Ready to experience La Dolce Vita? Discover our Italy tours and be one of the first to book for 2027!

Kent & Sussex country gardens
4 Days
From £1,475
In association with Tripsmiths Travel Limited
Check availability
Call now and book +442039932958 Quote ref: GARDENSRAVEN
Check availability
Call now and book +442039932958
Quote ref: GARDENSRAVEN
Email us
Stay at a delightful four-star hotel and spend four summer days exploring quintessential English Country Gardens in Sussex and Kent, including Perch Hill in the company of Sarah Raven

2027 now on sale

As seen in Gardeners' World Magazine

In June 2027, enjoy visits to five beautiful English gardens in Kent and Sussex, plus a special talk hosted by the inspirational garden designer Sarah Raven at her garden at Perch Hill.

Highlights of the trip include visits to Great Comp Garden and Great Dixter House. You'll spend time among the award-winning gardens at Hever Castle, with a guided tour. You'll also experience a visit to Sissinghurst, where you'll explore these exquisite gardens.

On a visit to Sarah Raven's garden at Perch Hill in East Sussex, you'll listen to an exclusive talk about the 30+ year transformation from a dairy farm into 12 acres dedicated to flowers and colourful gardens. You'll join the gardeners on a private tour before feasting upon a two-course lunch using fresh produce from the garden.

During the tour, you'll be based at the elegant four-star The Spa Hotel in Royal Tunbridge Wells. Enjoy welcome drinks on your first evening, plus two group dinners - as well as evenings spent at your leisure, perhaps making the most of the spa facilities.

" What an amazing opportunity to see these extraordinary gardens. The day with Sarah Raven stood out as simply unbeatable. Meeting her, having an amazing tutorial from her and then seeing the garden which was beyond anything I had imagined We're all experiences I will never forget."
Previous guest - June 2026
A beautifully arranged table featuring an assortment of food dishes and vibrant flowers as a centerpiece.
A woman harvesting fresh vegetables from a vibrant garden, surrounded by green plants and sunlight.
A colourful bowl of salad garnished with edible flowers, showcasing fresh greens and vibrant vegetables.
A garden table set with chairs, featuring a large umbrella for shade, surrounded by greenery and flowers.
A table decorated with fresh flowers and glowing candles, providing a charming and cozy setting for dining or celebration.
A table displaying a variety of delicious foods surrounded by an array of blooming flowers, enhancing the dining experience.
A serene garden scene featuring a small path flowing through lush greenery and colorful flowers.
A field of orange flowers under a sunny blue sky, showcasing the beauty of Sissinghurst Castle's gardens.
A large house with several individuals walking around, highlighting an active garden scene.
A scenic view of Scotney Castle surrounded by a vibrant field of purple flowers under a clear blue sky.
Credit: Kirsty Gibbons
A scenic garden adorned with blooming flowers, set against the backdrop of a lovely house.
A woman tending to a vibrant garden filled with a variety of blooming flowers.
A diverse garden showcasing an array of blooming flowers and healthy plants in a sunny setting.
A picturesque garden at sunset, showcasing a beautiful array of flowers under a colourful sky.

Reasons to book

A woman stands in a field, smiling while holding a vibrant bouquet of flowers.

Meet Sarah Raven

Hear from garden designer, writer and broadcaster Sarah Raven about her 30+ year project transforming the gardens at Perch Hill
A beautifully set table displaying an arrangement of fruit and flowers, with cheese and bread prominently featured.

From Garden to Table

Enjoy a delicious two-course lunch at Perch Hill made with fresh produce grown right in the garden.
A serene garden scene featuring a small path flowing through lush greenery and colorful flowers.

Summertime splendour

When the sun is shining, there’s no better time to take in England’s horticultural gems – exploring manicured lawns and floral displays
A field of orange flowers under a sunny blue sky, showcasing the beauty of Sissinghurst Castle's gardens.

Visit Sissinghurst

You will enjoy a visit to Sissinghurst Castle, where you'll get to explore the famous Kent garden
A large house with several individuals walking around, highlighting an active garden scene.
Credit: Pete Davin

Glorious gardens

Visit five gardens, including seven-acre Great Comp, award-winning Hever Castle and Christopher Lloyd’s garden at Great Dixter
Exterior view of The Spa Hotel in Royal Tunbridge Wells

Stay in style

Stay at the elegant four-star The Spa Hotel in Royal Tunbridge Wells and look forward to breakfast daily, as well as two group dinners
Share this trip

Your expert guide

A woman tending to a vibrant garden filled with a variety of blooming flowers.
Sarah Raven
Garden designer, writer, broadcaster

Sarah Raven is an inspirational and passionate teacher, and has been running cooking, flower arranging, growing and gardening courses at her farm in Perch Hill, East Sussex, for two decades. Since the publication of her first book The Cutting Garden, Sarah has led the way in introducing a new kind of productive gardening. She is a teacher, a broadcaster, and hosts a popular gardening podcast: Grow Cook Eat Arrange, and runs sarahraven.com.

