You will be met at the airport and assisted immediately after immigration at baggage collection. Once you have your bag our driver will deliver you to our hotel where you will rest until our Welcome Dinner this evening.

Dan Panorama Hotel, Tel Aviv 4 Nights, Tel Aviv Room

The Dan Panorama Hotel offers easy access to everywhere you want to be. Across the street is the Mediterranean sea. A leisurely stroll along the waterfront promenade to the north will lead you to the Tel-Aviv Port. The Port is the city’s newest entrainment hub and has outstanding restaurants, shops and nightclubs. The promenade to the south will take you to Jaffa which is famous for its association with the biblical stories of Jonah, Solomon, and Saint Peter as well as the mythological story of Andromeda and Perseus. Its ancient port has been in use since the Bronze Age and you can still watch the fishermen going out to sea. Furnished with contemporary flair and highlighted by splendid views, the Dan Panorama Hotel features elegantly appointed guestrooms. Room has coffee/tea making tray, free wifi, hairdryer, toiletries, safe, balcony, mini bar.

https://www3.danhotels.com/TelAvivHotels/DanPanoramaTelAvivHotel

Welcome Dinner this evening……

After breakfast we head out to discover parts of Tel Aviv including Independence Trail, then on to Jaffa where the Neve Tzedek neighbourhood entrances us and then Lunch…and finally back to hotel where the rest of the day is yours to enjoy. 

Independence Trail https://www.independencetrail.co.il/ It was here in Tel Aviv – the first Hebrew-speaking city in modern times – that the State of Israel was born. 

Jaffa, a port city dream…. The smells of the sea flavored with black coffee and spices from the markets, Levantine culture combined with European, ancient mixed with new – this is Jaffa. One of the oldest port cities in the world whose history dates back to the great flood, today’s Jaffa is a vibrant city that never ceases to surprise and innovates. Picturesque alleys, art galleries, unique boutiques, ancient buildings, wonderful landmarks and an abundance of authentic middle-eastern restaurants – a trip to old Jaffa is a must-do multi-sensory stimulating experience for anyone visiting Israel. Prepare to fall in love. Jaffa streets are full of surprises. Stroll in the narrow stone-paved streets of old Jaffa, discover hidden courtyards and notice the small details – painted ceramic tiles, small sculptures and upper open terraces.

Tucked inside one of Tel Aviv’s oldest districts, lies an architectural gem with a young, beating heart. Established in 1887, Neve Tzedek, the first Jewish neighborhood outside of the old port city of Jaffa, has recently become a trendy stomping ground for artists of all modalities, who fit in perfectly with the district’s restored quaint Oriental architecture. 

Breakfast and Lunch included with Dinner on own

Visit the Carmel Market, the city’s largest most centrally located and hugely popular food market.

https://en.shuktlv.co.il/category/carmel-market

Nachlat Binyamin Craft Market is the first and biggest of its kind in Israel and one of the most beautiful markets of its kind in the world. Surrounded by beautiful historical buildings, some recently passed strict preservation processes and now can be seen in their original beautiful historical design. Full of unique hand made creations and designs, street  performances, live music and coffee shops –  all of that makes the Market a must during your stay in Tel-Aviv, It’s a great place to find original and special gifts, all made in Israel for the people you love and for yourself.

https://exploreisrael.com/israel-attractions/nachlat-binyamin-arts-crafts-fair

Caesarea National Park is one of, if not Israel’s, most impressive archaeological sites. The beautifully restored port city harbor was built by King Herod and is a work of engineering marvel. The restored Caesarea amphitheater hosts modern-day concerts now but was the scene of some horrific executions. http://www.touryourway.com/caesarea-amphitheatre.html

The Blackout Restaurant is unique and we are going to experience what it is like being blind. The entire meal is served in total darkness. Every table is assigned a waiter. The waiters are all visually impaired and all wear bells so that you can hear them coming. They are supposed to help you if you find you need any help. Patrons are led to their seats with each holding the shoulder of the person in front of them and the waiter leading – a sort of paraphrasing of the expression – the blind leading the blind. ‘In sum, for a unique and very moving experience, this restaurant is definitely a must. The food is rich and very enjoyable despite the dark. The darkness is also a great way to discover new things about yourself’ All proceeds go to furthering to support the visually impaired…so we will have fun with it, learn a bit about ourselves and leave knowing the time was well spent and helps others.

https://theculturetrip.com/middle-east/israel/articles/find-your-true-sense-of-taste-at-the-blackout-restaurant/

Breakfast and Dinner Included with Lunch on your own at the market

After Breakfast enjoy this day as you discover it…

This is your last night here so please make sure you check your safe and anything you have plugged in.

Breakfast included with Lunch and Dinner on your own

Ramat Hanadiv Is a living memorial to Baron Edmond de Rothschild. The Memorial Gardens beckon guests into a place of rare tranquility. Stroll the pathways here among exquisitely designed gardens and breathe their fragrance ….

https://www.ramat-hanadiv.org.il/en/content/generalpage/garden-tour

https://www.ramat-hanadiv.org.il/en/content/listpage/walk-gardens

https://www.ramat-hanadiv.org.il/en/content/generalpage/garden-history

Haifa’s fantastic location at the slopes of the impressive Mount Carmel (an attraction in itself) has earned the city the nickname “the San Francisco of Israel”. In July 2008, the Bahá’í Shrine and Gardens were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in recognition of their “outstanding universal value” as a holy place of pilgrimage for the followers of the Bahá’í Faith. The Bahá’í Shrine and Gardens are an inspired creation of beauty, grandeur, and exquisite design in a special and tranquil atmosphere like none other. A golden dome, marble walls, granite pillars and manicured gardens cascading down a slope of Mount Carmel make the Baha’i Shrine in Haifa a spectacularly colourful attraction. The shrine, built in 1953, contains the remains of Siyyid Al Muhammad (1819-50). Known as the Bab, he is revered as the prophet-herald of the Baha’i faith. The shrine’s nine sides represent the nine major religions of the world. Its dome is covered with 14,000 gold-coated bricks. The terraced gardens surrounding the shrine were designed by Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba and inspired by doctrines of the Baha’i faith. They are often called the Hanging Gardens of Haifa. There are 19 terraces, one for the Shrine of the Bab and the remainder representing the Bab’s first 18 disciples. The gardens are designed in nine concentric circles resembling waves extending out from the shrine. They include works of stone and metal as well as fountains, shrubbery and expansive lawns. The irrigation system is computer-controlled. The computer operates hundreds of valves to distribute water throughout the gardens by sprinkling and dripping, based on meteorologic data it receives. The irrigating is done at night and in the early morning, to avoid wasting water by  evaporation. http://www.ganbahai.org.il/en/

The Tishbi Winery opened in Shefeya, Israel in 1925 with the support of Baron Rothschild, and has since become extremely popular. In 2012, it was the 6th largest in Israel, and is still growing. It produces about one million bottles of kosher wine a year. This is where we will enjoy our lunch as well.

http://www.tishbi.com/en/the-tishbi-family-history/

Hotel Villa Galilee Hotel, 2 Nights, Superior Room

Located on Mount Canaan, Villa Galilee is just a few minutes’ drive from the historic city of Safed and Rosh Pinna. This beautiful boutique hotel offers peace and relaxation encircled by the sea of Galilee, Golan Heights, Mediterranean Sea and lots of forests, mountains, an ancient city, Druse villages and much more. Enjoy the special atmosphere and tranquility at this small and luxurious hotel.

https://www.villa-galilee.com/en/

Breakfast and Lunch Included and Dinner on your own

Safed, a rather small town located in Northern Israel, 900 meters (2952 feet) above sea level in the mountains of the Upper Galilee,  commands magnificent views east to the Golan, north to the Hermon and Lebanon, west to Mt. Meron and the Amud Valley, and south to Tiberias and the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). Safed is one of the four holy cities in Israel, together with Jerusalem, Hebron and Tiberias. The old part of town consists of narrow cobblestone alleys revealing artists’ galleries, medieval synagogues, private homes and small guest houses.

Tranquil Tabgha, on the north-western shore of the Sea of Galilee, is best known for Christ’s miraculous multiplication of loaves and fishes to feed a multitude. But it is also remembered for Jesus’ third appearance to his disciples after his Resurrection, when he tested and commissioned St Peter as leader of his Church. Two churches commemorate these events, and pilgrims find the place a serene location for meditation, prayer and study. Tabgha is at the foot of the Mount of Beatitudes, about 3km south-west of Capernaum. The modern Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes at Tabgha stands on the site of a 4th-century church, displaying Byzantine mosaic decorations that are among the most elegantly executed in the Holy Land. The whole floor depicts flora and fauna of the area in vibrant colours — peacocks, cranes, cormorants, herons, doves, geese, ducks, a flamingo and a swan, as well as snakes, lotus flowers and oleanders. But the best-known mosaic, on the floor near the altar, refers to the miracle the church commemorates. It shows a basket of loaves flanked by two Galilee mullet. Beneath the altar is the rock on which it is believed Jesus placed the loaves and fish when he blessed them.

The Mount of Beatitudes, believed to be the setting for Jesus’ most famous discourse, the Sermon on the Mount, is one of the most beautifully serene places in the Holy Land. Overlooking the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, it offers an enchanting vista of the northern part of the lake and across to the cliffs of the Golan Heights on the other side. The exact site of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:28) is unknown.

We will enjoy a Sabbath evening Dinner at our hotel.

Breakfast and Dinner Included with Lunch on your own

This is your last night here so please make sure you check your safe and anything you have plugged in.

