The 15 Best Boat Trips in Belgium

1.50-Minute Medieval Center Guided Boat Trip

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

Cruise Ghent’s medieval center for about 50 minutes, passing the Three Towers, guildhalls, Gravensteen, and the Ancient Port. Live commentary is in English, Dutch, and French, with illustrated translations in six other languages. Boats run often, umbrellas are provided, and winter trips have blankets.

“Highly recommend this trip! The guide was funny and informative and the boat was kept very clean and comfortable. The tour was so interesting and its such a beautiful way to see this stunning place”

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2.Small Group Boat Cruise and Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 4,102 reviews · 2h 30m · from $51Top rated

Start at Bruges’ Markt with a local guide such as Fabienne, Patrick, Ann, or Frank. Walk past medieval squares, the Holy Blood Basilica, fish market, churches, bridges, and secret gardens, then cruise the canals and taste Belgian chocolate. The tour ends at the Beguinage.

“It was a really interesting tour and our guide, Rick was very personable and gave us lots of information. We went to places I would never have found by myself.”

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3.Walking Tour, Canal Boat Trip w/Beer Tasting Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 2,759 reviews · from $41

Follow an English, French, or Spanish-speaking guide through Bruges, from the Lake of Love and Begijnhof to Burg Square and the Belfort. Guides such as Maria and JK bring history to life. Finish with a 30-minute canal cruise, plus an optional tasting of four Belgian beers on English tours.

“Our guide, JK, was informative and engaging. We covered a lot of ground and learned even more. Bruges did not disappoint.”

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4.Bruges Day Trip in English with Boat Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,989 reviews · 12 hours · from $61

Travel from Amsterdam to Bruges by air-conditioned coach with an English-speaking guide. See Minnewater, Begijnhof, Burg Square, the Church of Our Lady, and Grote Markt, then enjoy three hours free for chocolate, lace, lunch, or an optional canal boat.

“I had a great day in Bruges! Our tour guide, Peter, was great and very knowledgeable about the city and its history. After the tour, he recommended me a place to get vegetarian fries since most places in Belgium use animal oil. The bus transport there and back is also very nice. Overall great trip!”

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5.Bruges Day Trip in Spanish with Boat Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,866 reviews · 12 hours · from $61

Spend 12 hours traveling from Amsterdam to Bruges with a Spanish-speaking guide. Walk from the Lake of Love and Begijnhof to Burg Square and the Grote Markt, then enjoy three hours for Belgian food, beer, chocolate, lace, and possibly a canal boat if you select that option.

“The tour guide was awesome! She’s so sweet, patient and was able to explain everything very well and clearly! The driver was excellent as well! Thank you so much for making this an amazing trip to Bruges. Guide: Blanca Driver: Adrian”

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6.Bruges Day Trip with Boat Tour Option (ENG)

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,352 reviews · 570 minutes - 10 hours · from $50

Travel from Brussels to Bruges by comfortable coach, then follow an English-speaking guide through canals, medieval squares, Begijnhof, Castle Square, and the old town. You get about four hours to eat and explore independently. Add the boat ride for a lovely canal-level view of Bruges.

“Bruges was a beautiful city and the guide explained it really well.”

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7.Bruges Day Trip with Boat Tour Option (ES)

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,171 reviews · 9h 30m · from $50

Travel by coach from Brussels to Bruges for a Spanish-guided walk through Minnewaterpark, Begijnhof, Castle Square, Market Square, and the canal district. After two hours with your guide, enjoy four hours to eat, shop, taste chocolate, or add a canal boat trip.

“Pablo was amazing at telling the history of Bruges. Definitely recommend!”

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8.Day Trip to Bruges with Optional Seasonal Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,034 reviews · 1 day · from $153

Cross from Paris into Belgium by comfortable coach and spend a full day in Bruges. Choose a guided walk with multilingual hosts such as Philippe, Peter, or Dimitri, then enjoy free time for waffles, chocolate, museums, shopping, or a canal cruise from April to October.

