Tours

Deryn first worked as a tour guide in the mid 1980s for Top Deck Travel, taking young people around Europe while sleeping, cooking and travelling on a double decker bus. In the late 1990s Deryn started tour leading around Australia and overseas.

She has maintained her enthusiasm for new adventures and passion for sharing the travel experience, but these days prefers to explore the world of gardens, art and history in a little more comfort.

For more information on her tours visit Travelrite International

Garden Cruise to New Zealand with Deryn Thorpe

20th November – 7th December, 2025

Embark on an enchanting journey through New Zealand’s breathtaking landscapes, led by award winning Garden Journalist Deryn Thorpe. This immersive experience offers a unique blend of vibrant garden visits, including stunning private estates and public gardens, showcasing the country’s diverse flora. Participants will explore the lush scenery of both the North and South Islands, enjoying expert insights from Deryn and engaging with local gardening enthusiasts. The itinerary is thoughtfully crafted to provide ample opportunities for relaxation and inspiration, making it perfect for both avid gardeners and nature lovers alike. Discover the beauty of New Zealand’s gardens while savoring its rich culture and stunning vistas on this unforgettable tour. Join us for an adventure that will inspire and rejuvenate!

Tour Highlights:

  • Tour leadership by Deryn Thorpe
  • Sight-seeing city tour of Auckland
  • Ayrlies Garden and Wetlands – Auckland
  • Highwic homestead and garden
  • The 12ha Tikiteret garden, developed since 1987
  • Art Deco Centre – Napier
  • Visit Welton House, a plant lovers paradise
  • Paripuma, a 20-year-old garden, which has created habitat for wildlife
  • Ohinetahi garden
  • New Zealand’s ‘castle’ which overlooks the Otago Peninsular
  • Milford Sound, star of Fiordlands National Park
  • Hannah Moloney’s garden
  • Cloudehill – a maze of stone walls and jewel
  • Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden
  • Farewell drinks
  • Cruising onboard MS Noordam

For more information visit
https://www.travelrite.com.au/garden-tours/nz-deryn-thorpe-nov-2025.php

Garden Tour to UK, Italy, Slovenia and Austria with Deryn Thorpe

19th May – 7th June 2026

The 19-night Garden Tour to the UK, Italy, Slovenia, and Austria with Deryn Thorpe offers an immersive exploration of some of Italy’s most charming towns and gardens in the Italian Lakes area and takes in jewel-like towns and villages in the nearby countries of Slovenia and Austria. The tour begins in London with visits to the renowned Kew Gardens and the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. We will then journey through the Italian Lakes region, experiencing the lush landscapes of Villa Rizzardi and the expansive Parco Sigurta. The itinerary continues with botanical highlights in Slovenia and Austria, including the Volcji Potok Arboretum, Celje Castle, and the Eggenberg Palace’s Schlosspark. Throughout the tour, participants will be guided by award-winning garden journalist and passionate horticulturist Deryn Thorpe.

Tour highlights include:

  • Tour Leadership by Deryn Thorpe
  • The famous Kew Gardens, London’s largest UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • The famous Chelsea Flower Show
  • Welcome dinner
  • Visit the Royal Horticultural Society Garden, Wisley, one of the world’s great gardens
  • Gardens of Villa Rizzardi – Lake Garda
  • Parco Sigurta a natural park of 60 hectares, one of the world’s most visit-worthy gardens by the Garden Tourism Network
  • Andre Heller Botanic Garden
  • Travel to Le Paradise de Papillons
  • Botanical Garden of Padua – Venice
  • Travel to Trieste, the largest port on the Adriatic Sea
  • Miramar Castle – Trieste
  • Sezana Botanical Gardens, a park once owned by a maritime nobleman from the Scaramanga family
  • Slovenia’s most popular botanical park, the Volcji Potok Arboretum
  • Celje Castle, the biggest Medieval castle in Slovenia
  • Visit to Eggenberg Palace, Schlosspark
  • Farewell dinner

For more information visit:
https://www.travelrite.com.au/garden-tours/italy-uk-garden-may-2026.php

Hi Deryn, a belated thank you for the Ballarat and Melbourne Garden Tour – it didn’t only live up to expectations, it exceeded them! It was a wonderful week, made even better by your expert guidance and relaxed manner. A highlight for me was meeting Phillip Johnson, he is such an inspiration.
Lynne, Fremantle

Thanks for the superb French tour. It was very interesting both historically and horticulturally and you made everyone in the group feel very welcome and relaxed. You managed everything in such a relaxed and friendly way that it felt like we were a group of friends travelling together rather than an ‘organised tour’. I have already recommended your tours to my friends.”A bientot”
Aline, Mosman Park

I booked on to the Melbourne and Ballarat tour rather on a whim, as I wanted to see Paul Bangay’s garden. However our tour took us to so many wonderful gardens, thank you. My sincere thanks for the planning, knowledge and commitment you put into our tour. You are an excellent tour guide, good with a group and not intrusive, and it was a very happy week indeed.
Anne, Melbourne

1. Monumental Garden of Villa Barbarigo, Valsanzibio, Euganean Hills southwest of Padua. Image courtesyTenuta Valsanzibio s.r.l. 2. Villa Melzi, Japanese garden, courtesy of Deryn Thorpe 3. Isola del Garda and its Neo-Gothic Venetian style palace. Image pxhere.
1. The Garden Vineyard, Moorooduc, Australia. Photo courtesy of The Garden Vineyard. 2. Private Garden in Newington (Ballarat), design by Paddy Milne of ‘The Scape Artist’. Photo courtesy of Paddy Milne 3. ‘The Garden at Broughton Hall’, Jindivick. Photo by David Musker.

I had the pleasure of being part of an Italian Garden tour with Deryn as the horticultural guide in May 2014. Deryn’s plant knowledge with historical context complimented the beautiful gardens and places that we visited. Her relaxed style, gentle good humour and sense of fun ensured that we all had a wonderful experience.
Caroline, Mt Lawley