Mediterranean-style lunch along the way to our hotel

Villa Ba’Moshava Hotel, Jerusalem 4 Nights Superior Room

Villa Ba’Moshave resides in the German Colony, a popular and well-established quarter founded in the early 20th century. The magnificent houses in the quarter have great cultural value and contribute to making it one of the most prestigious and well-kept neighborhoods in Jerusalem. The neighborhood’s main artery is the popular Emek Refaim street, which offers a variety of souvenir and handicraft shops, charming cafés and excellent restaurants. We highly recommend a stroll through the picturesque alleys by foot or bicycles, provided by the hotel. The architecture is impressive and simultaneously portrays both the ancient and the modern Jerusalem. Just a short walk from the hotel, at the fashionable Railway Complex on the site of the old train station, enjoy the many restaurants, shops, stalls and stands and of course live concerts taking place occasionally.
https://brownhotels.com/moshava 

Breakfast and Lunch Included with Dinner on your own

Judaism’s holiest place is the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. Part of the retaining wall erected by Herod the Great in 20 BC to support the vast plaza on which he rebuilt the Temple Mount, it is venerated as the sole remnant of the Temple. The wall and the plaza in front of it form a permanent place of worship, a site of pilgrimage for Jews and a focus of prayer — often petitions written down and placed between the huge stones. The Jewish name for the wall is the Kotel. In the exposed part of the Western Wall today, the seven lowest layers of stones are from Herod’s construction. Most of these stones weigh between two and eight tons. Men and married women who approach the wall are expected to have their heads covered. At the left end of the Western Wall is the entrance to a tunnel which allows visitors to walk along 500 meters of the extended wall, under buildings of the Old City. Sights include the biggest stone in the wall, estimated to weigh 570 tons.

The Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem uses quirky contemporary architecture to house and display ancient manuscripts — including the first Dead Sea Scrolls to be discovered. The building’s white-tiled dome is shaped like the lid of the first jar in which the scrolls were found at Qumran. In contrast, nearby stands a black basalt wall. The black-white imagery symbolizes the theme of one of the scrolls — The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness. The rest of the structure, two-thirds of it below ground level, recalls the caves in which the scrolls were found. The Shrine of the Book holds all seven of the scrolls found in what is called Cave 1 at Qumran, near the Dead Sea. https://www.seetheholyland.net/shrine-of-the-book/

Billy Rose Art Garden at the Israel Museum

The Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi designed the space to resemble a Zen garden but with zigzagging sloping sections that display a wide range of diverse, international masterpieces. The oldest sculptures in the garden are by the bronze master Auguste Rodin, dating back to the 1880s. His human forms offer a classical juxtaposition to the more modern 20th century works. Pablo Picasso’s surreal and massive sculpture Profile (1967) has an undeniable presence, resting on the same plane as Robert Indiana’s famous piece LOVE (1977). There are works here by Henry Moore, David Smith, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Mark Dion, James Turrell, Fernando Boleroand, Micha Ullman and more. The garden is named for its founder, the American entertainer Billy Rose (1899-1966), among whose best-known pieces is the song “Me and My Shadow”.

Back to hotel for the rest of the evening on your own. (Optional visit to the Tower of David Light & Sound Show for additional fee.)

Breakfast included with lunch and dinner on your own

Ein Gedi’s multiple-prize-winning Botanical Garden in Kibbutz Ein Gedi is the only botanical garden in the world that integrates the homes of residents of the surrounding community. The landscaped grounds of the Kibbutz were recognized officially in 1994 as an International Botanical Garden. It is the only international botanical garden to have a community residence in it, which is a tribute both to the gardening staff and to the population of Ein Gedi. In fact, the development of the Botanical Garden and Kibbutz Ein Gedi are inseparable. Over the years more than 900 species of plants from various regions of the world have been planted and have flourished here. This was brought about through the vision, persistence and hard work of the founders and sons of the Kibbutz.

There are several prominent varieties of flora found in Ein Gedi, including:

* Date and ornamental palm – the leading motif (approx. 40 species).
* A wide range of desert plants from throughout the world.
* Tropical flora from various rainforest regions, grown with no exceptional cultivation techniques.
* Local species, such as the Sodom Apple, Moringa and Tamarisk.
* Unusual trees from various tropical regions throughout the world (several of which in Israel, are only found in Ein Gedi).
* Species referred to in ancient Jewish texts (such as the Myrrh and the Frankincense) which were then associated with Ein Gedi.
* The Cactus Garden – A place to visit at the end of the tour through the Botanical Garden. It includes more than 1000 species and serves as a source for the several small cactus gardens throughout the Kibbutz.

https://www.deadsea.com/explore/outdoors-recreation/nature-hiking/ein-gedi-botanical-garden/

Masada offers a moving historic story, dramatic desert landscapes, views over mountains, desert and the Dead Sea and incredible archaeological remains. Once a palatial refuge for Herod the Great, this massive plateau on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert is better known as the location of a Roman siege against Jewish rebels in AD 74.

http://masadatours.com/mount-masada

https://new.goisrael.com/node/148

The Dead Sea is set in the lowest dry land on earth, so it has no outlet. It is so loaded with minerals that no fish can live in it. It is so dense that bathers can lie back on its surface and read a newspaper. The ancient Hebrews called this body of water the Sea of Salt. By 2013 the Dead Sea was 50km long, 15km across at its widest point, and 430 metres below sea level. Its area was constantly shrinking and the water level was dropping by more than a meter a year. Because it has no exit, water is lost only through evaporation, which leaves behind the minerals. The Dead Sea is nearly 10 times as salty as the open seas. The high concentration of minerals (predominantly magnesium chloride) provides the buoyancy that keeps bathers suspended — as well as a very bitter taste. (I know as I tasted it).

We will enjoy lunch at ‘Rosemary’ at the Crowne Plaza Dead Sea and if you wish you can enjoy the magnificent swimming pool of the hotel or the private beach adjacent to the hotel with direct access to sea. NOTE: if you are planning on floating in the Dead Sea, do not shave any part of your body.

Back to Hotel where the rest of the evening is yours to enjoy.

Breakfast and Lunch Included with Dinner on your own

The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens is a gem in the heart of Jerusalem.   It serves as an education, learning and research center, holds a diverse collection of plants from around the world which are displayed geographically and is a destination for tourism, recreation and cultural events. At around 30 acres, the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens is the largest in Israel. There are over 6,000 species and varieties of plants from around the world – Israel’s largest collection of live plants – displayed in 6 phyto-geographical sections – Southern Africa, Europe, North America, Australia, South-East and Central Asia and the Mediterranean. The sections simulate the landscapes of these areas and so there is always something blooming at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens.  Touring the sections of the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens (JBG) is like visiting different geographical areas of the world: while most botanical gardens are organized by botanical grouping, JBG is arranged according to the plants’ geographical origin. This division enables you to wander between the sections experiencing the changing landscape of the different areas.   https://www.botanic.co.il/en/

Then we will head to  Ein Kerem for a bit of leisure time to have lunch on our own.  The village of Ein Kerem (Karem), on the west side of Jerusalem,   is according to tradition the birthplace of John the Baptist.

And finally to the Abbell Synagogue at the Hadassah University Medical Center to visit .. a truly one of a kind display, those of the Chagall Windows done by Marc Chagall and described as jewels of translucent fire.  12 windows representing the 12 tribes of Israel, each 11 feet by 8 feet. 

http://www.hadassah-med.com/about/art-at-hadassah/chagall-windows/the-windows.aspx

http://www.hadassah-med.com/about/art-at-hadassah/chagall-windows/the-inspiration.aspx

http://www.hadassah-med.com/about/art-at-hadassah/chagall-windows/chagalls-biography.aspx

Back to our hotel until our Festive Farewell Dinner

Breakfast and dinner included with lunch on your own

There is an optional 3-day add-on to Eilat and Petra. If this interests you please let me know and I will get the details to you.

We can also arrange pre and post tour nights, so if required, please let me know.

Day of Arrival into London and make your way to the hotel. Check in Time is 3 PM

Hotel is the Copthorne Tara Hotel, 7 nights including breakfast.  Standard Room includes Free wifi, hairdryer, coffee and tea making facilities, in room safe.

https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/london/copthorne-tara-hotel-london-kensington/

Welcome Dinner this evening in the hotel restaurant includes Wine, Water and Tea or Coffee

Have you ever been inside Buckingham Palace? It is so worth the visit just to glimpse the artwork, sculpture and porcelain in person rather than seeing it on T.V. or in the news. Of course we will only get to see a very few of the 775 rooms that are the Palace, but you will not be disappointed. The gardens have been described as a unique ecosystem as so many different plants grow here and we will enjoy a guided visit of them. Described as ‘a walled oasis in the middle of London’, it contains hundreds of different types of wild flowers, trees and a three-acre lake. Your visit will start by touring the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace with a complimentary multimedia guide. After the State Rooms there is time for you to take in the panoramic view of the lawn from the Garden Café and to visit the Garden Shop. Your Garden Highlights Tour will start 2 hours and 15 minutes after your State Rooms entry time and will last 45 minutes.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/buckingham-palace-tour/index.html

Our visit to Chelsea Physic Garden is a visit back in time….

The Garden’s location feels special and secret. It is nestled behind walls and positioned close to the River Thames. The ideal Thames location is no accident as back in 1673 the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries chose their Chelsea village site for its proximity to the river to make the most of its warm air currents. It gave them a base to moor their barge, allowing them to conduct plant finding expeditions in surrounding areas and to teach their apprentices to identify plants, those that might cure and those that might kill! The site is also blessed with a south facing aspect and good quality warm light soil, having previously been the site of a market garden. The River access allowed plants arriving from around the world to be introduced to the British Isles via the Garden, allowing the Garden to make a big impact from early on. Its international reputation was established quickly as a result of the global seed exchange scheme, known as Index Seminum, which it initiated in the 1700s and continues to this day. The Garden’s unique microclimate and location has allowed many of our gardeners throughout our history to grow plants not frequently found outside in the UK, including the UK’s largest fruiting olive tree. In 1976 the head gardener collected a record crop of 7lb of ripe olives, which is a London crop record! Chelsea is no longer a village but the Garden’s location still feels special and has been a huge factor in its success to this day. There is a shop and café here.

Website https://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/

Breakfast included with lunch and dinner on own.

