The gorgeous colours and fragrances of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
makes it an unmissable summer event, and our exclusive tour gives
you special access on a members-only day. You'll spend a full day
here, marvelling at the horticultural displays put together by the
country's leading gardeners.
Over the course of four days, you'll make your way around seven
beautiful English gardens, including RHS Garden Wisley, the
flagship garden of the Royal Horticultural Society. This trip
offers unparalleled insight into the work that keeps these gardens
looking as splendid as they do year-round.
There's also a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew included,
where you'll see some of the 50,000 plants that grow here in the
Palm House, Temperate House, and Princess of Wales Conservatory.
You'll also visit Ham House and Garden in Richmond, a 17th-century
Stuart house on the banks of the River Thames with an enchanting
walled kitchen garden.
The tour begins with a visit to RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey where you'll enjoy exploring with a complimentary guide book. This splendid garden is the flagship of the Royal Horticultural Society and a fitting start to your four-day tour of some of England's best gardens.
Later, you'll check into Richmond Harbour Hotel and join your group for dinner in the evening in the hotel's chic restaurant, The Gate.
After breakfast, you'll board your coach for a full-day visit to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, a day exclusively for RHS members, where you'll see over 20 full-sized show gardens. Hundreds of floral displays incorporating new, rare and unusual plants are a particular highlight inside the Great Marquee. Other popular features include flower arranging, floristry and garden design marquees, courtyard gardens, window boxes and hanging baskets.
The Royal Botanic Garden at Kew, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, boasts an intriguing collection of plants from all over the world. The Palm House recreates a tropical rainforest environment, and the Temperate House houses the world's tallest indoor plant. The Princess of Wales Conservatory contains ten climatic zones and a wide variety of plants, including orchids and cacti.
In the afternoon, you'll visit Ham House and Garden in Richmond. Rich in history, Ham House was created mainly by the Duchess of Lauderdale in an extravagant statement of wealth. The restored gardens are an excellent example of 17th-century design.
After breakfast, you'll head to Chiswick House and Gardens, an 18th-century house designed by the third Earl of Burlington. He drew inspiration from his Grand Tours of Italy, creating a neo-Palladian style across 65 acres along with architect and landscape designer William Kent.
You'll then pay a visit to Chelsea Physic Garden, founded in 1673 as the Apothecaries' Garden, to train apprentices in identifying and producing medicinal plants.
A visit to London's Sky Gardens, a magnificent rooftop garden with panoramic city views, is a fitting finale to the trip
While Richmond Harbour Hotel & Spa gives onto the main road, which can get quite busy, once you've stepped into the park you'll feel a world away from London traffic. Across the road, you'll find both Petersham Common (which occupies 17 acres of woodland) and Richmond Park. Rugby fans will love that Twickenham Stadium is only a ten-minute drive.
The hotel is on the top of Richmond Hill.
By car: around 4 hours from Manchester, 2 hours 30 minutes from Bath and 1 hour 30 minutes from Southampton. Free on-site parking available.
By train: London Waterloo to Richmond takes 20 minutes. The hotel is a 10-minute taxi ride from the station. Book trains to London.
Part of the Harbour Hotels collection, there are subtle nods to coastal design. With its striped window shades and interiors flooded with natural light, you could easily picture the hotel's all-white Georgian building by Brighton seafront. The hotel is welcoming, with vibrant furnishings creating a fun, laidback vibe, while at the spa, upbeat tunes create a positive mood.
The facilities are very good - at the well-equipped spa you'll find a 20m swimming pool, sauna, steam room, gym, spin studios, relaxation room, juice bar, treatment rooms and open-air hot tubs. The hotel is staffed by a young team who give the place a friendly, laidback air.
- Restaurant
- Bar
- Gym
- Spa
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
Rooms are tastefully furnished in bold vibrant hues and continue with the rest of the hotel's soothing coastal and countryside design. Think striped pillowcases, throws and matching velvet curtains, and colourful canvases depicting foxes and stags. Bathrooms are comfortable - some even have double sinks and showers inside bathtubs.
Room types: Cosy, Standard, Superior, Deluxe
Key amenities: ensuite bathroom, luxury bathrobes and slippers, TV, tea and coffee-making facilities, free Wi-Fi
The Gate has a delightful conservatory setting, with natural light flooding in through large windows. The restaurant has an open-plan kitchen, cool, laidback vibe. and serves modern British cuisine. Dishes include grilled scallops, monkfish tail and chicken spatchcock. The rib-eye steak is particularly good. Rich and juicy, it melts in the mouth. Relax in the lounge with a cocktail or two, or sit at the bar to watch the bartenders shake up your drink of choice.
The Gate: modern British cuisine. All-day dining and afternoon tea, open daily.
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