Bruges Private City Kickstart Tour With Locals

We flew to Brussels that morning and had to wait to check into the hotel. Not knowing when we might arrive in Bruges, we didn't book the tour until we were on the train to Bruges. We were so grateful to hear back from Ann that she could take us for a tour with such short notice. We only had a few hours, but felt like we managed to see a lot. She was flexible and kind enough to be willing to let us interrupt the walking tour with a boat tour (extra 15 euros person) and then surprised us by treating us to water and chocolates too. It was great to spend a few hours with someone who had grown up in the City. We were too late in the day to see some attractions, but she brought us inside two churches and she dropped us off at a lovely restaurant for dinner. Thank you, Ann!

Great private tour of Bruges with a local guide who knew so much about the city. We not only saw the major sites but also the back streets and out-of-the-way places a tourist would never know about.

This particular tour guide did not show up and we wasted a precious hour of a short stop over in Bruges which really made us angry. When complained I was offered a full refund but that’s not the point. The no show was an error made by the guide which sounded weak to me as zi had messaged him three times prior to the tour without reply meaning I had no direct way to contact him/her other than using the message service on the Viator app.

What a beautiful place Brugge is and our tour guide Ann made it extra special. She was patient, evenly paced walking tour around the beautiful streets. We learned many interesting historical facts and landmarks. She also offered to take photos, suggestions on where to get the best waffles, chocolates and Belgian beer ! Our last stop was De Maan brewery and what fascinating spot to do a tour and finished off with some lunch and beer! Great experience from a true local. She was lovely and we made some great memories and be sure to come back ! Thanks Ann :)

Artur canceled. Be wary if booking with Viator. I was scammed. Viator refuses refund. Disappointed!!

Viator cancelled my tour. We were visiting Bruges for 1 day only. You let us down. I hope I will receive my refund promptly.

This is a wonderful way to orientate yourself to the city and also learn the history. Patrick was a wonderful guide. He was interesting and has a great love of the city.

Spent an hour and a half walking around Bruges learning about its history, architecture etc. Hilde was a terrific, and very knowledgeable guide. So glad we chose this tour!!

Our guide, Lavigna, was knowledgeable and friendly. We had a great tour. She asked for special requests (we wanted to go to a chocolate shop) and she chose the perfect one for us.

Our tour was the best tour we have had in our many travels. Jay had a wealth of knowledge and history about the city but his exuberant personality made the tour so much more entertaining. He brought the city and its history to life! Thank you Jay!

Delightful walking tour of Bruge! Our guide, Lavigne, was terrific. Born in Bruge, She spoke perfect English. Warm, engaging and full of charming stories and history we could not have asked for more when I mentioned I wanted to buy some handmade lace, she called around to find some for me.

Our personal guide was wonderful! She was very knowledgeable and provided us information about Bruge’s rich history while also sharing recommendations for us at the tours end. Since this was a personal she was able to tailor the tour to our interests!

It was a very detailed tour with many facts and details. The guide spent her time giving us many important details.

Our local guide Jay was awesome! He takes great pride in Bruges and seems like everyone knows him. His knowledge is terrific, and he was very helpful with taking pictures. He brought us to a pub to experience the real Bruges and overall it was an amazing tour.

Excellent tour - Hugo provides the inside perspective and knows so much having lived here most of his life. Highly recommend!

Fantastic way to get the gist of the city. Jay (our guide) had a tough assignment as it decided to rain this day. But he not only kept us as dry as possible by adjusting the tour so that we could go into places and dry off in between walking in the rain; he really gave us an overview of what we were seeing and interesting historical details that we would never have known. He was fun, energetic, and filled with information. Plus, we were able to ask him a series of questions to which he was able to deliver informative answers. This is a great personal experience, and a great way to really get your bearings on visiting this city. We were lucky to have a guide like Jay, and would recommend this experience to anyone visiting a city for the first time.

Jay was an excellent and enthusiastic guide. We were able to see many points of interest and receive recommendations for other ones.

Patrick was phenomenal!! He promptly met us for our 11:00 a.m. private guided tour for our family of 4. We saw the best of Bruges. He answered all of our questions and provided incredibly helpful information. Since our tour was private, he let us take the time we needed at each spot along the way and gave us tips on where to go for lunch as well as to see the Michelangelo sculpture in the church. We loved our day long visit to Bruges thanks to starting it off right with Patrick. He was the best!!

Ann was a great tour guide, very knowledgeable and made a special attempt to address our particular interests (flags, architecture, etc.). She answered all our questions in depth and helped us see things we might not have otherwise seen (she noticed a short line to see relic in the Basilica of the Precious Blood, so we were able to see that.) We covered a lot of ground at a quick pace! Highly recommend this tour.

We do a lot of walking tours, both small/private and large groups. Typically when a local is your guide, you immediately sense both their city pride and a feeling of being welcomed. Our guide was informative and the city is a lovely place. We did feel like our questions were a mild annoyance. Overall a nice experience, but a stronger rapport might have made a difference.

Very friendly flexible guide who did a relaxing walk for us with beer testing (you can request anything). Interesting facts, hidden jams and customisable program.

