Your Trip Overview:

Experience the pinnacle of Senior group travel with Best of Times Travel as we journey to the sparkling coast of Rhode Island for the 2026 Newport Flower Show. This year’s theme, “Pearls of Newport,” celebrates the 30th anniversary of this prestigious event, offering a rare glimpse into the botanical brilliance and architectural majesty of the Gilded Age. From the floral masterpieces at Rosecliff Mansion to the unparalleled opulence of the Breakers Mansion, this escorted trip is designed for those who appreciate history, elegance, and the timeless charm of the “City by the Sea.”

About This Tour:

This Senior Touring trip offers a seamless, sophisticated way to explore the legacy of America’s socialite families, including the Astors and Vanderbilts. Your day begins with an immersive experience at the Newport Flower Show, hosted at the iconic Rosecliff Mansion. Known for its heart-shaped grand staircase and as a filming location for The Great Gatsby, Rosecliff provides a stunning backdrop for exquisite floral designs and horticultural displays that honor Newport’s maritime heritage.

As part of this escorted trip, guests will also visit The Breakers, the grandest of all Newport “cottages.” Commissioned by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, this Italian palazzo serves as the ultimate symbol of the Gilded Age. Throughout the day, a Best of Times Travel Tour Manager will ensure a comfortable and enriching experience, handling all the logistics of motorcoach transportation and mansion entries so you can focus on the beauty and history of the Atlantic coast.

Highlights: 

• The 2026 Newport Flower Show: Celebrate the 30th Anniversary “Pearls of Newport” event, featuring world-class floral exhibits and botanical arts.

• Rosecliff Mansion: Tour the elegant rooms and oceanside lawns of this historic estate, inspired by a 1913 fairy tale dinner and the glamour of the Gilded Age.

• The Breakers Mansion: Explore the Vanderbilt family’s premier summer residence, a masterpiece of steel, brick, and limestone designed by Richard Morris Hunt.

• Bowen’s Wharf: Enjoy leisure time for shopping and lunch on your own at Newport’s famous historic waterfront.

• Expertly Managed Senior Group Travel: Relax with round-trip motorcoach transportation and the dedicated service of a Best of Times Travel Tour Manager.

• Floral & Garden Displays: View competitive horticultural exhibits crafted by skilled amateur gardeners and local garden clubs on the breathtaking rear terrace overlooking the ocean.

 Please note this program requires a moderate degree of walking throughout the day. 

With its celebrated heart-shaped grand staircase and the largest ballroom in Newport, this elegant mansion overlooking the Atlantic Ocean recalls lost Gilded Age summers filled with extravagant parties like the one featured in 1974’s The Great Gatsby, which included several scenes filmed at Rosecliff.

Commissioned by Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs in 1899, architect Stanford White modeled Rosecliff after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles. After the house was completed in 1902, at a reported cost of $2.5 million, Mrs. Oelrichs hosted fabulous entertainments here, including a fairy tale dinner and a party featuring famed magician Harry Houdini.

The Breakers is the grandest of Newport's summer "cottages" and a symbol of the Vanderbilt family's social and financial pre-eminence in the Gilded Age. It is the flagship of the Newport Mansions and an icon of the City-by-the-Sea.

Built by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, one of the richest men in America, The Breakers was everything a millionaire of the Gilded Age could want in a summer getaway. A classic Italian palazzo design, the finest American and European craftsmanship, views of the sea, and modern technology combined to make the ideal setting for luxurious living and entertaining.

The Breakers was built from 1893-1895 to replace a smaller, wooden house that had been destroyed by fire. To reduce the risk of another fire, Vanderbilt and his wife, Alice, commissioned architect Richard Morris Hunt, a leading architect of the Gilded Age, to design the new structure of steel, brick and limestone; utilities such as the boilers were placed underground and away from the house.

The mansion covers nearly an acre of the 13-acre property and has 70 rooms including 48 bedrooms for family and staff. There are 27 fireplaces. It was equipped with electricity – still a novelty in houses during the Gilded Age – as well as gas for lighting.

For guests that are not registering with a group, you will be notified of the closest departure point to where you live 45 Days, or sooner, prior to departure.  Upon registration you will be asked what departure location(s) you are wiling to go to.  If you are incapable of reaching, the closest departure point for this program we will understand.  You will be cancelled from the event and issued a refund of all charges paid for the trip.    

Current Planned Departure Locations Available For This Date Are:

Salem, NH

Methuen, MA

Tewksbury/Woburn, MA

Framingham, MA

Millbury, MA

No Refunds will be issued for cancellations, regardless of cancellation reason including but not limited to force majeure, health pandemics, or government restrictions after 5/19/2026.  Best of Times reserves the right to issue any refunds due in whole or in part in the form of Future Travel Credit.