Bruges And Ghent Day Trip From Brussels

We discovered we'd booked the self guided tour- which it turns out we were happy doing it at our own pace, not cumbered by a group. Viator provided an app with the self guide tour and audio commentary, but I found the stops seemed to backtrack a lot which was annoying. Ended up doing it out of order but in a more one way direction. Transport to and from was all we expected, and we were happy with the guides information and vigilance.

This experience was average and felt we could have explored in the churches and iconic buildings more. Some people had booked the river tour but couldn't get on and had to be refunded!!

It was a great experience. Very informative. Nice comfortable bus ride. Need to wear good walking shoes

The start was bad. The area to meet was too large and with so many different languages it was very confusing. Need more specific place to meet not where hundreds of people are moving through. The trip itself was Very informative and gave us lots of information we would have not had on our own. Angelo was awesome. He guided us through very busy areas and didn't lose anyone while still giving us detailed history

The itinerary is very good - a guided tour and enough free time - very good value - our guide Peter is very good - Don’t Worry, Don’t Panic and Don’t Stress - is his motto

Brugge and Gent were neat towns/cities. Lots of similarities but also differences. The boat ride in Gent was neat. My only complaint was the at your own pace map didn’t really match GPS maps well so it was very hard to get your bearings and navigate your way to the stop didn’t work well. We also thought it was a guided trip, it wasn’t exactly clear which trips were guided and which were at your own pace.

The tour was compact, yet we had enough time in each city for self-exploration after the guided portions. In Ghent, we enjoyed both the guided tour and the boat tour. Our guide, George, was knowledgeable, friendly, and explained everything clearly. We highly recommend this tour.

Great trip! Blanca was great Highly recommend. If you want to book this trip, ask for Blanca. You won't regret!

The guides were nice enough and very easy to communicate with but even I booked the tour it said ‘at your own pace’ in some sections and ‘English speaking guide’ in other sections. I don’t remember choosing an ‘at your own pace tour so it was a bit confusing when the tour started. It was great that they had the QR code for us and that worked wonderfully, but it was really difficult to finish everything. There just wasn’t enough time. Bruges was so crowded it was not enjoyable.

Bruges beautiful but Ghent was much more interesting Had a wonderful lunch at a restaurant recommended by our guide Angi in Bruges away from touristy places. Our guide Antonio and Angi were knowledgeable as well as helpful to our walking needs

I’ve joined this tour 3 times in the past years and Antonio did the best job. He explained in good details and humor. Very pleasant, always with a big smile.

Had a lovely day to Bruges and Ghent , both beautiful cities . Oscar and Diego our guides were super knowledgeable, we had enough free time to explore . Well managed trip . Highly recommend .

The described itinerary was not what we experienced. The tour guide showing lack of enthusiasm. Waste of money and time.

The walking pace was far too quick for children or elderly people. They do not wait and radio contact is lost as the guide gets too far ahead.

You have to understand you are going to walk further and faster than you have ever done before when you were on holdiday. If you lose concentration while your group is being walked through an area crowded by other tourists you may misplace your guide and suffer a sudden panic attack because you will have no idea where you are or where the coach is parked. This can easily occur if you linger too long in one place, say for that perfect photo. You will risk being able to understand only a fraction of what your guide says because of his/her thick foreign accent. Expect your guide to take you on a route that weaves its way kilometers away from the bus park and then to abandon you to find your own way back to the tour bus that may look identical to the dozen other tourist buses that arrived at the same time. You will be regarded by the locals as an irritant in their everyday lives except of course those trying to sell you overpriced food or fridge magnets. Expect to be a target for bag-snatchers and pickpockets trying to lift your wallet or phone or both, and as a result be prepared to take pre-emptive measures to keep your property safe. All of this will raise your stress levels, and that's before you have to worry about how much, if anything, to tip the tour guide, the local assistant guides, and the driver, and still have enough Euros in your caefully concealed wallet to buy lunch. And yet, you will take that in your stride, because you will probably never pass that way again, and a tour offers you a far less riskier opportunity to tick off those bucket list items than going it alone.

