A visit to Bruges is not complete without a boat trip on the canals of Bruges. You discover Bruges from a completely different angle because some “must sees” you can only experience from the canals.
What, where, when and how?
There are 5 boarding points in the center of Bruges. For half an hour, the captain will take you to the most beautiful spots. During the tour, he will tell you in detail everything he knows about the main highlights. Depending on the nationalities on board, the captain will adapt his explanation and language accordingly. The different boat companies all take the same route between the Jan Van Eyck Square and the Begijnhof. Between 35 to 40 people fit into one boat and should it rain during your visit to Bruges, the captain will provide you with an umbrella so that the boat trip can continue in a pleasant way. You can take a boat trip from early March through mid-November. They go out daily from 10 am through 6 pm.
What places of interest?
Curious to know what exactly can be seen from a different perspective from a boat on the canals? Well, you can admire the following sights:
- Befort (Belfry)
- Onze-lieve-vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady)
- Poortersloge
- Begijnhof (Beguinage)
- Brugse vrije (Liberty of Bruges)
- Godshuis “De pelikaan” (Almshouse “The Pelican”)
- Sint-Annakerk (St Anne’s Church)
- Huidenvettershuis
- Sint-Janshospitaal
Boarding Points
Fancy booking your boat trip? Listed below is an overview of the boarding points:
- Rederij Venetië van het Noorden, Huidenvettersplein 13
- Rederij Coudenys, Rozenhoedkaai
- Rederij De Meulemeester, Wollestraat 32
- Rederij Gruuthuse, Nieuwstraat 11
- Rederij Stael, Katelijnestraat 4
Cost
For a boat trip on the canals, you pay approximately 10 euro for an adult and 6 euro for a child up to 11 years old. Children under 4 do not have to pay for their trip. In case you are visiting Bruges with a group, you can agree on a group rate of 9 euro per person in advance. It is also possible to hire the boat privately for 300 euro for a maximum of 30 people.