Often quoted as “England’s Most Romantic Country Garden” Sissinghurst Castle Gardens will be a treat to visit in August. The White Garden should be in full glory at this time to showcase what Vita Sackville-West and her husband, Harold Nicolson, created during their life here. Did you know that it was Harold who planted the white garden in the 1950’s? Although the plants may have changed since it was white glads, irises, dahlias and white Japanese anemones, it is still white and sweetly scented to enjoy as you stroll through.  Sissinghurst is a garden of rooms with each room showing itself shyly as you enter it. The Herb Garden will be a joy to visit as the enclosed walls will bring the intense fragrances out in full force in August. The roses on the walls will a delight to see and smell. Out in the vegetable garden, it should be full and ongoing harvest as this also goes to supply the restaurant. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden

Suggested Reading…

 “Sissinghurst: Vita Sackville-West and the Creation of a Garden” co author Sarah Raven who also lives on the grounds at Sissinghurst.

‘There’s much to love in this book. Read it for the history of a renowned garden, for the insights into the gardener who cared for it and for ideas and inspiration to bring to your own patch of earth.’

Even if you have seen this garden just once or 20 times like I have over the years, there is always something new to discover at Great Dixter.  “High on the list of garden pilgrimages is Great Dixter, the passion project of the late “imperial wizard” of English horticulture, Christopher Lloyd. The audacious gardener and celebrated writer’s Edwyn Lutyens-designed manor house, open to the public for nearly six decades, launches the first episode of NOWNESS’s weekly Great Gardens series, here captured by photographer and filmmaker Howard Sooley. “Christo was like Paddington Bear with teeth,”

Watch the short video on this garden and get inspired to see much, much more on our visit.

https://www.nowness.com/series/great-gardens/the-gardeners-garden-great-dixter

Breakfast included with lunch and dinner on own.

Fenton House is a historic house located in the leafy Hampstead area of North London. Now owned and managed by the National Trust, it’s regarded as one of the finest remaining examples of a 17th-century merchant’s house, offering visitors the chance to see how well-to-do-Londoners of this era lived. As well as the fine exteriors, Fenton House is also famed for its unrivalled collection of historical musical instruments, European, Oriental and English porcelain, and 17th Century needlework as well as its many fine portraits. The charming, split level walled garden has also been little altered since its planting. The formal garden is on the upper level near the perimeter terrace and has a sunken rose garden. Below the sunken roses there are more stairs down to the lower level which is where the orchard, glasshouse and kitchen garden are. This garden always had fruit trees incorporated into the design with over 30 varieties of apple trees alone, but it also uses herbs to create a border between vegetables that looks like a miniature version of the hedges in the formal garden above. It’s a clever idea…

An article on the collections inside the house here… https://blog.vastari.com/fenton-house–an-exquisite-collection/

And a wonderful blog about it too…http://www.mummygorgeous.com/blog/a-pretty-london-garden

This evening we will attend the preview of NAFAS…. This will be a very special ticketed preview evening from 8.00pm until 10.00pm. This will be an exclusive first glance at the amazing Floral Art & Design Show. https://floralartdesignshow.com/

Breakfast included with lunch and dinner on own.

This would be the day to book a show or the theatre because you are in control of your time. When we are on tour days it can be very hectic with traffic so please do not book any shows or theatre except on this day or tomorrow night.

Breakfast included with lunch and dinner on own

– More details to follow to those who have booked the tour

We will drop you off at the show and you can spend as long as you like here…when you are finished you can make your way back to our hotel.  It is a lovely 1.5 hr walk back to the hotel or you can take a taxi or the bus or tube. I love walking and often find the most wonderful photos on my walks, especially at this time of year. Stop for a drink, or a coffee or tea and enjoy the sights that London has to offer. https://floralartdesignshow.com/the-show/

For those who have booked the tour I will have more information to send as we get closer to tour date.

This would be the day to book a show or the theatre.

Breakfast included with lunch and dinner on own.

Kew is London’s largest UNESCO World Heritage site offering unique landscapes and iconic architecture from every stage of the Gardens’ history. Our collection of living plants is the largest and most diverse in the world, growing out in the Gardens and inside our glasshouses.

There’s an impressive 250 years (and counting) of history in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Nowadays the Gardens stand at a whopping 300 acres, but they started out a little more humbly in the back yard of what was once the royal palace – favoured most by George III. Given the exceptional upkeep and wide variety of fauna, you’re sure to be inspired. And if the plants aren’t doing the trick, try seeking out the sculptures, which feature Henry Moore’s ‘Reclining Mother and Child’ in a stunning setting that changes with the light of each season. In fact, the art alone could take up your entire visit – see the Eduardo Paolozzi sculpture ‘A Maximis Ad Minima’ and visit the Marianne North Gallery and the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art. Kew Palace was the summer home of King George III. Cafes and shops here. www.kew.org/kew-gardens

Traditional Afternoon Tea with finger sandwiches, miniature cakes/pastries, scones with jam & cream and a selection of teas or coffee. Opposite Palm House.

Breakfast and Afternoon Tea included and dinner on own.

After arrival into London please make your way to your hotel. Check in 3 pm and if you arrive earlier they will hold your luggage. Once in your room, unpack that bag and put it away…you won’t need to see it again for 8 nights.

The Copthorne Tara Hotel London Kensington is a contemporary hotel in prestigious Kensington, located just behind High Street Kensington Metro station. Renowned for its warm hospitality, the hotel offers well-appointed and comfortable guest rooms with an enviable central location in Kensington. The hotel is a short stroll away from Kensington Palace and Kensington Gardens including the Princess Diana Memorial Gardens, and also very close to the Science Museum and Natural History Museum. High Street Kensington’s ‘first class’ shops are only a stone throw away from the hotel. At the metro station you will find all kinds of places to eat as well as Marks & Spencer and Boots drugs.

Your standard room includes with one bed for Double and Single or twin beds for those sharing. WiFi is complimentary and so are coffee and tea making facilities. There is also a mini fridge, safe, hairdryer and trouser press.

https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/london/copthorne-tara-hotel-london-kensington/#home

We will meet later on this evening in the hotel restaurant for our Welcome Dinner which will be three courses including a glass of wine.

After breakfast we will leave by coach for our visit to this delightfully plant packed garden. Our guide will highlight the most important aspects as this is a huge property…

Wisley was founded by Victorian businessman and RHS member George Ferguson Wilson, who purchased a 60-acre site in 1878. He established the “Oakwood Experimental Garden” on part of the site, where he attempted to “make difficult plants grow successfully”. Wilson died in 1902 and Oakwood was purchased by Sir Thomas Hanbury, the creator of the celebrated garden La Mortola on the Italian Riviera. He gave both sites to the RHS the following year. Wisley is now a large and diverse garden covering 240 acres. In addition to numerous formal and informal decorative gardens, several glasshouses and an extensive arboretum, it includes small scale “model gardens” which are intended to show visitors what they can achieve in their own gardens, and a trials field where new cultivars are assessed.

We should be there at the perfect time for the Rhododendrons and Azaleas and you will have time after the guide leaves us to enjoy the garden on your own and have lunch on your own at their fabulous café with views to the gardens. Be sure to check out the new exotic garden. The garden will showcase a diverse range of plants, from palms and bananas to vibrant flowers such as dahlias, cannas and gazanias. Providing an alluring contrast from the nearby Bowes-Lyon Rose Garden and Cottage Garden, the oasis will feature more than 100 species originating from tropical areas as far as Brazil and South Africa in an array of bold shapes and textures.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley

https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/map interactive map

Return back to hotel with your evening at leisure.

Breakfast included with lunch and dinner on your own.

We will arrive at the gates just prior to them opening and once in you will be able to pick up your show guide and start enjoying this most prestigious flower show. I will share some of my tips on enjoying this show on our way back from RHS Wisley so you can arrive prepared.

After you have finished seeing all you want to see – it is open until 8 pm for those diehards – then you can make your own way back to the hotel. This way you are free to enjoy the show for as long as you like.

I would suggest that either tonight or tomorrow night would be the nights to book shows or theatre as the tour days are not advised. We just do not know about traffic and I would hate for you to miss an event that you had planned to go to.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/

Return back to hotel with your evening at leisure.

Breakfast included with lunch and dinner on your own.

In my tour notes to you, sent out about a month before the tour begins, I include lots of ideas on what to do with your day of leisure.

Breakfast included with lunch and dinner on your own

Scotney Castle is an English country house with formal gardens south-east of Lamberhurst in the valley of the River Bewl in Kent, England. It belongs to the National Trust. The gardens are a celebrated example of the Picturesque style. The central feature is the ruins of a 14^th century medieval, moated manor house, Scotney Old Castle, which is on an island on a small lake. The lake is surrounded by sloping, wooded gardens with fine collections of rhododendrons, azaleas and kalmia for spring colour. When I was there last the old castle had the most glorious white wisteria cascading over the walls.  It is picture perfect and the castle is open now so that you can go inside to see what it looks like, looking out. You can also see the secret chamber which used to harbour a Jesuit priest at the time that being a Catholic was illegal. He sought escape here from 1591 – 1598.  On the way down to the old castle take the time to smell and admire all the Rhododendrons and Azaleas. There is a café and shop here.

A short history http://www.britainexpress.com/counties/kent/castles/scotney.htm

Website https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/scotney-castle

Bateman’s Garden, East Sussex ‘For the Glory of the Garden, that it may not pass away!’ Rudyard Kipling.

‘A seventeenth century house with a twentieth century garden made by Rudyard Kipling, who lived here 1902-36. One might expect the design to recall his love of India. But it is an ‘Old English’ Arts and Crafts garden of the type one dreams of when sipping gin and tonic by the Irrawaddy River, to fend off malaria. The garden has a tunnel made of pear trees, yew hedges, stone paths, a rose garden, pond, wild garden and herb garden.’  It was his sanctuary…in the spring sunshine the garden and estate at Bateman’s are bursting with life and colour. Take time to explore the beautiful countryside that was the inspiration for Kipling… After Kipling’s death in 1936 Bateman’s passed to his wife Carrie. Following her death in 1939 the house and 330 acres of land were given to the National Trust as a memorial to her husband. There is a café and shop here.

