Secret Garden Tea Tours

07/24/2024

If you've always wanted to visit beautiful Victoria, BC, please consider joining us on this escorted tour from Sumner, WA (or meet us in Seattle) this September. We handle all the logistics so you can just relax and enjoy the scenery, including Butchart Gardens, Craigdarroch Castle, the Inner Harbor area and more, all while enjoying a luxurious afternoon tea experience each day. See our website for all the details at www.secretgardenteatours.com

07/03/2024

06/22/2024

Our first full day in Ireland…we began our day touring Dublin Castle and then met our wonderful guide, Conor, who showed us the sites. Halfway through our walking tour, we stopped at a pub where several of our group tried Guinness beer! We later enjoyed afternoon tea on a vintage bus as we were driven all over Dublin. A long, but lovely day with a great group of tea lovers.

04/05/2024

After lots of phone calls and emails, we finally have a final cost on this tea tour. Negotiating the transportation piece of this tour has been challenging. This trip will have a short window of opportunity to make it happen. See our website for more details at www.secretgardenteatours.com

02/01/2024

We have just a few spots left on our small group tour of Ireland this June. Join us as we circumnavigate the Emerald Isle, enjoying luxurious afternoon teas each day, while visiting castles, gardens, natural scenic wonders and historical and cultural attractions. www.secretgardenteatours.com

01/28/2024

This is one of the many castles we will be exploring on our Tea and Castles Tour of Ireland. www.secretgardenteatours.com

Nestled amidst the verdant embrace of Ireland's Connemara region, Kylemore Abbey Castle stands as a poetic testament to time's enduring allure. With its romantic architecture mirroring the Victorian era's opulence, this enchanting edifice beckons travelers to step into a bygone era.

As the sun dips below the horizon, the castle's towering turrets and ivy-clad walls take on a mystical aura. A symphony of colors, from the emerald of the surrounding forests to the russet hues of autumn leaves, provides a picturesque backdrop to this architectural masterpiece.

The heart of Kylemore Abbey is the neo-Gothic castle itself, its façade adorned with intricate stone carvings and stained glass windows that refract the daylight into a kaleidoscope of colors. As you wander through its labyrinthine corridors, you'll discover rooms filled with antique furnishings, each whispering stories of long-gone residents. The grandeur of the drawing rooms, replete with ornate chandeliers and richly woven tapestries, evoke the essence of Victorian aristocracy.

Venturing outside, the castle's walled Victorian garden is a paradise unto itself. Its meticulously manicured lawns, fragrant rose gardens, and the serenity of the reflective lakeside make it an idyllic retreat. Standing at the garden's center is the Gothic Church, a marvel of design and devotion, where history and spirituality meld seamlessly.

Yet, what lends an air of mystique to Kylemore Abbey Castle is its backdrop of wild, untamed nature. The rugged terrain of the Connemara National Park stretches to the horizon, offering an untamed contrast to the castle's refined beauty. The stillness of Pollacapall Lough, framed by the Twelve Bens mountains, adds an ethereal quality to the landscape.

Each stone of Kylemore Abbey Castle seems to whisper secrets of love, loss, and the enduring spirit of Ireland. It is a place where history, nature, and artistry converge to create a symphony for the senses, inviting all who visit to lose themselves in its enchanting tale.

01/06/2024

Experience the ultimate tea lover's dream with Secret Garden Tea Tours as we embark on an unforgettable journey through England. We'll see stunning sites and explore the top tourist sites (and some hidden gems) while indulging in daily afternoon teas.
Please consider joining us on this all-inclusive journey that includes 4* hotels, breakfast, afternoon tea, ground transportation, and venue entries. Single travelers welcome! There are 6 seats available, so book your tour now and savor an exquisite blend of scenic vistas, culture, history, and tea. Learn more at www.secretgardenteatours.com

12/04/2023

Have you always wanted to visit England? Join us for a small group tour of the most charming and romantic locations, including 4 full days in London. Enjoy afternoon tea each day as we experience all the iconic sites. Single travelers welcome. www.secretgardenteatours.com

11/10/2023

Do you enjoy afternoon tea? Fancy finger foods, fine china, shopping, antiques, gardens and castles? Join us for a small group tour of England that includes the 'must-do' tourism sites along with afternoon tea each day. www.secretgardenteatours.com

