Belgium · CRUISES & BOAT TOURS

The 15 Best Boat Trips in Belgium

33 tours  ·  from $12

Bruges and Ghent both make more sense from the water than from the pavement. The 15 below run from a fifty-minute canal loop to a full day with a guide, each priced and clear on where the jetty actually is.

Ghent: 50-Minute Medieval Center Guided Boat Trip - Starting near the Castle of the Counts
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Ghent: 50-Minute Medieval Center Guided Boat Trip

1.50-Minute Medieval Center Guided Boat Trip

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

Cruise Ghent’s medieval center aboard a small boat, passing the three famous towers, Graslei, guildhalls, the Castle of the Counts, and the Prince’s Court. Live commentary is in English, Dutch, or French, with illustrated translations in six other languages. Guides such as Kobe, Brent, Anna, and Kristi are praised for humor, clear stories, and local tips.

“Great activity with a knowledgeable guide. Seeing Ghent by boat is a great option!”

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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

2.Small Group Boat Cruise and Guided Walking Tour

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

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

3.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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From Amsterdam: Bruges Day Trip in English with Boat Option - Starting at ALOHA Bowling in Amsterdam
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From Amsterdam: Bruges Day Trip in English with Boat Option

4.From Amsterdam: 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 Basilica of the Holy Blood, and Grote Markt, then enjoy three hours to shop, eat, take an optional canal boat, or explore alone. The day lasts 12 hours, with transport, guiding, and a chocolate-shop visit included.

“Pau the guide on bus was funny and gave good info. Note there is a stop an hour and a half in where you can use the restroom and get food. Peter our guide during the walking tour was also very funny and provided good information I highly recommend this trip. long bus ride but your time in Bruges is worth it.”

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From Amsterdam: Bruges Day Trip in Spanish with Boat Option - Meeting the bus in Amsterdam
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From Amsterdam: Bruges Day Trip in Spanish with Boat Option

5.From Amsterdam: Bruges Day Trip in Spanish with Boat Option

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

Travel by comfortable bus from Amsterdam to Bruges for a Spanish-guided walk through the Begijnhof, Burg Square, Markt, canals, and Church of Our Lady. You get about three hours to eat, shop, and explore alone. Guides such as Blanca, Rafael, and Adrian have led past departures, though assignments vary. A boat option may be available.

“Excellent guide Mariana, driver Adrian and Spanish language guide in Bruges. A most do tour, beautiful city!!”

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From Brussels: Bruges Day Trip with Boat Tour Option (ENG) - Starting at Minnewater and the Begijnhof
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From Brussels: Bruges Day Trip with Boat Tour Option (ENG)

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

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

Travel by coach from Brussels to Bruges for a two-hour English walking tour with guides such as Peter, Blanca, and Antonio. See the Begijnhof, Minnewaterpark, Market Square, Castle Square, canals, and St. John’s Hospital, then enjoy about four hours to eat, shop, or add a roughly 35-minute boat tour.

“The bus was really clean. Carlos the driver was really good and safe. Blanca was really good - she engages very well with the tour group and really shows that she is passionate with her job. Very informative as well. I give her 6 stars 🌟.”

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From Brussels: Bruges Day Trip with Boat Tour Option (ES) - From Brussels Central Station to the medieval center
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From Brussels: Bruges Day Trip with Boat Tour Option (ES)

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

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

Travel from Brussels to Bruges by coach for a Spanish guided walk through Minnewaterpark, Begijnhof, Markt, Burg Square, and the canals. Guides such as Nico, Gaby, Marta, and Estela have been praised for warm, lively presentations. You get about four hours to eat, shop, take photos, or add the optional canal boat ride.

“I really enjoyed my trip to Bruges. Our guide Lucia was very kind and helpful. The city is worth visiting, but with the help of a guide it makes the experience even more rich.”

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From Paris: Day Trip to Bruges with Optional Seasonal Cruise - The Guided Walk Through Bruges
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From Paris: Day Trip to Bruges with Optional Seasonal Cruise

8.From Paris: Day Trip to Bruges with Optional Seasonal Cruise

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

Travel by air-conditioned coach from central Paris to Bruges for a full day in Belgium. Choose a guided walking tour with multilingual support and an April to October canal cruise, or explore independently. You will see the Basilica of the Holy Blood, Gothic City Hall, medieval canals, Belgian chocolate shops, and time for moules frites and local beer.

“Overall, a really wonderful day trip and experience worth booking. You ride in a well air condition bus and it was not crowded either. I great way to visit another city and country that is nearby. This tour is worth booking, I highly recommend it.”

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Ghent: 40 Minute Medieval Center Guided Boat Tour - Finding the green boathouse at the medieval harbor
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Ghent: 40 Minute Medieval Center Guided Boat Tour

9.40 Minute Medieval Center Guided Boat Tour

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

Cruise Ghent’s River Leie for 40 minutes with a live guide in English, Dutch, or French. You’ll see the medieval harbor, three famous towers, Prinsenhof, guildhalls, churches, monasteries, and Castle of the Counts. Illustrated texts are available in Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, and Japanese.

“A great snapshot of Ghent. I was staying at Bruges and heard about this medieval city, so booked this guided canal boat tour. It’s a perfect way to see almost everything and learn about the city. It’s only 40 minutes, so I had plenty more time to explore key sites after the tour. Lots of time slots to choose from, so very flexible. If you are travelling like me, this will work very well!”

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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

10.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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Ghent: 40-Minute Historical Boat Tour of City Center - Finding the right jetty at Graslei 4
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Ghent: 40-Minute Historical Boat Tour of City Center

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. From Graslei, you’ll pass the Butcher’s Hall, Dulle Griet, the Old Fish Market, Gravensteen Castle, and Rabot. Open and covered boats operate according to the weather, making this a useful first look at the city.

“Guide was informative, energetic, patient and helped me getting put of boat. I highly recommend this beautiful, relaxing tour.”

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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

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

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

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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Guided Boat Trip in Ghent - Starting at Graslei and the historic port
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Guided Boat Trip in Ghent

13.Guided Boat Trip in Ghent

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

Take a 40-minute cruise from Graslei through central Ghent, passing the historic port, Great Meat Hall, and Castle of the Counts. Your guide provides live commentary, often in several languages, with stories about the city, architecture, and local life. Boats may be open or covered, and departures run every 15 to 30 minutes depending on the season.

“Great activity if travelling solo in Ghent. Boat tour was fun, informative, and a great way to meet other travellers”

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Ghent: Guided Walking Tour and Canal Boat Trip - The three towers and Ghent’s central churches
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Ghent: Guided Walking Tour and Canal Boat Trip

14.Guided Walking Tour and Canal Boat Trip

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

Join an English-speaking local guide outside Ghent’s Belfry for a 150-minute tour covering St. Bavo’s Cathedral, the Mystic Lamb, guild quays, markets, Patershol, and Gravensteen. Finish with a 30-minute canal cruise using an audio guide with illustrated translations. Guides may include Ariel, Peter, Juliana, or Eros.

“Very nice tour, too bad we had rain for about an hour”

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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

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 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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