Duration of Bruges Day Trips from Brussels
If you are short on time but want to visit Bruges on a day trip from Brussels, don't worry: you will have plenty of time to discover it... and fall in love with it! and fall in love!
Panoramic view of Bruges | Elijah G
A very common question when organizing a trip to Belgium is how long are the excursions to Bruges or how much time should we spend in the city to know it well.
Like everything else, the longer the better. It's hard to get tired of those sights and that special atmosphere. But as our travel time unfortunately is not eternal, I'll tell you how long are the tours to Bruges and what you will be able to see in the city if you visit it in one day.
How long is a tour to Bruges?
If you want to book an organized tour to Bruges from Brussels it is most common to book a day tour. It takes very little time to get from one place to another, which makes Bruges the perfect place to escape to.
This type of tour usually takes about 9 hours between transport and sightseeing, which is more than enough time. Normally, you should be at the meeting point around 10 am and you will be back around 8 pm.
As this is an organized tour, you will be accompanied by a guide who will define the best possible itinerary. But throughout the day, you will also have free time to enjoy the essence of the city at your leisure.
How long are the tours to Bruges and Ghent from Brussels?
If you want to make the most of your time and also visit the neighboring city of Ghent, the travel time will be a bit longer. Instead of the usual 9 hours for a trip to Bruges, you will need about 10 hours and a half.
But what does this mean? Well, you will have to get up a little early, because you will have to be at the meeting point around 8:30 in the morning to make the most of the day. You can take a nap on the bus or you can enjoy the Belgian landscape that awaits you behind the window.
The trips are not excessively long (between Bruges and Ghent is less than an hour) so the bus ride will not be at all heavy. What's more, if you decide to book an excursion to Bruges and Ghent from Brussels to visit both cities in one day, this is the best option to save time.
How long is a tour to Bruges if I am traveling on my own?
If you decide to skip the guided tours and visit Bruges on your own, you will have a little more flexibility to visit Bruges and it all depends on how much time you want to spend in Bruges.
Traveling by train, for example, it will take you just over an hour to reach Bruges from the capital. Keep in mind that the last train leaves around 12:00 midnight and the next one doesn't leave until almost 6:00 a.m.
If you prefer, you can also spend a night in Bruges. This way you could extend your Bruges tour to two days to get more out of it. I have created a small guide analyzing the price of excursions to Bruges that may help you to better organize your getaway.
How much time do I need to visit Bruges and Ghent on my own?
Visiting Bruges and Ghent in one day from Brussels on your own is possible, but I do not recommend it. The train journeys are not longer than the private bus tour, but require more preparation and long waiting times at the station.
Still, if you plan to visit Bruges and Ghent on your own during your trip to Brussels, my recommendation is that you dedicate two days and take the opportunity to spend a night in Bruges and have the opportunity to enjoy it also under the stars.