Jardins Haute Normandie: Exquisite gardens, coast to coast, from Varengeville to Honfleur

5 days | £3450 per person with Eurostar | 6 - 10 July 2026

Exquisite gardens, coast to coast, from Varengeville to Honfleur

Travel through Upper-Normandy visiting a select collection of the finest French gardens. Start with the unusually garden-rich village of Varengeville-sur-Mer on the Alabaster Coast (La Côte d'Albâtre) just west of Dieppe. This village has long been popular with artists and aristocrats with strong British links just across the channel. We include a very private contemporary garden, and the important hydrangea collection of Shamrock. Other highlights of the tour include Le Jardin Plume as it moves into its peak flowering phase and Jardin d’Etretat with its sensational modern topiary. For the first two nights we will be staying at the four-star Hotel la Présidence, a bright modern hotel in old Dieppe, between the castle and the medieval gatehouse, all reserved rooms with glimpses of the sea. For the last two nights we are based at the charming thatched five-star La Ferme Saint Siméon situated in Honfleur, facing the Seine estuary. For two centuries, La Ferme Saint Siméon has been the epitome of luxury hotels and excellence, offering guests a unique experience combining authenticity, heritage and the art of living.

Day to day Itinerary

Day 1

We take a morning Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord, then travel together by coach to a local inn in the pretty small town of Lyons-la-Forêt for a welcome lunch together. This is followed by an afternoon visit to the wonderful Le Jardin Plume where rustic charm meets French formality. Owners, Patrick & Sylvie Quibel’s seven-acre garden features swathes of tall grasses restrained by finely manicured, geometric hedges and vibrant, flower-filled beds. Continue to Dieppe to check in at Hotel la Présidence before dining together in a local restaurant.

Day 2

A day looking at gardens in Varengeville-sur-Mer starting with a visit to a very private contemporary garden. This beautiful garden is set in a dell dramatically overlooked by a striking house. The passion, knowledge and enthusiasm of the owner makes this garden so very special, with their excellent eye for the placement of choice trees and shrubs on a grand scale, many selected for outstanding bark or foliage. Down a country lane on the outskirts of Varengeville we meet Robert Mallet (grandson of Guillaume Mallet) for a guided tour of Shamrock, a garden dedicated to a fine Hydrangea collection that thrives beneath the plantation of Paulownia trees. Following lunch in the village, we visit Le Vasterival, the delightful woodland garden created by Princess Sturdza and still owned by her family. Return to Dieppe for a free evening.

Day 3

Leaving Dieppe, travel down through Upper Normandy first stopping at Château de Miromesnil, Mme Romatet, the owner, welcomes you a tour of the château and the garden that includes a fine working potager followed by lunch together. Our next visit is to Jardin Agapanthe, described by the owner and garden designer, Alexandre Thomas, as his laboratory, a site of ongoing research. This contemporary garden is defined by a powerful structure and rich planting designs. Continue further west to Honfleur and La Ferme Saint Siméon where we dine together this evening with wine included.

Day 4

Following the Normandy coast northwards, we arrive at Etretat, a seaside resort, famous for its towering chalk cliffs and elephantine natural arch, frequently painted by Monet and other impressionist artists. Across the small bay and offering a dramatic view, we discover the highly original Jardins d’Etretat, opened to the public in 2017 to critical acclaim. Contemporary sculpture, sound installations and swirling topiary reflecting the natural landscape beyond the gardens are the work of Russian-born landscape artist, Alexander Grivko. A picnic lunch is included today. Return to La Ferme Saint Siméon to dine together with wine included.

Day 5

Jardins d’Angelique was created in loving memory of a cherished daughter. It is planted with a profusion of roses, hydrangeas and perennials to give gentle colour and perfume throughout the growing season. The coach will then drive to Gare de Nord for our return journey to London St Pancras.

Hotel la Présidence

The Hotel sits below the walls of the 15th century Chateau de Dieppe in the city centre. Features of the hotel include a restaurant serving regional cuisine, a cocktail bar with billiards and a spacious terrace and lounge. Rooms offer a contemporary design with comfortable amenities and refreshing sea views, its central location makes it the perfect base for our exploration of gardens around Dieppe.

La Ferme Saint Siméon

This magnificent 17th-century inn offers an authentic French stay in their charming thatched property situated in the heart of Honfleur. Honfleur is often referred to as the birthplace of impressionism and many renowned artists have stayed at La Ferme Saint Siméon from Boudin to Corot, and Bazille to Monet. Each room has its own unique character, in keeping with the hotel's history and charm, but provides all relevant modern comforts to enhance your stay.

With Flights: £3450

Join Direct: £3350

Single Supp: £195

Deposit: £450

Departure Dates:

6 - 10 July 2026

Duration:

4 nights / 5 days

Your Holiday Includes:

Return travel with Eurostar from London to Paris
Two nights' bed and breakfast at the Hotel la Présidence
Two nights' bed and breakfast at the La Ferme Saint Siméon
Private coach transfers and excursions
Three evening meals and four lunches
Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
Services of the Tour Host and Tour Leader
Detailed programme and garden notes
All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers and serving staff

Tour Host & Leader

Amy Kupec Larue

Amy Kupec Larue is from upstate New York and has been living, working and traveling in Europe for over 35 years. After creating a floral decorating business in 1994, she began hosting garden tours in 2005. Her passion for plants, people and landscape design has taken her to many public and private gardens across France as well as Portugal and Italy. She also enjoys writing and published a map about the Remarkable Trees of Paris in 2023 along with articles for Bonjour Paris, France Today and the Guardian. When not traveling, she divides her time gardening between the Ile de France region and a small island off the coast of Brittany.

Marion Mako

Based in the Cotswolds, Marion is an accomplished freelance garden designer, historian, researcher, author, and tour leader. Inspired by a trip to Italy, she left the corporate world to study garden design and practical horticulture, later earning a Master’s in Garden History from the University of Bristol, where she focused on the Arts and Crafts era and the artist and garden designer Alfred Parsons. Marion has written five books, contributed to journals, and appeared on British TV and the American PBS series ‘A Short History of the English Garden’. For over twenty years, she has led garden tours across England and Europe. It is her great joy to discover and share new gardens with fellow garden enthusiasts and she is renowned for her engaging storytelling about the creators of these places.