Spring in the garden… https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/batemans/features/spring-in-the-garden-at-batemans

Website https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/batemans/features/the-glory-of-the-garden-at-batemans

Return back to hotel with your evening at leisure.

Breakfast included with lunch and dinner on your own.

Great Dixter is a house in Northiam, East Sussex, England. It was built in 1910–12 by architect Edwin Lutyens, who combined an existing mid-15th century house on the site with a similar structure brought from Benenden, Kent, together with his own additions. It is a Grade I listed building. (In simple terms, if a building is Grade 1 listed it is deemed to be of exceptional interest and may also have been judged to be of significant national importance. Grade 1 listing is usually reserved for much older and historically-important buildings) The garden, widely known for its continuous tradition of sophisticated plantsmanship, is Grade I listed in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. Great Dixter was the family home of gardener and gardening writer Christopher Lloyd – it was the focus of his energy and enthusiasm and fuelled over 40 years of books and articles. Now under the stewardship of Fergus Garrett and the Great Dixter Charitable Trust, Great Dixter is an historic house, a garden, a center of education, and a place of pilgrimage for horticulturists from across the world. As you enter the grounds you are struck at the sight of the house, so perfect in every quirky way and the planting is perfectly suited to the timbered façade. As you walk through the various gardens you are in fact walking around the house as well.  Perfectly placed plants surrounding home, barns and oast houses. There is a café and shop here.

Interactive map of gardens https://www.greatdixter.co.uk/plan-your-visit/map/

Website https://www.greatdixter.co.uk/garden/garden-tour/

Every gardener I think has heard of Vita Sackville-West and now you are in for another exceptional garden as we visit the home of Vita and her husband Harold Nicolson. They lived at Sissinghurst until 1962, the year she passed away and then in 1967 Harold gave Sissinghurst to the National Trust. She was a prolific writer, poet and most of all gardener. Their history as a couple is really quite amazing and many books have been written on it. The tower is where she wrote novels, plays, poetry and gardening books and is still left as though she was just out for a moment checking something in the garden. There is a café and shop here.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/9346537/Vita-Sackville-West-her-gardening-legacy.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/11166590/the-many-sides-of-vita-sackville-west.html

https://www.greatbritishgardens.co.uk/garden-designers/31-vita-sackville-west-1892-1962.html

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden

Return back to hotel with your evening at leisure.

Breakfast included with lunch and dinner on your own.

After a hearty breakfast, we are off to the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Kew Gardens is a world heritage site and a place of global significance. Kew contains the most diverse collection of living plants of any botanic garden in the world. The collection contains plants from tropical, temperate, arid and alpine climates, and are grown out in the Gardens and in controlled conditions within glasshouses and nurseries. A must visit is the Palm House…and the Marianne North Gallery for the most remarkable collection of botanical paintings you will ever see…833 paintings from her travels around the world. There are cafes and shops here. To help get you around, we are including the Kew Explorer train ticket which is hop on hop off throughout the garden.

Map of garden – takes a while to download

https://www.kew.org/sites/default/files/kew_map_nov2017.pdf

Map of the Kew Explorer Train route

https://www.kew.org/sites/default/files/Kew%20Explorer%20Route-and-Stops-February-2018.jpg

https://www.kew.org/

Return back to hotel with your evening at leisure.

Breakfast included with lunch and dinner on your own.

Now you have seen some extraordinary gardens on this tour and it only seems fitting that the last garden we visit should be West Green House Gardens…it is also extraordinary!! In a beautiful corner of North Hampshire, visit a garden of contrast and inspiration, created by acclaimed garden designer Marylyn Abbott. It is a garden with a special and distinctive sense of place created over two decades by Marylyn Abbott a renowned Australian garden designer whose twin passions for English Gardens and International Opera have created a unique environment. West Green House Gardens combines neo-classical style with contemporary design. A grand water staircase provides a focal point to the Nymphaeum Fountain designed by architect Quinlan Terry. The magnificent Walled Garden, faithfully restored to its original lines, is entered through an arbor of wisteria. An alley of apple trees divides an elaborate potager with its berry-filled fruit cages, annual flowers and colourful vegetables from its signature perennial borders exuberantly planted in subtle hues of mauve, plum and blue. There is a lot more to discover here. There is a lovely gift shop here as well.

To finish off our tour we will also enjoy a wonderful Afternoon Tea in the original Orangery, built in the 1770’s. This is a delightful and enchanting setting, filled to the rafters with plants and garden accessories. The perfect spot to chat and say Farewell….

Map of the Garden http://westgreenhouse.co.uk/garden/

Website http://westgreenhouse.co.uk/

Return back to hotel with your evening at leisure.

The city of Brussels was officially founded in 979 by Charles, Duke of Low Lotharingia, who set down Brussels’ first city charter. Since then Brussels has seen many rulers, renaissances and revolutions. Brussels is also becoming known as a mecca of style, art, and design. While attracting more and more big names in international fashion to its growing shopping districts, home-grown Belgian designers are rapidly gaining global notoriety. The streets of Brussels feature art and architecture created from an unmistakably Belgian point of view that cannot be replicated. This beautiful city is a center for fashion, art, and Belgian culture.

Upon arrival at the airport, make your way to the Thon Hotel Brussels City Centre. Centrally located in the heart of downtown 12 km from airport, just steps from the city’s main shopping street and a 10 minute walk to the Grand Place. Classic rooms for either twin or double sharing or double bed or single use. Check in from 12 Noon. Free WIFI, coffee/tea, hairdryer, private safe, comp. water.

https://www.thonhotels.com/brusselscitycentre

We will enjoy our Welcome to Belgium 3 Course Dinner this evening in the hotel restaurant including tea and coffee.

After breakfast our coach will take us to the show… Bilzen is approximately 1 hour away from Brussels.

Fleuramour will take place in the beautiful Alden Biesen Commandery in Bilzen. This magnificent castle with its huge terrain, an English park of 43 hectares with its sleek symmetrical flowerbeds in a French style, is a real attraction. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to admire the beautiful courtyard and interior of the castle and the church, bedecked in a sea of flowers. Combine this with a unique floral event and you’ll find yourself in a veritable fairy-tale. A wonderful day out for us to enjoy this spectacular floral delight. During Fleuramour, the largest international floral event, the Alden Biesen Commandery will be filled to the brim with a floral marvel. Following months of preparation, over 100 floral designers from home and abroad will dress over 35 rooms inside the castle with tens of thousands of flowers. To give you some idea of countries participating in the 2017 show – Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Austria, China, Germany, Spain, India, Japan, Poland, Romania, Russia and the United States. Every floral designer will be amazed at the variety and scope of the designs presented by some of the world’s best and lovers of flowers will delight in this sensory overload. We will be there from 10 am until 6 p.m. and there are venues that provide food.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xDkt9dhOBw video of the 2016 show and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tUNvpTuxqQ 2015 show

After our day here we will make our way back to our hotel by coach.

did you know?… In Belgium, beer is more than just a frothy beverage – it is a culture. With over 650 different varieties, many Belgian beers have personalized beer glasses in which only that beer may be served. The shape of each glass enhances the flavor of the beer for which it is designed. This tradition may seem like behavior reserved for wine snobbery, but Belgians take their beer seriously – and with good reason. The country has enjoyed an unparalleled reputation for specialty beers since the Middle Ages. I tried to bring a few bottles back last tour as gifts but where do you start? The choices are mind boggling, but do watch the cherry beer as I discovered it had a really high alcohol content. I hear beer with chocolate really relaxes you!

Who knew we would all be so lucky to be seeing all of this today! I hope you had plenty of cards for all your photos…

Breakfast included, Lunch and Dinner on own.

After a hearty breakfast we set off on foot for our incredible walking tour to include the Groete Markt. The Grand Place or Grote Markt is one of the most beautiful squares in Europe with architecture from 3 different eras (Baroque, Gothic and Louis XIV) making their marks on the square giving it an eclectic flavour. This eclectic quality earned the Grand Place a listing as one of the Sites of World Heritage by UNESCO in 1998. Historically, the Bruxelles Grand Place was essentially a market place where traders and citizens sold and bought food. Therefore you will notice that all the streets surrounding the square are named after foods like chicken (poulet), herbs (herbes), cheese (fromage) and so forth. Nowadays you will see grand old buildings standing in the place of market shelters. The Maison du Roi, in French means King’s House but the lesser used name of Broodhuis in Dutch, means Bread House. Most of the buildings were rebuilt or restored after the bombardment of Brussels by France in 1695. Overlooking you is the glowing Gothic tower of the Town Hall (Hotel de Ville) which one may mistake for a church or a castle. It acts as a great landmark because you can see the tower from most corners of the city. Just a short stroll away is what you are all aching to see, Mannekin Pis who has no less than 700 costumes to his name.

From here we visit the Petit Sablon Square. Originally a horse market, in 1890 it was converted into an elegant & charming flower garden with lavish fountains, surrounded by wrought-iron fences decorated with stone statuettes. Each figure represents a medieval trade or craft that brought prosperity to Brussels.

And the Art Nouveau area with some free time in the afternoon for shopping or sightseeing on your own.

did you know?… Belgian beer can be enjoyed at all times of the day or night, with lunch, apéro or dinner. There are 650 varieties of Belgian beer but you’ll normally only find the most popular types on a beer menu unless you go to Delirium, where all 650 are served plus about 2000 others.

Breakfast Included, Lunch and Dinner on own

Today we visit the beautiful Botanic Garden Meise, one of the largest botanic gardens in the world, for our Guided Tour. The greenhouse and outdoor collections together hold nearly 25000 accessions of living plants (about 17400 taxa and 3170 genera) which is about 6% of all known plant species of the world. Half of them can be seen in our greenhouses (Plant Palace), the other half, comprising cultivated and indigenous plants, grow outdoors. In the Plant Palace, you can experience plants from around the world no matter what the weather is, from carnivorous plants to succulents in the thirteen interconnecting glasshouses. There is a garden shop and The Tavern of the Orangery is open daily.

did you know?…The Orangery was built around 1818 to over-winter tender plants, like orange trees. Since 1959 it is used as a restaurant for the visitors of the Botanic Garden.

http://www.jardinbotanique.be/PUBLIC/GENERAL/tosee.php

The Museum David and Alice van Buuren is a private house built from 1924 to 1928 for banker and art collector David van Buuren and his wife Alice in Brussels, Belgium. The house was decorated by David and Alice as a total work of art to present their art collection in a rich Art Deco interior. The house is surrounded by gardens designed by Jules Buyssens in 1925 and René Pechère in 1968 and 1970. The house was declared a National Heritage site in 2001.

