Belgium · GUIDED
This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 15 guided tours worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
Travel by comfortable coach from central Brussels to Bruges and Ghent. Guides such as Antonio and Peter lead walking tours past canals, medieval squares, Saint Bavo Cathedral, and the Belfry. You get guided context plus free time for lunch, chocolate, photos, and independent exploring.
“The trip was amazing and our guide was very informative.”
Take a 50-minute boat ride through Ghent’s medieval center, passing the Three Towers, Gravensteen, guildhalls, old port, and Prince’s Court. Live commentary is given in Dutch, English, and French, with illustrated translations in six more languages. Guides such as Kobe, Brent, Anna, and Tom have been praised for clear stories and humor.
“Great activity with a knowledgeable guide. Seeing Ghent by boat is a great option!”
Meet your local guide at the Historium on Markt for a 150-minute introduction to Bruges. Walk past the Basilica of the Holy Blood, Fish Market, Four Horsemen, Gruuthusemuseum, and Church of Our Lady, then cruise the canals and taste Belgian chocolate. Guides speak English, French, German, and Dutch.
“Patrick proved to be an excellent guide , informative and interesting and very willing to answer questions A well balanced walking tour with a boat trip in the middle.”
Tour Choco-Story Bruges at your own pace with an audio guide, interactive displays, and a collection of more than 500 chocolate-related objects. Learn how cacao became modern chocolate, watch a praline demonstration, and sample the finished treats. A kids’ audio version makes this a useful family stop.
“Slightly better instructions of what route to take round the museum”
Meet your private guide on Bruges’ Market Square and settle into a rickshaw for a one or two-hour tour. Guides such as Pieter, David, and Davide combine major sights with quieter streets, local legends, beer and chocolate tips, and photo stops. Dutch, English, and French are available.
“excellent and experienced guide he showed us the most interesting parts of the city,very pleasant excellent knowledge of English”
Spend 10 hours visiting Antwerp and Ghent from Brussels with a live English or Spanish guide. Walk past medieval castles, grand squares, canals, churches, and guild houses, then enjoy free time for lunch, shopping, beer, or museums. Guides such as Diego, Julien, Pablo, and Sabrina are known for clear history and useful local tips.
“A wonderful and very well organized day trip!!Our guide Julian was very nice, helpful and gave us all the appropriate information for each spot!!We had a great time!!!”
See central Ghent from the River Leie on a 40-minute guided boat ride. Your guide covers the medieval harbor, three famous towers, Prinsenhof, guildhalls, churches, monasteries, and Castle of the Counts in Dutch, English, or French. Illustrated text is available in Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, and Japanese.
“Loved this boat tour! Our guide was hilarious and knowledgeable. The best combination! Fit so much into and details in during the boat ride. Highly Recommend!”
Walk Bruges with a local guide such as Fabienne, Patrick, Bruno, or Mark, then cruise its canals for 30 minutes. You’ll see the Markt, Basilica of the Holy Blood, Beguinage, Beerwall, Gruuthuse area, and more. The gentle route suits first-time visitors, but bring warm clothing and arrive early for the boat.
“Delightful walking tour with Brigit and fun canal boat ride with Captain Alan. Brigit had a wealth of interesting knowledge about the magical 800 year old UNESCO World Heritage city of Brugge. Totally worth the time, gentle walk, easy pace. Beautiful to see the details of the city. Canal boat ride was excellent-great to see Brugge from the canal view. Highly recommend! Visit Brugge Madonna after! Oh and we especially loved the area founded by and lived in exclusively by women- Begunenhuisje is a 12th century community formed by women who had husbands out on the crusades (felt unsafe) or widows and nuns-only women have ever lived here through to…”
Spend two hours walking Bruges with an English or Spanish-speaking guide. See the Lake of Love, Beguinage, canals, Burg Square, Basilica of the Holy Blood, and Market Square. Guides such as Maria, JK, and Peter add stories, humor, beer advice, and lunch suggestions. Wear comfortable shoes and bring headphones if radios are used.
“We had a retired history teacher for a guide. His name was Piet And I think he works for another company called legend but he was a substitute today. He was very engaged and knew a lot about the history of the town and we enjoyed his infectious personality.”
Ride through Antwerp’s historic center with an English or Dutch-speaking guide from Antwerp by Bike. In two hours, you’ll see the cathedral, city hall, Steen castle, Central Station, the old port, and MAS museum area. Guides such as Dirk, Leo, Filip, and Nils add stories, humor, and local tips while you cover more ground than on foot.
“Bikes were in good condition, nice way to see the city, not overly exciting guide.”
Ride a stable vintage bike through Bruges with local guides such as Sebastian, Eveline, Frieda, and Godfried. You’ll see the Belfry, canals, Beguinage, windmills, Lake of Love, and lesser-known corners including the Stairway to Heaven, then finish with a local beer or soft drink in a medieval house garden.
“A historical and modern perspective of Bruges was provided by our guide Frieda. Joining this tour gave me a good opportunity to see a lot of key places as I was there only for a couple of days. Frieda ensured no one was left behind, visited many key sites including photo stops. After tour we relax in the garden and enjoyed some lovely belguim beer and limonade which was a nice way to end the tour on a warm summers day. Frieda advice on what we can see and do, cruisine to try was invaluable really made my holiday to Bruge very special. We ventured into local neighbourhoods, visited windmills,…”
Ride through Antwerp with a local guide on a two-hour English-language bike tour. You’ll see Antwerpen-Centraal, Het Steen, and the MAS, while guides such as Marc, Paul, Neil, and Inge have added local stories, practical tips, and hidden details along the way. Bikes and local taxes are included.
“Marc led us on a fantastic tour of the city and even though we were late to the meeting point he still provided us with a really informative tour that no doubt could have gone on for many more hours. Many thanks.”
Spend 2.5 hours cycling Bruges with guides such as Sebastian, Mercedes, Nathan, Frida, or Lorelei. You’ll ride a stylish retro bike with a basket, helmet, poncho, and umbrella, combining famous sights with quiet neighborhoods, ramparts, windmills, and local stories. The pace is relaxed, but cobblestones, pedestrians, and traffic require steady bike skills.
“Loved the bike tour and personal touch given by our guide. Not only did she show us numerous sights, but also her connection to the city by pointing out landmarks created by her grandfather”
Ride through Ghent with local guide Christophe or Chris on a semi-pro mountain bike, from the historic center to creative suburbs and street-art stops. The small group, usually no more than 10, keeps the ride personal. You get a helmet, water bottle, photos, a Polaroid, and a rain poncho if needed.
“Informative, out of the box type of experience as where we went was really more about what Ghent as a city values and how its residents live. This was topped up by visits to creative areas where locals expressed various ideas/beliefs. Great way to see what is “behind the door” of such a great city. Would highly recommend, rain or shine (we did ours in the rain and would do it again)!”
Spend three hours tracing Brussels Art Nouveau from Grand-Place to the Victor Horta Museum. A local guide, often Maria, explains Horta, Hankar, and Van de Velde, using photographs to show interiors you can only view from outside. The route includes a tram ride and uphill walking through the Bailli district.
“The guide was very knowledgeable on art nouveau and gave other details regarding architecture along the way. She took us into neighborhoods tourist would not normally go and get to experience. My only disappointment is that we didn’t get to go into the buildings themselves and we didn’t know which building we were going to see at all. This was a brief look at a few art nouveau buildings. If you would like to see more I would recommend getting the addresses and look for them after the tour as there are several more in the neighborhood which they don’t cover.”
Pick a canal, a cellar or a bench.
