Cambridge and the Gardens of Norfolk

May 28 - June 4, 2023

This tour can be combined with our "Chelsea Flower Show in Style" tour. 

This tour officially starts the morning of Sunday, May 28th at our Chelsea group hotel in South Kensington

Important Information: If you are NOT participating in our Chelsea in Style Tour, you will want to arrive in London on Saturday, May 27 so you'll be able to depart for Cambridge with our group the morning of Sunday, May 28. Please get in touch with us if you would like help making these arrangements.

Sunday, May 28 ~ Transfer to Cambridge, Hatfield House, Welcome dinner

This morning we depart our London hotel for Cambridge, England for eight days of exclusive garden, estate and college visits.

Cambridge, best known for its university and home to some of the world’s greatest minds, also hosts a world of remarkable gardens and stately homes, right at its doorstep. With a vibrant theater and arts scene, fantastic contemporary restaurants, traditional pubs and world-renowned museums, we know you will love your week spent in Cambridge. 

En-route, we’ll visit one of the great stately homes of England, Hatfield House. Built by Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury and Chief Minister to King James I, from 1607 to 1611, the estate has been in the Cecil family for over 400 years - one of England's foremost political families. 

Hatfield will forever be closely linked to Elizabeth I who spent most of her childhood there after being sent to live on the estate by her father, Henry VIII in 1533. In the park, an oak tree marks the place where the young princess Elizabeth first heard of her accession to the throne. 

The house contains a marvelous collection of pictures, furnishings, historic armor and paintings including the iconic Queen Elizabeth Rainbow Portrait. The picture perfect gardens date from the early 17th century when John Tradescant the Elder was employed to collect plants throughout Europe. The trees, bulbs, plants and fruit trees, which had not been grown previously in England, have been crafted into the inspiring and fragrant gardens you can explore today (you may recognize parts of the house and gardens from the popular television series The Crown.)

Beautifully designed gifts, jewelry and many other items can be found in the Stable Yard shops and you can enjoy lunch in The Coach House Kitchen. 

On arrival in Cambridge we’ll check-in to The University Arms, Cambridge’s oldest hotel. The property is set in the heart of the city center and offers gorgeous views over Parker's Piece and historic Regent Street. The hotel recently underwent a complete renovation and features interiors by Martin Brudnizki (of Ivy restaurant fame). Amenities include free WiFi, 24-hour gym, tea and Nespresso coffee, plug adaptors, daily newspaper and more. Parker’s Tavern is a British brasserie serving comfort food and the hotel bar is a wonderful Edwardian salon inspired by literature with beautiful interiors. This is the place to stay in Cambridge. 

This evening we’ll toast our arrival and get to know each other at a welcome dinner reception at the hotel. 

Monday, May 29 ~ Breakfast at hotel, private punt, Bressingham Hall Gardens

After a lovely breakfast, we’ll tour Cambridge from a unique perspective - via private punt! The epitome of Cambridge and the city’s favorite pastime is punting on the river Cam. During our private tour you’ll experience the legendary Cambridge backgrounds and discover the spectacular riverside Colleges, bridges and private gardens.

This afternoon we’ll visit a mecca for anyone interested in gardening and a bucket list garden for us here at Huron Tours: Bressingham Hall Gardens. Bressingham was home to the late Alan Bloom, horticultural legend and founder of the famous nursery, Blooms of Bressingham. Mr. Bloom bred or named over 170 plants, wrote 27 books, opened a steam museum and created the extraordinary garden we’ll see today. Alan’s son Adrian will lead us on a private tour sharing the history of the garden and the collection of over 8,500 plant species and varieties that make Bressingham so special. We will also enjoy lunch in the estate’s beautiful 18th Century oak barn. 

Dinner this evening is on your own. Please consult our extensive restaurant recommendations list which took a ton of research and many, many calories to put together.