Price includes

  • Three-night stay at The Spa Hotel Royal Tunbridge Wells, including breakfast
  • Welcome drinks on evening of arrival
  • Two dinners at the hotel (includes three-course meal, two glasses of wine and tea or coffee)
  • Private visit to Perch Hill - tour with the gardeners, talk with Sarah Raven and two-course lunch
  • Visits to Great Comp Garden, Sissinghurst Castle, Great Dixter House and Hever Castle
  • Explore Hidden Spring Vineyard with a wine tasting and cheese pairing
  • Services of a tour manager throughout
  • Coach travel throughout

Availability

From
Mon, Mon, Jun 21, 2027
To
Thu, Thu, Jun 24, 2027
Duration
4 Days
Price per person
£1,475*

* From price is per person, based on two people sharing a room, subject to availability. Price and itinerary correct at time of print but may be subject to change. Single supplement: £200. Deposit: 30%. All mandatory additional charges are included in the price, please enquire for details. In the case of unforeseen circumstances, expert(s) may be substituted, and any expert-led events may be subject to change. Expert(s) will not join you foryour full trip duration unless otherwise stated. Travel insurance is not included but required for most of our overseas trips, and should be taken out at time of booking. Images used may not reflect your actual tour experience. This holiday may be sold through otherselected brands. Tour is operated by and subject to the booking conditions of Tripsmiths Travel Limited.

Call now to book +442039932958
Quote ref: GARDENSRAVEN
Got any questions about this trip? Send us an enquiry

Itinerary

  1. Day
    1
    Arrival in Kent and Great Comp Garden
    Kent, United Kingdom

    Make your own way to The Spa Hotel, Royal Tunbridge Wells for your three-night stay. Meet your tour manager and coach, and transfer to Great Comp Garden for a guided tour. This seven-acre garden with many beautiful and rare shrubs, perennials and other hardy plants is a plantsman's haven. There are areas of formal and informal plantings linked with meandering grass paths and ruins homing in on an Italian Garden. After your visit, return to the hotel and check in. This evening, enjoy a welcome drink and introductory talk from the Tour Manager, followed by a group dinner at the hotel

    Meals - Dinner
  2. Day
    2
    Sissinghurst Castle and Great Dixter House
    Sissinghurst, United Kingdom

    After breakfast this morning, meet your coach and tour manager and transfer to Sissinghurst Castle. This famous garden was created by Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson from 1930 onwards and became the most admired English Garden of its time. Few great gardens live up to their reputations so effortlessly as this. Sissinghurst is a large connoisseurs' garden consisting of a series of small romantic areas enclosed by the surviving parts of an Elizabethan mansion. This afternoon, transfer to Great Dixter House and Gardens. First enjoy some lunch (not included), before your guided tour of the gardens. The distinguished garden writer Christopher Lloyd was the genius behind Great Dixter, with its timbered 15th century house. Restored by Edwin Lutyens who also planned the garden, Mr Lloyd has firmly put his lively stamp on it. After your visit, return to the hotel and have dinner at the hotel this evening.

    Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
  3. Day
    3
    Perch Hill
    Perch Hill, United Kingdom

    After breakfast this morning, meet your coach and tour manager and transfer to Perch Hill. Once a rather ramshackle ex-dairy farm with a lot of concrete, corrugated iron and not much else, the land has been converted to an organic 12 acres of new seed and plant varieties. The constant supply of favourite flowers comes from the large cutting garden where the central four beds are filled with hardy and half-hardy annuals and biennials. There are also two purely ornamental gardens at Perch Hill. Sarah Raven will give us a talk on her experiences at Perch Hill. We will then have a guided tour of the garden with the gardeners, who will point out plants and features of interest and answer any questions you may have. We will then sit down to a two-course lunch featuring fresh produce from the garden. This afternoon, transfer to a local vineyard, the Hidden Spring Vineyard for a tour and wine tasting paired with cheese. Later return to your hotel, and spend the evening and dinner at your leisure.

    Meals - Breakfast, Lunch
  4. Day
    4
    Hever Castle & Gardens
    Hever, United Kingdom

    After breakfast this morning, check out of the hotel. Meet your coach and tour manager and transfer to Hever Castle and Gardens for a guided tour of the beautiful gardens. Enjoy some lunch at leisure at the end of the tour, before a self-guided tour of the castle. After your visit, the coach will return to the hotel, where your tour comes to an end.

    Meals - Breakfast

Accommodation

Exterior view of The Spa Hotel in Royal Tunbridge Wells
A cozy hotel room featuring a bed, a chair, and a lamp, designed for relaxation at The Spa Hotel in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

The Spa Hotel, Royal Tunbridge Wells

4
Royal Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom

Set in 14 picturesque acres in the centre of Royal Tunbridge Wells, The Spa Hotel opened in 1880 and has built a reputation for style, sophistication and fine dining.

Brought to you by

Tripsmiths Travel Limited
This tour is operated solely by Tripsmiths Travel Limited
Tripsmiths Travel Limited is the UK's leading specialist in creating bespoke tours, cruises and rail journeys in the company of experts. Its exclusive trips combine unique experiences as well as access to inspirational people. All trips are ATOL-protected and financially bonded.

Tripsmiths Travel Limited’s supplier’s terms and conditions.

This tour is protected by the following:

Availability

From
Mon, Mon, Jun 21, 2027
To
Thu, Thu, Jun 24, 2027
Duration
4 Days
Price per person
£1,475*

* From price is per person, based on two people sharing a room, subject to availability. Price and itinerary correct at time of print but may be subject to change. Single supplement: £200. Deposit: 30%. All mandatory additional charges are included in the price, please enquire for details. In the case of unforeseen circumstances, expert(s) may be substituted, and any expert-led events may be subject to change. Expert(s) will not join you foryour full trip duration unless otherwise stated. Travel insurance is not included but required for most of our overseas trips, and should be taken out at time of booking. Images used may not reflect your actual tour experience. This holiday may be sold through otherselected brands. Tour is operated by and subject to the booking conditions of Tripsmiths Travel Limited.

Call now to book +442039932958
Quote ref: GARDENSRAVEN
Email us