Bruges

Bruges

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Bruges

4 Days Starting and ending in St Pancras International, London, UK

Visiting: Lille, Bruges, St Pancras International, Passendale, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Ypres

Tour operator:

Riviera Travel

Tour code:

BEA

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

1 - 50

Physical rating:

Please contact Riviera Travel if you have any concerns regarding the suitability of the holiday due to reduced mobility.

Age range:

9-99

Special diets catered:

Vegetarians, Please contact Riviera Travel with specific dietary requests.

Tour operated in:

English

Trip Styles:

One Centre Based

This tour is no longer available

Tour Overview

Medieval buildings, romantic squares, pretty canals, world-class art; Bruges is a lavish feast for the eyes. This being Belgium, it also provides satisfaction for the tastebuds, with flavoursome local beers, the crispest frites and, of course, world-renowned chocolate. A perfect destination to explore by foot, Bruges is ideal for discerning travellers keen to discover a city where history, culture and cuisine combine like nowhere else. 

You'll immediately soak up the unique atmosphere of Bruges' beautifully preserved historic core, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many of its gabled buildings were built on wealth accrued from the textile industry that transformed the city into one of Northern Europe's most important trading centres during the Middle Ages. Whether strolling by one of the many waterways that give Bruges its 'Venice of the North' moniker, sipping coffee in the old market square with bells from the 13th-century Belfry peeling in the background, or taking a gentle trip by horse and carriage, the city's ambience is sure to instil a sense of tranquility. 

Art-lovers will be attracted to the wealth of exceptional works to be found across the city. Bruges was at the heart of the Flemish Primitive movement, and one of its earliest members was Jan van Eyck, Bruges' most famous resident. You can see several of his classic paintings at the superb Groeningemuseum, while the 12th-century former hospital of Sint- Janshospitaal houses detailed works by renowned artist, Hans Memling. Throw in Pieter Brueghel (the Younger and Elder), Hieronymus Bosch, Michelangelo, Magritte and Dalí and it's clear that Bruges offers something for every art lover. 

Another unmissable sight is the Basilica of the Holy Blood. As you enter through its gilded facade you'll be transported to 12th-century Flanders. In the upper chapelle in a silver tabernacle you'll find the Basilica's  star attraction - a phial said to contain drops of Christ's blood, reputedly brought back from the Holy Land after one of the Crusades.

If your penchant is for nothing more than to wander the city and unearth some hidden gems, you'll be rewarded at every turn. Meander through the cobbled lanes and you may spot 18th-century windmills, tiny chapels, rows of almshouses and even a silent religious order of Benedictine nuns. A break in one of Bruges' cosy restaurants or cafes is a must, too; your only quandary is which delicious dish to choose from or whether to pick a dubbel, tripel or lambic from the extensive list of Belgian beers. A treat for all the senses, Bruges is sure to capture you in its romantic spell. 

Highlights

  • Explore the fascinating medieval history of Bruges on an illuminating walking tour of its many highlights

  • Discover the significance of Flanders during the First World War in a thought-provoking visit to Ypres and the Tyne Cot Cemetery

  • Learn how the world’s finest chocolates are made at one of Bruges’ last surviving traditional chocolatiers

Places You'll See

Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1 : Arrival In Bruges

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Location: Lille, Bruges, St Pancras International

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: The Golden Tree Hotel or Dukes Academie Hotel or Martins Brugge or Grand Hotel Casselbergh

Take the late morning/early afternoon Eurostar service from London St Pancras International to Lille. On arrival, we transfer by coach to your hotel for three nights in Bruges' old town. 

Day 2 : Walking Tour

darrendoeshair
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Location: Bruges

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: The Golden Tree Hotel or Dukes Academie Hotel or Martins Brugge or Grand Hotel Casselbergh

Meals Included: Breakfast

After breakfast we take a guided walk to discover the highlights of this alluring city. We begin in its medieval heart, the Markt, which has served as the main market square since the 10th century. Towering 272 feet over the colourful gabled buildings framing the square is the Belfry and its 47-bell carillon. This afternoon you’ll have the opportunity to climb the 366 steps to the top, the reward being a breathtaking view of Bruges and the Flanders countryside extending beyond. We also visit two other notable buildings in the Burg, the city’s second main square – the elegant Gothic Stadhuis (Town Hall) and the 18th-century law courts – plus the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Another must-see is the Church of Our Lady, which houses Michelangelo’s beautiful white marble sculpture, Madonna and Child. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore. The Groeningemuseum and Sint-Janshospitaal are home to sublime works of art and you can find museums dedicated to Belgium’s holy trinity of beer, chocolate and frites, while no visit to Bruges would be complete without a brewery trip. Why not try ‘De Halve Maan’, which has constructed a two-mile-long pipeline from the brewery to a bottling plant on the city’s edge; a fascinating tour of the cellars concludes with a tasting of its excellent Brugse Zot Blond.  Later this afternoon, we can arrange an optional boat tour of the canals so you can see the city from a waterside perspective (subject to seasonal operation).

