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Special Group Tours

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This area of Flanders is home to dozens of Europe’s finest gardens, medieval villages and world famous gourmet cuisine, chocolates and beers. We will sample a selection of the area’s best gardens, enjoy the special annual opening of the Royal Glasshouses and the gardens of Groot–Bijgaarden (one of the largest Spring flower displays outside of Holland) each only opened to the public for a few weeks each year.

There's the stunning spectacular that is Keukenhof and Holland’s famed bulb fields. We've the National Botanial Gardens of Belgium, Kalmthout Arboretum and several small, local gardens to discover plus the gems Leuven, Antwerp and Delft.

All of this plus the annual Keukenhof Flower Parade and a full day at the Ghent Flower Show, the Floralies. This certainly is a tour for garden lovers not to miss!

Just 6 - 14 guests on this special departure. Early booking is recommended to avoid disappointment!

Tour Date: 20 - 25 April, 2010

What your tour package includes: The services of your driver/guide for 6 touring days, your accommodation for 5 nights while on the tour in 4-star properties including breakfast daily, 3 dinners featuring local cuisine, all entrance fees to gardens and attractions, a full day ticket to the Ghent Flower Show, transportation, all taxes and tips other than those you may wish to give your guide.

Airport transfers, accommodation pre and post tour not included but can be added to your package as you wish. Ask us for details.

Brussels is well connected via the Eurostar from London and TGV rail services from most major European cities. We are happy to assist you with international air or rail services. Please ask us for details.

Tour Rate: $2499 USD per person in a twin/double room; $300 USD single supplement

Travel dates don’t match? We have other gardens tours throughout the year including a Tulip Time Barge Cruise from Haarlem to Bruges and the Southern Belgium Barge Cruise.

 Contact us for availability or to hold your space today! specialgrouptours@yahoo.com

This tour begins and ends in Brussels with pick-ups from select Central Brussels hotels and from the Eurostar Midi Station. Current Eurostar trains arrive at approximately 10.00.

TENTATIVE ITINERARY

Day 1: 20 April, Tuesday

We start our garden adventure with a visit to the Koninklijke Serres (Royal Glasshouses) in Brussels. This is a very special treat as it is only opened to the public for a few weeks each year! Part of the royal palace grounds, the Royal Glasshouses were built by King Leopold II to accommodate his collection of plants from the Congo. The series of eleven massive greenhouses contains a selection of rare plants, kept in peak condition by a team of 20 gardeners. We will spend ample time here, enjoying the collection.

This afternoon, we will make our way to the village of Hoegaarden. Known for its famous white beer, this place also offers a lovely roomed Flemish show garden. Small, but pretty and a nice contrast to the Glasshouses.

We will take the scenic route to our night stop location, the mediaeval town of Leuven. The town’s Botanical Garden, is small at just 4 acres but is well worth some time. This is the oldest medicinal herb garden in the country, dating from the 18th century; there is also a water garden, an Alpine conservatory, a fruit garden and greenhouses of tropical plants to admire.

Our accommodation is adjacent to the largest beguinage in the country, Groot Begijnhof, and offers a lush garden setting, perfect for a relaxing evening.

NIGHT STOP: Leuven

Day 2: 21 April, Wednesday

After breakfast, we will enjoy a walking tour of Groot Begijnhof, founded by a unique order of women in 1292 and now deemed a Unesco World Heritage site. We will wander the narrow cobbled streets and admire the homes, gardens and the church of this walled community within the city.

Our highlight of the day will be the Royal Botanical Gardens of Belgium in Meise. On the grounds, weather permitting, we may be able to enjoy an afternoon picnic! This is one of the largest botanical gardens in Europe, set in the grounds of a historic castle with ample parklands, a lake and 14 inter-connected greenhouses featuring an overview of plants and flowers from around the world.

NIGHT STOP: Leuven, as above

Day 3: 22 April, Thursday

Full day at Gentse Floralien - The Ghent Flower Show/Floralies of Ghent Flower Exhibition

You will have a morning transfer from your hotel to the famed Floralies of Ghent. A very special event that only occurs once every five years! Here, this horticultual show offers 4.5 ha of indoor gardens, the largest in the world with over 300 exhibits from dozens of countries.

This afternoon, we have an optional guided Ghent city tour, for those interested. Your ticket to the Flower Show is valid from opening to closing so you can spend the whole day if you wish. Your guide will meet you from the show at closing for your transfer to your hotel this evening.

Dinner is not included tonight for flexibility’s sake. Our picturesque night stop is by the river in the nearby town of St Martens-Latem.

NIGHT STOP: St Martens-Latem

Day 4: 23 April, Friday

This morning, the charming city of Antwerp and a panoramic look around the city. This fantastic place has much to offer visitors! Our focus will be Rubenshuis, the painter Rueben’s home where he lived for 29 years, now a museum dedicated to his life and work. His garden is an enclosed renaissance style, typical of its time, with straight walks and parterres bounded by yew hedges. Faithfully reconstructed from engravings, this home and garden is a rare insight into Renaissance daily life. Antwerp is also home to a lovely botanical garden and world class shopping.

We will cross the border into the Netherlands and will enjoy a bit of the traditional Dutch countryside; we’ll make a stop at the windmills of Kinderdijk. Yes, it’s touristy but it is lovely and pretty for all of that!

Upon arrival into the pretty town of Delft, we will enjoy a brief walking tour. The town is popular with tourists but, by arriving late in the afternoon, we can miss the main and maddening throng.

NIGHT STOP: Delft

Day 6: 25 April, Sunday

We will make some time this morning to visit the Royal Delft Pottery factory, as the group wishes, before we make our way back into Belgium.

Our first garden today, Kalmthout Arboretum has been described as the best example of the gardenesque style of garden design; its oldest trees were planted over 150 years ago. Strolling through this 12 hectare gem, expect to see flowering magnolias and cherries plus diverse flowering borders with over 7,000 varieties of plants. There is also a butterfly garden.

The grand finale to our gardens adventure will be the opportunity to walk in the flower labyrinth of Groot–Bijgaarden. Here, flower lovers will have the opportunity to discover 500 varieties of Spring bulbs including 300 tulip varieties. Yet again, a special treat for visitors since this experience is only available for 4 weeks each year!

Drop off at Brussels hotel or rail station this evening. Eurostar trains currently 19:00.

PLEASE NOTE: There is a minimum of 6 guests required to operate this departure. Please do not confirm airfare prior to verifying arrangements.

Please note: All show dates and garden opening times are correct at time of printing this website. While we will do our utmost to include all of the properties mentioned as central visits, we reserve the right to change an attraction should it become impossible to deliver a planned visit due to changes in opening days or times that we could not have been aware of at the time of loading this tour to our website.

We offer several other gardens tours throughout the year including the RHS Chelsea Flower Show tour - this departure includes an annual RHS Membership + tickets to Chelsea on a Member Only Day!