Iconic Gardens of Southwest England - 10-Day Tour

Enjoy a taster of the garden tours we design to suit your requirements. The choices are endless in the South West with so many fantastic places to explore.  

Day 1: Arrival in Bath

Upon arrival at the airport, meet your tour manager and transfer to your Bath hotel. After some time to rest and refresh, enjoy a walking tour of historic Bath, exploring its Georgian architecture and Roman heritage. Gather tonight for a welcome dinner.

Overnight: Bath | Dinner included

________________________________________

Day 2: Stourhead & Iford Manor

Begin the day at Stourhead, one of the greatest surviving 18th-century gardens, famed for its sweeping vistas, serene lakes, woodlands, and charming temples and grottos. Continue to Iford Manor, an exquisite Italianate garden designed by Harold Peto, featuring cypresses, statues, fountains, loggias, and architectural elegance. Return to Bath in the afternoon for leisure—shop, explore the Botanical Gardens, or relax.

Overnight: Bath | Breakfast included

________________________________________

Day 3: Journey to Cornwall

Travel south through the picturesque English countryside to Cornwall, stopping en route to a private NGS garden and then onto your final destination in Falmouth. Enjoy dinner at your hotel and prepare for a week of extraordinary garden exploration.

Overnight: Falmouth | Breakfast & Dinner included

________________________________________

Day 4: The Lost Gardens of Heligan & Caerhays Castle

Visit the Lost Gardens of Heligan, a remarkable reclamation project restoring 17th-century gardens with rare specimens like the Japanese black pine, Chilean yew, and "Cornish Red" rhododendrons. Continue to Caerhays Castle, internationally famous for its magnificent magnolias and camellias, with woodland gardens stretching down to the sea. Return to Falmouth for an evening at leisure.

Overnight: Falmouth | Breakfast & Dinner included

________________________________________

Day 5: Tresco Abbey & Scilly Isles (Optional Helicopter Excursion)

Travel to Penzance for a scenic 20-minute helicopter flight to Tresco Abbey, one of Britain's most spectacular sub-tropical gardens. Explore terraced gardens boasting exotic plants from South Africa, Madeira, and New Zealand, all thriving in the island's mild climate. Return to Falmouth. (free day in Falmouth for those not taking the optional helicopter excursion.)

Overnight: Falmouth | Breakfast included

________________________________________

Day 6: Trebah & Trelissick Gardens

Visit Trebah Garden, set in a dramatic ravine leading to the Helford River, featuring water gardens, ponds with koi, and lush woodland paths. Then explore Trelissick Garden, an estate of serene beauty, known for its expansive hydrangea, camellia, and rhododendron collections, tree ferns, and walled aromatic gardens—all offering panoramic views over Falmouth and the sea.

Overnight: Falmouth | Breakfast included

________________________________________

Day 7: Eden Project & Pine Lodge

Explore the Eden Project, home to the "largest greenhouse on earth" with tropical rainforest and Mediterranean biomes, built on a reclaimed china-clay pit. Continue to Pine Lodge, a 30-acre private estate featuring 5,500 meticulously labeled plants, including rhododendrons, magnolias, camellias, and rare Mediterranean specimens, plus extensive arboretums and conifer collections. Travel north to Torquay, Devon in the afternoon.

Overnight: Torquay | Breakfast & Dinner included

________________________________________

Day 8: Coleton Fishacre & Hill House Nursery

Visit Coleton Fishacre, a sheltered coastal garden with bamboo, mimosas, and other tender plants rarely seen outdoors in England. Designed by a pupil of Edwin Lutyens, its formal terraces frame a spectacular collection of exotic plants. Continue to Hill House Nursery and Garden, known for its unusual and tender varieties, from salvias to magnolias, all thriving near Dartmoor. Return to Torquay for leisure.

Overnight: Torquay | Breakfast included

________________________________________

Day 9: Castle Drogo & Knightshayes Court

Travel to Devon's finest gardens, starting with Castle Drogo, designed by Edwin Lutyens, featuring terraces, borders, yews, and vibrant herbaceous plantings. Conclude at Knightshayes Court, a National Trust garden renowned for formal borders, yew hedges, woodland gardens, and rare ornamental plants. Celebrate your journey with a farewell dinner this evening in Bath.

Overnight: Bath | Breakfast & Dinner included

________________________________________

Day 10: Departure

Transfer to the airport for your flight home, taking with you memories of some of the South West's most extraordinary gardens, historic estates, and immersive countryside experiences.

Breakfast included

-------------------------

Feeling inspired? Email office@pathfinders.co.uk  to start planning your tour today.