Bruges and Ghent: Explore Belgium's Fairytale Cities from Brussels
4.1
3,755 Ratings
Bruxelles
Step into a fairytale in Bruges and Ghent, Belgium's enchanting cities. Explore medieval castles, cathedrals, and picturesque canals on a guided walking tour back in time!
Duration:
10 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Belfry and Cloth Hall (Belfort en Lakenhalle) - The 91-metre-tall belfry of Ghent is one of three medieval towers that overlook the old city centre of Ghent, Belgium, the other two belonging to Saint Bavo Cathedral and Saint Nicholas’ Church.
- Graslei and Korenlei - A quay in the historic city center of Ghent, Belgium, located on the right bank of the Leie river.
- St. Bavo’s Cathedral (Sint-Baafskathedraal) - The Saint Bavo Cathedral an 89-meter-tall Gothic cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. It is the seat of the diocese of Ghent, is named for Saint Bavo of Ghent, and contains the well-known Ghent Altarpiece.
- Gravensteen - The current castle dates to 1180 and was the residence of the Counts of Flanders until 1353. It was subsequently re-purposed as a court, prison, mint, and even as a cotton factory.
- Saint Nicholas Church - St. Nicholas’ Church is one of the oldest and most prominent landmarks in Ghent, Belgium. Begun in the early 13th century as a replacement for an earlier Romanesque church.
- Basilica of the Holy Blood - The Basilica of the Holy Blood is a Roman Catholic basilica in Bruges, Belgium. The church houses a venerated relic of the Holy Blood allegedly collected by Joseph of Arimathea and brought from the Holy Land by Thierry of Alsace.
- Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk - The Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Belgium, dates mainly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. Its tower, at 115.6 metres in height, remains the tallest structure in the city and the second tallest brickwork tower in the world.
- Stadhuis - The Bruges City Hall is one of the oldest city halls in the entire Netherlands region. It is located in Burg Square, the area of the former fortified castle in the centre of Bruges.
- Minnewater Lake - The famous area is called the “Lake of Love” and” Lovers bridge” .
Itâs a romantic place to be with someone you love! An amazing location within the confines of the city.
- Burg Square - The Burg Square is the political center of Bruges. It is a lovely place where architecture lovers can enjoy the amazing mix of beautiful buildings.
- The Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaarde - The Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaerde is the only preserved beguinage in the Belgian city of Bruges. There are no more Beguines living there, but since 1927 it functions as a convent for Benedictines, founded by canon Hoornaert.
- Historic Centre of Brugge - There will be time for an optional but unforgettable canal tour.
What's Included
- Professional multilingual guide
- In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Hotel pick up & drop-off
- Food and drinks
- Boat trip on the Bruges canals (upon availability at an extra cost)
Additional Information
Join us as we journey back in time through the two most captivating cities in Flanders! Our first stop is Ghent, where we will explore Saint-Bavo’s Cathedral, home to the renowned Mystic Lamb painting (optional). Along the journey, we will pass by the Castle of the Counts of Flanders, the striking medieval harbor, and other notable sights.
After lunch in Bruges, we will bask in the tranquility of the Lake of Love and the charming Beguinage. Our guide will reveal the stories and mysteries of the city’s past, from the Viking era to the end of the Medieval period. We cover ‘all’ significant highlights in Bruges: the Basilica of the Holy Blood of Jesus, the Belfry Tower, Our Lady’s Church, Saint John’s Hospital, and others. A delightful boat ride along the narrow canals is also an option.
Don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes to navigate through the cobblestone streets!
- Access to the Mystic Lamb at St Bavo’s Cathedral is not possible on Sundays
- Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
- Our guides are pleased to guide the tours in English, Spanish and/or French depending on the language need of our guests on the tour
- Please note that we cannot accomodate latecomers
Location
Bd de Berlaimont 18
Boulevard de Berlaimont
Look for our staff and the Keolis coach outside the National Bank of Belgium.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.1
(3755 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Fausto_l
Apr 14, 2024
Enjoyable experience - The Guide was helpful, enjoyable and remembered constantly the trip rules as it was a large group to manage (above 50 people).
