Immerse yourself in the medieval majesty and rich historical heritage of Ghent and Bruges on a full-day trip from Brussels. Accompanied by a knowledgeable guide, marvel at the UNESCO-listed city of Ghent as you visit legendary landmarks like the Castle of the Counts, St. Bavo’s Cathedral, and the picturesque old port. Then, travel through the verdant Belgian countryside to Bruges in order to witness the architectural beauty and winding waterways of the iconic city. Stroll quaint cobbled streets on the way to Market Square and absorb the sacred ambiance of the Basilica of the Holy Blood during your comprehensive tour of the city.

Full-day trip to the UNESCO-listed cities of Ghent and Bruges from Brussels
Discover top city attractions such as St. Bavo’s Cathedral and the Castle of the Counts of Flanders in Ghent
Take a scenic drive through the Belgian and Flemish countryside
Wander the cobbled streets around Bruges’ romantic Minnewater (Lake of Love)
Explore City Hall, the Market Square, and the medieval Basilica of the Holy Blood with your guide

What's Included

Professional multilingual guide
Air-conditioned vehicle

Gratuities
Hotel pick up & drop-off
Food and drinks

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Rue du Marché Aux Herbes 61
Rue du Marché Aux Herbes 61, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
The street right next to the Grand Place and 5 minutes from the Central Station.

Start time

09:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Depart from Brussels in a spacious, air-conditioned vehicle and get acquainted with your knowledgeable guide during the scenic journey to Ghent. Disembark at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city, considered one of Belgium’s most beautiful, and embark on a comprehensive tour with your accomplished guide.

Begin at the sacred structure of St. Bavo’s Cathedral, home to late-medieval treasures like the ‘Mystic Lamb’ painting. Delve into the building's rich history by listening to your guide’s commentary (entrance optional) and then embark on an explorative walking tour of Ghent to see the city’s most legendary landmarks.

Meander through charming streets to the Castle of the Counts of Flanders (Gravensteen), St. Nicholas’ Church, and the ancient port of Graslei as your guide recounts local legends and entertaining anecdotes.

After your enriching tour, return to your vehicle and travel to the beguiling city of Bruges to witness more historical wonders.

On arrival, stroll the quaint cobbled streets of the UNESCO-listed city to Minnewater (Lake of Love) and revitalize with lunch at a café overlooking the beautiful body of water (own expense). Afterward, begin your walking tour of the splendid city and see cultural highlights like the City Hall, Market Square, and the Basilica of the Holy Blood.

Opt to see Bruges from a different perspective during an idyllic boat tour of the city’s winding waterways at your own expense. After thorough exploration, return to your comfortable vehicle and relax during the journey back to Brussels, where the tour concludes.

Belfry and Cloth Hall (Belfort en Lakenhalle) (Pass By)

Graslei and Korenlei (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Access to the Mystic Lamb at St Bavo's Cathedral is not possible on Sundays
Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
Not wheelchair accessible

Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 200 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

Be forewarned that there is a lot of walking, in case you have any issues with mobility.

Do also remember to change your Viator confirmation for a wrist band at the travel agency before looking for your group!

There is a bit of a walk to the coach departure, therefore take dress appropriately.

Reviews

4.0

3,018 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 3,018 reviews

Beautiful trip to Ghent and Bruges

Wilson_W, Mar 2023

Our guide made this trip wonderfully entertaining! Stephan is a vast source of knowledge. He must have been a professor in his previous career. He knows so much and made the story so interesting. There is royal and political intrigue. He goes over all that led to the rise of a great city and how it fell. Don’t worry, it is still there and lovely! It includes stories of an equestrian riding princess and so much more. He also makes everyone feel welcome. He looks people in the eye and talks directly to people. He also tells great jokes. The places he took us were beautiful and the stories behind it made it much better. You wouldn’t know these stories unless someone that loved this place explained it. Awesome experience!

A day well spent!

Mark_H, Mar 2023

This was a great experience! The tour guide was very knowledgeable and helped give historical context to these two great towns! I really enjoyed the downtown of Bruges and Ghent was absolutely magical. The price for the tour was very reasonable for two people for an all day experience.

Timely departure, clean...

Deanna_D, Mar 2023

Timely departure, clean bus, knowledgeable tour guide. Great experience! Each city offered a unique experience. Guided tour helps the cities come to life.

Excellent experience.

carla_m, Mar 2023

Met at tourist trip center, checked in. Mary was our guide. She walked us to the bus, about 5mins away. Nice clean bus. Introduced us to driver. Mary was very knowledgeable and shared all kinds of info on the way to Ghent and Bruges. PA system on bus very clear. Mary handed out personal audio devices and earphones to all on the bus only to discover that sha had not been provided with the microphone. She was very articulate and easy to hear despite this minor snafu. Mary walked the bus to chat to people and arranged lunch reservations for those who wanted it or wanted to take a boat cruise in Bruges. The traffic on the way back was bad due to major accident so we ended up taking B roads and saw a bit more of rural Belgium. Good problem-solving all-round. A great taste of these 2 cities with a lot more to learn. Would highly recommend.

Pack a lot in 1-Day!

