West Flanders & Brussels
with Belgian Beer Weekend & the Bruges Beer Festival
September 6 - 14, 2025 | $3,950
What's included in the tour:
​
-
Accommodations for 8 nights at 4 Star hotels*.
-
All transportation during the tour: train tickets between cities (1st Class when available), transportation to and from venues (breweries, museums etc.) and tram passes.
-
All event (brewery, museum, etc.) entry fees.
-
Breakfast daily.
-
Group lunches (7).
-
Group dinners (6).
*Accommodations based on double occupancy.
Tour cost: $3950.00 USD
​
Single Supplement: $1100.00 USD
​
**Payment plans available
This is a unique tour where we will experience two weekends of special events in Belgium. Our first weekend is in Brussels and features Belgium Beer Weekend with beer related activities throughout the city highlighted by a beer festival in the Grand Place. From here we will move to Bruges, a wonderful medieval city located in West Flanders, where we will spend the remainder of our time exploring breweries in the surrounding area. The second weekend features the iconic Bruges Beer Festival. During our adventure, we will visit numerous iconic breweries in Belgium, take three “road trips” and sample some of the best beer Belgium has to offer.
Day 1 Saturday, September 6, 2025
We will meet at our host hotel mid-morning for a tour of the city. Brussels is an old-world city full of history and interesting architecture. After our tour, we will enjoy a light lunch before visiting Brasserie Cantillon and its Musee Bruxellois de la Gueuze. Cantillon has been brewing Geuze for generations and we will learn about its rich history during our private tour of the brewery. Afterward we will visit the festival in the Grand Place and sample the countless beers offered. We will be free to explore the area shops before meeting at the hotel at 19:00 for dinner at the famous Chez Leon. (L, D)
Day 2 Sunday, September 7, 2025
After breakfast, it’s a short walk to the Bourse de Bruxelles and a visit to the Belgian Beer World. This unique museum is all about beer, past and present, and is an excellent way to get an overview of beer in Belgium. From here, we will board the train for the short ride to Lot and visit the famous Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen lambic-O-droom for Open Beer Days, one of the few festivals and tasting events offered. We have lunch before moving on to Brasserie de la Senne. This brewery moved to its current location several years ago, greatly increasing its production capabilities. Here we will have a chance to enjoy some of its wonderful beer. We return to Brussels to catch the tail end of Belgium Beer Weekend. Dinner tonight is on our own. (B, L)
​
Day 3 Monday, September 8, 2025
Today we will visit two distinctly different breweries, Brasserie de Blaugies and Brouwerij Duvel. Our first stop is Brasserie de Blaugies a brewery owned and operated by the Carter family in
Southern Belgium. There we will enjoy a private tour of their new brewery and have the opportunity to try several of their beers. Following our tour, we will cross the street to Le Fourquet, a restaurant also owned by the Carter family. We will enjoy lunch before traveling north to Brouwerij Duvel. Following our tour and tasting at Duvel, we return to Brussels and spend the remainder of the afternoon exploring the city on our own. Dinner tonight is at a restaurant in the St. Catherine area. Following dinner, it’s drinks at the famous Moeder Lambic before returning to the hotel for the night. (B, L, D)
Day 4 Tuesday, September 9, 2025
After breakfast, we pack and travel to Bruges where we will stay for the remainder of our trip. We will drop our luggage at our host hotel before visiting our first brewery, Brasserie de Halve Maan. This is a modern brewery with a nice tasting room and an interesting expansion story. We will have lunch and a tour of the brewery before meeting with our guide for a tour of the city and its prominent sites. After the tour, we will visit the second brewery of the day, Brouwerij Bourgogne de Flanders for a tour and tasting. From here it's off to La Trappe, an unusual “cellar bar” offering a wide variety of world beers including Trappist beers. We will meet for dinner at 19:00 at a local restaurant. (B, L, D)
Day 5 – Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Today is a big day. We rise early and after breakfast, travel to 't Hoppecruyt, a Hop Farm outside of Poperinge near the French border. Here we will have a private tour of the farm and learn about hops and their cultivation. We will also have the opportunity to sample some of their beers. Next, we visit the Sint-Sixtus Abbey, home of the famous Westvleteren beer. Tours of the brewery are not permitted, but we will visit the Abbey’s welcome center, In de Vrede, and sample some of their amazing beers (and possibly purchase a bottle or two to take home). From here, we will make a quick stop at Brouwerij St Bernardus and see what special beers they are offering to go. Next, it’s off to Brasserie Dubuisson for a tour and tasting and lunch. We return to Bruges and further explore the city before dinner tonight at a local restaurant. Following dinner, it’s drinks at the Red Rose before returning to the hotel for the night. (B, L, D)​
Day 6 Thursday, September 11, 2025
We visit the city of Ghent today. The train ride is approximately 30 minutes and our first stop with be Saint Bavo Church, home of the famous Ghent Altarpiece. We will explore the church before strolling through the Korenmarkt and its many shops. We will spend time exploring the market before heading to lunch and a tour/tasting at Brouwerij Haeseveld. After lunch, we head to the Vrijdagmarkt by way of the Trollekelder, a wonderful bar with a huge assortment of beers. Time permitting, we will visit Dulle Griet, another local pub with a great beer selection. We dine tonight back in Bruges on our own. (B, L)
Day 7 Friday, September 12, 2025
After breakfast, we will take another road trip, this time to the East. Our first stop is Brouwerij Basanini, a small and relatively new brewery. This unique brewery produces some outstanding beers, and we will have the opportunity to tour their brewery and sample some of their beers. Next, we move on to Brouwerij Huyghe, home of Delerium beer. We will enjoy lunch and a tour of their brewery before returning to Bruges. The rest of the day is free to explore the city before gathering at the hotel for dinner. (B, L, D)
​
Day 8 Saturday, September 13, 2025
Our first stop is the Church of Our Lady, home of Michelangelo’s Mother and Child sculpture. This statue has an interesting history including being taken from the church during WW II, as depicted in the movie, Monuments Men. Following our visit, it’s off to the Bruges Beer Festival. This festival featuring some 200 beers from
all over Belgium. As in most Belgian festivals, many of the beers will be available for purchase to go. We will spend the afternoon enjoying the festival before gathering for our final dinner together. (B, D)
Day 9 Sunday, September 14, 2025
Today we say our goodbyes and depart for home or wherever our next adventure takes us. (B)
Mobility Notice
This tour involves substantial walking through breweries, museums and the cities we visit. In addition, climbing of stairs, navigating entryways, etc. is required. Many venues visited on this tour would not be considered ADA compliant. If you have concerns regarding these issues, please contact our staff as this might not be the best tour choice for you.