The gardens are an extension of the house in which they seem to penetrate. They are divided in three parts: the first one is “Picturesque Garden” designed by the landscape architect Jules Buyssens in 1924 that recalls the spirit of the “roaring twenties” and represents the geometrical ideas of the Art Deco. The second one, the “Labyrinth”, is inspired by the Song of Salomon and decorated with seven sculptures by the Belgian sculptor André Willequet in 1968. The third one, “Garden of the Hearts” was designed by Belgian landscape designer René Pechère in 1970 and brings a touch of romanticism to the park. There is a great harmony of style and time between the J Buyssens’s garden and the Art Deco house. 45 years later, Alice considered René Pechère’s gardens as a complement of her villa.

http://www.museumvanbuuren.be/en/maison.php

did you know?… During its heyday, Art Deco represented luxury, glamour, exuberance and faith in social and technological progress. Brussels is the capital of Art Nouveau and magnificent structures throughout the capital city are recognized as “world heritage” by UNESCO. The brilliant creative works of Victor Horta, Paul Hankar, as well as those of other architects, bring pleasure to thousands of visitors who enter the private world of these opulent houses every year. At the turn of the 19th century Brussels went through a period of unrivaled effervescence. The middle classes, merchants and artists opted to have their houses built in the style in vogue: Art Nouveau, marking the beginning of modern architecture and design. The Austrian architect Josef Hoffman and painter Gustav Klimt, the French architect Hector Guimard all joined the Belgian architects Victor Horta en Paul Hankar, Henry van de Velde, the furniture designer Serrurier-Bovy and the jeweler Philippe Wolfers to get their inspiration or produce themselves for the first time in a more liberal city.

Breakfast Included, Lunch and Dinner on own

Our visits today include meeting our local guide for a walking tour of Antwerp. After our tour we will visit a very special house.

Many renowned painters worked in Antwerp during the city’s heyday but Peter Paul Rubens is undoubtedly the most famous of them. Rubens House stands as one of the most renowned artist residences in the world. Together with his first wife Isabella Brant, Rubens bought a house with land in 1610 on the Wapper in Antwerp. Based on his own design, he had the house renovated and expanded. It became a home in the old Flemish style along with a lavish Southern Baroque studio. The two sections were elegantly joined by way of a grandiose portico. Together they formed a genuine palazzo on the Scheldt. Almost all of the works Rubens and his pupils created in the Rubens House (Rubenshuis) have been dispersed over major museums across the whole world, but there is still an impressive collection well worth the visit. Besides paintings from the maestro himself you will find other works of art and furniture from the seventeenth century as well as paintings from his pupils including works by Jacob Jordaens and Anthony Van Dyck.

For the reconstruction of the 17th-century renaissance garden, reference was made to visual sources such as Rubens’ painting, ‘Wandeling in de tuin’ (Strolling in the garden) (Alte Pinakothek, Munich), horticultural data and botanical works. The pride of the garden was undoubtedly the pavilion, which has remained practically intact. Rubens certainly knew the fountain, as well as the divisions into sections, the little wooden gates and the leafy pathway. It is also certain that newly discovered plants were present in the garden, such as the sunflower, tulips, the fritillary and potato plants, which were imported as decorative plants from the New World. Orange, fig and other fruit trees were also to be found here. Listed in the ‘Gardener’s Garden’ Book of Outstanding Gardens of the World.

http://www.rubenshuis.be/Museum_Rubenshuis_EN  and http://www.rubenshuis.be/en/content/house-and-garden

We will finish off our day with a visit to a chocolate shoppe where we will enjoy a nice hot chocolate and have time to shop for those special people back home.

‘There’s more to life than chocolate, but not right now’

did you know?…  Dame Blanche is the Classic dessert, often called Hot Fudge Sundae in English, and is made with premium vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate fudge sauce and cherries….oh yes!

Back to our hotel – wow Rubens and Chocolate! What a day…

Breakfast Included, Lunch and Dinner on own

I have been to this garden twice and just know you will love it…it is so uniquely different. Les Jardins d’Annevoie is just so special. Designed and laid out between 1758 and 1776 by Charles-Alexis de Montpellier, the chateau and gardens are an authentic historical record and, a living work of art. Graceful fountains and waterfalls fill the garden and the arbors with music. Above all, the Gardens of Annevoie reflect the history of the de Montpellier family, whose roots go back to the middle of the fifteenth century. Only at the beginning of the seventeenth century did Jean de Montpellier inherit the Annevoie estate, formerly owned by the de Halloy family. In those days, the de Montpellier’s were famous forge-masters. Jean de Montpellier’s son, Charles-Alexis, who was Mayor of the Court of Iron-merchants, made the means to lay out his Gardens and to extend the castle from this thriving industry (the work started in about 1758).

To this end, he found inspiration in his many travels through Europe. Thus the gardens’ concept is based on three philosophies: The French style or “art corrects nature”: The Italian style or “art adapts to nature”: and The English style or “art imitates nature”. These Gardens, where the splendour and majesty of the French style mix harmoniously with English romanticism and Italian refinement, have been designed to unveil their treasures only little by little, gradually as the walk goes along, and to lead you from one surprise to another, along with the extraordinary diversity in contrasts. Come and discover these magnificent, seventeenth century water gardens. Over twenty ornamental lakes and ponds fed by some fifty water jets, fountains and cascades go to make up water gardens which are unique of their type. Four springs act as feeders, while the Rouillon, the river that runs across the site, takes care of water collection and distribution. Charles Alexis had the sheer genius to locate the main reservoir, a 400 meter long canal at the highest point as well as installing a spring. Everything works entirely naturally; the water has been flowing non-stop for over 250 years.

http://www.annevoie.be/?page=jardins/visit&lang=en

From this wonderful visit, we journey to another unique and peaceful place, Maredsous Abbey where we might meet some Benedictine Monks who make this place their home. The abbey itself is an impressive structure, built in the neo-gothic style, and towering over the Molignée valley. Its buildings emanate a strong sense of spirituality, a calm which is quietly infectious. Here you can relax and enjoy the beautiful Abbey gardens, soak up their tranquil atmosphere, and admire the natural splendour of the abbey’s setting. Maredsous Abbey was founded in 1872 and was one of the first Belgian abbeys to re-establish its links with the country’s rich monastic past, after the destruction of the French Revolution (1789-1799). Today, thirty-two monks live, pray and work in this pastoral location. They follow the Rule of St. Benedict – ‘ora et labora’ (pray and work) – a tradition that goes back to the year 529AD.

We will enjoy a 3 course lunch here along with one of their famous Maredsous beers. Also equally famous are their cheeses and there is also a bakery here allowing you a really nice snack option for later on in the day if you want just a light dinner. The light Maredsous Blonde was the abbey’s first beer and the monks still drink it daily at lunch. The brown beer ‘Brune’ was originally only brewed for Christmas. The Maredsous Triple is served in the abbey on special occasions.

http://www.maredsous.be/

We end our day with a Guided Visit to another gem, that of the Chateau de Freÿr. Named after the Scandinavian goddess of beauty, the castle of Freÿr with its gardens in the style of Le Nôtre is located on the left bank of the Meuse, between Waulsort and Dinant (province of Namur, Belgium). They form one of the most magnificent natural sites in Belgium. It has also been classified as one of Wallonia’s major heritage sites. Dating back to the Middle Ages, Freÿr was a keep given in fief by the Count of Namur to Jean de Rochefort Orjol in 1378. His granddaughter Marie married Jacques de Beaufort in 1410. Their descendants have kept the estate until the present.

Designed in the style of André Le Nôtre in 1760 by Canon Guillaume de Beaufort-Spontin and enlarged by his brother Philippe in 1770, the gardens are set on walled terraces on the left bank of the Meuse. They offer views towards the woods to the north and towards the Meuse to the east, and their peace and serenity contrast with the naked rockface on the far bank. Ponds and fountains babble on the lower level where orange trees spread their delicate perfume. The trees came to Freÿr in the first part of the 18th century from Lunéville, the residence of the Duke of Lorraine. They are the oldest trees in cases in Europe. The wooden cases are still built according to the original design. The upper level is covered by hedge mazes (6 km) that unveil their mysteries one by one: a set of patterns inspired by card game figures, a theme also present in the terra cotta statues made by Cyfflé. At the very top of the gardens, the Rococo pavilion commands the view on the Meuse and seduces by its delicate stucco decoration, based on the theme of fertility with cornucopia and Tritons. The right bank of the Meuse is dominated by cliffs (more than 100 meters high, 340 million years old), from which one has an exceptional view of the estate.

For those of you that watched the series ‘Recreating Eden’ you would have seen an episode on this garden. What makes it really special are the orange trees, some as old as 350 years.

Back to our hotel – what a fantastic day we have had! Pack up tonight please.