Tuesday, May 30 ~ Breakfast at hotel, East Ruston Old Vicarage private tour, private lunch, Wroxham

Today we visit a very special garden! The private East Ruston Old Vicarage is one of the county’s best-kept secret gardens (and Katie’s new favorite in England.) Passionate owner Alan Gray will share his amazing creation, opening today just for Huron Tours. You will find a Rose Garden, Exotic Garden, Desert Wash, Mediterranean Garden, Woodland Garden, Tree Fern Garden and many, many more.

We will also be treated to a private lunch at East Ruston, another special touch just for Huron Tours.

En-route back to Cambridge we’ll visit the picturesque waterside village of Wroxham on the bank of the River Bure. The capital of the famous Norfolk Broads, Wroxham offers the perfect afternoon stop where you’ll have plenty of time to visit historic St. Mary’s church, browse the large village shop known as ‘Roys of Wroxham,’ or simply sit by the river and watch the boats go by. 

This evening is another opportunity to try one of the restaurants listed on our restaurant recommendations list or enjoy a lovely dinner in Parker’s Tavern, our hotel’s award-winning English Brasserie.

Wednesday, May 31 ~ Breakfast at the hotel, Cambridge Botanical Garden private tour, St. John's College garden private tour, private lunch

Today after breakfast we’ll visit a remarkable garden just minutes from our hotel, the University of Cambridge Botanic Garden.

Opened to the public in 1846, the garden develops and displays over 8,000 different plant species in 40 acres of beautiful landscapes. With a framework of mature trees and shrubs, this paradise of plants comprises diverse, superbly landscaped settings. The Garden also boasts many important plant collections including lavenders, hardy geraniums and the finest collection of trees in the East of England. To better appreciate this marvel, we’ll enjoy a private tour by one of the University gardeners.

Next, we’ll be treated to an insider’s look at one of Cambridge University’s best college gardens with an intimate private tour. The gardens of St. John's College, which occupy about 12 acres, were first laid out in the 16th century and are divided into large lawned areas known as the courts, and separate, more enclosed areas: The Master's Garden, The Fellows' Garden and the Scholars' Garden. The floral borders of the terrace, and the wisteria around the porch of the Lodge help to soften and mellow the Gothic exterior, while the handsome chestnut creates a restful background for the new Library. Of particular note is the famous 'Bridge of Sighs' which connects New Court to Third Court. 

Our visit to St. John’s will also include a three course lunch in the college’s private Wordsworth Room. Undergraduate William Wordsworth lived in this attractive 450 year old room in the 1780’s, and described it in his autobiographical poem, The Prelude.

Thursday, June 1 ~ Breakfast at the hotel, Beth Chatto Gardens private tour, The Cambridge American Cemetery

We begin today with a visit to The Beth Chatto Gardens which offers a masterclass in elegant garden design.

Beth Chatto, who died in 2018 at age 94, was a distinguished nursery woman and writer as well as one of the most influential horticulturists of the past 50 years. She developed a garden that has become a place of pilgrimage for many thousands of admirers and garden enthusiasts.

Chatto began exhibiting her unusual varieties at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, winning a remarkable ten consecutive gold medals for her displays. This garden is planting at its best and we’ll enjoy a private tour. You’ll want to be sure to have your notebook and camera as we know you will be inspired by this gardening legend’s masterpiece. Following our tour you'll have time explore the garden further and for lunch on your own at the charming garden cafe.

Our next stop this afternoon isn’t a garden but is very significant and interesting. The Cambridge American Cemetery is one of fourteen permanent military cemetery memorials established on foreign soil by the American Battle Monuments Commission to honor the dead and missing in action of World War II.

Covering 30.5 acres on land donated by the University of Cambridge, this lovely site was selected as the only permanent American World War II military cemetery in the British Isles.

You will see interpretive exhibits that incorporate personal stories, photographs, films and interactive displays and gain a better understanding of this critical campaign that contributed to the Allied victory in Europe during World War II. 

We’ll return to Cambridge where you are free for your own explorations. Be sure to ask Valery, our Blue Badge Guide, about her favorite local Indian restaurant or have Katie tell you about a fantastic bistro housed in what once was Britain’s oldest bike shop!

Friday, June 2 ~ Breakfast at hotel, Hindringham Hall Gardens, The Queen's Estate Sandringham House and Gardens for a private garden tour, tea and after-hours tour of the house.

