England’s Charming Cotswolds Gardens
Explore colorful gardens in the iconic Cotswolds area of England. We’ll meet with enthusiastic owners and caretakers in their beautiful private gardens and tour some well-known historic landscapes together. In the Cotswolds you’ll find thatched-roof cottages, rich literary and garden history and beautiful vistas. In late June, perennial borders and roses should be at their fragrant peak. Enjoy it all with a small group of fellow garden lovers and Garden Gate’s Jack Coyier and Sherri Ribbey.
Tour Dates
June 22 – June 30, 2025
Tour Prices
$6,715 (USD) per person, double occupancy
$7,975 (USD) per person, single occupancy
Tour Includes
• All 4-star hotel accommodations
• 8 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 5 dinners, including tips
• Admission to all gardens, including tips
• Comfortable coach transport
• Friendly & knowledgeable tour guide
• Garden expertise of Garden Gate’s Jack Coyer and Sherri Ribbey
ACTIVITY LEVEL
Easy: Expect to walk 10,000 steps per day with occasional level changes.
Itinerary
DETAILS
Day 1, Sunday, June 22: ARRIVAL
Tour members independently arrange travel to Heathrow Airport and transfer on their own to the Hilton London Heathrow Airport at Terminal 4, where a room is booked for them (included in the tour price).
We’ll gather for a Welcome Dinner in the hotel restaurant at 6:30 PM (included in the tour price).
Day 2, Monday, June 23: MOOR WOOD RAMBLING ROSES, WHICHFORD POTTERY
At wild and romantic Moor Wood Rambling Roses, we’ll see a National Collection of Rambling Roses, which Susie and Henry Robinson began in 1983 with the goal of preserving species and varieties that were becoming lost to gardeners. The end of June should be a very good time to see these beauties at their peak! In addition to the roses, they maintain an apple orchard, wildflower meadow and many very old trees, including a cedar tree that they estimate to be about 300 years old.
Gardeners all over the world proudly display Whichford Pottery’s handcrafted terra-cotta flowerpots, and we’ll be lucky enough to witness their making. See how these beautiful pieces come to fruition and meet the craftspeople who make them. We’ll also be able to shop the display area and see the charming gardens while we’re here.
We check into the Arden Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon for 3 nights & gather for dinner in the restaurant hotel (included).
Day 3, Tuesday, June 24: PETTIFERS, BROUGHTON GRANGE & FREE TIME IN STRATFORD-UPON AVON
First today, we visit Pettifers, a stylish townhouse garden designed by the owner Gina Price. With little gardening experience, Price started in the early 1990s with a conventional, old-fashioned garden. Gradually through visiting other gardens and asking for criticism from knowledgeable friends, Price began editing. Today Pettifers is known for its innovative plant choices, unusual plant pairings, and vivid color combinations, all within a confident structure. Price admits to being influenced by the Dutch-originated New Perennials Movement but says she couldn't have a garden without English prettiness. We'll enjoy a visit with the head gardener while we're here.
Broughton Grange Gardens’ owners turned to designer Tom Stuart-Smith for a walled garden 25 years ago, and the result is one of the most well-known and celebrated contemporary gardens in Great Britain. It beautifully combines traditional elements, such as parterres and topiaries, with more modern approaches, such as meadows filled with grasses, sleek lines and hardscaping elements. Trained trees frame vistas of the Oxfordshire countryside and offer structure amongst exuberant plantings of annuals, perennials and shrubs. There’s a lot to see in this extensive garden and we’ll get to enjoy the views while eating lunch together here (included).
This afternoon and evening you’ll be free to explore the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Wander the streets and admire the half-timbered architecture. Do a little shopping. Take a Shakespeare walking tour and see Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shakespeare’s birthplace, New Place and Hall’s Croft, and make reservations to see a play at the Royal Shakespeare Company & Theatres, which is across the street from our hotel. Or maybe your interests are more modern: Take a boat ride on the canal, visit The Butterfly Farm or tour the MAD Museum, which celebrates kinetic art and automa.
You’ll be able to choose your own dinner option this evening.
Day 4, Wednesday, June 25: HIDCOTE & KIFTSGATE
This morning we visit the iconic Hidcote Manor. Starting in 1907, Lawrence Johnston, a talented American plantsman with a strong sense of design, created the garden considered by many to be a masterpiece. A series of hedged, intimate rooms, each with its individual character, are linked by narrow passageways that eventually lead to lawns and views of the countryside beyond. Throughout, Johnston used a wide variety of plants, many found on his plant-collecting trips. It's noteworthy that Hidcote, with its themed garden rooms, changed how gardens were made in England and still influences garden makers today.
