A condensed version of our longest running tour, focusing on East Flanders.
This tour takes place in East Flanders, an area rich in beer culture. We’ll visit at least 5 breweries, staring in Kortrijk and ending in the medieval town of Ghent.
- All skill levels welcome. Ride between 20 and 35 miles each day, 90% flat, with two nights in Ghent. We’ll cycle mostly on dedicated bike routes, many located along quiet canals.
- Perfect balance of historic cities, small villages, traditional family-owned breweries, and inventive new beer makers.
- Hotels, bike rentals, breakfast, lunch, snacks, brewery tours , and beer samples included. Luggage transport vehicle is provided for groups of at least 8. Optional group dinners are organized each evening, with everyone paying for their own meals and drinks.
- Miles of scenic views of Belgian farms await us along our rides… Strawberries, zucchini, rhubarb, rye, wheat, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and larger fields of barley, potatoes, and corn. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to enjoy regional produce with our meals.
- This tour features two of our favorite “mystery stops” in Belgium. Who doesn’t like surprises?
- Make new friends and visit a different brewery every day as you explore the country at a speed allowing you to absorb your surroundings.
Breweries
From blonde to bruin, sweet to sour, this tour has something for everyone’s beer palette.
Typical breweries we visit on most tour include:
- Alvinne – Small artisanal brewery / blendery outside of Kortrijk. Some of the best sours in Belgium!
- Liefmans – One of the oldest breweries in Belgium and famous for their “oud bruin” (old brown) style beers.
- De Ryck – Small, family-owned brewery recognized several times for having the “best triple” in Europe.
- Brewery Huyghe – Makers of the legendary Delirium Tremens with its iconic purple elephant bottle!
- Dok Brewing – Brand new brewery started by some of our friends in Ghent. Small batch, innovation, and experimentation are key!
- Other brewery visits change based upon availability and time of year. Places we have visited on previous tours include: ‘t Gulden Spoor, Brouwerij Van Renterghem, Van Steenberge, Gruut Stadsbrouwerij, Brouwbar, and L’arrogante.
Itinerary / Stats
Locations and distances vary from tour to tour, but generally fall between these guidelines:
- Day 1 – The group meets in the lively city of Kortrijk. From Brussels it is 1 hour 15 minutes by train, or you can use our airport shuttle service for an extra charge. The tour officially starts at 11:00 AM, when the bicycles are delivered to our hotel. We’ll do a warm up ride to a local brewery for lunch.
- Days 2 to 4 – We cycle along the canals, visiting breweries near Oudenaarde (where we stay overnight on day 2). The town is famous for its annual “Tour of Flanders” bicycle race and “oud bruin” (old brown) sour beers. We then spend two nights in the medieval town of Ghent, with a day trip to a brewery but also time to explore the sights, sounds, and tastes of this magical old city.
- Day 5 – More beautiful canal paths await us en route to the historic town of Brugge, where a brewery tour and beer tasting will conclude the tour, officially. But as most people will stay an extra night in Brugge, we invite you to join us for a pub crawl and dinner in town! Brugge is full of great beer cafes — let us show you our favorites!
- Day 6-10 – This tour can be combined with our 5-day “Flanders Sampler” tour, which meets the next morning in Brugge. Sign up for both tours and we’ll offer you a large discount!
Markers show start/end + overnight hotel and B&B locations…
Photos from this tour