After breakfast this morning, we begin a most magical day at the privately owned Hindringham Hall Gardens.

Built by Martin Hastings, the illegitimate son of Henry VIII and Elizabeth Blount, Hindringham is a delightful moated manor house straight out of a story book. The garden features a medieval moat, fishponds, a working walled vegetable garden, and award-winning formal and informal borders. We’ll enjoy a private tour from the current owner, Mr Charles Tucker, who has developed the gardens over the past 30 years.

The Queen’s Estate, Sandringham House and Gardens is set in 60 acres of glorious gardens, and is perhaps the finest of all the Royal gardens. Every generation of the Royal Family has added something of their own times and tastes, from the peace of the woodland walks to the drama of the carrstone rockeries, from the formality of the north garden with its pleached lime avenues to the intimacy of the stream walk. Sandringham is a “must see,” and Huron will make your visit extra special.

We begin with a specially arranged private tour of the gardens led by a knowledgeable garden guide focussing on the seasonal planting and historical spots of interest.

Then, just as you are feeling a bit peckish, we’ll enjoy the Sandringham tradition of afternoon tea with a glass of bubbly.

Following tea, we move to the main event! - an after hours private tour escorted by a senior member of the Estate staff. We will have the splendor of the house all to ourselves with plenty of time to view each of the open rooms, ask questions and learn from the knowledgeable guide. We’ll see the beautiful collections of porcelain, jade, rose quartz, silver Russian gilt and bronzes, admire the family portraits and photographs and study the Victorian and Edwardian decor and furnishings.Our visit to Sandringham will be one of the highlights of our travels.

Saturday, June 3 ~ Breakfast at hotel, free day, private dinner reception at Queen’s College

A completely free day to explore Cambridge. We’ll include a list of ‘Things to Do’ in your final tour documents to help you plan your day.

If art is your passion, you will be spoilt for choice as the city boasts the country’s highest concentration of internationally renowned collections outside London. A great place to start might be The Fitzwilliam, the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge. With over half a million incredible artworks in its collection is one of the most impressive regional museums in Europe, presenting world history and art from as far back as 2500 BC to the present day. If architecture interests you, be sure to see the Round Church, Cambridge’s second oldest building and an architectural stunner. 

There is also shopping galore Cambridge. From the hustle and bustle of the city’s seven-days-a-week market where you can rub shoulders with the locals in Market Square and the Saturday All Saints Garden Art and Craft market, to an abundance of boutiques and independent shops as well as high street brands, Cambridge has it all.

When you are ready to take a break, why not try a sweet treat? The Chelsea Buns at Fitzbillies are world famous. Time to wet your whistle? Pop into the Eagle for a pint or soda. The historic pub is where Francis Crick announced that he and James Watson had discovered DNA!

This evening we will celebrate our garden travels in grand fashion: An exclusive private dinner reception at Queen’s College. Dating back to the 15th century, Queens’ College is among Cambridge University’s oldest. The photogenic, river-straddling campus encompasses medieval courtyards, a Tudor-style half-timbered building and the famous Mathematical Bridge. We’ll dine in opulent surroundings in the Old Senior Combination Room, one of the original rooms in this historic university. The perfect send-off!

Sunday, June 4 ~ Transfer to Heathrow for flights home.

We depart Cambridge this morning for London Heathrow Airport and our departures back home. We leave Cambridge and Norfolk with wonderful memories of once-in-a-lifetime visits, award-winning gardens and historic stately homes as well as new friendships to cherish. (Please arrange your return flight from Heathrow no earlier than 12:00pm. Earlier flights may incur an additional charge if private transfers need to be arragned.)

Huron's Katie Kosta will be one of your tour managers throughout your tour in Cambridge

The University Arms Hotel as seen from Parker's Piece

Join us for a private punt along the river Cam

Your view from your punt

Iris along "the backs" of colleges at Cambridge

The Cambridge version of the Bridge of Sighs

The roses will be absolutely lovely

Beth Chatto gardens

St. John's College gardens border