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Belgium Full-Day Excursion: Exploring Antwerp and Ghent from Brussels
4.4
128 Ratings
Bruxelles
Optimize your visit to Belgium with a day trip to Antwerp and Ghent originating from Brussels. Bypass the hassle of public transport with convenient round-trip transfers. Advantage from the knowledge of a local guide who can provide insightful details you might not uncover on your own, and then enjoy the freedom to explore at your own speed.
Duration:
10 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Atomium - On our way to Antwerp, we will make a brief stop at the Atomium, the monument considered as the symbol of Brussels and Belgium. Here you will have the chance to take some photos.
- Plantinkaai - The bus will drop us off at the city bus station.
- Steenplein - We will head down the sidewalk of the river to the city center. Before starting our tour, we will make a stop to go to the bathroom and indicate the place where we will meet in the afternoon to return to Brussels.
Here, with the skyline and the river on the background, you will enjoy a small introduction to the history of the city.
- Het Steen - The first stop of our tour will be Steen Castle. Here will be explained the history of the building as well as the reason why the roof of the buildings in Holland and Belgium have that particular shape.
- Vleeshuisstraat - In addition to admire the building that use to hold the meat house, at this point, we will talk about how commerce worked and how the city was organized in the past.
- Grote Markt - In this emblematic square, we will discover the town hall, the different guild houses and the legend surrounding the sculpture Standbeeld van Brabo.
- Carolus Borromeus Church - In this stop we will visit the old Saint Ignatius of Loyola church and currently of Saint Carlous Borromeus. Enter the church and enjoy a painting by Rubens in its context.
- Lijnwaadmarkt - We headed towards the cathedral. Along the way, our guide will tell us about how Belgian politics works.
- Cathedral of Our Lady - We will get to know the architectural styles that shape this cathedral as well as some of the Rubens works that are kept inside. In front of the cathedral, you will find a beautiful sculpture and you discover the emotional history that surrounds it.
- Groenplaats - We will discover how the old cathedral cemetery became the current “green square”. You will also be able to take some beautiful photos of the cathedral and of the Rubens sculpture.
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Meir - We approach Meir Avenue, where some incredible buildings are located and which is the shopping street par excellence of the city.
In the middle of the avenue we find the sculpture of a giant hand. In it, we will explain the different reasons why Antwerp also Belgium are linked to this symbol. - Antwerp - Free time, you will enjoy about 1,5 hours of free time (it depends on the traffic and the rhythm of the group).
- Ghent - We arrive to Ghent, one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe. We walk to the centre, where the guided tour will begin.
- Ghent Town Hall (Stadhuis) - We start our guided tour in front of the Town Hall. Here our guide will explain us the different architectural styles of the building.
- Belfry and Cloth Hall (Belfort en Lakenhalle) - Our guide will explain this emblematic tower and the history surrounding its dragon.
- St. Bavo’s Cathedral (Sint-Baafskathedraal) - You will discover the outside and the inside of Ghent’s Cathedral, where the most stolen painting in history is kept, the famous painting of the Van Eyck brothers “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb”.
- Saint Nicholas Church - Do you know that Belgian churches host concerts and other events?
- Masons’ Guild Hall - In front of the original facade of the Masons guild house, our guide will explain what guild houses are and the peculiarity of this one.
- Korenmarkt - In front Saint Nicholas Church, we found the Korenmarkt. In this spot will be explained the peculiar history of the building where the post office used to be.
- St Michael’s Bridge - Upon this bridge you will be able to take incredible photos. Here will also be explained the story of the tower of Saint Michael’s Church.
- Graslei and Korenlei - We are going to follow the Lys riverbank. We will get to know the buildings surrounding Lys river such as the Masons’ Guild House or the current Marriot Hotel. You will also have the chance to take some photos.
- OOOST - The Great Butchers’, which dates back to the 15th century, was originally a covered market.
- Kleine Vismarkt - In front the Great Butcher’s Hall, we will make a little stop in a traditional market stall where the seller will tell us about Ghent’s more famous candy, the cuberdon.