A wonderful day trip to Bruges and Ghent, beautiful architecture and interesting history. George and Julian our guides were amazing and also gave great tips of places to eat, which beers and chocolate places to try. Wonderful day out.

Apparently in Bruges there is a rule that tour groups must only comprise of 20 people max. We were split off from our main tour guide and placed with another whose English was not good. Haris was very hard to understand and we finally just took out our earbuds and enjoyed the seeing the city without listening to the tour guide. We were not the only ones who did this. The entire radio and earbuds was not the best way to experience the city. I would have liked to spend more time in Bruges than in Ghent, so maybe the way to go is just take the bus and tour the city on your own.

Bruges was a good visit and could have spent more time enjoying the sites and skipped Ghent. Didn’t like that it was 2 languages in the bus-splitting conversations and tour groups, but understood why it was done.

A very informative tour of the history, people and architecture with time to explore the local food and specialties of both towns. Our guide Peter was outstanding! Knowledgeable, personable and a shared list of personal recommendations.

Is a reasonable tour seeing some of the highlights of these two beautiful Belgian towns. I would’ve actually rather done this on my own and taking the train, but we were pleasantly surprised with the nice tour bus and the congenial tour guide Operator. We actually missed the bus on the way back from Ghent but we ended up coming back with a Spanish tour from the same company so that was very kind of them.

There is a fair bit of construction in both cities, not as impactful in Bruges. Tour guides were rear, very knowledgeable.

Antonio was a great guide from Brussels to both cities. We chose the self guided tour because we wanted more free time to walk and explore on our own. We were able to use the recommended tour sites with explanations and understand both cities.

The tours were good of both cities, a little fast pace. The free time was great to have lunch. Should have a map on your phone or paper to find you way back to meeting point. We were a little overwhelmed, so much to see but overall, we enjoyed it.

Overall had a great experience with Buendia, made even better by our awesome guides Peter and Blanca. On my particular tour day, the tour buses were divided by language which was done at the meeting point. Peter and Blanca both spoke fantastic English, were very clear, and well organized. Everyone was clearly interested in giving the best experience. I enjoyed the free time and didn’t feel too rushed to enjoy. I don’t regret doing the tour that includes both cities and I opted for the boat in Ghent as well which was a nice break for my feet. Highly recommend

Antonio was a wonderful guide full of stories both in Ghent and Bruges. The trip allowed us to learn about each city but also gave us time on our own to explore! The bus ride was great and allowed us time to rest since it is a long day! Lunch is on your own but there is a lot of options! Great cities to visit if in Brussels!

Wonderful tour with experience and informative guides. Quite a bit of walking involved - 17,000 steps, although not difficult walking

Fantastic experience to Bruges and Ghent, to get a taste of the places. The knowledge Antonio has of both places is fascinating and kept everyone engaged with his relaxed and friendly manner. Want to come back and experience both places again. Loved it!

We were only in Belgium for 2.5 days and this was a great way to see a a bit of the country outside Brussels. Bruges and Ghent are lovely cities amd our guides were amazing- very friendly with lots of fun stories and facts.

It covers two historic and charming towns, lots of great architecture and local goods and foods! It was a delightful day.

The perfect mix of walking tour and free time in each city. We were worried about whether my wife in a wheelchair would be able to do the walking tours over cobbled streets and sidewalks, but she was able to manage, and the tour guide was helpful and friendly. Shout out to the amazing bus driver—I don't know how they do it on those streets!

Good and quick trip to Burgess and Ghent. This will serve as a quick trip to see the two cities. To see in detail one needs to stay in those places.

Great day trip to Bruges and Ghent. Antonio, the guide, was fantastic. He did a walking tour in both cities and he was knowledgeable, friendly, funny and engaging and ran the tour very well. We really enjoyed seeing both places and also did the canal boat trip in Ghent. Would definitely recommend this tour, especially if you are lucky enough to have Antonio as your guide.

Very good tour, highly recommended. It is about 10hrs and both towns are amazingly preserved.

It was very well put together. Antonio did a great job in explaining everything, as did Julian. I was really happy with the tour.

