ~

Afternoon or evening departure on Virgin Atlantic Airways from Newark, Chicago or Los Angeles to London, England.

Monday, May 14 ~

Arrive in London and meet your Blue Badge Guide and Huron Tours & Travel escorts who will be with you the entire tour. Transfer by private motorcoach to the historic and vibrant city of Oxford which will be our home base for the next 7 days.

En-route to Oxford, we'll visit the famous Hampton Court Palace and Gardens.

The Royal residence is situated on the banks of the Thames, south-west of London. Started by Cardinal Wolsey in 1514, Hampton Court was confiscated in 1529 by Henry VIII and beginning in 1689 Sir Christopher Wren started work on many enhancements. During your visit you can explore the apartments filled with period porcelain, furniture, paintings, and tapestries.

The real draw for our Huron Travelers will no doubt be the Palace Gardens! Hampton Court has nearly 60 acres of formal gardens featuring 200,000 flowering bulbs and 140,000 plants which are grown in the palace nurseries. The palace gardens date back to the 16th Century when the first Privy garden was laid out between 1530 and 1538 for Henry VIII. Be sure to see the famous Hampton Court Maze which was planted in 1714 and covers a third of an acre and contains a half a mile of plants.

Upon arrival in Oxford, we'll check into the perfectly located Malmaison Hotel in the heart of historic Oxford. This stunning and unique hotel is on the grounds of Oxford Castle and was once a Victorian Prison! The beautifully restored property features fabulous original architecture and every first class amenity you can imagine. It is a luxury hotel like no other and we are so thrilled to be staying at this unique hotel for our tour of the gardens of the Cotswolds.

This evening we'll enjoy a very special welcome dinner in Malmaison's private dining room featuring traditional British cuisine using only the freshest local ingredients.

Tuesday, May 15 ~

After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, we'll enjoy a private, guided walking tour of Oxford led by our very special Blue-Badge Guide who is also an Oxford graduate! We'll see all the highlights and even enjoy a visit to one of the colleges. After lunch on your own in Oxford, we'll board our private motorcoach for a visit to Sudeley Castle & Gardens.

Sudeley is a large late-medieval castle with elaborate Victorian gardens which are designed as a continuation of the house they surround. The castle once belonged to Ethelred the Unready and to Queen Katherine Parr. The gardens are amongst the very best in England.

The Queen's Garden is a nineteenth century parterre bounded by yew hedges and planted with old roses. The Secret Garden, originally created by Rosemary Very, is a sea of tulips during Spring. There is also a Chapel Garden and a Tithe Barn Garden designed by Jane Fearnley Whittingstall. In addition to these highlights, there are seven smaller gardens each one distinct in its own right.

Tonight dinner is on your own. Be sure to review our extensive list of Oxford restaurant recommendations that will be included in your tour documents. Many are within easy walking distance from our hotel.

Wednesday, May 16 ~

This morning we’ll depart for two amazing visits: Hidcote Manor & Kiftsgate Court Gardens.

Nestled in the beautiful North Cotswolds with stunning views of the Valley of Evesham, Hidcote is one of England’s greatest arts and crafts gardens and consists of a series of outdoor “rooms”, each with its own distinct character and theme. These rooms, such as the 'White Garden' and 'Fuchsia Garden' are linked together by imaginative vistas and furnished with topiaries. Some have ponds and fountains, and all are planted with flowers in bedding schemes. You will have plenty of time to explore this astonishing creation and enjoy lunch at your leisure before we depart for our next stop, Kiftsgate Court Gardens.

Famous for its roses, Kiftsgate is the creation of three generations of women gardeners and is all about plants and use of color. It was made by Heather Muir with much help from Major Johnston of Hidcote. This 20th century garden is blessed with color and an informal atmosphere. Most impressively, there is a wonderful display of bulbs in the spring. A woodland garden steps down the hillside to a half-moon swimming pool. Many features are typical of the Arts and Crafts period: herbaceous borders, a four square garden, a white garden, a yellow border, a rockery, lawns and a bluebell wood. The Kiftsgate Water Garden, called the New Garden, has a bronze leaf sculpture by Simon Allison. The water garden was designed by the owners (Anne and Johnny Chambers).

Dinner this evening is on your own. Be sure to consult our Oxford restaurant list for ideas and inspiration!

