Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
England's Gardens: the Chelsea Flower Show, the Cotswolds and Kent
8 days from London: a full day at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and a morning at Kew, two nights in Cheltenham for Hidcote, Kiftsgate and Barnsley House, then two in Kent for Sissinghurst and Great Dixter.
8 days · Round trip from London · up to 12 guests
The topiary lawn at Great Dixter in summer, visited on day 7 Photo: DimiTalen, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Topiary_lawn_at_Great_Dixter,_July_2019.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from London
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Garden days on foot: about 5 to 8 km a day on gravel, grass and paved paths with some slopes and steps, and long hours standing at the Chelsea show. Every garden has benches and a cafe, and you can sit any part out. Drives are under 4 hours a day.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,140 (estimated price)
- Season
- Chelsea Flower Show week
Highlights
Why this trip
- A full day at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show from the gates opening, ticket included
- Kew at opening: the Palm House and the Temperate House before the crowds, then a free London afternoon
- Hidcote's garden rooms and Kiftsgate Court across the lane, on the same afternoon
- Lunch at Barnsley House and a walk through Rosemary Verey's laburnum walk and potager
- The White Garden at Sissinghurst at opening, then Christopher Lloyd's Long Border at Great Dixter
- RHS Wisley on the way into Kent, with lunch in the gardens
- Scotney Castle's moated ruin on the last morning
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,140 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in London
Heathrow Airport to your hotel in central London
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in London
- Drive about 1 h
Fly into London Heathrow (LHR), about 25 km west of the centre, and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the hour's drive into town. Our hotel is chosen to be within walking distance, or a short ride, of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, where the show is held, so tomorrow starts without a scramble across the city.
Afternoon
The afternoon is free: walk along the Chelsea Embankment, look into the shops of the King's Road, or rest after the flight. If you arrive early, the streets around Sloane Square are dressed with flowers for the week of the show, when shops and pubs compete in their own floral displays.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the week: how the show day works, what to wear for garden paths, and how each day is paced. Then we sit down together to a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
Included
- Pick-up at London Heathrow (LHR)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Activity: Plan to land by about 3 pm to make the briefing; later arrivals are met and join the group at dinner.
A full day at the Chelsea Flower Show
Your hotel to the Royal Hospital Chelsea and back, on foot or by short ride
- Breakfast
- Stay in London
Today is the reason for the trip.
Morning
We are at the gates of the Royal Hospital Chelsea when the show opens in the morning, a public show day with a full-day ticket bought for you in advance. The RHS has held the show on these grounds almost every year since 1913, and the first hour is the best time to see the show gardens along Main Avenue, before the paths fill and the queues form at the most talked-about designs. Your guide walks the group round the show gardens first, then leaves you free inside the Great Pavilion, where nurseries show their plants in dense, perfect displays, and among the smaller gardens, the floral marquee stalls and the talks.
Evening
We meet again in the afternoon for anyone who wants company back to the hotel; others stay until the show closes in the evening. Lunch is your choice from the food stands, so nobody has to leave the grounds. The evening is free.
Included
- RHS Chelsea Flower Show full-day ticket for a public day
- Guided walk of the show gardens at opening
- Free time in the Great Pavilion and the smaller gardens
Optional experiences
- Chelsea Physic Garden, a short walk from the showground
Easier option: Join the guide's early-afternoon walk back to the hotel and rest before the evening.
More active option: Stay until the show closes in the evening, when the paths empty and the light is soft on the show gardens.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: A long day on your feet on grass and matting, with crowds by late morning. Benches are few, so the guide points out the quieter places to sit.
Kew Gardens at opening
London to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and back
- Breakfast
- Stay in London
- Drive about 1 h
Our minibus takes us west along the Thames to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, listed by UNESCO in 2003, and we are at the gates for the 10 am opening. We go first to the glasshouses while they are quiet: the curved iron and glass Palm House of the 1840s, with its rainforest under a humid dome, then the Temperate House, the largest surviving Victorian glasshouse, full of plants from the warm temperate world. Your guide leads the group past the Great Pagoda and through the rhododendron dell and azalea garden, which are often at their best in late May, and up onto the Treetop Walkway, 18 metres up in the canopy, for anyone who likes heights.