09/26/2023

In honor of author Lucy Maud Montgomery's 150th birthday, we will be taking a small group to Cavendish, Prince Edward Island to visit the many sites that inspired her Anne of Green Gables books. The tour includes afternoon tea most days as we travel from Halifax, Nova Scotia to PEI and then to St John, New Brunswick to cross the Bay of Fundy before returning to Halifax. This carefully curated tour will allow you to experience the best, most scenic and historic parts of these provinces, all while enjoying local foods and shopping. It is a trip for all Anne of Green Gables fans who wish to immerse themselves in the beauty of the area that inspired the author. See our website for more details. www.secretgardenteatours.com

06/14/2023

https://bermondseysquare.net/bermondsey-antiques-market/

Bermondsey is my favorite antique/flea markets in London. I've gotten a number of great things there over the years including a fabulous, insulated 1940's tea set in chrome, porcelain and bakelite. The market is frequented by dealers both selling and buying from England and the continent.

Bermondsey has a checkered past. It "enjoyed the status of a ‘marché ouvert’ or ‘open market’ until 1995. This was a medieval French legal concept that allowed for the open sale of stolen goods between the hours of sunset and sunrise in certain designated markets in a City. It was reasoned that anyone who did not bother to check his stolen property was not being openly sold in a local market, had failed to take reasonable steps to recover his property. This explains why Bermondsey traditionally opened at 4 am. Furthermore, marché ouvert allowed anyone purchasing goods from such a market to acquire a legitimate ownership and title to them, even if the goods were stolen." (From https://bermondseyantiquemarket.co.uk/about/). Even though the open market status was legally revoked in 1995, knowing the history always makes me feel 1. like I probably got a really good deal and 2. A little bit naughty!

Join us for our London Tea and Flea Tour this September and search for your own treasures at Bermondsey and 7 other flea and antique markets. We will also visit all the top sights and experiences of London and enjoy the custom of Afternoon tea each day. See our website for the details at www.secretgardenteatours.com

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06/09/2023

We just love strolling the Portobello Road market on Saturday mornings.
You never know what you will discover as you peruse each stall.
We've brought home all kinds of treasures from egg cups and silver sugar tongs to jewelry. One guest even bought a darling tea set from the 1920's that I envy to this day. (I hope you are still enjoying it Margaret!) Join us for a London Tea and Flea Tour this September and visit a different market each morning. www.sgtea.com

It's the perfect place to spot celebrities

06/07/2023

If you enjoy hunting for antique treasures, this tour includes a visit to a flea or antique market each morning, before exploring the best London sights and enjoying a lovely afternoon tea each afternoon. We will visit the famous Portobello Road Market, the Covent Garden vintage market, as well as Camden, Old Spitalfields and Bermondsey markets.
The trip is timed to coincide with the famous Sunbury Antiques Market at Kempton Park, which has over 700 stalls. Vendors offer a wide range of antique goods including silver tableware, pottery and ceramics, kitchenware, vintage jewelry and fashion, garden decor, ephemera, clocks, jewelry, art, books and much, much more. In addition to the large number of British vendors, many stallholders come from the continent with goods from France, Belgium and more. We are fortunate that on our last full day, we will also be able to visit the Sandown Antiques Home & Interiors Fair, which takes place only 6 times a year and is operated by the same folks.
See our website for all the details and itinerary. www.secretgardenteatours.com

05/29/2023

Our classic Tea Tour of England has a fantastic itinerary for anyone who enjoys afternoon tea. Our small group tours include afternoon tea each day as we explore the best of England. In addition to visiting four historic and picturesque areas, we'll visit a number of pottery factories (and shopping outlets!) before tackling London. We spend enough time in each area for you to feel like you've experienced it. And speaking of experiences, we include them all in our tour price. We don't believe in making you choose which places you'd like "add on" to your tour. If you would like to have an adventure with a group of lovely people, see our website for all the details at www.secretgardenteatours.com

05/27/2023

This tour has been in the dream stage for years! Join us for a very special tea tour of Ireland which includes castle and manor house hotels as we explore all the best of the Emerald Isle next June. We have so, so many fantastic experiences planned and cannot wait to share them with a group of afternoon tea enthusiasts. See our website for all the details at www.secretgardenteatours.com

05/01/2023

It's been nearly 4 years since we've done a multi-day tea tour and we are ready to hit the road! If you love afternoon tea and enjoy browsing flea and antique markets join us for a magical tour of London. See our website for the details at www.secretgardenteatours.com

Guided tour of London, with an antique/flea market each morning, sites of London and tea in the afternoon,