Both cities were worth to visit. A lot of historic events happened that make Belgium the country it is nowadays. Thanks
Review provided by Viator
Mtolmos
Apr 13, 2024
A great experience - It was a great experience all the way, we see a lot of beautiful medieval places. Our tour guide Josephine was kind and joyful. The ride on the boat was nice!
Review provided by Viator
Siddhiingalway
Apr 13, 2024
Best tour in Belgium! Highly recommended from Brussels - This is truly one of the best tours in Belgium (that I have had the pleasure to go on) and I have done a couple over the years. Bruges boat trip add-on was the highlight, so highly recommended. This tour company is really reliable and the tour guides were so knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. And when walking, the audio headsets proved to be very useful to hear the commentary at the same time. I was a bit worried about the amount of walking but there was enough time allocated for this and I did not get very tired. I went with my sister and had a really enjoyable time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dordaniel_s
Apr 9, 2024
Amazing vacation trip to fairytale land - Amazing tour with an insightful and humorous guide, you really do feel inside of a fairytale in Bruge. Ghent is more of a modern attraction with very rich history.
Review provided by Viator
Mina_j
Apr 9, 2024
Amazing trip - We did a day trip to these 2 magical cities and learned a lot from our tour guide Veronica. We were not rushed, giving us ample time to enjoy ourselves. Would definitely recommend it.
Review provided by Viator
Viajerosfsm
Apr 8, 2024
Ideal - We did this excursion through the company civitatis, which once again was incredible, it is a company with experience. The guide, Marta, an Andalusian charm. Congratulations on your work. The only bad thing about the visit is the fact of paying to go to the bathroom, especially when there is a toilet on the bus.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wre2nxt
Apr 13, 2024
Archetypal Europe - You will meet at an easily identifiable, central location, which is the National Belgian bank.
A comfortable coach will collect you, and you will meet your guide for the day.
We had Jan, who was friendly, welcoming, and witty!
We first travelled to Ghent, which was around 45 minutes drive. Jan showed us round on a guided tour for around 30 minutes, and then we had 45 minutes to explore solo.
Once the group all meets up again, it's off to Bruges. As soon as you arrive, you get taken to a nice restaurant for lunch. It has many typical dishes from Belgian cuisine. Or, you can wander off alone to a restaurant of your choosing!
After Jan gave us another guided tour around the city, and at extra cost, took us on a tour of the city via canal ways & boats - which was my favourite part!
It is quite a long day and has a fair bit of walking involved, so prepare to burn some energy!
All in all, a nice day! The group was a bit large, and Jan had to keep swapping between languages, which was a bit distracting, but he certainly did well!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Succorine_m
Apr 7, 2024
Good trip - We were put in a Spanish n English mix group … which I found a bit boring …… However David made a lot of effort to keep us integrated ….. we enjoyed Brugge a lot … However Ghent was a bit boring
The restaurant suggestion by David was good we enjoyed our meal
Review provided by Viator
Whatisinanamebro
Apr 13, 2024
DO NOT JOIN THIS TOUR - Terrible organization. I saw an elderly couple who kept on getting lost so much during the tour that they reached the end point 2 hours in advance, just to ensure they don't get lost again and miss the bus back to Brussels. The lady who lead the tour didn't seem to care. Unlike most tour operators, she was neither in bright colour dress nor did she hold any sign as she moved for easier identification. I also paid for a boat ride in Brugges but missed it because I reached 30 seconds after the meeting time. 15 euros down the drain. Do your research, there are much better alternatives to this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Harsh_s
Apr 11, 2024
Lack of communication, rude drivers, worst experience. - The bus was late, there is no contact details to check where the bus is. There was another flexibus driver who refused to speak with us even while lying idle at the bus stop. There is no sign board or a reference picture where it will arrive. The app is not live until the bus arrives. Bus was 15mins late but no information about the whereabouts. Never would want to travel again.
Review provided by Viator
More activities from this operator
