Belgium · BOAT TOURS IN BRUGES

The 15 Boat Tours in Bruges That Earn Their Price

17 tours  ·  from $38

Good boat tours in Bruges fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.

Bruges: Small Group Boat Cruise and Guided Walking Tour - Starting in the Markt and the Basilica of the Holy Blood
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Bruges: Small Group Boat Cruise and Guided Walking Tour

1.Small Group Boat Cruise and Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 4,102 reviews · 2h 30m · from $51Our pick

Spend 150 minutes seeing Bruges with a local guide, walking from the Markt to the Basilica, Fish Market, Gruuthusemuseum, Church of Our Lady, and Beguinage. A 40-minute canal cruise and Belgian chocolate tasting break up the walk. Guides speak English, French, German, and Dutch.

“Excellent. Fabian included everyone, had a lot of stories. Helpful hints for accessing what museums, places were available. Enjoyable canal ride”

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Bruges: Walking Tour, Canal Boat Trip w/Beer Tasting Option - Starting beside the Lake of Love
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Bruges: Walking Tour, Canal Boat Trip w/Beer Tasting Option

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

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

See Bruges with a live guide in English, French, or Spanish, walking from the Lake of Love through the Beguinage, Burg Square, and Markt. Finish with a 30-minute canal cruise, then add four Belgian beers if you book the English-language option. Guides such as Maria, JK, and Peter bring history and humor to the route.

“Lovely tour with a very knowledgeable guide. Boat tour was a great opportunity to explore this amazing city too!”

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Guided boat trip and walk - The Basilica and Town Hall at Burg Square
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Guided boat trip and walk

3.Guided boat trip and walk

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

Walk Bruges with a local guide such as Fabienne, Patrick, Bruno, Mark, or Ann, then rest aboard a 30-minute canal boat. You’ll see the Markt, Basilica of the Holy Blood, Beguinage, Beerwall, Gruuthuse area, and De Halve Maan Brewery. Expect an easy but fairly active route, local stories, and a small group capped at 15.

“Ann was delightful, knowledgeable, personable, and energetic. We (group of 10) thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Even through the rain - which she handled by doing her best to have us stand in covered places. Boat tour was really nice - and the rain stopped midway. Glad we all signed up for this! Great historical context to delightful city! She walked a little fast for a few of our group but we caught up!”

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Walking tour of Bruges with boat option and/or beer tasting - Minnewater Lake and the Beguinage
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Walking tour of Bruges with boat option and/or beer tasting

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

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

Walk through Bruges with guides such as Maria, Peter, Helmut, or Eduardo, visiting Minnewater Lake, the Beguinage, Walplein, Burg Square, and the canalside viewpoints. The walking tour lasts about 2 hours 30 minutes. Boat rides and beer tasting may be optional or taken separately, so confirm exactly what your booking includes.

“Our guide was very passionate about the city and its many artistic/architectural delights. She was friendly yet always professional during our most enjoyable walk through this medieval gem of a city. Highly recommended!😊”

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Day trip to Bruges from Paris with canal cruise - The small minivan makes a difference
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Day trip to Bruges from Paris with canal cruise

5.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 with up to eight passengers, guided in English, French, or Spanish. See the Belfry, Grand Place, Burg Square, Beguinage, and Lake of Love, then enjoy free time for waffles, chocolate, beer, shopping, or museums. From April to November, a canal cruise is included. Winter visits include the Gothic Town Hall Hall when conditions allow.

“John Baptiste was such a fun and knowledgeable guide! Bruges is beautiful and I can’t wait to go there again.”

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Deluxe Bruges Shore Excursion from Zeebrugge Cruise Port - Fish Market, Burg Square, and the Basilica of the Holy Blood
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Deluxe Bruges Shore Excursion from Zeebrugge Cruise Port

6.Deluxe Bruges Shore Excursion from Zeebrugge Cruise Port

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 80 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $80

Travel by air-conditioned coach from Zeebrugge to Bruges for a guided walk past the Markt, Belfry, canals, Beguinage, and Minnewater. You get about two hours to shop, eat, and explore independently. Guides have included Charmaine, Theo, Luc, Mark, and Guy. Expect cobblestones and a fair amount of walking.

