Bruges PRIVATE City Kickstart Tour With Locals
Recommended by 92% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Bruges, Belgium
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Medieval Bruges counts among Belgium’s must-see cities—but escaping the tourist trail to find treasures only the locals know isn’t always easy. On this morning or afternoon tour, explore with your private guide and get the inside line on the city’s top attractions and hidden gems. Hear the secrets behind landmarks like the 14th-century Church of Our Lady, and see sides of this UNESCO–listed city many visitors miss.
- See UNESCO–listed Bruges from a local’s perspective with your private guide
- Hear the backstories of sites like the 14th-century Church of Our Lady
- Discover top attractions and hidden gems off the tourist trail
- Choice of morning or afternoon tour to suit your schedule
What's Included
- Private Tour
- Local Guide
- Local Tips and Tricks
- City Orientation
- Hotel pick up & drop off
- Extra food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Markt 1, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
In front of Historium Bruges
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Eiermarkt
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Church of Our Lady
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Dijver (Pass By)
Burg Square (Pass By)
Sint-Janshospitaal (Pass By)
De Halve Maan Brewery (Pass By)
The Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaarde (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Private tour: only you & your local guide
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 180 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
We flew to Brussels that morning and had to wait to check into the hotel. Not knowing when we might arrive in Bruges, we didn't book the tour until we were on the train to Bruges. We were so grateful to hear back from Ann that she could take us for a tour with such short notice. We only had a few hours, but felt like we managed to see a lot. She was flexible and kind enough to be willing to let us interrupt the walking tour with a boat tour (extra 15 euros person) and then surprised us by treating us to water and chocolates too. It was great to spend a few hours with someone who had grown up in the City. We were too late in the day to see some attractions, but she brought us inside two churches and she dropped us off at a lovely restaurant for dinner. Thank you, Ann!
This particular tour guide did not show up and we wasted a precious hour of a short stop over in Bruges which really made us angry. When complained I was offered a full refund but that’s not the point. The no show was an error made by the guide which sounded weak to me as zi had messaged him three times prior to the tour without reply meaning I had no direct way to contact him/her other than using the message service on the Viator app.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Michael,
Thank you for taking the time to share this, and we're truly sorry for what happened. A no-show on a private tour, especially during a short stopover where every hour counts, is simply not acceptable, and your frustration is completely warranted.
We appreciate that you tried to get in touch beforehand. For future reference, our hosts' direct phone number is always included in your booking confirmation and that's the fastest way to reach them if something comes up, as they don't have access to the Viator chat.
We're taking this seriously and looking into what went wrong to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else. We hope Bruges left you with some magic despite this hiccup and that we'll get the chance to show you what a Withlocals experience is really supposed to feel like!
Kind regards,
The Withlocals Team
What a beautiful place Brugge is and our tour guide Ann made it extra special. She was patient, evenly paced walking tour around the beautiful streets. We learned many interesting historical facts and landmarks. She also offered to take photos, suggestions on where to get the best waffles, chocolates and Belgian beer ! Our last stop was De Maan brewery and what fascinating spot to do a tour and finished off with some lunch and beer! Great experience from a true local. She was lovely and we made some great memories and be sure to come back ! Thanks Ann :)
Artur canceled. Be wary if booking with Viator. I was scammed. Viator refuses refund. Disappointed!!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Guest,
We are sorry to hear your experience in Bruges did not go as planned and we completely understand your frustration.
We hope Bruges still gave you some wonderful moments and that we get the chance to welcome you back one day.
Kind Regards,
The Withlocals Team
Viator cancelled my tour. We were visiting Bruges for 1 day only. You let us down. I hope I will receive my refund promptly.
This is a wonderful way to orientate yourself to the city and also learn the history. Patrick was a wonderful guide. He was interesting and has a great love of the city.
Spent an hour and a half walking around Bruges learning about its history, architecture etc. Hilde was a terrific, and very knowledgeable guide. So glad we chose this tour!!
Our guide, Lavigna, was knowledgeable and friendly. We had a great tour. She asked for special requests (we wanted to go to a chocolate shop) and she chose the perfect one for us.
Our tour was the best tour we have had in our many travels. Jay had a wealth of knowledge and history about the city but his exuberant personality made the tour so much more entertaining. He brought the city and its history to life! Thank you Jay!
Delightful walking tour of Bruge! Our guide, Lavigne, was terrific. Born in Bruge, She spoke perfect English. Warm, engaging and full of charming stories and history we could not have asked for more when I mentioned I wanted to buy some handmade lace, she called around to find some for me.
Our personal guide was wonderful! She was very knowledgeable and provided us information about Bruge’s rich history while also sharing recommendations for us at the tours end. Since this was a personal she was able to tailor the tour to our interests!
It was a very detailed tour with many facts and details. The guide spent her time giving us many important details.
Our local guide Jay was awesome! He takes great pride in Bruges and seems like everyone knows him. His knowledge is terrific, and he was very helpful with taking pictures. He brought us to a pub to experience the real Bruges and overall it was an amazing tour.