Thursday, May 17 ~

After a leisurely breakfast and morning on your own, we'll depart for a very special day out. We'll begin our afternoon with a wonderful lunch at Jack Hare's Pub in the Hare & Hounds Hotel in Tetbury. After lunch, we'll head to Highgrove Gardens-the Private Gardens of Their Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.

The Prince of Wales has spent 30 years transforming the grounds of Highgrove into what have been acknowledged as some of the most inspired and innovative gardens in the United Kingdom. His Royal Highness’s strict adherence to organic and sustainable methods has helped create gardens which are both magical and intriguing while being environmentally sound; encouraging both plants and wildlife to thrive. A series of interlinked areas, each with its own character and purpose, weave magically around the garden with the house always visible in the distance. Our tour will be led by one of His Royal Highness's Garden Guides.

Once we depart Highgrove you are in for a very special evening arranged just for Huron Travelers!

No tour of British gardens would be complete without a visit to the late Rosemary Verey's Barnsley House and Gardens. Our group will not only be given a private tour of the gardens, but we'll also enjoy a wonderful dinner made with the freshest ingredients from the kitchen garden in Barnsley’s beautiful restaurant with delightful garden views.

Barnsley House is the epitome of a delightful English garden in a rare and idyllic setting. The four acre garden blends many styles in an artful and pleasing combination with subtle and beautiful color and texture coordination. The kitchen garden has many small beds and features fruit trees trained against the Cotswold stone walls and box hedges edging the paths.

The house dates from 1697 and the garden is enclosed on three sides by a stone wall dating from 1770. The garden was created by Rosemary Verey after she and her husband David Verey inherited the property from his father in 1951.

Friday, May 18 ~

A full day to tour the beauty and magic of the Cotswolds! Our Blue Badge Guide will show us the best this gorgeous region has to offer with tour highlights of Burton-On-The-Water, Broadway & Lower Slaughter-just to name a few. You'll have plenty of time to browse in some of the best shops in the Cotswolds as well as explore what makes each of the towns so special.

Tonight, dinner is on your own in Oxford.

Saturday, May 19 ~

A completely free day to enjoy Oxford and its many museums, shops, and historical attractions.

You might wish to spend the day at Oxford’s Botanical Gardens-the oldest in the U.K. and just a short walk from our hotel. If you still haven’t had enough of the wonderful gardens, make sure to leave time to view the many other parks and gardens of Oxford University.

If you enjoy museums, you won’t have to look far to find some of the best. The famous Ashmolean is vast, impressive and is Britain’s oldest public museum. Other highlights include the Oxford University Museums of Natural History, The Pitt-Rivers Museum and the Christ Church Picture Gallery just to name a few.

If shopping strikes your fancy, Oxford has the oldest covered market in England and there are a large number of wonderful shops in the city centre right near your hotel. For the bookworm (like we are!) be sure to visit Blackwell’s Books which is the largest space dedicated to book sales in Europe and a tourist attraction in itself.

Be sure to review our ‘What to Do and See in Oxford’ guide that is included in your final tour documents. It will assist you in making the most of your free time in this amazing city

For our final evening together in Oxford we'll enjoy a once in a lifetime private Farewell Dinner in the McKenna Room at Christ Church. Founded in 1525 by Cardinal Wolsey, Christ Church is one of the largest colleges at Oxford and is also traditionally considered the most aristocratic of the Oxford colleges. This will be an evening you won’t forget.

Sunday, May 20 ~

Enjoy a morning of leisure before we depart for London. En-route to our hotel we'll visit the famed Chelsea Physic Garden.

Situated behind the Royal Hospital site where the Chelsea Flower Show is held each year, this 4 acre garden of horticultural delights was first an Apothecaries’ garden when it was established in 1673. It is the 2nd oldest Botanical garden in the U.K. after Oxford’s Botanical Garden. It is home to one of the oldest rock garden in Europe and also boasts several rare plants, an herb garden with culinary and medicinal plants as well as a glass house.

We depart the Physic Garden and make our way to our fabulous hotel in London's famed South Kensington neighborhood. Dinner is on your own this evening and you will have no trouble finding an incredible restaurant to visit as London's latest "restaurant row" is just steps from our hotel. You will find everything from French and Italian, to Moroccan and Thai not to mention some of the best traditional English fare anywhere! Make sure to review your London Restaurant Guide that we include in your final tour documents.

Onward to London for Chelsea! (Click Here)