Christina_S, Mar 2023

A great trip that packed in all the sights you want to see, while leaving you wanting more, so you come back to both! Stefan was an amazing guide that was full of local knowledge, history and had a side gig helping with photos and knew all the perfect spots to take them! I'm was most impressed that we were on time - they were clear about the schedule and we stuck to it! Would travel with the company and Stefan again!

Beating Cities.

Gene_F, Mar 2023

Wonderful tour today of two beautiful cities. We first visited Ghent. The weather was good so we were able to walk the city without issues. Mary, our tour guide was very informative and gave us free time after the waking tour. Ghent was beautiful and the architecture amazing. The Belfry was incredible! Next we went to Bruges and another amazing city with fine architecture. I love all the buildings and churches. Since the weather was nice, we were able to take a boat cruise through the canals and see the city from that perspective. I really enjoyed this tour and highly recommend it. Mary was a great host and guide and was very knowledgeable. Thank you for a wonderful day.

Wonderful Experience

Danton_D, Mar 2023

Andrea was a great guide. The daylong trip went fast. It was nice to have a portion guided and a portion allowing free time to explore each beautiful city.

Scrolling around the...

EIRINI_A, Mar 2023

Scrolling around the beautiful cities of Brugges and Ghent and having the chance to learn more things about the history of these cities and Belgium in general

Amazing!

Carlos_L, Mar 2023

Wonderful places and very knowledgeable tourist guide!, we spent a complete day in Ghent and Bruges, recommended places to visit with family and friends.

BEST tour guide.

Rebecca_C, Mar 2023

Andrea was a phenomenal tour guide! Personable, knowledgeable and a pleasure to spend the day with. Great food recommendation and super helpful all day! Get in her bus if you can!! We had an amazing time!

Fairyland

Geraldine_H, Mar 2023

A must visit! Such deep history between these 2 iconic town. My last visit in Nov 2022 & decided to do the, exact same town this Mar 2023. Stephen the guide is very good, very knowledgeable & shares with humour. I would highly recommend this tour.

A must see and unforgettable.

Gurgen_H, Mar 2023

The whole experience was awesome and most definitely memorable. Thank you Stephan (the tour guide) for all of the explanations of the historical s references.

Interesting, good for those with limited time.

Tamara_P, Mar 2023

The tour guide (Andreaux) was excellent. I was a little concerned from other reviews but can confirm that the Spanish and English explanations were the same length. I selected doing both cities due to limited time in Brussels, and also as I wanted more of a guided tour than trying to find things myself. There is time for self exploration, and I did get lost, but the guide assisted when I called to get direction. Make sure you get back to the meeting spot on time or call the guide well enough in advance if you do get lost. There is an optional boat ride for 12 Euro. It is worth doing but I was a little disappointed in how many people were in the boat as it made it difficult to see. A certain level of fitness is required as the walking pace was "fast" for some people at times.

Thank you for the guided...

Pranjali_B, Mar 2023

Thank you for the guided Tour through Ghent and Brugges. The history and beauty of these cities could not have reached me as a person so evidently without the guidance. Thank you once again!

Great trip!

Lisa_H, Mar 2023

Our guide, Stephan, was incredible! His knowledge of the history of Belgium was amazing! Ghent and Bruges were so beautiful! Truly magical! Definitely a must see! Highly recommend!!

A perfect way to learn and see a lot!

Kennedie_N, Mar 2023

It was an amazing way to see Bruges and Ghent. I am so happy Ghent is part of the tour it is really worth seeing but wasn’t on our radar previously. Our tour guide Stephan was of course spectacular like everyone will mention, made a lot of great memories for us! Just be punctual and polite and everyone will have a great trip.

Nice trip for seeing amazing Gothic architectural structures and more!

6vdx2jhthp, Mar 2023

Albert, our guide was really nice and gave an amazing running commentary about the rich history and architectural layout of the region. Well worth your money, I personally loved it.

Wonderful day

Valerie_S, Mar 2023

This was a long and wonderful day. Albert was very thorough. English and Spanish was great as was his sense of humor. Although long day, we were active nearly the whole time with enough time for breaks. Bring good walking shoes. Bus was very comfortable.

Amazing, in-depth tour

Chastity_F, Mar 2023

What a BUSY BUSY day. Our guide Stefan is an overwhelming boat load of information. I wish I could retain a significant fraction of all the things he educated us on. He would be incredible to do private tours with. He is funny, and local, and welcoming. Went through Bruges and Ghent. And despite what you may have read, I actually think BOTH cities are unique and worth visiting. Also, make sure you bring change for your bathroom stops for the day. Only not fun part, is the tour was given in 2 languages. English and French. By the same guide. Who knew an infinite wealth of knowledge to share. So you spend, literally hours of your day standing, waiting, listening to foreign language (although French is beautiful) it was a lot of standing around waiting. Otherwise, fun day that covered a substantial amount of ground and information. Absolutely worth it for the price!!! Cannot believe it’s not more expensive for this.

Well organized but a bit rushed.

Leslie_F, Feb 2023

Host was excellent. Would have preferred skipping Ghent and having more time in Bruges, especially to go into museums. Felt a bit rushed with both cities. Well organized, recommend this company!

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