Ghent or Bruges Shore excursion

Ghent is very interesting, and a real town, not an open air museum. So go there.

I do have trouble imaging how the ride there could be considered "scenic". It's going to be motorway all the way...

I have watched a youtube video on canal tours of Ghent and the one that I saw was very beautiful.

For both Bruges and Ghent, ALL canal tours follow exactly the same route. In that sense, the YouTube video will effectively show you the tour you’ll be taking.

Tourists who visit both cities unanimously agree that a boat tour in Bruges is more beautiful than one in Ghent.

The advantage of Ghent is indeed that buses can currently drop off tourists even closer to the city center. Starting in 2029, however, this will also be prohibited in Ghent, and buses will be directed to outlying parking lots, just as they already are in Bruges.
... So perhaps now is still the ideal time to take advantage of this.

BTW, following a mention in the NYT this past August (Gent as an alternative to Venice and Amsterdam)

https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/fodors/top/features/travel/destinations/europe/belgium/brussels/fdrs_feat_35_6.html

it’s now also catching the attention of the UK’s Financial Times

https://www.ft.com/content/c88a7ee5-55de-4dc1-a043-f7906ef37f5e

We have visited and done both and while we are in our late 70s, we find Ghent to be our preferred place and canal tour. It just seems to have a more upbeat feel for us. Ghents downtown is very walkable and feels so alive. Have a great cruise.

You don't say if you would visit any indoor museums or the main church in Bruges. You also didn't say that the Ghent tour "includes" the Ghent Altarpiece, so I'm sure it does NOT. The latter requires timed prebooking. I would think that Bruges is so crowded that you might not be able to get walk-up tickets (I mean, if you feel up to it) to some interiors, but I don't actually know that. You did not give the month of year of this travel, which affects crowding. But Bruges is busy all year.

I am not saying that the museums are "a must for YOU", but the Ghent Altarpiece and Madonna of Bruges (in Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk, Bruges) are both very famous works, and appear in The Monument Men movies. So people back home may ask you about them. And I thought I should mention this so you have full information.

EDIT: You also did not give the day of the week. Some museums in Bruges have one closing day. Ghent is much quieter on Monday.

Thanks to everyone for your replies.

I think that I am leaning towards Ghent but I sort of feel that i can not go wrong.

I feel either excursion will be good.

No, you can't go wrong. But it sounds like everything is pointing towards Ghent, so I would do that. There will still be a bit of walking involved but not like Bruges.

Have fun!

Lavandula

Lavandula

yes, I am leaning towards Ghent and it is partially because of the walking.

Since I have already been to Bruges, I know where the Coach leaves us off and it is a very long walk, in my opinion, to Mrket Square.

The information says something about 10 or 20 minutes each way but I am slow and it will take me longer each way. That will not leave me very much time in Mrket Square.

Ghent, I will be in a guided group for older and slower guests. The excursion will mostly be taking a canal cruise. Sitting, no walking.

For your information, The Ghent Festivities take place from July 16–25. Not that you’ll be able to participate, since they mainly take place in the evenings and at night.

The unfortunate thing, however, is that during this period (including a few days before and after), much of Ghent’s beautiful architecture is partially obscured by the stages set up and the food and drink stands.

https://visit.gent.be/en/calendar/ghent-festivities

Windyram

thank you.

Truthfully Belgium never crossed my mind until I went to Bruges three years ago and am now trying to decide between Bruges and Ghent for my cruise next year.

I heard the name Brussel and that is it.

I never knew how interesting or fascinating or beautiful Belgium is. It would be easy to go to Belgium alone for a full week, no cruise, land only. Maybe another time.

I am sorry that I can not spend more time in Ghent but that is the downside of cruises. You might go to a lot of places but you do not spend much time there.

Have to learn more about Flemish / Flanders / Belgium.

Do the tour buses drop you off near the train station in Bruges? If so, you can splurge on a taxi to the center if you have issues with walking it. I believe there's also a bus from the train station to center, at least there was when I went, but that was several years ago.

Nancy

The bus drops you off at Coach Park near the entrance to Bruges but it is a long walk to Markt Square. it is a nice, beautiful and interesting. walk. Lots to see and do but for me, it will be a long walk.

For someone else, it would be a short walk.

Coach Park is not near the train station.

Phil, Ghent sounds like a good fit for what you need, and everyone here seems to agree. A guided group set up for slower walkers, with most of the sightseeing done sitting on the canal boat, means you can enjoy the day instead of rationing your energy. Being comfortable matters more than how many sights you tick off.

A few thoughts for planning:

• Ask the excursion desk about the free time. Find out where the boat docks and how far that is from the bus drop-off. Ghent's historic center is compact, so a short, slow stroll after the cruise could be enough to see the main sights.
• Plan one small, easy thing for the free time. A coffee or waffle near the canal, or a slow look at the buildings along the waterfront, is plenty. If you'd like to see the Ghent Altarpiece, ask whether you could manage it. As Tim noted, it needs timed prebooking and probably isn't included in the tour.
• Check your cruise date. If you're there during the Ghent Festivities (July 16-25), as Windyram mentioned, some of the architecture will be partly hidden by stages and stalls.
• Bruges remains an option for a future trip. You've already seen part of it, and you can come back someday, maybe staying a few nights, where distances matter less.

