Experience the most unprecedented gardens from across the globe with Collette Vacations and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Together, Collette and RHS have created 11 artfully-crafted, garden travel itineraries. Find all these tours in the first-ever, comprehensive brochure RHS Garden Holidays that includes destinations from the United States to the United Kingdom to the wonders of South Africa and beyond.

About the Royal Horticultural Society

RHSGardenHolidaysCMYKcolletteVRHS is the UK’s principal gardening charity, helping and inspiring millions of people to garden.
RHS reaches those with an interest in horticulture through its variety of gardens and shows and through its scientific research, publications, libraries and education and community programs. They are entirely funded by its members, visitors and supporters.

RHS Garden Holidays

RHS Garden Holidays, proudly operated by Collette, will inspire all from the greenest of gardeners to more experienced horticulturists, with visits to exclusive gardens, private or expert tours of exceptional public and botanical gardens and the chance to see many plants in their natural habitat.  The tours are also rich in cultural highlights, making them of equal appeal to any non-gardening travel companions.

Tour Highlights

United States

  • Historic Gardens of America's Northeast

    Historic Gardens of America’s Northeast

    Gardens of American History– 10 days: This fascinating tour combines horticulture and history that brings travelers from New York, to Philadelphia, including Brandywine Valley, Shenandoah Valley and Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia and Washington, D.C.  Highlights include early entry to the New York Botanical Garden and Hillwood Estate and Gardens; visit to the beautiful Brandywine Valley and Longwood Gardens, home to an astonishing 11,000 taxa of cultivated plants, representing more than 200 different plant families; and a tour from the Head of Gardens at Ladew Topiary Garden and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello home. Departures: June 2013 – April 2014.

  • Historic Gardens of America’s Northeast – 8 days: Touring Boston, through Massachusetts and ending in New York, this trip includes exclusive access to the Rockefeller Estate, Kykuit and Edith Wharton’s home, The Mount, before the gardens are open to the public.  Travelers will also enjoy special access to areas not normally open to the public at the Nolen Greenhouses in The New York Botanical Garden and Dana Greenhouse at the National Historic Landmark, Arnold Arboretum. Departures: June – August 2013.

Europe

Gardens of London

Gardens of London

  • The Gardens of London featuring the Centenary Chelsea Flower Show– 8 days:Entrance to opening day of the Chelsea Flower Show, the world’s leading horticultural show featuring top class show gardens, the famous floral marquee and fabulous shopping. Explore Hampton Court Palace, once home to King Henry VIII, with its world-famous yew tree maze (the U.K.’s oldest surviving hedge maze). Tour the 300-acre Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – a UNESCO World Heritage site. Enjoy a farewell event at the RHS’s flagship, RHS Garden Wisley filled with its richly planted borders and rose gardens. Departures: May 2013.
  • The Beauty of Britain – 9 days: Stop at the famed Cambridge Botanic Garden and travel to Yorkshire, stopping en route to visit the remnants of the once-mighty but still mythic Sherwood Forest.  Go to the spectacular Castle Howard for a private tour of this magnificent landmark before it opens to the public. In Scotland, travelers make a morning stop at Harlow Carr, the splendid RHS garden in North Yorkshire. This nearly 70 acre space is dominated by water, stone and woodland and is an integral part of the surrounding landscape. Passengers also join a local expert on a guided tour of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Departures: May 2013 – April 2014.
  • Gardens of the Loire

    Gardens of the Loire

    Gardens of the Loire– 8 days:Traveling from Paris down through the Loire and finally back up to Giverny, this tour includes visits to the Chateau de Chaumont-sur-Loire’s International Garden Festival and the gardens at Plessis Sasnieres as personal guests of the owner. Receive a private tour of the beautiful gardens of Châteaux de Villandry. Travel to Giverny on the River Seine where tranquil gardens combine flora and water elements, and also inspired Claude Monet’s greatest works. Departures: May – September 2013.