Breakfast and Lunch Included, Dinner on own

After breakfast, we set off for Bruges and once there meet our local guide for a walking tour of this most magical city. After our tour, we visit the Groeninge Museum. A splendid and very valuable collection of Flemish masters is the pride of this museum. First of all, there are two works by Jan Van Eyck, the first and most important ‘Flemish Primitive’. The museum’s masterpiece is ‘The Madonna with Canon Joris van der Paele’, which Van Eyck painted in 1436. The rich detail of the clothes of the people in this painting make it one of the true treasures of early Flemish medieval painting. A second work by Van Eyck is the portrait of his wife ‘Margareta Van Eyck’

Hotel: 4 Star Hotel de’Medici, Bruges for 2 nights

Hotel de’ Medici is located on one of the most romantic canals of Bruges, only few minutes walking distance from the main Market Square in the centre. All are equipped with en-suite bathroom, tea and coffee making facilities, individually controlled air – conditioning and heating, radio and HD Flatscreen TV, in – room safe, minibar, hairdryer, telephone and Free WIFI.

http://www.hoteldemedici.com/

I cannot think of a nicer city to enjoy a day of leisure in than Bruges. If you set out to design a fairy-tale medieval town, it would be hard to improve on central Bruges. Picturesque cobbled lanes and dreamy canals link photogenic market squares lined with soaring towers, historic churches and old whitewashed almshouses. And there’s plenty of it. And in the evening enjoy the many sights that are lit up. With over 50 chocolate shops, the choice will be hard but they say that the Chocolate Line is the brightest and best – including such flavours as wasabi and black olive and tomato and basil, and don’t forget you can buy pots of chocolate body paint here too – just in case you need some… The whole city emanates an appreciation of the past, a love of the present, and enthusiasm for the future. Enjoy your day!

Our Farewell Dinner will be held this evening at a very special restaurant, Patrick Devos, and will include 3 courses with aperitif and wine. The Restaurant Patrick Devos is housed in a historic building in the heart of Bruges. According to earliest sources available, dating from around the year 1300, the house was a refuge of the Ghent-based Saint Peter’s Abbey. Behind the beautiful late-Gothic facades one discovers authentic Art Nouveau and Art Deco salons from 1900-1935, something which is unique for Bruges. The Art Deco dining room was completely designed by the renowned Ateliers d’Art de Courtrai De Coene Frères. Adjacent to it is a breathtaking Louis XVI salon. Behind the house, the intimate winter garden can be found dating from the early 1900’s and laid out in an Arts and Crafts style. These treasures of the interior arts form the setting for your gastronomic experience in Bruges.

http://www.patrickdevos.be/En/index.asp

This morning after breakfast we will have some more free time before we leave for lunch at again, a very unique place, the Friet Museum.

If you have some time for shopping….pick up some Speculoos: Initially baked for Saint Nicholas’ Eve, December 6, but are now available all year long. These slightly browned short crust cookies are very crunchy and oh so delicious and would make lovely gifts for those back home. On the front side are usually stamped images or figures of the life of Saint Nicholas.

Frietmuseum (Fries Museum) Everything you have wanted to know about fries and more!

Belgian fries are different from the French fries, they are thicker and are baked twice. They are eaten with meals or as a snack and they are served with a large selection of sauce like mayonnaise, tartar sauce, Russian dressing, or béarnaise sauce. Belgians consume an average of 165lbs of fried potatoes per person each year, a third more than Americans.

It is claimed that fries originated in Belgium and that the ongoing dispute between the French and Belgians about where they were invented is highly contentious, with both countries claiming ownership. This didactical museum sketches the history of the potato, Belgian fries and the various sauces and dressings that accompany this most delicious and most famous of Belgian comestibles. The museum is housed in Saaihalle, one of Bruges’ most attractive buildings. You will enjoy them the traditional way, with an assortment of snacks and sauces and a drink.

http://www.frietmuseum.be/en/

Then we make our way to Brussels with a stop at a private garden along the way. Bijsterveld Gardens owned by Birgit Rouseré.

And finally we are at our hotel at the airport, the Thon Hotel Brussels Airport to repack, rest and get ready for our flights home tomorrow. The hotel offers free WIFI and free shuttle to the airport. https://www.thonhotels.com/brusselsairport

Breakfast and Lunch Included, Dinner on own.

After breakfast you make your way home or stay on a bit longer perhaps…

Hotel is the Copthorne Tara Hotel, 4 nights including breakfast, porterage of one bag in and out each person. Standard Room.

https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/london/copthorne-tara-hotel-london-kensington/

Kew is London’s largest UNESCO World Heritage site offering unique landscapes, vistas and iconic architecture from every stage of the Gardens’ history. Their collection of living plants is the largest and most diverse in the world, growing out in the landscape and within the glasshouses and nurseries. Their iconic glasshouses, historic buildings, formal gardens, arboretum, water features and art galleries provide a unique setting where you can explore scientifically important plant collections, botanical art exhibitions and the 250 year history of the Gardens in which they are housed.

A refuge from the city… Petersham Nurseries in Richmond is a place of calm where you can reconnect with nature, restoring a sense of balance and space…a destination that encourages you to step back and embrace a lifestyle of positive living. Annuals, Perennials, Garden accessories and more…

http://www.kew.org/

https://petershamnurseries.com/

Historic, poetic, iconic; a refuge dedicated to beauty. Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson fell in love with Sissinghurst Castle and created a world renowned garden. It started out many centuries ago as something you would not think and has become one of the most iconic gardens in England.

Great Dixter was the family home of gardener and gardening writer Christopher Lloyd – it was the focus of his energy and enthusiasm and fueled over 40 years of books and articles. Now under the stewardship of Fergus Garrett and the Great Dixter Charitable Trust, Great Dixter is an historic house, a garden, a centre of education, and a place of pilgrimage for horticulturists from across the world.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden

https://www.greatdixter.co.uk/

Gorgeous gardens, fabulous florals & fantastic shopping in an unforgettable setting. Today you will be dropped off at the show and taken back to the hotel at an appointed time. In between, there is the show and of course your show booklet filled with all you need to know.

https://floratube.wordpress.com/2017/07/19/hampton-court-palace-flower-show-2017-eps-1-2-3/ this is the 2017 show but it shows you what excitement is in store for you!

‘Beautiful’ ‘Peaceful’ ‘Splendid’ ‘Spectacular’ ‘Stunning’ are just some of the words used to describe this little bit of paradise… you will soon see why they say that for yourself… after the tour, you will also enjoy lunch here… https://www.thebressinghamgardens.com/the-gardens/

Our next visit will be an escorted tour of John’s Garden at Ashwood Nurseries. This wonderful three acre private garden, created by nursery owner John Massey VMH, includes informal borders, island beds and woodland dells. Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, it is planted with an abundance of rare plants as well as many familiar favourites. https://www.ashwoodnurseries.com/visit-us/johns-garden/

We then travel to our hotel, Best Western Tillington Hall Hotel in Stafford for two nights including breakfast, porterage of one bag in and out each person. Standard Room. Dinner in hotel this evening.  http://www.tillingtonhall.co.uk/

Biddulph Grange is one of the most exciting survivals of the great age of Victorian gardening. The international scope of the garden has been compared to the Great Exhibition of 1851 and design features from the exhibition can be found in the garden’s sculptures. Filled with exotic plants.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/biddulph-grange-garden/features/biddulph-grange-is-the-garden-of-gardens

The Dorothy Clive Garden was created in the 1940s by Colonel Harry Clive for the enjoyment and pleasure of his wife Dorothy. Originally a disused gravel quarry, the garden was transformed by Clive into a woodland garden for Dorothy who was suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Colonel Clive’s ambition was to create a beautiful and fascinating garden where his ailing wife Dorothy could enjoy her daily walks. Indeed he succeeded….

https://www.shropshiretourism.co.uk/garden-parks-and-nurseries/dorothy-clive-garden.html

Back to Hotel and Dinner this evening in hotel.

Lawrence Johnston created the garden at Hidcote and was passionate about plants. He went to endless trouble and expense travelling to faraway places and exchanging plants to find unusual varieties that would bring colour, scent, shape and texture to the garden. The garden is divided into a series of ‘outdoor rooms’, each with its own character just waiting for you to explore. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hidcote

Arrive at Arundel House Hotel in Cambridge for next two nights including breakfast, porterage of one bag in and out each person.  Standard Room. This hotel is just a short walk to the city center.  http://arundelhousehotels.co.uk/

The gardens were established in 1973 by Alan Gray and Graham Robeson, who have created a 32-acre design which incorporates exuberant and innovative planting alongside a more traditional formal design. On an unpromising site, close to the North Sea and surrounded by arable prairie, the gardens are protected from harsh onshore wind by a shelter belt of Monterey Pine trees which created a unique micro-climate. Exotic and unusual plants from around the world flourish alongside more hardy species. Notable are the tree ferns, succulents and palms which surround the house.  Farewell lunch to follow – and afterwards more time to explore what you missed on the tour…for it is guaranteed that you will want to see it all.

http://www.e-ruston-oldvicaragegardens.co.uk/pages/view/564/home.htm

http://www.e-ruston-oldvicaragegardens.co.uk/pages/view/588/new-brochure.htm

http://www.jackwallington.com/alan-in-wonderland-east-ruston-old-vicarage/

Then back to your hotel.

Beth Chatto OBE is an award-winning plantswoman. Her work here at the Gardens began in 1960. She took an overgrown wasteland of brambles, parched gravel and boggy ditches, transforming it using plants adapted by nature to thrive in different conditions. An inspirational, informal garden has developed. Beth continues to oversee the development of the Gardens, and works closely with her team which include Garden and Nursery Director, David Ward, and Head Gardener Åsa Gregers-Warg. The Gardens remain a family-run business, managed by Beth’s granddaughter, Julia Boulton.

http://www.bethchatto.co.uk/

http://www.bethchatto.co.uk/gardens/about.htm

http://www.bethchatto.co.uk/gardens/andrew-chatto-s-archive.htm

You then make your way to the Sheraton Heathrow Hotel for your last night on tour… http://www.sheratonheathrowhotel.com/

The rest of the day is at your leisure to get acclimated and refreshed.

New World Beijing Hotel  (Superior Room) 3 Nights.

In the heart of the capital, New World Beijing Hotel is centrally located in one of Beijing’s fastest growing commercial districts, situated close to the cultural attractions of the Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.