Afternoon
We are back in central London by early afternoon, and the rest of the day is yours: a museum in South Kensington, a second visit to the show if you bought a ticket, or a quiet pub supper. Lunch today is on your own, at Kew or in town.
Included
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, with your guide: the Palm House, the Temperate House, the Great Pagoda and the Treetop Walkway
Optional experiences
- Kew Explorer land train round the gardens
- A West End show in the evening
Easier option: Ride the Kew Explorer land train between the glasshouses instead of walking the full loop.
More active option: Climb onto the Treetop Walkway and walk on to the Queen's Garden behind Kew Palace.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in London
Activity: About 5 km on flat paved and gravel paths at Kew; the Treetop Walkway has stairs and a lift.
Hidcote and Kiftsgate
London to Hidcote by the M40, then Kiftsgate Court and on to Cheltenham
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Cheltenham
- Drive about 3.5 h
We leave London at about 8:30 am and drive two and a half hours north-west into the Cotswolds, the drive broken by a coffee stop.
Afternoon
Hidcote sits on the northern edge of the hills, and lunch is at the garden before we go in. Lawrence Johnston, an American-born plantsman, laid out Hidcote from 1907 as a run of garden rooms divided by clipped hedges: the Red Borders, the White Garden, the Pillar Garden and the long walks that open onto the view over the Vale of Evesham. Across the lane, Kiftsgate Court is a quieter garden made by three generations of women, hanging over a steep bank with views west; it opens only on certain afternoons, so the day is planned around its hours, and days 4 and 5 may swap to fit them. In the late afternoon we drive half an hour to Cheltenham, a Regency spa town, where we stay two nights.
Evening
Tonight we have dinner together in Cheltenham.
Included
- Hidcote with your guide: the garden rooms, the Red Borders and the Long Walk
- Lunch at Hidcote
- Kiftsgate Court Gardens
- Dinner together in Cheltenham
Easier option: Stay on the level paths at Kiftsgate's upper terraces; the lower garden is down steep steps.
More active option: Walk down the steep paths to Kiftsgate's lower garden and its modern water garden.
Activity: About 5 km on gravel and grass paths, with steps at Kiftsgate. Kiftsgate opening days and hours are confirmed with your final itinerary; if needed days 4 and 5 swap.
Painswick and Barnsley House
Cheltenham to Painswick, then Barnsley, and back to Cheltenham
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Cheltenham
- Drive about 1.5 h
A short drive south over the Cotswold edge brings us to Painswick, a grey-stone wool town, and the Painswick Rococo Garden in the valley below it. Laid out in the 1740s as a pleasure garden, with follies, a Gothic exedra and a kitchen garden, it fell into neglect and was restored from the 1980s, guided by a painting of the garden made in 1748.
Morning
We walk it in the morning before driving east across the hills to the village of Barnsley, near Cirencester. Barnsley House was the home of the garden designer Rosemary Verey, and her garden is still there: the laburnum walk, usually in flower in late May, the knot garden and the potager, a decorative vegetable garden.
Afternoon
Lunch is at Barnsley House, and afterwards there is time to walk the garden slowly. We are back in Cheltenham by mid-afternoon, and the rest of the day is free to walk the Promenade and Montpellier.
Included
- Painswick Rococo Garden with your guide
- Lunch at Barnsley House
- Rosemary Verey's garden at Barnsley House: the laburnum walk, the knot garden and the potager
Easier option: At Painswick, keep to the upper paths and the view over the garden from the exedra.
More active option: Walk the full circuit of Painswick's valley, down to the pond and up past the Eagle House.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Cheltenham
Activity: About 4 km on foot; Painswick is on a slope, with grass paths that are slippery after rain.
RHS Wisley, then into Kent
Cheltenham to RHS Garden Wisley by the M4 and M25, then Royal Tunbridge Wells
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Royal Tunbridge Wells
- Drive about 3.5 h
This is the longest drive of the trip, about three and a half hours in all, so we split it with a long stop in the middle.
Morning
We leave Cheltenham after breakfast and drive about two and a quarter hours east to RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey, the Royal Horticultural Society's flagship garden since 1903.