Day 3 : Ypres, Passchendaele & Tyne Cot Cemetery

Location: Passendale, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Ypres

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: The Golden Tree Hotel or Dukes Academie Hotel or Martins Brugge or Grand Hotel Casselbergh

Meals Included: Breakfast

Late morning, for those interested, a coach leaves Bruges to visit Ypres and nearby Great War battlefields. Alternatively, you can simply choose to remain in Bruges to spend your time as you please. The battlefield tour centres on Ypres, which was almost flattened during the First World War as Allied and German forces fought for control of this strategically important town. The countless lives lost are remembered with a moving ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial each evening at 8pm. You can also visit the Passchendaele Memorial Museum, which shines a light on some of the darkest days of the Great War. During the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917, over 500,000 troops died in just three months as the Allies attempted to take the village of Passchendaele. We visit the bunkers, craters and trench sites of this monumentally bloody battle. The day concludes with a visit to the world’s largest Commonwealth cemetery at Tyne Cot, its sea of 11,961 graves reflecting the First World War’s staggering loss of life. Returning to Bruges in the late afternoon, you cannot fail to be touched by the sights and sounds of this unforgettable trip back in time. 

Day 4 : Return Eurostar

Location: Lille, St Pancras International

Meals Included: Breakfast

Belgian chocolates are known as the finest in the world, and this morning we visit one of the few establishments in Bruges where they are still made by hand. During the demonstration you’ll learn all about this artisanal craft, including the top-quality ingredients that are used and the techniques involved in making these delicious luxuries. Later, a coach returns you to nearby Lille for an afternoon Eurostar service back to London St Pancras International. 

What's Included

  • Accommodation

    3 nights in 3 to 4-star accommodation

  • Fully Guided

  • International Travel

    Return standard class reserved seat on Eurostar

  • Meals

    Daily breakfast

  • Transport

    Coach transfer from Lille to your hotel in Bruges

  • All local accommodation taxes

  • Hotel porterage

What's Not Included

  • Tipping and Gratuities

  • Insurance

Check out our Q&As

  • Are flights included in this tour?

    No

  • Will I know the names and details of all the accommodation before I depart?

    Yes

  • Will there be an escort accompanying this tour?

    Yes

  • Are children permitted to take part in the tour?

    We are unable to accommodate children under 9 years old at the date of departure..

  • Are airport transfers included in this tour?

    Yes

  • Is there any free time to explore places during the tour?

    As detailed in the itinerary

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes

  • Is the tour coach air conditioned?

    Yes

  • What is the standard of the hotels on this tour?

    As detailed in the itinerary

  • Are all the relevant entry visa’s included in the price of the tour?

    No

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    For almost 40 years

  • I have reduced mobility; can I still travel?

    We want to ensure you make the correct choice before you book your holiday with us. If you have any concerns regarding the suitability of the holiday due to reduced mobility we would encourage you to contact us to discuss these concerns

  • Do I require travel insurance?

    It is a condition of booking that you carry suitable travel insurance.

  • What is my luggage allowance?

    You will receive details of your luggage allowance with your final travel documents, which are sent approximately 10 days prior to your date of departure.

Reviews of this operator

David Clarke (Google Reviewer)  

This review is for the...

08-Aug-2023

This review is for the italian Lake Como trip Aug 1-8 Wow what a trip. Riviera from start to finish were excellent the booking and help line answering questions were very good and clear. The travel booklet you get is laid out that it is simple to read and follow with step by step info from booking in to flights to meeting the guides. Our guide Matt Purse was just the best guide and real credit to Riviera with his knowledge and straight forward approach to running the trips. Matt kept us informed and told us all the sort of info you want to know without going over the top....This chap should teach other reps ..thank you so much. The coaches they use are all clean and well equipped with usb chargers and have aircon. The places chosen to visit were well researched even down to where coaches park or drop you off. The Bernina Express was the highlight for our family and matts photo tip was welcomed. The only down point was the hotel,a little dated and evening meal in main restuarant was a bit of a let down. I think we were lucky with our room on level 7 and with balcony as the walls are very thin and noise travels. We would book again with riviera

Barbara Shillaker (Google Reviewer)  

I have been on three...

11-Jan-2024

I have been on three trips with Riviera Travel so far, with two more booked during 2024. Highly recommended. Excellent tour guides. Great program of visits. Great hotels used.

Julie Berry (Google Reviewer)  

What a fantastic holiday to...

29-May-2024

What a fantastic holiday to Canada on the Rocky Mountaineer & Alaska Cruise. If you are thinking of booking this do it right now. From start to finish everything was great. The hotels, the transport and the cruise. The rep was absolutely fabulous. If you have ‘B’ as your rep you will make a friend. She is so full of knowledge. We went on this trip with strangers and left it as friends.

Mrs Bodnarec (Google Reviewer)  

Thankyou Riviera and all the...

28-Apr-2024

Thankyou Riviera and all the staff on the William Wordsworth Danube River cruise. My husband and i have just travelled on the Danube to celebrate my husbands 60th and we had such a lovely experience. We were younger than most of the travellers but we met so many lovely people so this wasnt a problem. The staff were so lovely and professional. The service we experienced was so high. The boat was beautiful, the food amazing and the excursions were informative and well managed. I would definately recommend riviera as a company. In fact we are now considering their Japan holiday.