The day trip to Bruges & Gent was fantastic and worth the experience. The tour guide, Virginia was great & did the tour at a steady pace explaining the highlights of both towns while also describing the history & architecture of both towns. Overall a great experience and one i would recommend, if you are visiting Brussels.

The guide - Julien was excellent; very knowledgeable and set a good pace during the walking tours. Both cities were lovely. Only criticism was that on a day when it was 38°C outside the air con on the coach wasn’t working properly.

A visit to these places is a must when in Belgium either a day trip like this or to stay. They are stunningly beautiful places and well worth the visit. Our guide Blanca was fantastic and added to the day with her enthusiasm and knowledge. You get to see all the key landmarks but also have plenty of time to explore each place on your own. It’s a long day for sure but one that we really enjoyed.

Fantastic, our tour guy was amazing and knowledgeable (forgot his name, but he has similar look to one of the Tate brothers) his recommendations where on point. Would highly recommend this experience.

Bruges is absolutely gorgeous! And Ghent buildings are wonderful too. There is so much history in both locations. The tour region of Brugges (as the local spell) is liken to old world medieval structures with cobblestone streets. The beauty of it all was favorite. Peter and Rune, our tour guides did a great job sharing historical facts about both locations. They were energetic and fit for the assignment. The knowledge enlightened me. The only improvement I suggest to the company is the radio used for the audio. The noise bleeds over when in close proximity of other tours during Bruges tour. The bus line was top notch. Comfortable seating, well maintained, super clean inside and out, USB connections, storage above, A/C, and a hook back of seat to hang a purse or backpack. All you need for relax travel. Tour during a time when the weather is milder, flowers are in bloom, or perhaps fall foliage is out. Your sweat ducts will than you :). Summer is hot so bring a hat, wear comfy dry wick material. And most importantly, a good pair of support walking shoes! And water. Highly recommend!

This was the most organized trip I have been on from the beginning to the end. Peter and his team made this one of our favorite tours. They had dedicated group to so it was in English the whole time. We had a fantastic time and hope you choose this tour.

Great informative tour. Loved our guide Harris. Lots of history and good information on entertainment and food.

The pick up spot was very ambiguous NOT clear @all. After changing 2 Taxis arrived by the time bus has left. We had to pay Trains & Taxi fare from. Russell’s to Bruge €100 extra. No prior communication with the Buendia travels - No reminder given, No pick facilities from Hotels. Despite multiple attempts to contact local number of Buendia went to voicemail. After we missed bus - Mary from Buendia was Helpful, finally met the tour group of Jarris @2pm in Bruges. The guide Jarris was reasonable. Ghent trip was good.

George, our guide, was excellent! He was not only knowledgeable, but he was very genuine and helpful. Highly recommended! Patrick

Both were great towns to visit and the tour guide was very nice..maybe a little too much time in Ghent but it was beautiful day so we enjoyed it very much

Bruges was amazing but definitely didn't have enough time to eat and even finish the torture museum let alone get chocolates or see the witchcraft museum. We had a hard time finding the pickup spot again after being left in Bruges center and almost missed the bus! Ghent we were told incorrect information & wasted all our "free time" looking for a beer/bar that no longer exists and were told the original gold dragon stolen from Bruges was inside the dragon cathedral (its not), wasted 26€ on that! Angie is a sweetheart but the misinformation is not acceptable. Not enough free time whatsoever...never got a chocolate in the chocolate capital nor a beer in the beer capital. It was totally rushed and we walked an hour there & back to the bus in Ghent and returned an hour early. We could have definitely used 45 min more free time in each location.

Trio was ok but More historical events and explanations about surrounding buildings could be provided.

Avoid this specific tour operator. Bruges and Ghent are beautiful, but spend the extra $5 on someone better and listen to the many negative reviews here as I should have.

Had a wonderful day trip to Bruges and Ghent from Brussels. The cities were so beautiful and our tour guides provided great information of the cities would definitely recommend.

Disgusting tour operator. Changed the starting point from a 2 min walk to a 20 min drive THE NIGHT BEFORE for a tour that starts at 8 in the morning. Zero responses from the tour operator regarding these issues. Poorly run and extremely poor customer service. Would not recommend AT all