The 15 Best Ghent Tours & Boat Trips

1.50-Minute Medieval Center Guided Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5,637 reviews · 1 day · from $12Our pick

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!”

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2.Historical Walking Tour: Legends of Gent

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,761 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $3Best value

Spend about two hours walking central Ghent with an English-speaking local guide. The route links St Michael’s Bridge, the medieval port, Gravensteen Castle, St Bavo’s Cathedral, the Belfry, and more. Expect stories about trade, rebellion, crime, legends, food, and local life. Payment is made at the end based on your experience.

“Kasia was an excellent guide. From the start she was warm, welcoming and professional. She had a wealth of knowledge about Ghent delivered in a relaxed and humorous way. We both thoroughly enjoyed the tour and would highly recommend.”

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3.40 Minute Medieval Center Guided Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 884 reviews · 1 day · from $12

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!”

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4.Evening Tour of the Dark Side of Gent

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 646 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $3

Walk Ghent for about 1 hour 45 minutes with guides such as Kenny, Isabel, Ben, or Julian. Expect medieval murders, myths, religious conflict, scenic night views, and lesser-seen neighborhoods. The route starts at Hostel Uppelink and ends in Patershol, with a maximum of 35 people.

“This was. Fun tour that went to places we might not have found on our own. Our guide Kenny told stories that brought the locations to life!”

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5.Ghent Bike Tour Off-the-beaten-track

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 505 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $58

Ride beyond Ghent’s postcard center on a comfortable CUBE mountain bike with helmet and water bottle included. Guides such as Christophe, Chris, Kristoff, Sammy, and Levi lead small groups to street art, old religious sites, parks, unusual building projects, and local breweries. Choose a morning or afternoon departure for this relaxed 2.5-hour tour.

“Heerlijke energieke tour langs de buitenrand van Gent! Met zijn goeie humor en veel kennis over Gent ervaar je Gent op een sportieve manier. Oog & oor voor de klant en het fietsmateriaal is in goede staat. Een echte aanrader als je geen standaard (suffe) fietstour wil!”

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6.40-Minute Historical Boat Tour of City Center

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 430 reviews · 40 min · from $12

Cruise Ghent’s center for 40 minutes with a local guide speaking Dutch, English, or French. From the Graslei jetty, you’ll pass medieval façades, the Great Butcher’s Hall, Dulle Griet, the Old Fish Market, Gravensteen, and Rabot. Open and covered boats run according to weather, with written commentary available in Spanish, Italian, and German.

“It was a great tour and the guide spoke in 3 languages to give the tour.”

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7.Guided Urban Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 297 reviews · 2h 30m · from $56

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)!”

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8.Hop-on Hop-off Water-Tramway

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 279 reviews · 1 day · from $21

Spend a full day exploring Ghent by water and on foot. Board at six stops, hear live Dutch commentary or use the English, French, or German audio guide, and connect the ride with six walking routes covering 50 key sights. Guides such as Tom and Gobe add local stories, while the open boats make weather worth planning for.

“Captain Tom’s tour was exceptional. His English is great & he answered all my questions.”

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9.Belgian Chocolate Walking Tour with Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 259 reviews · 2 hours · from $51

Start at Jacob van Artevelde’s statue on Vrijdagmarkt and walk through central Ghent with an English-speaking guide. You’ll visit several chocolatiers, peek into an open atelier, meet local makers when possible, and taste at least nine chocolates, pralines, and sweets before finishing at Sint-Baafsplein.

“Our guide Mattius was a superb guide. He is very knowledgeable and made the tour interesting. His knowledge of the chocolate was also great and of course the chocolates and sweets we sampled were delicious.”

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10.Belgian Waffle-Making Workshop with Beer Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 256 reviews · 1h 30m · from $55

In central Ghent, an English-speaking host such as Thomas, Anna, Reuben, or Patty guides you through three Belgian beer tastings, a beer-based waffle batter, baking, and generous toppings. You can use a non-alcoholic or gluten-free option, eat as many waffles as you make, and take home the recipe, certificate, and leftovers.

“Excellent overall experience Lots of beer - a good choice of variety with an explanation about each Recipe is great and it was lots of fun making the waffles So many toppings I would absolutely recommend”

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11.Guided City Tour with Food Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 228 reviews · 2h 30m · from $93

Join Sophie for a 150-minute English walking tour through Ghent, beginning at Vrijdagmarkt. You’ll visit five local food stops, taste Belgian classics and modern specialties, and see landmarks including the medieval towers, Graslei, Korenlei, City Hall, City Pavilion, and Graffiti Street.

“Fascinating tour of Ghent, with a great mixture of historical information and tastings of local food. Come hungry! Sophie was a great knowledgable guide. Highly recommended!”

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12.Gastronomic Walking Tour of Gent – Tasters included

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 199 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $3

Meet at Hostel Uppelink at 11:30 am for a 90-minute English walking tour through Ghent’s food traditions. With guides such as Samuel, Sophia, Marianne, and Hamraz, you’ll sample fries, local candy, chocolate, waffles, and more, plus receive a ticket for a Gruut beer to enjoy when the brewery opens.

“Very interesting and fun walking tour. Our guide Samuel was very knowledgeable and kept us entertained. Great tasty treats too. Would definitely recommend.”

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13.City Highlights and Hidden Gems Guided Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 196 reviews · 2h 30m · from $53

Ride through Ghent with guide Tim, or another Dutch- or English-speaking guide, using quiet streets and cycle lanes. See the Castle of the Counts, Portus Ganda, churches, abbeys, parks, canals, and the small beguinage. Bikes and raincoats are supplied, with a halfway drink stop at your own cost.

“Tim did a wonderful job on our Bike Tour of Ghent. He was very knowledgeable about the locale life and history of Ghent - and that was exactly what we were looking for! Really enjoyed and highly recommend this tour to see the sights of Ghent outside the historic city center.”

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14.Guided Boat Trip in Ghent

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 181 reviews · 40 minutes (approx.) · from $13

Cruise Ghent’s River Leie for about 40 minutes in an open or covered boat, with live commentary in English and often other languages. From Graslei, you’ll pass the Historic Port, Great Meat Hall, Castle of Counts, and other old-city sights. Departures run every 15 minutes in high season and every 30 minutes in low season.

“Our guide was great had a nice sense of humor. It was difficult to hear / understand him at times. Couldn’t have asked for a nicer day!”

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15.Private 2-Hour Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 134 reviews · 2 hours

Walk privately through Ghent with a Dutch, English, French, or German-speaking guide. See the medieval street plan, Graslei and Korenlei, St. Bavo’s Abbey, Dulle Griet, the House of Alijn, Gravensteen Castle, and the Old Fish Market. Hotel pickup may be arranged, while entrance fees are extra.

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