Belgian Beer Tour

Day 1 Brussels

Arrive at any time.

There are no planned activities until an evening welcome meeting.

A note on the itinerary: Due to the nature of the Trappist brewing process, opportunities to visit the abbey, the breweries, and interact with the monks is based on the willingness of the abbey to open its doors to visitors and make an exception. We work very hard to bring as many of these behind-the-scenes experiences to fruition for our travellers, but we can't guarantee how much access we'll get.

Be prepared to enjoy tasting the abbey-made beers at local cafés, which host visitors from all over the world looking for these exclusive drinks.

We can guarantee we will visit five breweries in Belgium from the outside and experience these charming towns– enjoying their markets, castles, cafés, and delicacies– and will aim to gain as much access to the abbeys as the monks permit on any given day. It's all part of this delicious adventure!

Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting

The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. After introductions, your CEO will review the details of your tour. Please note that normal check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early.

 

Day 2 Brussels

Enjoy an orientation walk of the city before a free day to explore. Opt to visit a chocolate factory, the Delirium beer hall, Art Deco Turkish baths, or indulge in a gourmet Belgium tour.

Belgium is know for many things, including fantastic cuisine.

If the chocolate factory and Delirium beer hall only whet your appetite, opt for a beer walking tour before indulging in waffles, mussels, and 'frites'.

Orientation Walk, Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs.

For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.

Free Time Brussels for a full Day get out and explore and eat.

Meals included: Breakfast

 

Day 3Brussels/Rochefort

See the church at Abbaye Notre Dame de Saint Remy where Rochefort is made – with some luck, they'll let us in for a peek. Head to the markets and collect some picnic supplies to enjoy with a Trappist beer.

Travel by train and public bus to reach Rochefort in time for lunch. Head to the markets in this beautiful medieval town and collect some cheese, bread, meat, and local delicacies and enjoy a picnic with a Trappist beer.

Brush up on your French as you chat with locals.

See the church then enjoy a free afternoon with options like visiting the remains of a 2,000-year-old Gallo-Roman villa in the Archaeopark of Rochefort.

Don't miss out on indulging in local Rochefort cheeses produced from a centuries-old recipe or some local cuisine like the giant meatball "gehaktbal", with "frites" and foie gras.

Train Brussels – Jemelle2h

Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Local bus

Jemelle – Rochefort15m

Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Rochefort Picnic with Trappist Beer Tasting

Enjoy a picnic in town with delicacies picked up from the local market and taste the first of many Trappist beers the region is known for.

Abbaye Notre Dame de Saint Remy Visit Rochefort2h-3h

Visit this beautiful abbey, famous both for its spiritual life and for the brewery it houses. Admire the architecture of building from the outside and cross your fingers that we'll be let inside.

Free Time RochefortAfternoon

Explore this town or head further afield.

Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch

 

Day 4 Rochefort/Bruges

Visit Orval in the late morning to try beer and Trappist cheese. Enjoy an included lunch at the brasserie near Chimay for a taste of beer normally reserved for the monks. Head to Bruges for the night.

Head to Orval for a visit to the abbey's visitor centre. Sample some beer and Trappist cheese here before continuing on to Chimay.

Enjoy an included lunch at the brasserie near Chimay to try beer normally reserved for the monks.

The abbey and main brewing centre are not open to the public, but there are still plenty of opportunities to sample the local goods.

Arrive at Bruges in the evening and head out for an orientation walk around the town.

Private Vehicle Rochefort – Abbaye d'Orval1h-2h

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Orval Visit with Beer and Cheese Tasting

Visit the abbey's visitors centre, which includes beautiful ruins and some restored buildings where you can learn how the famous beer made here is brewed.

Sample some of the delicious beer and Trappist cheese, both produced here.

Private Vehicle Abbaye d'Orval – Chimay 1h45m-2h15m

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Chimay Visit with Lunch and Tasting Chimay 1h30m

Enjoy an included lunch at the brasserie near Chimay and ample excellent cheese and beer produced in the town, including beer normally reserved for the monks.

The abbey and main brewing centre are not accessible to the public here as Chimay is a strict Cistercian monastery. There are still plenty of opportunities to sample the local goods though.

Private Vehicle Chimay – Bruges 2h-2h30m

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Orientation Walk 30m-1h

Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs.

For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.

Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch

 

Day 5 Bruges

Enjoy a free morning in Bruges. In the afternoon, head to the Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan brewery in the heart of the historic centre for a tour of the grounds, beer tasting and traditional Flemish lunch.

With a free evening in enchanting Bruges, opt for a horse-drawn carriage ride around town, or choose to rent a bike (complete with guide) and head out around the city and surrounding countryside.

 

Free Time Bruges Morning

Rise and shine, there's exploring to be had.

Take a visit to Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan, a brewery in the heart of Bruges historic centre dating to 1856.

Enjoy a tasting followed by a traditional lunch of Flemish stew ("Stoofvlees").

Free Time BrugesAfternoon

Enjoy more of the city.

Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch

 

Day 6 Bruges/Antwerp

Travel to Antwerp, stopping en route to visit Westmalle. Enjoy a tasting at the Café Trappisten.

Next, sample some Achel near the brewery before continuing on to Antwerp.

Take a private van to Antwerp, stopping for a visit to Westmalle en route. The abbey here is closed to visitors but we will enjoy a tasting at the Café Trappisten, with the option for lunch including tastes of Trappist meat and cheese.

Continue on to Achel for the last official Trappist tasting of the trip.

There is the opportunity to sample some Achel beer, though again, the abbey will be closed to visitors.

Arrive in Antwerp in the late afternoon. Opt to wander around the city and get a feel for the place.

Private Vehicle Bruges – AntwerpFull Day100km

Stop along the way in Westmalle and Achel.

Westmalle Visit with Beer Tasting

Stop at the Westmalle brewery. The actual brewery and dairy are inside the walls of the Trappist monastery, which is off limits to the general public.

The tavern, Café Trappisten, on the edge of the abbey is a great place to sample the beer produced here and enjoy a delicious lunch.

Achel Visit with Beer Tasting

Sample some locally brewed, delicious Achel beer, though again, the abbey will be closed to visitors.

Orientation Walk

Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.

Free Time AntwerpEvening

Start exploring this lovely city.

Meals included: Breakfast

 

Day 7 Antwerp

Enjoy a free day in Antwerp with the option to visit a local brewery by bike, check out some museums, or venture underground on an Antwerp sewer tour.

Free Time AntwerpFull Day

Explore the city or head further afield.

Optional Activities

Sewer Tour Antwerp 295EUR per group

For a unique perspective on Antwerp, take a tour of the sewers – complete with overalls and wellington boots.

Seef Brewery Visit Antwerp

Visit Seef Brewery for a taste of some delicious Belgian beer, famous the world over. Known as the "Champagne of the poor people", Seef was a popular style of beer in Antwerp prior to the outbreak of WWI.

Wet your lips with this Belgian Pale Ale style beer as you learn about its production, and how it vanished from the market.

You must have a minimum of 8 people for this tour.

Meals included: Breakfast

 

Day 8 Antwerp

Depart at any time.

Your CEO can help arrange transport back to Brussels airport.

Meals included: Breakfast