“We were supposed to go to Brussels and Bruges 2 days ago. We were not familiar with the Paris metro system and got lost trying to find the meeting point. We got there 17 minutes late and the bus had already left. I was told we couldn’t reschedule or get a refund. I put in a dispute with my credit card company and hopefully I’ll get my money back. I rebooked the trip but it was just for Bruges. Definitely was a great decision, cuz we wouldn’t have had enough time to enjoy both Bruges and Brussels in such a short time. Bruges is such a beautiful city! Every turn…”

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9.40 Minute Medieval Center Guided Boat Tour

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

Board at Ghent’s green boathouse for a 40-minute cruise along the Leie. A live guide in Dutch, English, or French points out the medieval harbor, three famous towers, Prinsenhof, guildhalls, churches, and Castle of the Counts. Illustrated texts are 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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10.Guided boat trip and walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 703 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $53

Walk Bruges with a local English-speaking guide, then see its medieval streets from the water on a 30-minute canal ride. The route covers Markt, the Basilica of the Holy Blood, the Beguinage, Arentshof, the Beerwall, and De Halve Maan Brewery. Groups are capped at 15.

“Our guide Fabienne was a local and very knowledgeable. She was very funny and answered all our questions. The walk was interesting and we covered a lot of sights. The boats tour was in-between walks. Brilliant choice as we could rest before doing more walking. I would recommend this tour.”

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11.40-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 in Dutch, English, or French. You’ll pass Graslei, the Great Butcher’s Hall, Dulle Griet, the Old Fish Market, Gravensteen, and Rabot. Boats may be open or covered, and written text is available in Spanish, Italian, and German.

“Very enjoyable. We had to swap days in a pre-booked ticket snd this was no problem. Very accommodating. The guide was excellent. Multi linguistic, knowledgable and amusing. We went out at 18.10 and light was perfect as we caught sunset which was great for photography.”

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12.Walking tour of Bruges with boat option and/or beer tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 416 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $37

Walk Bruges with an English-speaking guide for about 2.5 hours, visiting Minnewater Lake, the Beguinage, medieval squares, canals, and chocolate shops. Canal boating and beer tasting may be available as add-ons, but confirm what is included before booking. Guides have included Maria, Peter, Eduardo, and others.

“JK was a great guide for walking part of this experience. Knowledgeable & witty. Boat tour good too. We were let down as there was no record of our booking for beer tasting in Beer Museum and ticket issued to us by Viator was not acceptable to them. Disappointing as this was last evening in Bruges and we have asked for a refund.”

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13.Guided Boat Trip in Ghent

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

See Ghent from an open or covered boat on a 40-minute Leie River cruise. Your guide points out the Graslei, Castle of Counts, Great Meat Hall, and historic port, often in English, Dutch, and French. Flexible departures make this a handy first look at the city.

“Very nice tour with pertinent information. Good service all around.”

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14.Guided Walking Tour and Canal Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 128 reviews · 2h 30m · from $32

Walk Ghent with an English-speaking local guide, visiting the three towers, guild quays, markets, Patershol, and Gravensteen. Then take a 30-minute canal cruise with illustrated audio translations. Guides such as Ariel, Peter, Juliana, and Eros have been praised for clear, lively storytelling.

“Excellent tour giving us a crisp snapshot of the best things in central Ghent. Our guide Ariel was knowledgeable and witty, and his English was very good. The little radios worked well. Boat tour also very good.”

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15.Day trip to Bruges from Paris with canal cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 81 reviews · 13 hours · from $159

Travel from Paris to Bruges in a minivan or coach, with groups of up to eight possible. Guides such as Jean Baptiste, Serge, Simon, and Roland lead the visit in English, French, or Spanish. See the Belfry, canals, Beguinage, and Grand Place, then enjoy free time and a seasonal cruise.

“Beautiful city worth the long trip and the guide was very entertaining. Would highly recommend.”

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