Belgium
Bruges and Ghent, in One Day
Fifty kilometres apart, which is the only reason this works at all.
Bruges & GhentBelgium
The route from Amsterdam
~265 km to Bruges, 50 km between the two, about 2 hours 45 out, 2 hours 15 back. For comparison, no sensible rail equivalent as a day trip.
This is a twelve-hour day and we are not going to soften that. It works for one reason: Bruges and Ghent are only forty to fifty minutes apart, so the second city costs you driving time you were going to spend anyway on the way home.
What you get is roughly three and a half hours in Bruges and two and a half in Ghent. That is enough for the essentials of both and not enough for museums in either. If you want to go inside the Ghent Altarpiece or the Groeningemuseum, pick one city and give it a proper day.
Why take a private driver
There is no rail version of this. Amsterdam to Bruges alone is four and a quarter hours with a change; adding Ghent makes it a two-day trip. With a driver it is one long day, and the fifty kilometres between the cities is the part that makes the maths work.
A sample day
This is how we would plan it. Nothing here is fixed — the point of a private day is that it bends to you.
Pickup at your hotel
The earliest start we run. There is no way around it.
Arrive in Bruges
Set down at the edge of the car-free centre.
Bruges
The Markt and the belfry, the Burg, the canals and the Begijnhof. Three and a half hours, walked.
Drive to Ghent
Forty to fifty minutes. Lunch in either city; we would suggest Ghent, where it is cheaper.
Ghent
Saint Bavo's, the Graslei and Korenlei quays, and the Gravensteen castle. Two and a half hours.
Drive back
Two hours and a quarter.
Back at your hotel
Door to door, and you will be tired.
What is included
- Private vehicle and driver for about 12 hours
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Amsterdam
- Fuel, tolls, parking and all road costs in both countries
- Two coffee stops
What is not included
- All museum, belfry and castle entry
- Lunch and drinks
- Gratuity
Questions
Is twelve hours too much?
For many people, yes. It is a genuinely long day and it suits travellers who would rather see two cities properly-ish than one city fully. If you have any doubt, take Bruges alone at eleven hours.
Which city gets more time?
Bruges, about three and a half hours to Ghent's two and a half. Bruges is the busier of the two and benefits from the earlier slot.
Can we swap the order?
Yes. Ghent first means arriving in Bruges in the late afternoon, which is when it empties out and is at its best. Tell us and we will flip it.