Next, we travel the short distance to Kiftsgate. A visit to this garden is not complete without understanding how three generations of women in one family have shaped the garden and made it into a beloved treasure. The garden was started in the 1920s by Heather Muir, who fearlessly employed an intuitive approach to creating her gardens instead of using a more formalized plan. In the 1950s, Muir's daughter, Diany Binny, continued the garden’s evolution by introducing a semicircular swimming pool on the lower level, commissioning sculptural features, and opening Kiftsgate for public enjoyment for the first time. Today, Anne Chambers, daughter of Binny and granddaughter of Muir, shapes the garden. Her new Water Garden is a contemporary oasis and is evidence of her desire to bring the garden into the 21st century.
We stay in the Arden Hotel for the last night and gather for dinner here (included).
Day 5, Thursday, June 26: SUDELEY CASTLE & HANHAM COURT GARDENS
This morning we’ll visit Sudeley Castle, the last home of Henry VIII’s sixth wife, Katherine Parr. The castle and church themselves are fascinating, but we’ll also wander the expansive gardens, including the Queens’ Garden full of roses, the walled secret garden’s perennial borders and the courtyard knot garden. This site hosts several ruins, such as the tithe barn and part of the castle in which Elizabeth I once stayed. They’ve been turned into beautiful gardens as well. Sudeley Castle doesn’t just live in the past though. New displays of 30 life-sized animal sculptures in the CoExistence exhibit throughout the grounds seek to spread the message of peaceful coexistence with nature. We’ll lunch together here (included) before our next stop.
We now travel to Hanham Court Gardens. Garden designers Isabel and Jullian Bannerman designed and planted them while they owned the property from 1994 to 2012, just for their own pleasure. Known for their love of fragrant plants, they filled the garden to overflowing with roses, peonies, and lilies. They also designed architectural elements — contemporary arches, gates, and railings that reference historical examples. Richard & Julia Boissevain, the current owners, are committed to restoring and preserving this beautiful design. Wander through the whimsical topiary yews, then make your way up to the orchard for a good view of the gardens close to the house. Finally, take the woodland walk to catch a view of the Victorian-style stumpery.
We’ll check into the Indigo Hotel in Bath and will have some free time to explore Bath and find dinner in a local restaurant this evening.
Day 6, Friday, June 27: RODMARTON MANOR & HODGES BARN
Not only is Rodmarton Manor a shining example of English Arts & Crafts architecture, but this early 20th-century home is surrounded by an 8-acre garden designed in a series of rooms that are rather formal close to the house but gradually become less so further away from the house and eventually blend into the views of the Cotswolds countryside. Architect Ernest Barnsley, who designed both the house and garden, included a walled garden, herbaceous borders, formal topiary and hedges, a vegetable garden and much more. We’ll get to see both the house and garden when we visit this 4th generation estate and even enjoy lunch together here (included).
Hodges Barn was built as a dovecote in 1499 for a nearby (but no longer standing) big house, but in the mid- 20th century, the new owner took on the task of converting it to a home. Then she laid out an Arts and Crafts garden, which employs stone walls and tapestry hedges to divide the space into garden rooms. While we’re here, we’ll see a beautiful collection of roses and clematis tumble over the walls, as well as herbaceous borders, a water garden, a woodland garden, a kitchen garden, and many beautiful old trees.
Tonight we’ll gather for dinner together (included).
Day 7, Saturday, June 28: IFORD MANOR. FREE TIME IN BATH
Lovely Iford Manor is our garden this morning, an Italianate garden in a beautiful river valley of the southern Cotswolds. It was created in the early 20th century by the architect Harold Peto, who had made Iford Manor his home. Peto recognized that the surrounding steep valley made an ideal backdrop for the garden architecture he liked. Using the topography, he created ascending terraces with every level having its own mood enhanced by handsome statues and ornaments collected on his travels to Italy. We’ll make sure to pause on each terrace to take in the bucolic views over the countryside and have a very informative tour, in which we’ll learn about Harold Peto’s design philosophy and the story of the garden’s development. Lunch will be in Iford’s Restaurant (included) before we leave for our afternoon garden.
This afternoon you’ll have free time in the lovely ancient city of Bath, founded by the Romans in the first century. Although you can’t bathe in its original thermal pools anymore, you can still tour the Roman Baths, and there are plenty of other things to do in this UNESCO World Heritage City. Walk, join a hop-on-hop-off bus tour or take a more leisurely boat tour. Enjoy the iconic architecture in the Georgian Royal Crescent, shop, dine… whatever you like!
Dinner on your own.
Day 8, Sunday, June 29: STOURHEAD & MOTTISFONT ABBEY
Our morning destination is Stourhead, a 250-year-old garden made in the English landscape style, a design philosophy that idealizes nature. The 18th-century banker Henry Hoare II created the garden after being inspired by landscape paintings he saw on a trip to Italy and France. He chose a secluded woodland valley and, over 40 years, dammed up a stream to make a lake, carved out a grotto, built classical temples (sometimes called follies) with stunning framed views, and created elegant bridges over the water. He planted many trees and shrubs, which today are some of the finest specimens found in England. This garden has been called a masterwork. After strolling around the lake on the shaded path that touches each architectural feature, you may agree. Enjoy lunch here on your own.