Afternoon
Your guide leads a walk through the long mixed borders, the rose garden and the rock garden, then lunch is together at Wisley. After lunch there is free time for the glasshouse, the trial fields where new plants are tested, or the plant centre, where many of the show's plants are on sale. In the mid-afternoon we drive about an hour and a quarter south-east into the Weald of Kent to Royal Tunbridge Wells, a spa town since the 17th century, where we stay two nights.
Evening
The evening is free: walk the colonnaded Pantiles and find a table for supper.
Included
- RHS Garden Wisley with your guide: the mixed borders, the rose garden, the rock garden and the glasshouse
- Lunch at Wisley
Easier option: Stay near the glasshouse and the lake, where the paths are flat and there are benches.
More active option: Walk up to the pinetum and the trial fields at the top of the garden.
Free time: Evening free in Tunbridge Wells
Activity: About 5 km on foot at Wisley on paved and gravel paths, with a slope up to the rock garden.
Sissinghurst and Great Dixter
Royal Tunbridge Wells to Sissinghurst Castle Garden, then Great Dixter at Northiam, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Royal Tunbridge Wells
- Drive about 2 h
We drive about 40 minutes east to Sissinghurst and aim to be there at opening, before the garden fills. The poet Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson bought the ruined Tudor estate in 1930 and made the garden as a set of rooms around the brick tower: the White Garden, the Rose Garden, the Cottage Garden in reds and yellows, and the nuttery. In the first hour you can usually see the White Garden with almost nobody in it, and climb the tower to Vita's writing room and the view over the Weald.
Afternoon
Lunch is together at a village pub in the Weald. In the afternoon we cross into East Sussex to Great Dixter, the home of the gardener and writer Christopher Lloyd, where Lutyens restored the timbered house and Lloyd filled the garden with bold, mixed planting: the Long Border, the meadows and the Exotic Garden.
Evening
We are back in Tunbridge Wells by early evening for a farewell dinner together.
Included
- Sissinghurst Castle Garden from opening, with your guide: the White Garden, the Rose Garden, the Cottage Garden and the tower
- Lunch at a village pub in the Weald
- Great Dixter house and garden: the Long Border, the meadows and the Exotic Garden
- Farewell dinner in Tunbridge Wells
Easier option: Skip the tower stairs at Sissinghurst and sit in the Rose Garden; Great Dixter's paths near the house are level.
More active option: Before lunch, walk the estate trail at Sissinghurst past the lakes and the moat.
Free time: An hour free in Tunbridge Wells before the farewell dinner
Activity: About 6 km on foot on grass, gravel and brick paths; the Sissinghurst tower has a narrow spiral stair. Sissinghurst and Great Dixter opening days and times are confirmed with your final itinerary.
Scotney Castle and back to London
Royal Tunbridge Wells to Scotney Castle, then Heathrow or central London
- Breakfast
- Drive about 2 h
One more garden before we go. Scotney Castle is about 15 minutes from Tunbridge Wells, and we are there at opening. From the terrace of the Victorian house a path winds down through a quarry garden and banks of rhododendrons and azaleas, often in flower in late May, to the ruin of a moated 14th-century castle in the valley, a picture made deliberately in the Picturesque style of the 1830s. Your guide walks the group down to the moat and back up by the other side, about an hour on foot, with time for a coffee before we leave. We leave Scotney at about 11:30 am and drive about an hour and a half to London Heathrow (LHR), arriving around 1 pm, or to a central London drop-off at about the same time. Your guide sees you to the terminal and checks your flight before saying goodbye. Book a flight leaving after about 5 pm, which leaves room for traffic on the M25.
Included
- Scotney Castle garden and the moated castle ruin with your guide
- Drop-off at London Heathrow (LHR) or central London
Easier option: Stay on the terrace and the upper paths by the house; the path down to the moat is steep.
Free time: Time for a coffee at Scotney before the drive
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 5 pm. About 2 km on foot with a steep path down to the moat and back.