Wonderfully soft beds and comfortable furnishings make every stay a pleasure, and all rooms have a marble bathroom, large writing desk, media control panel and complimentary Internet access. Warm colours and textured fabrics create a sophisticated ambience, Chinese ink-brush artwork adds a stylish touch, and views of Wangfujing connect you to the city. Indoor swimming pool and fitness center.

https://beijing.newworldhotels.com/en/rooms-suites/guest-room/

Tian Anmen Square – the largest public square in the world at 440,000 sq. meters. The Tian Anmen Gate is a national symbol. To the west is the Great Hall of the People, China’s congress building, and to the east is the Museum of the Chinese Revolution and Museum of Chinese History. The Monument to the People’s Heroes stands in the center of the square – the 36 meter obelisk, made of Qingdao granite. The Chairman Mao Memorial Hall sits on the southern part of the Square.

We walk through Tiananmen Square to the Forbidden City … known as the Gate of Heavenly Peace. Tian Anmen Square is the largest public square in the world and is located in the exact center of Beijing. The Tian Anmen Gate is a national symbol, standing at the north side of the square.

The Forbidden City – also known as the National Palace Museum. Construction of this palace began in 1406, the fourth year of the reign of Ming Emperor Yongle, and it was completed 14 years later. In the centuries that followed, twenty-four emperors have ascended the throne in this grand monument to Chinese imperial rule. The last emperor, Pu Yi, was driven from the palace in 1924. Subsequently, the entire Forbidden City was converted into a museum and opened to the public. Originally constructed by tens of thousands of laborers, it covers 250 acres. It is said that it could take you 2 1/2 days just to visit all of the 9,999 rooms of this city within a city. The golden throne set between two golden pillars both decorated with dragons was the symbol of feudal and imperial power. There are 12 large palace courtyards in this imperial city. There are also three major gardens – Longevity Garden, Kindness and Tranquility Garden, and the Imperial Garden. They were the playgrounds of the imperial family.

Qianlong Garden – The Qianlong Garden in the Forbidden City was designed as a private, two-acre garden retreat with four courtyards, elaborate rockeries, pavilions and structures for the last emperor of China and when he fled in 1924, the doors closed on one of its greatest treasures. It is a special visit because it’s the only still existing 18th-century interior garden that remains preserved as it originally was.

The Qianlong Garden is situated to the northwest of the Palace of Peace and Longevity in the eastern section of the Former Imperial Palace. Construction of it began in 1772, or the 37th year of the Qianlong Reign, and did not finish until the 41st year. When Emperor Qianlong abdicated in favor of his son at the end of his 60 year reign, he had the Palace of Peace and Longevity and a garden built for his evening years. That is why the garden is known as the Qianlong Garden. The garden is 160 meters long from north to south and 37 meters wide from east to west, and occupies an area of 5,920 square meters. The Qianlong Garden is unique among Chinese garden buildings. Despite its limited space, the garden provides a kaleidoscopic view. Rocks are piled up into hills in the tradition of the lower Yangtze valley, and winding paths form a maze. There are mystic caves, and towering pavilions as well. All these man-made scenes are knit into a harmonious whole, so that space is maximized and every vista has a role to play in beautifying the garden. In a solemn and somewhat rigid environment, this garden looks especially lively and tranquil. Today, it is still being lauded as a fine example of Chinese garden culture.

Beijing Botanical Garden – There is much to enjoy here and we should be visiting at the perfect time for the blossoms of the cherries and peonies. Enjoy the Sunken Rose garden with musical fountain, Perennial, Peony and Peach gardens as well as other gardens containing cherry trees, tree peonies, bamboo, and camellias. Walk through the magnificent Conservatory housing Rain Forest, Orchid, Desert Garden and Exhibition House. The gardens are not large, only having 3,000 different plant species, but many famous and rare plant specimens are on display.

This evening we start off our tour together with the traditional Peking Duck Dinner, a meal not to be missed!

Breakfast, Lunch and Special Peking Duck Dinner Included

Yuanmingyuan was originally built in 1709, or the 48th year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi, whose reign of 61 years was the longest among all Qing monarchs. Repeated expansions conducted by his successors, emperors Yongzheng and Qianlong, resulted in an imperial garden of unprecedented scale. Yuanmingyuan covered an area of 350 hectares and consisted of Yuanmignyuan, Changchunyuan and Qichunyuan, which were collectively known as Yuanmingyuan. Its surface structures covered exactly the same floor space as the Former Imperial Palace, while its water surface was as large as the entire Summer Palace. During the Qing Dynasty, emperors Yongzheng, Qianlong, Jiaqing. Daoguang and Xianfeng had all lived in this garden on a permanent basis. While they enjoyed life there, they also handled state affairs. Like the Forbidden City, Yuanmingyuan became another political center of China. For this reason, it was also known as Imperial Garden.  It was a man-made cultural phenomenon unseen elsewhere in this world. The southern part of the garden was where emperors handled state affairs, while the other parts were studded with more than 150 scenic spots, which comprised exquisitely constructed halls, pavilions, chambers, kiosks, earth and rock hills, rivers and ponds, and exotic flowers and strange trees from different parts of the country. It was, indeed, a museum of garden construction and horticulture. Yuanmingyuan differed from other classical Chinese gardens in that its typical Chinese scenery was mingled with Western architecture. It was a colossal botanical garden as well, having been planted with millions of precious trees and flowers. It was pity that Yuanmingyuan was sacked during the invasion of Anglo-French Allied forces in 1860 and again during the invasion of the Eight-Power Allied Force 1900. The buildings were burned to the ground, and the treasures in it were rooted. A world-famous garden was thus reduced to ruins. This was a catastrophe in the world history of civilization. Today the ruins of Yuanmingyuan have been put under due protection. A park was established at the site so that from the crumbling walls and ruins people could gain some idea about the former glory of this imperial garden. Luxurious woods and sparkling lakes and ponds combine to create a scene of captivating beauty. Some of the original structures and scenic spots have been restored. What this place must have looked like before it was destroyed must have been truly unbelievable.

The Summer Palace, the grand garden park of the Empress Dowager, Cix is the largest imperial garden in the world. It contains classical Chinese garden architecture. The initial construction of the Summer Palace started in the year 1750, commissioned by Emperor Qianlong as a gift for his mother’s birthday. The construction took fifteen years to complete. It had the name “Qingyi Yuan” (Garden of Clear Ripples) at that time. Plundering by foreign troops in the year 1860 destroyed most of the buildings, but they were renovated in 1888 by Empress Dowager Cixi, who was said to have embezzled funds of the Imperial Navy to build the garden. In 1949 the garden became a park and got the name Yiheyuan (Summer Palace).

Yuyuantan Park’s Most Beautiful Cherry Blossom Festival – famous for its cherry blossoms in mid to late April through early May every year. There are about 2000 cherry trees of over 20 different species. Other blossoming trees such as peach are also to be found, as well as tulips.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included

Pack up tonight please, don’t forget adaptors and check safe. Keep passport in your carry on.

Great Wall at Mutianyu with a round trip cable car ride (up to and down from the wall) – As you first look upon the Great Wall, it is impossible not to be awestruck at this manmade structure. Construction started in the 7th century BC, with additions and rebuilding continuing until the 16th century AD. The Great Wall was built to keep out the warring invaders of the north, but additional sections were extended eastward for nearly 6,700 kilometers.

Ming Tombs – we visit the most impressive of the 13 Ming Tombs then a stroll down the beautiful Sacred Way, lined with trees dressed in their spring green and huge statues. The Sacred Way starts with a huge stone memorial archway. It is a beautiful stroll that delights with sounds of birds and precious peace. After lunch we transfer to the airport and fly to Xian.

Hilton Hotel Xi’an (Hilton Guest Room) 2 Nights.

http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/china/hilton-xian-XIYHIHI/index.html

Breakfast and Lunch Included with Dinner on your own.

The Terra-Cotta Army of Qin Shihuangdi, one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world – The Grand Mausoleum of Qin Emperor, the first emperor of China, protected by more than 6000 life size Terra-Cotta Warriors and horses. The exhibit contains multiple exhibition halls, the largest of which is 180 meters by 60 meters in size. The entire site houses the continuing excavation of an army of 6,000 Terra-Cotta soldiers and horses that guard the tomb of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of a unified China whose geographical region approached the country’s modern area. It is a stunning exhibition of ancient artifacts that is well laid out and easy to view. The Terra Cotta Warriors lie in China’s most famous pomegranate growing area, where, weather permitting, we’ll enjoy their spring blossoms. Here again you really have to be here to appreciate the size and scope of this excavation. They do not want to open any more pits right now until they figure out how to keep the paint from disappearing on the warriors. It is indeed a highlight.

Then to our hotel to get ready for our Dumpling Dinner and Tang Dynasty Show – absolutely yummy and the show is excellent. The most famous dumplings served are in Xi’an. Xi’an Dumpling Banquet has brought forth new ideas in color, fragrance, taste and style. The dumpling is no longer one kind of simple flour food. They add more tastes such as sour, sweet, peppery, etc. As for the style, they create various styles such as flowers, birds, grass, fish and so on. A wonderful evening of good food and entertainment introducing you to the Tang Dynasty!

Breakfast, Special Noodle Lunch and Special Dumpling Dinner and Tang Dynasty Show Included.

Please pack up tonight and don’t forget adaptors and check safe.

After breakfast we enjoy a visit to the Xi’an City Wall. It’s the most complete city wall that has survived in China, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. A very thick wall wonderful for strolling and seeing the city in all its glory.

We can see the Big Goose Pagoda in the distance where we shall also visit, full of beautiful gardens hidden within the walls filled with peonies and stunning architecture. Then we board our high speed train to Luoyang.

Hyatt Place Luoyang (Standard Room) 3 Nights

https://luoyang.place.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included

Longmen Grottos – started around the year 493 after the Northern Wei Dynasty moved the capital to Luoyang. Thousands of Buddhas were carved into the rock slopes and cliffs aside the Yi River, and were carved for 400 years until The Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Stretching 1094 meters along the river, there are over 2,300 small caves and niches, with 100,000 statues of all sizes. A UNESCO site.