The tour guide was very knowledgeable and made it very interesting. we saw places that were not in our list of places to go to. thanks

Hugo is a knowledgeable and affable man - however, with him having only just started his private tours of Bruges, I feel there is a lot of room for improvement. I will start by saying that we are certainly not new to this tour format. A local guide walks you around the city more like a friend rather than a professional tour guide. We’ve done many of these tours, so we understand the concept fully. Previously we have always been impressed. Again - I’m sure Hugo will learn this in time, but there needs to be more focus on the city itself - including the ‘touristy parts’. Although we did enjoy chatting with the guide and reminiscing about his childhood - I’m not sure many other groups would be as interested in this as we were. (And it was genuinely interesting!) I did feel as though we had to do the majority of the talking, and although not a massive problem because I’m something of a talker - again there will be groups who aren’t as talkative and it may be these circumstances in which Hugo will struggle somewhat. There tended to be a focus on rather irrelevant areas of the city - and almost none on the main square / points of interest. I did ask to see hidden gems, but most of what we saw could not be considered gems - merely hidden. The narration was rather lacklustre and we didn’t feel much passion. (Perhaps because Hugo has only just moved back to Bruges and is not yet fully caught up on the zeitgeist). Hugo will certainly be a fabulous local guide with time - it’s just a little unfortunate for us that we were some of his initial clients in Bruges. Hopefully he will welcome constructive feedback and adapt accordingly. Bruges is amazing, the Kickstart concept is excitingly innovative, and Hugo has great potential. Overall 3 out of 5 - don’t let this review put you off, personally we would still book again! David & Sophie

Booked this same day just as I landed in Bruges. As it was my first time visiting I wanted to know more about the history of Bruges and help get my bearings. Ann came bearing chocolates which was a bonus! She had really great knowledge about Bruges and was lovely to hear it all coming from a local. Also happy to point out places worth eating at during my stay when I asked. Great kickstart to my visit.

Martin, our guide, was knowledgeable, tailored the tour to our interests and gave us a good introductory tour to Bruges.

Our tour guide was excellent. She walked us through the history of Bruges in a very professional manner. Thankyou!

Ana was fantastic. Extremely knowledgeable and had plenty of fun and funny facts about the city. We had a tour with another company that was cancelled 15 minutes after it was supposed to start and booked this one last minute. Very glad we did!

This was a fantastic experience for our family. Two older teens and their mom all enjoyed it and learned a lot about the area. Our guide took us for quick bites of local delicacies and adjusted the tour to our interests. Highly recommend!

Tom was an excellent guide. We asked so many questions and he had all the answers. His love for the city and it's history was evident and made our stay in Burges all the more interesting for the next 3 days.

Good kick off tour of the nice historical city. Guide was good. May be difficult to spot him so best is to call him.

Jeff was excellent to lead our family’s walk around! Very knowledgeable and made it interesting and relaxed.

Martin's tour was a fabulous way to be introduced to Bruges! He not only showed us how to navigate around this gorgeous fairytale village, he showed us numerous hidden gems and how to find more. Martin will generously share great tips for restaurants, shops, beer and chocolates - all local establishments. We will recommend this tour and Martin to others!

Martin was great. Just our family of six. Youngest is 12 years old. He kept everyone involved and engaged. We really enjoyed our tour. He met us right where we were supposed to be and right on time. He recognized me from my WhatsApp account and showed up with his hand extended to shake it and say welcome.

Unfortunately we didn’t learn much about Bruges from our guide Jeff. He mostly was talking about his personal life experiences.

It was a tough day. Rained most of the tour, but we saw the sights of Bruges and Ann gave us chocolates.

Jay was a great guide for me. I wanted to see what a local felt were the best things about Brugge. Jay was born and raised there so not only did he show me incredible sights of the area, he seems to know everyone! I wanted to get a piece of jewelry from a local artist and Jay had friends with a shop. I bought a one-of-a-kind ring and it's a treasured keepsake. Jay goes above and beyond for his guests, shares the history of the beautiful city and shows areas that you might miss with other guides. He walks fast so have your walking shoes on but he also stopped for every picture I wanted to take so just let him know what you want to do. Great guide and a new friend.

The tour guide was knowledgeable and ensured we saw the must see sights of Bruges! Was also really friendly and accommodating…

very friendly guide, a lot of useful and interesting informations, also funny stories and tips for restaurants etc., absolutely recomendable

Martin’s overall knowledge of the history of Bruges and its current day to day life is exceptional. He gave us several great food options and places to see. His friendly personality made this tour a fun time for us. It was just my husband and I. He’s great!!!

Our guide Ann, was super! She was very professional, kind, friendly and we had a great time with her. She was very knowledgeable and we would definitely recommend her for interesting facts and highlights.

Tour was great! Ann was incredibly knowledgeable. She shared not just info about what we were seeing, but the history of it as well. She was very nice, and we had a really nice time visiting as we walked through this beautiful city.

We had an informative private tour around Bruges and it was a great way to kickstart our break. Jeff was really interesting and was flexible to tailor the tour to our needs. I would definitely recommend

Our guide Martin was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and kept us all engaged. 10/10 recommend this tour and in particular, Martin, on your first day in Bruges to get your bearings and learn about the city.

I have used Ann for several walking tours and she is knowledgeable, flexible and paces the tour to the needs of the group. It’s a great way to learn about the area with a local.

We really enjoyed our tour with Ann. We were unavoidably late but Ann was incredibly patient with us and still provided the full tour which we really appreciated. Very professional and kind. As far as the tour she took us to many different highlights of Bruges and gave many interesting, historical details of the buildings and culture there. I would 100% recommend this tour to any newcomer traveling to Bruges.

Loved seeing Bruges w a true local/native, Patrick! Patrick was a WONDERFUL guide...so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his city! his tour was just the right tempo to keep us moving and seeing it all!

Our guide, Anne, was a delight. She was knowledgeable, informative, helpful, and patient with our questions. I would highly recommend.

Excellent guide, extremely knowledgeable and very thorough tour of all highlights of Bruges. Offer additional information and sent text with ideas and suggestions for dinner.

Nathan was a very good guide. He gave us a good recommendation for lunch and beer and made sure we had a good time.