Your instinct seems right to me. Enjoy the cruise, and I hope you'll report back afterward!

Yes. Ghent. I've been to both, and Ghent is drop-dead gorgeous.

KnightRd and Janet

Thank you for your input.

I will be in Ghent about mid September. I can not recall the exact date. It is at the end of my cruise.

The Need to Know for the Ghent excursion says something about the walk to the canal boat. I can not remember exact time but very doable.

I am able to book the cruise myself without having to call Shore Excursions. I have found that calling Shore Excursions is usually not much help. My experience is that they do not know the details

It might be that the next time I want to do a week, land only, I will be choosing Brussels. Really had no idea that Brussels had so much to offer.

Just rewatched Monuments Men.

ADDED. Need To Know
Note: Weather appropriate clothing; sunglasses; and flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Guests must be able to walk ten steps to the canal boat pontoon. This tour is not wheelchair accessible and no foldable scooters are permitted on the canal boat. On Sundays, only souvenir shops are open.

Hi Tim

I believe that we will be in Ghent / Bruges on a Saturday. it will be the very end of our. cruise, mid-September

I love museums and churches but in Bruges I would not have enough time to visit a museum after the walk to Mrket Square and the walk back.

There will also not be enough time to visit a museum or even a. church in Ghent. I think this excursion incudes free time but free time usually means something like 15 minutes, maybe 30 minutes at the most.

Excursions are required to offer free time so the guest will spend money in a shop or even two and they do.

I just rewatched Monuments Men. Had no idea that Bruges / Ghent played such an important role in the movie before I rewatched. I only decided to rewatch after returning home from London because I love museums and art so much and then Bruges and Ghent were in. the movie.

Had no idea that Belgium was so exciting, interesting and beautiful until I began to explore my shore excursions. I might need to spend a week there, land only.

I believe that there is now a non stop flight between Austin and Amsterdam

I believe that we will be in Ghent / Bruges on a Saturday. it will be the very end of our. cruise, mid-September

You are on board of the Norwegian Prime, leaving Reykjavik Sep 9, 2027.
The ship is scheduled to dock in Zeebrugge on Saturday, September 18, 2027.

Guests must be able to walk ten steps to the canal boat pontoon.

This makes me believe you will be dropped at the Bus K&R Bijloke site here https://maps.app.goo.gl/pXC98adPeLkEnyj77

It's just a small walk (300 yard) to the boat pontoon here https://maps.app.goo.gl/8hi8Fb6ipvNHfgwNA

Windyram, thank you

I think this is going to be the right excursion for me.

But I also think I will be wanting to spend a week in Belgium another time.

I want to spend a full day in Bruges and same with Ghent. A few hours is so not enough.

But I also think I will be wanting to spend a week in Belgium another time.

You should definitely do that. Ghent and Bruges have so much to offer.

But don’t forget the other places that have ties to your home state of Texas.

Antwerp is exceptionally beautiful, with stunning architecture and world-class museums.
As a Texan, there’s another dimension to it. In the 19th century, many Belgian migrants traveled to the U.S. via the port of Antwerp. The French colonist Henri Castro, who founded the well-known city of Castroville in Texas, stayed in Antwerp in 1845 to raise funds and persuade Belgians to move to his Texas colony.

Today, the economic ties are enormous: Antwerp (Europe’s second-largest port after Rotterdam) is the main European destination for ships from Houston. Major Antwerp-based companies, such as the logistics giant Katoen Natie, have established their U.S. headquarters and massive distribution centers in Houston and the surrounding area.

With the presence of the EU and NATO, Brussels is a particularly interesting location, boasting top-notch museums as well. And here, too, of course, there is a Texan dimension. Shortly after Texas gained independence from Mexico in 1836, the young Republic of Texas sought recognition and loans in Europe. A Texan envoy traveled to Brussels to negotiate with the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs regarding a “Belgian colony in Texas.” Although the Belgian government ultimately backed out, a group of nearly 200 settlers did depart in 1855 to establish the utopian colony “La Réunion” near present-day Dallas.

We even have a Texas City—Belgium’s oldest Western village—in Tremelo.
During the 1958 World’s Fair (Expo 58) in Brussels, there was a large American Wild West Show and Rodeo. When that show went bankrupt, a Belgian bought the wooden sets and remaining props. Together with a few Americans who decided to stay in Belgium, he built the cowboy village in Tremelo. The village attracted many tourists for decades, served as a film set, and was even recognized as a cultural heritage site in 2024.

And during your preparations, don’t forget to check Kortrijk, Tournai, Mechelen and Leuven, each with its own unique attractions.

And for World War II enthusiasts, of course, Bastogne and the surrounding area offer reminders of the Battle of the Bulge.