- London3 nights
- Cheltenham2 nights
- Royal Tunbridge Wells2 nights
- Londonend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Late May is peak season in English gardens: alliums, irises, peonies, early roses, wisteria finishing and laburnum in flower. Days are long, with light until about 9 pm, and usually mild (about 12 to 20 C), but showers are common, so the guide can swap the order of garden visits within a base to follow the weather.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Gardeners who have always wanted to go to Chelsea and want the ticket and logistics handled
- Travellers who want the great English gardens in a week rather than a fortnight
- People happy on their feet for most of a day, with benches and cafes along the way
- Solo travellers who want company at the show and at dinner
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who want a tour of London's sights; there is one free afternoon in town
- Anyone who needs step-free access everywhere: several gardens have steep paths and stairs
- Travellers looking for a trip outside late May; the dates follow the show
- Those who want lectures and a study programme every day
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- London3 nights
- Cheltenham2 nights
- Royal Tunbridge Wells2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 3 in London, 2 in Cheltenham and 2 in Royal Tunbridge Wells
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms; in London within walking distance or a short ride of the showground; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at London Heathrow (LHR) on day 1
- A private minibus and professional driver for the group from day 3 to day 8, sized for 7 to 12 guests, so your bags travel with you
- Drop-off at Heathrow or central London on day 8
- All parking fees for included stops
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, from Heathrow to Heathrow, leading every garden visit
- Garden guides where a garden offers them
Activities
- RHS Chelsea Flower Show full-day ticket for a public day, London
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London
- Hidcote, near Chipping Campden
- Kiftsgate Court Gardens, near Chipping Campden
- Painswick Rococo Garden, Painswick
- The garden at Barnsley House, near Cirencester
- RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey
- Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent
- Great Dixter house and garden, Northiam
- Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 4 lunches: Hidcote (day 4), Barnsley House (day 5), RHS Wisley (day 6) and a Wealden village pub (day 7)
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in London, a dinner in Cheltenham and a farewell dinner in Tunbridge Wells
Not included
- International flights to and from London
- The UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
- Travel insurance
- Lunches on days 1, 2, 3 and 8 and dinners not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as the Chelsea Physic Garden, the Kew Explorer or a West End show
- Plants, seeds and shipping from the show
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,140 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 3 dinners, your RHS Chelsea Flower Show full-day ticket, entry to Kew, Hidcote, Kiftsgate, Painswick, Barnsley House, Wisley, Sissinghurst, Great Dixter and Scotney, Heathrow transfers both ways, a private minibus and driver, all parking, and your See Sight Tours guide throughout.
Is my Chelsea Flower Show ticket guaranteed?
We buy a full-day ticket for a public show day in your name as soon as the RHS releases them, which is why we ask you to book early. If the RHS allocation sold out before we could buy yours, we would tell you before taking any payment and offer another date or a full refund.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in one minibus, so everyone hears the guide in a narrow garden room and the group fits the lanes to Kiftsgate and Great Dixter that large coaches avoid.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide is with the group from Heathrow on day 1 to Heathrow on day 8, leading every garden visit, with a professional driver for the minibus. Where a garden offers its own guides, we add them.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately. Expect 5 to 8 km a day on gravel, grass and paved paths, a long day standing at the show, and some steep paths at Kiftsgate, Painswick and Scotney. Each day has an easier option, and every garden has benches and a cafe if you want to sit a part out.
I am travelling solo. What will it cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 1,140 more than the shared price, stated up front. London rooms in show week are costly, which is most of that figure. Solo guests get the same room standard as everyone else, and the guide makes sure nobody spends the show day alone unless they want to.
When does this trip run?
Once a year, in the week of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, usually the second half of May. The RHS publishes the show dates each year, and we publish the departure as soon as they are out, with day 2 on a public show day.
How does booking work?
Choose your departure and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until then. Because show tickets are limited, we buy yours as soon as your place is confirmed.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only. To include the show it still has to be in Chelsea week; outside that week we replace the show with another London garden day. If you would rather travel independently, ask us from the dates section for a quote.
Do I need a visa for England?
Canadian and US citizens do not need a visa for a tourist visit but must apply online for a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before flying. Other passports should check the UK government's rules before booking; we are happy to help.
What will be in flower in late May?
Late May is one of the best weeks in English gardens: alliums, irises, peonies, early roses, laburnum at Barnsley House, rhododendrons and azaleas at Kew and Scotney, and meadows at Great Dixter. Exact flowering shifts by a week or two with the spring, which is part of the pleasure.
Can I bring plants home from the show?
Plants are sold at Chelsea, mostly on the last afternoon, but Canada and the US restrict plant and soil imports, so most guests buy seeds, bulbs with the right paperwork, tools and books instead. Check your country's rules before you buy.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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