  • Portugal’s Gardens: featuring the Azores and Lisbon– 10 days: Starting and finishing in Lisbon, this tour is largely based on the island of St Michael, renowned for its plant life, extraordinary lakes and Europe’s only pineapple and tea plantations. The itinerary includes visits to Antonio Borges Botanical Gardens, the largest municipal garden on the island; Terra Nostra Park, which has a vast collection of plants from around the globe, including the world’s largest collection of camellias; and the Ribeira dos Caldeiroes Natural Park, with its waterfalls, watermills and unique vegetation. Departures: May – September 2013.
  • Italy Eternal Gardens

    Italy Eternal Gardens

    Gardens and Villas of the Italian Lakes – 10 days:Traveling from Venice to Como, Lugano in Switzerland, and finally onto Lake Maggiore, this tour offers the chance to see some of the spectacular villas, gardens and landscapes for which this region is renowned.  Highlights include:  Giusti Giardino in Verona with cypress trees dating back to the 15th century;  Lugano, where the Villa Heleneum Gardens boast an amazing array of plants; the splendid Villa Cicogna Mozzoni in the company of a member of the Mozzoni family; and the Borromean Islands of Isola Madre and Isola Bella.Departures: June – September 2013.

  • Eternal Gardens of Rome–7 days: Meet with a specialized Vatican expert to lead a tour of the extraordinary Vatican Gardens. Explore the splendid gardens in and around Rome including Villa Lante and the ruins of the city of Ninfa, converted into the famed Giardino e Rovine de Ninfa in the 17th century. Departures: May – September 2013.

Worldwide

  • Cape Point, South Africa

    Cape Point, South Africa

    Floral Wonders of South Africa – 15 days: Starting in Sandton, this itinerary travels through the Drakensburg Mountain Range, Kruger National Park and then flying on to Port Elizabeth to enjoy the Garden Route.  Horticultural highlights include a private guided tour of Johannesburg’s stunning Botanical Gardens, a private tour of the Karoo Desert Botanical Gardens and the chance to explore Kirtenbosch Botanical Gardens, home to over 5,000 species of plants native to South Africa. Departures: November 2013 – March 2014.

  • Pavillon D'argent

    Pavillon D’argent

    The Beauty of Japan– 13 days: This tour encompasses the two great cities of Tokyo and Kyoto as well as visits to Hakone, Nagano, Kanazawa and Okayama en route, and ending in Osaka.  Visit two of the Three Great Gardens of Japan – Kenroku-en, regarded by many as the finest of all –and Koraku-en, with its spacious lawns, streams, walking paths and plum, cherry and maple trees; see Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden with its fabulous cherry blossoms and Ryoan-Ji, considered to be one of the finest examples of a Japanese Rock Garden. Departures: May 2013 – April 2014.

  • New Zealand’s Garden Route featuring North & South Islands– 19 days: Visit Auckland, the Bay of Islands, Rotorua, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown, enjoying a trans-Alpine train journey en route. Horticultural highlights include a tour of the stunning Gwavas homestead; visits to three stunning private gardens in Queenstown and the famous Ayrlies Garden, the private garden of the McConnell family. Departures: November 2013 – March 2014.

To receive more information on the RHS Garden Holidays, call 866-229-3683 or visit www.collettevacations.com.

Complimentary RHS Membership

For all bookings on the RHS Garden Holidays, travelers will also receive a one year free membership to RHS. Existing members will have their membership renewed on a complimentary basis.

RHS Members receives:

  • Free entry to RHS Gardens as well as to 80 other gardens around the UK all year and additional 60 at selected periods.
  • Priority booking and discounted tickets to RHS Shows that run throughout the year in the UK.
  • The Garden Magazine – free every month, and packed with ideas on how to make the most of your membership.
  • Free personalized gardening advice.

Benefits of Group Travel with Collette

Collette Vacations, a travel industry leader since 1918, remains the preferred one-stop resource for groups that recognize the benefits of offering travel to their community.

With guided travel, the details are taken care of for you. Collette makes travel easy and effortless without sacrificing quality or value. Especially when you are traveling to distant countries, it’s nice to know someone has already been there scouting out the destination, comparing hotels and organizing a comprehensive itinerary.

From the on-tour transportation and meals featuring local cuisine to enriching cultural experiences, it has been planned in advance. Combine this with some built in time to independently explore and you have the best of both worlds.

The benefits of group travel with Collette:

  • No upfront deposits to hold space.
  • Stability – highest rating from Dun & Bradstreet, zero debt, family-owned and operated.
  • Free $50 million dollar professional liability insurance coverage that protects your organization.
  • Unpublished itineraries designed exclusively for group travel programs.
  • Free marketing support and dedicated District Sales Managers.
  • A full cash refund travel waiver for cancellation right up to the day prior to departure.

And don’t forget about Hometown Pick Up.

With Collette Vacations, you can receive hometown to airport transportation service for groups of 10 or more on air-inclusive tours.  Leave those worries about getting to the airport behind and start relaxing right away.