“This was a nice pace walking tour with plenty of free time to shop and eat. We were picked up at the cruise port. Guy was our guide who was fantastic.”

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Bruges Tour with Canal Cruise from Zeebrugge Cruise Port - Burg Square and the Basilica of the Holy Blood
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Bruges Tour with Canal Cruise from Zeebrugge Cruise Port

7.Bruges Tour with Canal Cruise from Zeebrugge Cruise Port

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 78 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $82

Meet JAT outside Zeebrugge cruise port, ride by air-conditioned coach to Bruges, and explore its Belfry, Burg Square, canals, Beguinage, and Minnewater Lake with a local guide. Guides such as Veronique, Sharene, Daniel, and Charlene have led this outing. A 45-minute canal cruise and free time for waffles, shopping, and photos round out the five to six-hour visit.

“Tour started out a bit disorganized. Tour guide Veronique was awesome. We saw a lot of the town and were given a lot of information.”

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Best Bruges Shore Excursion – Small Group + Optional Canal Cruise

8.Best Bruges Shore Excursion – Small Group + Optional Canal Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 62 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $663

Travel by air-conditioned bus from Zeebrugge to Bruges, then follow an English-speaking guide through Minnewater Park, the Beguinage, Church of Our Lady, Burg Square, and Market Square. Choose a 30-minute canal cruise or extra time for food and shopping. Guides such as Andy, Yves, Rita, and Patrick have earned praise for clear local insight.

“It's a must see town. I would highly recommend this tour. Our guide Rita was amazing. She was a teacher and is sp passionate about her job. We loved her.”

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Experience the best of Bruges on a Private Tour with Boat Ride - The canal cruise and the boat portion
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Experience the best of Bruges on a Private Tour with Boat Ride

9.Experience the best of Bruges on a Private Tour with Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 56 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $142

Explore Bruges with a private English-speaking guide, then see its canals by boat. The route covers the Markt, Boniface Bridge, Minnewater Lake, the Belfry, Burghers’ Lodge, and De Halve Maan Brewery. Guides such as Fleur, Guido, Paul, and Raphael have led past departures, though the boat portion and meeting arrangements can require extra care.

“It was a nice tour . Relaxed and good overview.of the history, architecture, art and landscape. It also included a canal tour which was nice to take after the walking tour. Beautiful old city.”

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Best Bruges Shore Excursion including Deluxe Canal Cruise - From Zeebrugge port to Bruges in 30 minutes
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Best Bruges Shore Excursion including Deluxe Canal Cruise

10.Best Bruges Shore Excursion including Deluxe Canal Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 27 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $79

Travel from Zeebrugge cruise port to Bruges for a guided walk past the Belfry, Basilica of the Holy Blood, Church of Our Lady, and Saint John’s Hospital. You’ll also take a 45-minute canal cruise and have free time for chocolate, lunch, shopping, and photos. Guides such as Veronique and Krista have received especially warm praise.

“I’ll start with the good. We enjoyed having a smaller van take us to and from Bruges. Some of the information provided during the tour was great, like the visit at the Convent. However, that’s where the enjoyment ended for us. Our tour guide was very nice, but kept getting distracted (talked about cobblestones for an extended period of time, rambled on about a statue we weren’t going to be seeing while standing next to a monument that was on the itinerary, etc). It got to the point where we just wanted to go do our own thing and see the rest on our own, so we skipped the canal…”

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6 Hour Bruges Shore Excursion from Zeebrugge Cruise Port - The Holy Blood Basilica and a famous canal view
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6 Hour Bruges Shore Excursion from Zeebrugge Cruise Port

11.6 Hour Bruges Shore Excursion from Zeebrugge Cruise Port

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 23 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $81

Travel by air-conditioned vehicle from Zeebrugge to Bruges for a guided walk past the Belfry, Burg Square, the Holy Blood Basilica, canals, Beguinage, and Minnewater. You get two hours to eat, shop, and sample chocolate or waffles before returning to your ship. Guides such as Christa and Luke have been praised for clear storytelling.

