Bruges

Boat Tours & River Cruises

Explore Bruges on a walking tour with a local guide. Join a boat cruise along the canals to see the sites from the water. Meet your guide in the Markt for a guided tour of the city. Discover the narrowest street, the beautiful 12th-century basilica, and the golden statues on the impressive courthouse. Next, explore the fish market surrounded by 126 columns. Then, embark on the second part of the tour. Board your boat at the quay for a cruise along the canals. Sail beside ivy-covered facades and under bridges as you learn about the beautiful sites from your captain. Admire the old trading houses at the former harbor and the Beguinage. After half an hour on the water, head to the secret garden of an almshouse, where you will be surprised by the beauty of picturesque Bruges.

Discover the highlights of Bruges and Ghent, Belgium's most attractive cities, with round trip by train from Brussels. Tour two of the most fascinating medieval cities in Europe with an English/Spanish or French-speaking guide on a 10-hour guided day trip. Depart from the Grand Place at 09:30 only on Sunday. Upon arrival at the central station of Bruges, begin with a 2.5-hour walking tour and 2-hours of free time for eating, souvenirs and a boat trip. Scheduled return to Brussels will be at 18:00 and arrival at 19:00 with your guide. Program in Bruges: In the ancient city wall park, the ‘Lake of Love’ is one of the main water reservoirs nourishing the canal system of the Venice of the North. Visit the Beguinage, one of the best-preserved examples of medieval gated communities in which only women could live. Brewery ‘De Halve Maan’ is the only brewery still operating in the city center. Afterwards, Old St. John’s Hospital is one of the oldest hospitals in Europe, where you can appreciate 800 years of European architecture, learn about its history and visit the museum of Hans Memling (optional). Head on to Our Lady of Bruges is one of the oldest churches in the city. Admire its impressive tower that is still one of the tallest brickwork towers in the world, and take a look to its art treasures, including Michelangelo’s Madonna with the Child (optional). Stop by the VisMarkt (fishmarket) and the Tanners’ Square, two of the oldest squares in Bruges with their beautiful guildhalls and lovely cafés and restaurants. You will also visit Groeninge Museum, Burg Square and Markt Square, the 10th century city market that has been for a millennium the economic heart of Bruges. Admire its imposing guildhalls and its bellfort tower, which is one of the most famous Gothic buildings in Belgium. At the end, have an optional canal tour (8 EUR per person, pay while embarking on the boat), which is one of the best ways to see Bruges. Program in Ghent: Journey to the port city of Ghent, located at the scenic confluence of the Leie and Scheldt Rivers. Start your tour of the historic city at Saint Bavo Cathedral and admire the spectacular Gothic church and Baroque ornamentations. Step into the marble choir and private chapels, appreciate the painting of “Saint Bavo Enters the Convent at Ghent” by Rubens and the beauty of the Rococo pulpit. Look at the stunning frescoes of the Romanesque crypt. Then, opt to visit the altarpiece of "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" by the Van Eyck brothers and admire one of the most important works of art from the Middle Ages for a small extra fee. Then, go to City Hall to see its extraordinary mix of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Continue to Market Hall to look at the Belfort Tower and covered market. Marvel at the nearby churches of Saint Nicholas, Saint James and Saint Michael, serving as reminders of Ghent’s medieval past. Proceed to the old port of Graslei for beautiful views of the river Leie and the old guildhalls. Then, head to the medieval castle of Gravensteen, where the counts of Flanders used to live. Explore the picturesque district of Patershol and see charming buildings of brick facades where restaurants and cafes offer the best of Flemish cuisine. Go to the 15th century Great Butchers' Hall to discover one of Europe's oldest meat markets.

Meet your tour guide near the harbor of Blankenberge where you will board one of the top-of-the-range motorboats. With a small group, depart the harbor for a trip of 27 kilometers across the open sea to the Thorntonbank Wind Farm. Learn more about the massive wind turbines which provide sustainable energy for the population in the Flanders region. From the water, enjoy a fantastic view of these amazing feats of engineering. During the 2.5-hour journey, your experienced crew will provide information about windmills and their construction, as well the maritime importance of the North Sea including shipping routes, buoys, currents, and tides.

Bruges is an ancient city located in the northern part of Belgium, about 100 kilometers from Brussels. The city was once a main port of Belgium and welcomed plenty of artists and nobles from Europe during the 15th century.  Bruges maintained its medieval appearance thanks to various factors from the last centuries, about which you will learn during your tour. Today, Bruges is a destination of choice for thousands of tourists every year. On your tour you will visit the city's most important places, such as the ancient city wall park, market square, Burg Square, VisMarkt, GroeningeMuseum, Our Lady of Bruges, Old St. John’s Hospital, Brewery ‘De Halve Maan, the Beguinage and the ‘Lake of Love’.

