Coopersmith's Style

Bloomfield House, Christchurch, New Zealand. Photo by Suzanne Parker

COOPERSMITH'S garden and fine arts tours are upscale without being ostentatious, energetic without being exhausting, instructive without being academic. Here are some distinguishing features of our trips that attract discerning travelers of all ages, and inspire many of them to return year after year:

“Gardens Plus.” Though all of our tours feature superb public and private gardens, we differ from other garden tour companies in that our itineraries also include visits to notable towns and villages, museums, castles, and palaces. Among our 2010 offerings is a tour that focuses on the gardens, homes and haunts of English artists, writers, and horticulturists, and another that features a cooking class with a prominent Bolognese chef, a private performance of Verdi arias, and owner-led tours of some of Europe’s most extravagant villas.

Small groups. A maximum of 16, 18 or 20 people per tour, depending on the tour category (See 2010 Tour Schedule). Unlike virtually all of our competitors, we are able to operate with as few as 5 members.

Three- and four-night stays at historic country inns, elegant manor houses, and atmospheric city-center hotels. Hotel Accademia in Verona (see Emilia-Romagna & the Veneto) has consistently ranked at the top of the list of over 100 Verona hotels rated by travelers on TripAdvisor.com. In some cases, an entire seven-night tour is based at the same delightful stately home. For 2010 that hotel is Corse Lawn House in England¹s Cotswolds, named 'Country Hotel of the Year' by the prestigious Good Hotel Guide in 2005.

Large comfortable motorcoach. Unlike other tour companies, we routinely use motorcoaches that are large enough to guarantee each passenger a window seat throughout the tour.

Gourmet meals. Yes, even in Great Britain and Ireland!

Relaxed pace. If you are looking for an “If it’s Tuesday, it must be Belgium” type tour, we are decidedly not it. Instead, our tours are crafted in a way that enables you to savor, and remember, each day (see "What is a typical day like" in Frequently Asked Questions).

Visits to special places, with special people. In addition to world-renowned places like Sissinghurst, Winston Churchill’s Chartwell, Christopher Lloyd’s Great Dixter, Prince Charles’ Duchy Home Farm at Highgrove House, Ian Hamilton Finlay’s Little Sparta, the Chelsea and Malvern Flower Shows, Villa Capra “La Rotunda,” and the Alhambra, we'll take you to the private homes and gardens of horticultural celebrities such as Beth Chatto, the Marchioness of Salisbury, Helen Dillon, and Lady Arabella Lennox-Boyd. You'll also meet the owners of many lesser-known, but equally memorable and inspiring gardens and manor houses that seldom, if ever, open to the public.

Topnotch tour leaders. This is what makes a good tour great. Our guides, who have lived and worked in the countries concerned, and have a minimum of ten years’ experience in the field, are among the most knowledgeable and creative tour leaders anywhere! (See "Who leads your tours" in Frequently Asked Questions).

“Tour leader Marianne Gorman is world-class. I’d go to the ends of the earth with her!”
—Robert Dietle, Oakland, California

"I felt pampered the entire time...Thank you for creating such a wonderful experience!"
—Marta Bach, Marblehead, Massachusetts