Italian Riviera of Flowers and Hanbury Gardens for Gardeners World

We journey aboard Eurostar from London and continue by TGV to Nice, where we are taken by coach to Diano Marina on the beautiful Italian Riviera where we spend the next 7 nights.

Today is free for you to spend at leisure in our beautiful resort, surrounded by hills and coast. You can relax in our hotel and enjoy the facilities, head to the sandy beach or venture into the old town to browse the shops and sample local delicacies.  We include a delicious lunch at the hotel today with the remainder of the day free to relax further.   Dinner is served tonight in the hotel’s restaurant.

The hilltop village of Dolceacqua enjoys a picture-perfect setting and is filled with striking architecture. The Nervia River runs through its heart, separating the village into two parts – the oldest called Terra, which is dominated by the Doria Castle, and the newest called Borgo. Both are connected by a spectacular medieval bridge, described by Claude Monet as “a jewel of lightness”. We also visit San Remo, Italy’s answer to France’s Monte Carlo. The atmospheric old town, known as ‘La Pigna’, is tightly packed with buildings that cling to a steep hill. There are also two ports where you can see luxurious yachts, busy shopping streets and broad tree-lined boulevards.

We travel by coach to Santa Margherita and take the ferry to enjoy the dramatic coastal scenery on our way to Portofino. This pretty crescent-shaped village retains all its traditional charms, despite its jet-set reputation. You can explore the harbour with its brightly coloured buildings, follow one of the scenic pathways to the beach or the light house, or visit the 16th-century hilltop castle and enjoy wonderful views across the Mediterranean to the French island of Corsica. *Please note: Portofino boat trip may be replaced by a coach depending on sea conditions.*

Our included excursion today takes us to the 100-acre Villa Hanbury Botanical Gardens.  The history of the Hanbury Gardens is strongly linked to its founder, Sir Thomas Hanbury, who turned a promontory of 18 hectares planted with olive trees and vineyards into one of the most important and famous botanical gardens in the world to experiment with acclimatisation. Hanbury Botanic Gardens is today managed by Genoa University and is planted with a wide range of specimens ranging from succulents to roses and plants indigenous to the site. On entering, you will descend 103m to the sea, winding down the numerous paths through nine hectares of garden filled with eucalyptus, the acacia area, bamboos, the succulent collection and the scented garden. Among other important collections such as the Citrus with many old varieties, there is an area of other exotic fruits trees and tropical climbers along the pergolas. After our guided tour, we will enjoy an included buffet lunch with wine.

Enjoy a free day in resort or join our optional excursion to visit the French resort of Monaco, a playground for the rich and famous and home to the renowned grand prix circuit and exquisite harbour. Admire the casino, walk around the gardens, or for a small cost you can take a circular bus tour.

We enjoy another free day in resort.

We check out of our hotel this morning and retrace our route to meet Eurostar for the return to London. ***Important Notes*** *Portofino boat trip may be replaced by a coach depending on sea conditions.* *Due to the late arrival on day one, lunch and dinner will be provided on day two.* *This holiday is not suitable for anyone with mobility issues due to the layout of Hanbury Gardens.* *Guests will have lunch at the bottom of the garden and must walk up back to the entrance. The difference in altitude is 100 meters.*