“Lot of walking over cobblestone but good tour. Half of hour walk back to the bus . We took taxi back. 16 euros.”

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Bruges Charms and Gems Tour for Cruise Passengers - Walking into Bruges through the Belfry
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Bruges Charms and Gems Tour for Cruise Passengers

12.Bruges Charms and Gems Tour for Cruise Passengers

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 13 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $81

Travel from Zeebrugge to Bruges by air-conditioned vehicle, then walk through the Belfry, Burg Square, the Holy Blood Basilica, canals, Beguinage, Minnewater, Saint John’s Hospital, and Markt. Guide Mark is specifically praised for his friendly explanations. You also get two hours of free time, but the tour involves cobblestones and careful timing.

“The tour of the city was ok but when tour ended things went bad. The bus driver showed up to take us to the Cruise port but refused to allow us to board the bus. He argued with the tour guide, then left with the bus empty and all of us on the tour stranded. We were forced to find other arrangements to get back to the ship.”

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Charms and Gems of Bruges for the First Timer Cruise Visitors - The Belfry gives you your first Bruges bearings
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Charms and Gems of Bruges for the First Timer Cruise Visitors

13.Charms and Gems of Bruges for the First Timer Cruise Visitors

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 11 reviews · from $84

From Zeebrugge, ride into Bruges for a guided walk past the Belfry, Burg Square, Basilica of the Holy Blood, canals, Beguinage, Minnewater Lake, and Market Square. You get about two hours to eat, shop, or sample Belgian chocolate and waffles. Expect roughly two hours on foot and a potentially large group.

“This was a terrible experience. The tour operator did not advise to look for a "JAT" sign. We walked around for 10 minutes looking for the operator. Finally, asked someone for assistance and it was the JAT person, who spoke no English. We were delayed 45 minutes waiting foRead more”

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Stress-Free Bruges for Cruise Passengers with opt. Canal Cruise - A quiet hour at the Beguinage
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Stress-Free Bruges for Cruise Passengers with opt. Canal Cruise

14.Stress-Free Bruges for Cruise Passengers with opt. Canal Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $327Top rated

Meet your English-speaking guide at Zeebrugge, ride an air-conditioned bus to Bruges, and spend five to six hours on foot among canals, guildhalls, the Beguinage, Basilica of the Holy Blood, and Markt. Choose an optional 30-minute canal cruise, enjoy shopping time, and return to your ship on schedule.

“Awesome town, wish we had a couple of days here!! Great excursion from Vexperio, our guide was super knowledgeable and friendly. Some of our group did the optional canal cruise and enjoyed it quite a bit for photos they could take but a lot of the information discussed was already covered by our guide, so you decide. A LOT of walking on cobblestones, which they tell you in the description so listen to it!!!”

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Bruges Uncovered: Historic Walking Tour & Canal Boat Experience - Churches that explain Bruges’ wealth
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Bruges Uncovered: Historic Walking Tour & Canal Boat Experience

15.Bruges Uncovered: Historic Walking Tour & Canal Boat Experience

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 6 reviews · from $0

Start at Bruges train station and walk through Minnewater, the Beguinage, major churches, Burg Square, and Grand Place before a canal boat ride. The route covers Bruges’ essential sights in about two and a half hours. The boat is included, but recent cancellations make it worth confirming before you book.

“Worst tour I’ve ever done. Started off the day being told the wrong time. Arrived in the morning and waited for half an hour looking around for the place only to be told later that it wasn’t running and was offered another tour at another time. Arrived then and spent a whRead more”

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