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Country Life: Enchanted April in the Italian Riviera | SOLD OUT

5 days | £4995 per person with flights | 7 - 11 April 2025

Featuring citrus adorned streets and a plethora of rare and beautiful plants

We are privileged to have Charles Quest-Ritson author of RHS Encyclopedia of Roses and Ninfa: The Most Romantic Garden in the World and Kirsty Fergusson to host and lead this special tour, both contributors to Country Life.

As spring awakens the Italian Riviera, the villages and coastal resorts begin to emerge from their winter slumber, embracing the soft warmth of the new season. The once-sleepy streets come alive with vibrant colours as flowers bloom and the scent of fresh citrus fills the air. Ligurians may still raise their eyebrows at the thought of wearing shorts or—dio mio!—sea bathing in early April, but for northern visitors, the pleasant temperatures and clear skies offer a perfect invitation to enjoy al fresco dining by the sparkling sea. It's an ideal time for leisurely strolls through the region’s lush gardens, to uncover the faded elegance of Alassio’s Edwardian heyday, or to admire the grandeur of Genoa’s palazzos. Our tour is designed to immerse you in these experiences, providing opportunities to explore the region's history, charm and natural beauty. Alongside these natural belles, you'll enjoy memorable fine dining at restaurants that highlight some of the best Ligurian cuisine. Our two superb

hotels, Villa della Pergola and the Excelsior Palace Hotel, have been selected for their exceptional quality and stunning locations. Both promise five-star hospitality and comfort, ensuring that your stay is as delightful as the destinations you’ll discover.

Day to day Itinerary

Day 1

Fly from London to Nice. Transfer by coach to the Hanbury gardens, La Mortola for a buffet lunch at home with Carolyn Hanbury. Following the opportunity for an afternoon stroll in the gardens, we continue to Villa della Pergola in Alassio with time to relax before dining together at the hotel.

Day 2

After breakfast you may tour the garden, restored and replanted by Paolo Pejrone with the head gardener, wander independently, or join Charles Quest-Ritson to explore Edwardian Alassio, visiting the Hanbury Tennis Club and English Library library. A splendid lunch with local wines is a short drive away at the celebrated restaurant, Vignamare, outside the village of Andora. This afternoon we visit a rose garden and perfumery. In the evening we are joined at Villa della Pergola by Alessandro Bartoli who will give a pre-dinner talk about the English in Alassio.

Day 3

Leaving Villa della Pergola after breakfast, we travel towards Genoa, to spend the morning discovering the extensive and fascinating gardens of Villa Pallavicini-Durazzo at Pegli. Following lunch, we continue to Rapallo and the Hotel Excelsior Palace. Here you will have time to relax or explore the charming coastal town in the early evening we take a boat from the hotel to Portofino for a superb dinner together.

Day 4

This morning we visit Genoa and its Palazzo Lomellino garden, museums and churches along Via San Lorenzo and Via Garibaldi. We will enjoy lunch together in Genoa before visiting The Abbey of San Gerolamo Della Cervara. The Abbey boasts wonderful gardens with features ranging from box hedges and sixteenth-century fountains, complemented by an array of diverse flora including the elusive pink caper and striking coral trees. The romantic ambiance of this Abbey is neatly tied together with the 500 year old wisteria that weaves around the courtyard overlooking the sea. Return to the hotel where we dine together at the Excelsior Palace.

Day 5

Departing Rapallo we head back towards Nice, stopping to visit the gardens originally created by Ellen Wilmott at Villa Boccanegra with owner Ursula Piacenza; we then cross the border into France to have a special farewell lunch together.

Villa della Pergola

This Relais & Chateau Hotel is immersed in the famous Gardens of Villa della Pergola. Built at the end of the 19th century and overlooking the sea, it offers a unique opportunity to admire the Mediterranean vegetation, rare plants of the exotic flora and renowned botanical collections that are unique to Europe.

Excelsior Palace Hotel

The Excelsior Palace Hotel is a 5-star luxury hotel of historical notoriety on the Portofino coast. Located in a privileged position facing east on the bay of Rapello and west on the coast of Portofino. Since the early 1900s it has been the symbol of the “Dolce vita”, welcoming the international elite, thanks to its natural beauty and its legendary art of hospitality.

With Flights: £4995

Join Direct: £4845

Single Supp: £700

Deposit: £900

Departure Dates:

7 - 11 April 2025

Duration:

4 nights / 5 days

Your Holiday Includes:

Return flights (Economy class) from London to Nice
Two nights' bed and breakfast at the Villa della Pergola
Two nights' bed and breakfast at the Hotel Excelsior Palace
Four evening meals and four lunches with wine included
Private coach transfers and excursions
Services of the Tour Host and Tour Leader
Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
Detailed programme and garden notes
All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers and serving staff

Tour Lecturers

Charles Quest Ritson

Charles Quest-Ritson started out as a lawyer but is better known as a writer, journalist and translator. His many booked include The English Garden Abroad (1992), Olive Oil (2004) and Ninfa (2009). He has also edited the RHS Year Book and written two prize-winning books on roses. He and his wife Brigid garden in Hampshire (2 ½ acres of chalk) and Normandy (12 acres of woodland and apple orchard, where they grow 1200 roses.) He is a popular lecturer and columnist for Country Life Magazine.

Kirsty Fergusson

Kirsty exchanged a career in academia (she has a PhD specialising in French philosopher-novelists) for a life in gardening. Trained at Capel Manor, she was head gardener at Mapperton in Dorset during the early nineties, where a series of fortunate encounters opened the door to garden writing. As well as writing a weekly column for The Express, for many years she was a frequent contributor to Gardens Illustrated, House and Garden, Country Life, The Times, The Telegraph and The Independent. In 2003 she moved to SW France, where she continues to explore the possibilities of her own (very forgiving) garden - when not travelling, writing or leading tours.