- St. Veerleplein - The last point of our guided tour is Sint-Veerleplein Square. Here our guide will explain the story of the square and the different buildings around it. Also, will give some tips about which are the best souvenir shops. The guide will also remember when and where you must be to take the bus back to Brussels.
- Ghent - Free time, you will enjoy about 1,5 hours of free time (it depends on the traffic and the rhythm of the group).
![](https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/attractions-splice-spp-720x480/0a/84/75/ea.jpg)
What's Included
- Recommendations and city tips
- Professional English-speaking guide
- Guided walking tour in Antwerp
- Guided walking tour in Ghent
- Round-trip with A/C
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
Additional Information
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- You will receive the confirmation at time of booking
- Our guides have your best interests in mind; while the tour usually includes the sites & stories mentioned and lasts about 2.5 hours, your tour may vary depending on what your guide thinks is best for your group.
- No meals are included but your guide will be happy to point you some great food spots :)
Location
Carrefour de l'Europe
In the Carrefour de l'Europe square under the columns of the main entrance of the train and metro station, in front of the Hilton Grand Place hotel. Our guides will be wearing ID of Buendia Tours.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.4
(128 Ratings)
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Joshua_y
Jul 16, 2024
Highly Recommended - Had an Amazing time and experience. Very experienced Tour guides, Funny and so eloquent. They made every single minute of the tour eventful and fun. Highly Recommended
Review provided by Viator
Metten770
Jul 6, 2024
Successful trip with good guides! - A recommended trip! Our guide Mark was informative and a good storyteller! The trip went completely smoothly and we felt entertained all the way through!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Denis_d
Jun 30, 2024
Very pleased. Highly recommend - Pablo was a great tour guide. Shared so many historical details of both Antwerp and Ghent. Fascinating. A great way to see both cities if you are short on time. Great job Pablo and Buendia tours
Review provided by Viator
Jules
Jun 28, 2024
Great tour - Our tour guide Mark was the star of the tour! He was entertaining while giving us the history of the sites we visited. We really enjoyed this tour. The views are beautiful.
Review provided by Viator
Ira_l
Jun 27, 2024
Best guide ever! - Great itinerary but the best part was the guide, Mark, who worked extremely hard to inform us. He was amazing!
Review provided by Viator
Daniel_t
Jun 26, 2024
Two amazing cities in one day! - Marc was an amazing host and tour guide. The trips to Antwerp and Ghent was great. We saw some amazing sights and got some great pictures. It was a packed day, so there wasn’t much time to visit some of the sights not on the tour. However, Marc made sure the we had enough time for bathroom breaks and lunch. He also made sure everyone returned to the bus at the right time. Great tour!
Review provided by Viator
Pamela_o
Jun 12, 2024
Great Dat to Antwerp and Ghent - Pablo was an amazing tour guide that brought the history to life.
Day had a good balance of free time and guided tour.
Review provided by Viator
Stefan_e
Jun 8, 2024
Excellent experience with super guides! - This was a mixed language group in English and Spanish…a true global mix of guests, and an excellent day! The guides (Pablo & Marta) were both absolutely energetic, knowledgable, and enganging. Chapeaux! Highly recommended to anyone who wants to see more of Belgium than Brussels. Beautiful cities to discover!
Review provided by Viator
Juan_a
Jun 21, 2024
An informative experience - The guide Pablo did a good job giving information about the two towns. Tour was on time, and we were able to enjoy it. The weather did not cooperate, since it was raining the whole day.
Review provided by Viator
Nancy
Jun 19, 2024
Don’t go with this company… terrible - Been on many Viator tours and this was hands down the worst experience! Pablo, our host made us walk a couple of blocks to bus from meeting place! Although it rained all day, we didn’t mind but Pablo showed no regard to anyone’s needs…. Talked and tooted his knowledge for long periods when people only wanted to hear basic history and tour the beautiful city! We left the tour about an hour in and did our own tour! We met when we were supposed to leave… Pablo was a few minutes late… he said the bus would drop us off as close to Central Station as possible but dropped us all off several blocks away in pouring rain… to walk for a taxi….as we walked that long way, we passed an area very close to the taxis that had sections marked buses and there was room for at least 3 buses! What a shame that Viator allows this company to do your tours! Tour was on 6/18/24
Review provided by Viator
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