Luoyang old town is just the most special place to walk…the shops are incredible but just walking around is a delight. Papermaking was invented here by Cailun, Lijing Gate is the entrance to Luoyang Old Town District. It is the most striking landmark of Luoyang Old Town District. Built in Sui Dynasty (581-618) when Luoyang was the capital of nine dynasties, Lijing Gate is the most typical and best preserved of its kind in China. Many antiques, Tri-colored glazed pottery (tang san cai), calligraphy and painting works are displayed in stalls.

We end this delightful day with Shui Xi, or Water Banquet, a Chinese meal comprised of eight cold and 16 warm dishes cooked in various broths, gravies or juices. They are brought to the table one after the other like flowing water. This custom dates back over 1000 years!

Breakfast, Lunch and Water Banquet Dinner Included

First we visit the White Horse Temple, In the year 64 of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), Emperor Ming sent a delegation of his men to study Buddhism in the western world. After three years, two eminent Indian monks, She Moteng and Zhu Falan, came back with the delegation. They brought with them a white horse carrying Buddhist sutras and Buddhist figures on its back. This was the first time that Buddhism appeared in China. To express his thanks to the two monks and their white horse, the emperor ordered the building of a monastery which he named the White Horse Temple during the following year.

Then we cross the road to….

The Peony Festival, where you will enjoy seeing thousands of peonies in all their glorious colour and depending on the weather prior to our arrival, we may just get to glimpse the late season Green Peony just opening or in full bloom. Keep those fingers crossed! The Peony of Luoyang is the most beautiful under heaven. The Peony, the emblem flower of Luoyang, is lauded as “Queen of flowers with ethereal colour and celestial fragrance”. Since the Tang Dynasty no Chinese city has been able to rival Luoyang in growing peonies boasting nearly 10 million peony trees with more than 700 species – all thanks to improvements in technology of peony cultivation. The yaohuang (Yao’s yellow peony) and weizi (Wei’s purple peony) are the “King” & “Queen” of all peonies. It has a history of over 1,000 years in the cultivation of peony trees. Their colours range from red, pink, purple, lavender and white to green, yellow, maroon and even black.

In China, the peony symbolizes wealth and nobleness due to its large flowers. The first Luoyang Peony Festival took place in April 1983 and since then it has become a major annual event featuring flowers, lanterns, exhibitions of traditional Chinese calligraphy, painting and photography. Peonies and Plum blossoms are the traditional floral symbols of China. In 1903, the Qing Dynasty declared the Peony as the national flower of China.

Luoyang National Peony Garden (where the festival is held) is one of the oldest gardens to grow and reproduce peonies in China. It is divided into North Garden and South Garden. There are over 1 million peony trees of 1200 different kinds. The peony blooming here is highly reputed for its big flower, flamboyant color, numerous species and lasting florescence.Approximate Blooming dates: more than 100 kinds of peonies will first bloom from April 5th to 10th; 500 or so kinds of rare peonies will be in full bloom from April 11th to 20th; another 200 species usually flower late from April 21st to May 4th.

Pack up tonight please, don’t forget adaptors and check safe. Keep Passport in carry on.

Breakfast and Lunch Included with Dinner on your own

We are in transit this day so sit back and enjoy the breathtaking scenery as we take a coach to Zhengzhou for our flight to Shanghai, then coach to Suzhou. You can also use this time to go through all your digital photos to relive the past few days and your memories of it and look forward to our further adventure.

Suzhou Pan Pacific Hotel (Deluxe Room) 3 Nights

http://www.panpacific.com/en/Suzhou/Overview.html

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included

Suzhou, the garden city of China. Suzhou is a city with many beautiful gardens. Portland’s Chinese garden was designed by the Suzhou Garden Design Institute. The buildings were built in Suzhou, then disassembled and shipped to Portland and if you have ever visited it you will know how exquisite a garden it is.

Huqiu Garden – The famous Tiger Hill Garden. The 48 meter tall ‘Symbol of Suzhou’ pagoda was built in 961 and yes it is slanted a bit more than two meters off its vertical axis. The gardens are for leisurely strolling and there is much to see. Tucked into nooks and crannies are many flowers as well as a beautiful Bonsai area.  If we are as lucky as we have been the last two tours, we shall also see a Chinese Flower Show of sorts and music.  Right behind the Pagoda there is a secret tea plantation too, so be sure to visit it.  So incredibly peaceful and you might just see some women picking tea leaves. Lu Yu was an authority on the art of tea and wrote the first ever book on the subject entitled ‘The Treatise of Tea’. As an old man, he lived on Tiger Hill and it was here that he wrote the final part of his book. Lu Yu excavated the well and declared that the water from it was the third best throughout China. Consequently, upon the research and teaching of Lu Yu, tea growing and consumption came to be important factors in the daily life of Suzhou citizens.

Humble Administrator’s Garden – the largest garden in Suzhou, and has been proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will have the delight of being here during the Azalea Festival to enjoy its beauty and historic significance. During the Azalea Festival, hundreds of rare azalea will be on display. While feeling the garden’s charm in spring, tourists could also experience the poetic and pictorial splendor of the Humble Administrator’s Garden decorated with blooming flowers.  There is also a hall that displays exquisite Suzhou Embroidery by a local folk artist.

This garden was built around 1509AD during the Ming Dynasty by the imperial inspector. He was tired of official life and wanted a garden to retire to. He got the name for the garden from an essay called “To cultivate my garden and sell my vegetable crop is the policy of humble man”. A lake in the center occupies about one fifth of the space with many streams and hills throughout. The garden is divided into the middle, eastern and western parts and a house is at the south end of the garden. Some of the spaces in the garden are: the Hall of Drifting Fragrance, the Loquat Garden Court, the Peony Pavilion, the Listening to the Sound of Rain Pavilion, the A Pure Mind Thinks Deep area, the Magnolia Hall, the Orange Pavilion, the Hall of 36 Pairs of Mandarin Ducks, the Hall of 18 Camellias, the With Whom Shall I Sit? Pavilion, the Stay-and-Listen Pavilion, the Pagoda Reflection Pavilion, the Far Away Looking Pavilion and many more. Many of the areas are named for lotus blossoms. Growing in mud, lotus blooms still keep themselves pure and clean. The farther their smell drifts the more pure it becomes. The lotus is often called “a true person of virtue among flowers.” The theme of the garden is to be as pure as a lotus blossoms.

I.M. Pei Suzhou Museum – Suzhou Museum, a garden style museum designed by famous artist I. M. Pei. In the modern architectural field, I. M. Pei earns a high reputation and is a well-known architect. He is the only world class Chinese architect as well as one of the most important architectural artists in the 20th century. His striking designs include the Pyramid at the Louvre, the Bank of China building in Hong Kong, Boston’s JFK Library. New Suzhou Museum is the last design of Mr. I. M. Pei in his career. It is not only a public construction symbol in Suzhou, but also an innovative mark bridging Chinese architectural culture from the tradition to the future. Prompting the protection of Suzhou cultural heritage, the new museum also has turned a new page for Suzhou Museum. Houses over 30,000 cultural relics including Ming and Qing Dynasty paintings and calligraphy, and ancient arts and crafts. Beautiful Celadon here as well.

Breakfast and Lunch Included with Dinner on your own

We visit a Silk Factory to learn how it is made and to perhaps make some purchases…this city is THE place to buy silk!

Garden of the Master of Nets – a garden designed for harmony and tranquility during the Song Dynasty. This garden is reputed to be the most well-preserved in Suzhou and should not be missed. It has three distinct sections. The buildings afford you access to any part of the garden from each of their rooms. This type of garden was built for relaxation and to entertain guests. Today the Garden of Master of Nets has 22 buildings, 2 doors with richly carved earthen ornamentation,15 plateaux, 9 parallel couplets,15 brick and stone carvings, 32 stelae, and 8 rare species of old trees.

Lion Forest (Grove) Garden – Built in 1342. Richly ornamented and ancient classical style with a very unique and rare Labyrinthine Rockery. Valuable old trees such as ginkgo biloba. Pavilion for Greeting the Plum Blossoms (Wenmei ge) was a place where painters and poets were invited. In addition to the plum trees around the pavilion, all the furniture and utensils inside are decorated or carved with beautiful plum blossom designs. The garden occupies a very important place in history, representing the diversity of cultural and architectural development in Suzhou over the years. A UNESCO site.

We finish off the day with a Suzhou grand canal ride, the world’s oldest and longest waterway, to see the local people’s life in classical South-China style.

Pack up tonight please, don’t forget adaptors and check safe.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included

Today we leave Suzhou for a short coach ride to Shanghai. Once there we visit the incredible Shanghai Museum to put your trip to China into perspective. On this day we’ll visit Shanghai’s world class museum of Chinese art and culture. The new Shanghai Museum has ten special galleries of bronze, calligraphy, ceramics, furniture, jades, minority art, paintings, sculpture, seal carvings, coins and arts and crafts, together with a special gallery of donated relics and three temporary exhibition halls. It also contains an excellent gift shop with many attractive and fascinating books about Chinese culture and art, available in English. A great place to pick up quality souvenirs and mementos of your holiday.

We will enjoy a well deserved Afternoon Tea before heading back to our hotel.

Intercontinental Jing’An  (Classic Room) 2 Nights.

InterContinental Shanghai Jing’An is ideally located in Shanghai downtown, only 10 minutes to West Nanjing Road, People’s Square and Jing An Temple.

Indoor swimming pool and fitness center.

https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/us/en/shanghai/shgzd/hoteldetail

Breakfast and Afternoon Tea Included with Dinner on your own

Our final tour day and a visit to Shanghai would not be complete without visiting the Classical Chinese Yu Yuan Garden also called ‘the garden of peace and comfort’, one of China’s most famous scholar gardens in Shanghai’s old city. Built in 1559, Pan Yunduan spent twenty years and all his savings building it to please his parents in their old age. Zigzagging bridges separate the various garden areas and pavilions.

Afterwards enjoy a Dim Sum Lunch before some serious last minute shopping in the same area, known for its great shopping…

Then rest of afternoon is at leisure until dinner.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included

After Breakfast depart to Shanghai Airport for your return flight home