Bruges & Ghent day trip from Zeebrugge: Private guide and driver

Van Eyck altarpiece tour in St. Bavo's Cathedral: discover the hidden 24-panel masterpiece

A full-day private tour departing from Zeebrugge cruise port to Bruges and Ghent with a professional guide and driver, covering medieval landmarks like the Basilica of the Holy Blood, Gravensteen Castle, and St. Bavo's Cathedral. The itinerary is customizable to your interests. Optional canal boat rides are available in both cities, and you have free time for lunch. Your guide speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian or one of three additional languages, and the tour ends with return transport to your cruise ship or elsewhere in Zeebrugge, Bruges or Brussels.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Graslei and Korenlei40m
2. Gravensteen Castle30m
3. St. Bavo's Cathedral30m
4. Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaarde40m
5. Basilica of the Holy Blood45m

Visit Bruges and Ghent from Zeebrugge

• Meet chauffeur and guide at Zeebrugge port
• Travel to Bruges
• Visit Basilica of the Holy Blood
• See Belfry tower
• Explore Minnewater lake
• Visit Our Lady Church
• Tour Sint Janshospital and Memling museum
• Optional boat trip in Bruges
• Free time for lunch
• Travel to Ghent
• Visit Saint Michael's Church
• See Gravensteen Castle
• Visit St. Bavo's Cathedral and view altarpiece
• Explore Graslei and Korenlei old harbour
• Optional boat trip in Ghent
• Visit Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaarde
• Transfer back to Zeebrugge cruise terminal

The experience

How do you see two UNESCO heritage cities in a single day without renting a car or navigating trains? This tour picks you up at Zeebrugge port with a driver and a certified guide who knows both cities and can shape the day around what interests you most. You travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with WiFi, bottled water included, so the time between stops is comfortable rather than wasted.

Bruges comes first. The guide takes you through the medieval center to the Basilica of the Holy Blood, where a venerated Passion relic sits in an upper chapel rebuilt in Gothic style; the Belfrey tower; Minnewater lake, the old common waters where the city's port once stood; and the Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaarde, a UNESCO complex of quiet courtyards that feels anchored in the Middle Ages. The Sint Jan Hospital houses the Memling museum, and the Groeninge museum is also on offer. An optional boat trip lets you drift through the canals and see the gothic buildings from the water. You get free time to eat lunch at your own pace.

After lunch, the tour moves to Ghent. The Gravensteen Castle dominates the skyline: a 13th-century fortress whose creation and evolution shaped the entire city. The guide shows you the Graslei and Korenlei, the old harbor where merchants and sailors once traded, and takes you inside St. Bavo's Cathedral to see the Van Eyck brothers' Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, a 24-panel altarpiece that sits alongside works by Rubens and Laurent Delvaux. Another optional canal boat ride is available here. The day ends with your driver returning you to the cruise terminal in Zeebrugge, or to a hotel in Bruges or Brussels if you prefer.

What’s included

• Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver and certified guide.
• bottled water.
• WiFi on board.
• parking fees.
• pickup from Zeebrugge cruise port and return transport to your ship, a Bruges hotel or Brussels.
• visits to the Basilica of the Holy Blood, Belfrey tower, Minnewater lake, Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaarde, Gravensteen Castle, and St. Bavo's Cathedral with the Van Eyck altarpiece.
• free time for lunch.
• optional canal boat rides in both cities.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day7 departure times: the first at 09:00, the last at 10:30

Book up to8h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Hebrew

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 43 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by YS BELGIUM LIMOUSINE

Is this one for you?Book this if you're docking at Zeebrugge and want to visit both Bruges and Ghent in one day: your private guide adjusts stops and pace to your interests, and the full-day format aligns with typical cruise schedules.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Hebrew.

Can I customize what we see in Bruges and Ghent, or is the itinerary fixed?

The tour is customizable. Your guide works with you to shape the day around your interests, so you can spend more time at sites that matter to you and skip others if you prefer.

What is the Basilica of the Holy Blood, and why is it significant?

The Basilica of the Holy Blood sits in Bruges' Burg square and holds a venerated Passion relic in its upper chapel, rebuilt in Gothic style in the 16th century. The lower chapel is a dark Romanesque structure that has remained virtually unchanged since the Middle Ages.

Are the canal boat rides included, or do I pay extra?

The canal boat rides are optional, so you choose whether to add them in Bruges, Ghent or both. They let you see the cities' gothic buildings and canals from the water.

What is the Van Eyck altarpiece, and where do I see it?

The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb is a world-renowned 24-panel altarpiece painted by the Van Eyck brothers and housed in St. Bavo's Cathedral in Ghent. It is one of the cathedral's most valuable art treasures, displayed alongside works by Rubens and Laurent Delvaux.

How much time do I have for lunch, and is it included?

You get free time for lunch in Bruges after the morning sightseeing. Lunch is not included in the tour price, so you choose where and what to eat.