This afternoon we’ll make a stop at Mottisfont Abbey Estate, a stunning National Trust property in Hampshire. In addition to the impressive converted Medieval priory, wander through the house to learn more about its history and see beautiful architecture and art. Then take in the gardens. Inside the walled garden, we’ll find another collection of historic roses, which are typically at their peak in late June. But this estate has many gardens to discover, including a Medieval kitchen garden that was rediscovered and restored in the last several years, a small lavender parterre, and some amazing tree specimens, including a London plane tree that is thought to be the largest in Britain.
We return to our airport hotel for our last night & celebrate our week of garden visits with a farewell dinner in the restaurant.
Day 9, Monday, June 30: DEPARTURE
Our time together has ended, but garden lovers always find fresh inspiration wherever they are. Tour members can choose to return home or carry on the adventure.
Contact 800-341-4769 or gardentravel@aimmedia.com for more information.
Pricing
Tour price
$6,715 (USD) per person, double occupancy
$7,975 (USD) per person, single occupancy
Tour price includes
• All 4-star hotel accommodations
• 8 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 5 dinners, including tips
• Admission to all gardens, including tips
• Comfortable coach transport
• Friendly and knowledgeable professional tour coordinator
• Expertise of your Garden Gate hosts
Tour price excludes
• Airfare. Each tour member books their own flight to arrive at London’s Heathrow Airport by 3 p.m. local time 6/22/25 and depart from the same airport on or after 6/30/25.
• Travel insurance (required)
• 1 breakfast, 5 lunches, 4 dinners and all drinks, including water, and snacks.
• Tips for coach driver & tour coordinator
Payment schedule
A $1,500 (USD) deposit is due when you book your tour.
Final payment, in full, is due on May 2, 2025.
After May 2, please contact us to confirm that there are still spots available on this tour. If you are able to join, full payment, reservation form and proof of insurance will be due immediately.
NOTE: Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate offers thoughtfully arranged garden tours. Each tour is guaranteed to proceed as soon as the minimum of 15 reservations has been met. If our reservation minimum is not met, Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate reserves the right to cancel the tour. Deposits/payments will be refunded in full if the tour is canceled by us.
If you need to cancel your reservation, the deposit and final payment are fully refundable until March 21. After March 21, we are not able to refund the deposit.
After May 2, no refunds for deposit or final payment will be issued.
Please DO NOT make your airline reservations until Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate has guaranteed (by email) that the tour will proceed.
Contact 800-341-4769 or gardentravel@aimmedia.com for more information.
Accommodations
4-Star Lodging & Comfortable Coach Travel
Hotel Accommodations
After a day filled with garden inspiration and botanical discoveries, we will retire to the comfort of 4-star accommodations.
June 22 – Hilton London Heathrow Airport
June 23-25 – Arden Hotel
June 26-28 – Hotel Indigo, Bath
June 29 – Hilton London Heathrow Airport
Coach Travel
Daily transportation will be provided by a modern, comfortable coach operated by an experienced driver.
Contact 800-341-4769 or gardentravel@aimmedia.com for more information.
Terms & Conditions
Responsibilities:
As the hosting organization, Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate provides reservation services and has chosen Garden Tours, a professional tour operator, as its designated tour operator. As the designated tour operator, Garden Tours arranges for the actual tour of the garden sites. Garden Tours also acts as an agent for services connected with specific tours hosted by Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate, such as ground transportation, lodging, accommodations, and meals. Each service provider is solely responsible to the participant for providing their respective services.
By making a reservation for a tour hosted by Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate, the participant certifies that she/he does not have any mental, physical, or other condition or disability that would create a hazard for him/herself or other participants. Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate and Garden Tours reserve the right in their sole discretion to accept, decline to accept, or remove any participant on a tour hosted by Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate.
Price:
The tour prices in this agreement are based upon current exchange rates, tariffs, and taxes. Fluctuations in these rates could result in a price adjustment without prior notice until the tour is paid in full. Once the price for the tour is paid in full, the fee will not be adjusted due to any later change in exchange rates, tariffs or taxes.
Liabilities & Booking Conditions:
Garden Tours is established in the Netherlands, and rights and responsibilities for all tours operated by Garden Tours will be governed by Dutch and EU laws only. Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate and Garden Tours will have responsibility only for the proven negligent acts and omissions of its employees or agents and suppliers, subcontractors, servants, and/or agents of the same while acting within the scope of or in the course of their employment in respect of claims arising as a result of death, bodily injury, or illness caused to the signatory to the contract and/or any other named persons on the booking form.