From Amsterdam you will go to Bruges by bus. During the tour you will have an introduction to the history of Belgium and cities near the route like Utrecht and Breda, both connected with Spanish history. This journey takes approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes. The city of Bruges owes its name to the various bridges you will find in it. It was declared a World Heritage City in 2000 and is also known as the Venice of the North.  It also has a great Medieval period architectural heritage, which you can enjoy as you walk through the city. Once you reach the Belgian city of Bruges, have a guided tour of 1.5 hours and visit the most attractive and interesting places of this city. The guided walking tour in Bruges starts at the Minnewater or Lake of Love. During the tour, see important places of the city such as the Markt Square dominated by the Belfry, the Brug Square and Town Hall, the Church of Our Lady where you can appreciate one of Michelangelo's masterpieces "The Madonna of Bruges," the Cathedral of San Salvador, and the old Beaterio, among others. At the end of the guided tour, the guide will indicate a collection point and time to return to the bus, after free time in the city. Then have free time to eat, take a walk, go shopping, or continue discovering Bruges on your own. Later, you will return to the starting point of this excursion, the Dutch capital of Amsterdam.

Book an excursion through Bruges and upon your arrival a local guide will be waiting for you to explore the historic center and let this fascinating city come to life through stories, descriptions, and medieval legends. The guided tour will take up to 2 hours, and afterwards you will have plenty of time to discover Bruges on your own. Throughout your tour you will visit sights such as: • The Lake of love and Beguinage • Walplein and Half Moon Brewery • The smallest street • Old St. John's Hospital • The Church of Our Lady and the Bridge of Love • Dijver & Rosary Quay • The Fish Market • Burgh Square • Market Square and Belfry Tower Your cruise shuttle to Bruges provides a return shuttle service from your cruise ship to Bruges and back at regular intervals (with a maximum waiting time of 30 minutes). This results in you having no delay in getting to Bruges and back from your cruise ship. Shuttles leave Zeebrugge between 8:30AM-12:00PM (noon), and return from Bruges in the afternoon. The schedule in the afternoon depends on the departure time of your cruise ship.

The tour begins with pickup from the meeting point in Brussels and heads out of the city towards Bruges where a day of adventure awaits. During the drive to Bruges, learn about the rise and fall of the city from your guide, and how it came to be a UNESCO World Heritage Listed location. Upon arrival, stop by Europe’s oldest Saint John’s Hospital then enjoy a guided visit of the Church of our Lady which feature the tombs of the Dukes of Burgundy, as well as the Madonna painting by Michelangelo. Next, walk to the Belfry Tower in the Market Square, then continue onto the Town Hall and the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Once you’ve worked up a bit of an appetite, enjoy a short beer tasting session followed by an optional lunch at a local restaurant with views of the Belfry. After lunch, enjoy a boat tour along the canals of Bruges and see the sights from a new perspective. Depart Bruges and listen to your guide bring the history of Ghent to life as you travel to the city. Stretch your legs with a guided tour of the Ghent’s highlights including the churches of Saint Jacob, Saint Michael, and Saint Nicholas, as well as the Town Hall, the Cloth Hall, and the Old Harbor. Later, visit the impressive Cathedral as well as the Castle of the Count of Flanders, built in the late 12th century. Your time in Ghent also includes a trip to the medieval Great Butcher’s Hall where you can taste local Ganda Ham that has been cured amongst the great wooden rafters. After another idyllic boat tour, which cruises along the rivers of Ghent, sit back and relax on the return journey to Brussels.

Visit the enchanting city of Bruges with its historic city center that was named a UNESCO world heritage site. From Brussels, relax onboard of a comfortable coach while learning about the history of the city from your expert guide. In Bruges, your guide will first take you to the Beguinage, once a community of lay religious women. Continue the tour through Bruges to see the Chapel and Old Saint John’s hospital. Enjoy a comprehensive tour of the Church of our Lady where you'll discover the tombs of the Dukes of Burgundy, the Madonna by Michelangelo, and paintings by Caravaggio. Then, wander through the city and discover the other highlights including the Museum of the Flemish Primitives, Belfry Tower on the Market Square, the Burg Square with the Town Hall, and the upper and lower Basilica of the Holy Blood. Next, it's time to learn about Belgium's famous beer during a brief beer tasting followed by an optional set lunch. Your guide will also give you advice about additional places to visit in your free time. Finally, enjoy a pleasant boat trip along the narrow canals of Bruges.