Patrick was phenomenal!! He promptly met us for our 11:00 a.m. private guided tour for our family of 4. We saw the best of Bruges. He answered all of our questions and provided incredibly helpful information. Since our tour was private, he let us take the time we needed at each spot along the way and gave us tips on where to go for lunch as well as to see the Michelangelo sculpture in the church. We loved our day long visit to Bruges thanks to starting it off right with Patrick. He was the best!!
Booked this same day just as I landed in Bruges. As it was my first time visiting I wanted to know more about the history of Bruges and help get my bearings. Ann came bearing chocolates which was a bonus! She had really great knowledge about Bruges and was lovely to hear it all coming from a local. Also happy to point out places worth eating at during my stay when I asked. Great kickstart to my visit.
Our tour guide was excellent. She walked us through the history of Bruges in a very professional manner. Thankyou!
Ana was fantastic. Extremely knowledgeable and had plenty of fun and funny facts about the city. We had a tour with another company that was cancelled 15 minutes after it was supposed to start and booked this one last minute. Very glad we did!
This was a fantastic experience for our family. Two older teens and their mom all enjoyed it and learned a lot about the area. Our guide took us for quick bites of local delicacies and adjusted the tour to our interests. Highly recommend!
Tom was an excellent guide. We asked so many questions and he had all the answers. His love for the city and it's history was evident and made our stay in Burges all the more interesting for the next 3 days.
Good kick off tour of the nice historical city. Guide was good. May be difficult to spot him so best is to call him.
Jeff was excellent to lead our family’s walk around! Very knowledgeable and made it interesting and relaxed.
Martin's tour was a fabulous way to be introduced to Bruges! He not only showed us how to navigate around this gorgeous fairytale village, he showed us numerous hidden gems and how to find more. Martin will generously share great tips for restaurants, shops, beer and chocolates - all local establishments. We will recommend this tour and Martin to others!
Martin was great. Just our family of six. Youngest is 12 years old. He kept everyone involved and engaged. We really enjoyed our tour. He met us right where we were supposed to be and right on time. He recognized me from my WhatsApp account and showed up with his hand extended to shake it and say welcome.
Unfortunately we didn’t learn much about Bruges from our guide Jeff. He mostly was talking about his personal life experiences.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Dear guest,
Thank you for your feedback on the "PRIVATE City Kickstart Tour With Locals: Bruges Private Experience." We’re sorry to hear that the tour did not meet your expectations.
At Withlocals, we strive to balance historical insights with personal local stories to offer a well-rounded experience. We will review this feedback with Jeff to ensure future tours provide a better mix of both aspects.
Thank you for helping us improve our services.
Best regards,
Withlocals team
It was a tough day. Rained most of the tour, but we saw the sights of Bruges and Ann gave us chocolates.
The tour guide was knowledgeable and ensured we saw the must see sights of Bruges! Was also really friendly and accommodating…
Martin’s overall knowledge of the history of Bruges and its current day to day life is exceptional. He gave us several great food options and places to see. His friendly personality made this tour a fun time for us. It was just my husband and I. He’s great!!!
Our guide Ann, was super! She was very professional, kind, friendly and we had a great time with her. She was very knowledgeable and we would definitely recommend her for interesting facts and highlights.
Tour was great! Ann was incredibly knowledgeable. She shared not just info about what we were seeing, but the history of it as well. She was very nice, and we had a really nice time visiting as we walked through this beautiful city.
Our guide Martin was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and kept us all engaged. 10/10 recommend this tour and in particular, Martin, on your first day in Bruges to get your bearings and learn about the city.
Member Pricing
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$55.04
per personWas $57.93(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Attractions in Bruges, Belgium
- Jerusalem Church (Jeruzalemkerk) Tours & Tickets
- Church of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) Tours & Tickets
- Groeningemuseum Tours & Tickets
- Minnewater (Lake of Love) Tours & Tickets
- Bourgogne des Flandres Brewery Tours & Tickets
- Burg Square Tours & Tickets
- Bruges Beer Museum (Brugs Biermuseum) Tours & Tickets
- Choco-Story, the Chocolate Museum Tours & Tickets
- Market Square (Markt) Tours & Tickets
- Bruges City Hall (Stadhuis van Brugge) Tours & Tickets
- Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaarde (Begijnhof) Tours & Tickets
- Historic Centre of Bruges (Historisch Centrum van Brugge) Tours & Tickets
- Sint-Janshospitaal (Saint John’s Hospital) Tours & Tickets
- Belfry of Bruges (Belfort van Brugge) Tours & Tickets
More attractions near Bruges, Belgium
- Minnewater (Lake of Love) Tours & Tickets
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- Church of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) Tours & Tickets
- Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaarde (Begijnhof) Tours & Tickets
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- Belfry of Bruges (Belfort van Brugge) Tours & Tickets