Smoking:
All participants in tours hosted by Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate agree to comply with a non-smoking policy on all coaches, in restaurants, and in all lodging places.
Liability:
Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate and Garden Tours have no responsibility or liability to any person for loss of baggage, money, or other property whatsoever. Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate and Garden Tours have no responsibility or liability for any loss or additional expenses caused by delay or interruption to travel services through weather conditions (such as rain, wind, or fog), civil disturbance, riot, illegal acts of third parties, strikes, wars, floods, sickness or any circumstances amounting to Force Majeure.
Complaints:
In the unlikely event that you have a complaint, you must promptly notify the Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate host or the Garden Tours tour coordinator directly, so he/she can take remedial action on the spot. If the matter cannot be solved directly, any complaints must be submitted in writing to Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate within 20 days after the date of your return.
Your tour canceled by us:
Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate aims to provide your tour as booked. We reserve the right to cancel your tour under any circumstances, but if we cancel your tour, except where this is because you have not paid, you will receive a full refund.
Changes in itinerary details:
Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate and Garden Tours strive to operate according to the published itinerary. However, in the event of unforeseen circumstances beyond our control or opportunities that would enhance the itinerary, adjustments may be necessary or appropriate. Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate and Garden Tours reserve the right, without penalty, to make changes in the agreed-upon itinerary whenever, in their judgment, conditions warrant or if they deem it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of participants. Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate will let you know about any significant changes as soon as possible if there is time before your departure. Otherwise, we will announce changes on the tour.
Cancellations:
If you should need to withdraw from the tour for whatever reason, you must notify Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate in writing. Cancellation becomes effective when written notice is received. Deposits and final payments will be refunded for cancellations made 13 weeks or more before the tour start date. Deposits are nonrefundable for cancellations made between 13 weeks before the tour begins and the final payment deadline. There will be no refunds from Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate on or after the final payment deadline.
Insurance:
Travel insurance is required in case you need to cancel your trip after the final payment deadline, you have health emergencies while on the tour, or other unforeseen issues arise. Squaremouth and Insure My Trip are two travel insurance search sites. If you are under 70 years old, World Nomads is usually an economical travel insurance choice. You will be required to provide evidence to Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate that you have obtained travel insurance by the final payment deadline.
Health & Safety:
Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate follows COVID-19 safety updates from the CDC and our destination countries.
Photography notice:
Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate will be taking photos and videos of the gardens for future editorial and promotional use. Tour participants may occasionally appear in these images.
Contact 800-341-4769 or gardentravel@aimmedia.com for more information.
Reserve A Spot
Secure Your Reservation:
To reserve your spot on this tour:
- Fill out and submit the online reservation form.
Reservation Form - Submit your tour deposit of $1,500 USD by calling
800-341-4769
or completing a checkout through our online store.
Pay Deposit Online
Questions? Contact us at gardentravel@aimmedia.com or 800-341-4769. We would love to chat with you about this exciting trip!
Note: After May 2, 2025, please contact us to confirm that there are still spots available on this tour. If we are able to accommodate your reservation, full payment, reservation form and proof of insurance will be due immediately.
Payment Details:
Deposit amount: $1,500 USD
Full payment:
$6,715 (USD) per person, double occupancy
$7,975 (USD) per person, single occupancy
Note: For reservations made after May 2, 2025, the full payment will be due immediately.
Additional information about the tour costs, including details about inclusions and exclusions, can be viewed under “Pricing”.
PLEASE NOTE: Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate reserves the right to cancel the tour. Deposits/payments will be refunded in full if the tour is canceled.
Garden Travel with Horticulture & Garden Gate follows COVID-19 safety updates from the CDC and our destination countries.
Contact 800-341-4769 or gardentravel@aimmedia.com for more information.
Tour Hosts
Sherri Ribbey
Senior Editor, Garden Gate
Sherri started gardening with her grandmother picking green beans, raspberries and strawberries as a child (all while avoiding the garter snakes that grandma preferred not to meet.) Those fond memories have led to many more in her 20+ years at Garden Gate. Meeting and talking with other gardeners is one of her favorite things to do, although exploring garden centers to find a few plants to bring home might is also at the top of that list!
Jack Coyier
Senior Photographer & Videographer, Garden Gate
In his many years at Garden Gate magazine, Jack Coyier has photographed some of the most beautiful gardens across the country and has come away inspired by the spirit and passion of the vast gardening community. Jack wants his imagery to enrich the gardening experience of the Garden Gate community and help gardeners achieve their dream gardens. When not on the road photographing, Jack spends time in his suburban garden with his wife, twin boys, a herd of deer and a smattering of rabbits.
Contact 800-341-4769 or gardentravel@aimmedia.com for more information.