Valerie Pascoe  

We would go again in a heartbeat

22-Jan-2022

Oh my goodness, what a relief it was to actually get away! Full marks to all at Riviera for keeping us up to date before our trip and for the help so cheerfully and patiently given with the extra admin that Covid brought our way. We felt totally safe with the measures taken on board, thank you very much for this. Without exception, Staff were fantastic and our every need was attended to. The additional Covid testing ran smoothly, organised by our Riviera Reps. The guided tours were most interesting: the guides very knowledgeable and more importantly, interesting to listen to. We loved this trip and would do it again in a heartbeat. Thank you again Riviera, you were FAB!

Chris Wilson (Google Reviewer)  

Second escorted tour with this...

25-Jul-2022

Second escorted tour with this company. Did 5 days in Iceland tour. Everything went smoothly, excellent tour guide, Per. Extremely knowledgeable and interesting guy. Very friendly too. Highly recommend. Just let down by the room given at the hotel, but I guess the travel company doesn't have control over this.

Christine Hardy (Google Reviewer)  

Although most people seem to...

10-Mar-2024

Although most people seem to book and pay for their holidays online, because we live close by we prefer to make a personal visit. In my opinion if they are offering this as an option they should be better equipped to accommodate visits in person. We have not been on our river cruise yet, so can't comment on that yet.

Norma Patrick (Google Reviewer)  

Recently went on a tour...

18-May-2024

Recently went on a tour of the Deep South USA plus Texas. Before we set off on the trip we were informed that our trip On the Amtrak train would not be going ahead and we were given a £50 refund each. We were disappointed especially as there was no consultation beforehand and to only receive £50 each in compensation was poor. This was one of the reasons we had chosen Riviera Travel and may have considered another company had we been given the choice. Despite this we had a fabulous holiday, although we thought the tour guide was poor. There was no music played whilst we were traveling on the coach and when asked if more could be played we received a flat ‘no’. If we had relied on the tour guide all the time we wouldn’t have gone anywhere. However we ignored his comments that Nashville was ‘mad’ and went downtown and had the best night. All in all we had a wonderful holiday but it could have been better from Riviera Travel point of view. This is a very expensive tour and we thought the standard of hotels were very poor in some places. Probably would try a different tour company next time.

S BP (Google Reviewer)  

Delayed writing this review as...

16-Jul-2024

Delayed writing this review as I wanted to see if my frustrations dampened but they have not and it gives me no pleasure to write the following. Have travelled with Riviera previously without issue, and in fact loved everything. However on the latest riviera cruise from Budapest the vegetarian food offering was way below par and indeed it was clear there were times they cross contaminated between veggie and meat/fish. Staff on the cruise seemed unable to improve the issues and indeed on occasion the attempt to say they were giving this full attention resulted in even worse food. On return my complaint was dealt with quickly and we were refunded what in effect would be the cost of the food element of the cruise without delay. There was no recognition however that the marketing references to fine dining were in fact misleading. The individual who dealt with the complaint mentioned more than once that she had tried the vegetarian food on another ship Riviera use (it's the same two week rotating menu all season across the fleet) and found it to be good; pleased to hear, that doesn't help me does it! And totally ignored the fact that on a cruise you can't exactly jump ashore to supplement your food if it is poor, which meant there were occasions I went to bed hungry as it was truly that bad or lacking in quantity and food is such an integral part of the trip when you are basically held captive. I even bought my own extras when ashore for the chef to add to my meals like smoked tofu which they had the audacity to present to me at the special chefs dinner as cheese they had sourced! Very poor complaint handling that lacked real empathy, did not address all the points I raised and we all know escalating to the ombudsman is pointless as they are a toothless shark. Pictures shown are a main course for dinner - Pad Thai that was actually rice sticks with carrot and pine nuts, two tiny samosas & lettuce while the non veggies had shrimp skewers that were apparently delicious and roasted vegetable pie that was two mm of chopped veg with an inch of mash in top! The cruise itself was lovely but completely marred by the food and Riviera have now lost my business.

Barbara Parkes (Google Reviewer)  

Presently in Croatia staying at...

22-Sep-2023

Presently in Croatia staying at Arauana Hotel, supposedly a 4 star property, but wouldn't give it any star rating. Rooms are small and dirty. Wallpaper blistering. Meals served in a shed like lean-to. Food like warm, greasy and always self service. Second holiday with Riviera this year and neither at standard advertised. Have travelled with them previously and everything was fine, but standards have really dropped. Have booked a holiday with them next year and now dreading it. Certainly don't provide the standard advertised. We have never stayed in such a hovel and have visited youngsters in back packers accommodation which was far better than this supposedly 4 star accommodation. There are no indoor bars or lounges only a shed as a so called restaurant. Absolutely disgusting. Won't be boking with them again

Book with Confidence

  • Low Deposit

    Riviera Travel requires a minimum deposit of 250 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 75 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of riviera travel charges.

    Up to 75 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 74 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.

    At 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 70% of booking price.

    At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.

    At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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