In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Choose by what you want to do. March to October has daily canal boats and the longest Belfry hours (09:00 to 20:00 from 1 April). Late March to early April is daffodil season at the Beguinage, and April is the driest month. May to August have 7 to 7.6 hours of sunshine a day. The Holy Blood Procession is on Thursday 6 May 2027 and the Bruges Triennial runs 24 April to 5 September 2027. Winter Glow runs 20 November 2026 to 31 January 2027, and January to March has the cheapest rooms. Whatever the month, bring an umbrella: it rains on about 135 days a year. Or book a tour: the boat, chocolate and walking tourad (from €39, 4.8 stars from 5,125 reviews) runs all year, and in spring the family bike tour to Dammead (from €43, 5 stars from 24 reviews) crosses flat countryside.
⚠️ School holidays change opening hours. Visit Bruges says some tourism businesses, museums and tour operators adapt their hours in the five school holiday periods, so check a site before you travel.
Season by season
| Season | What you get | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Winter (3 November to 31 March hours) | Winter Glow to 31 January, misty canals, quieter museums | One canal jetty open a day in November to February; the windmill is closed; Groeningemuseum closes 11 January 2027; some operators close for weeks in January |
| Spring (late March to May) | Daffodils at the Begijnhof, daily boats from March, the Triennial from 24 April | The Tour of Flanders starts on the Markt on 4 April; the Holy Blood Procession on 6 May 2027; Easter school holiday 29 March to 11 April |
| Summer (June to August) | Warmest months, longest Belfry hours (09:00 to 20:00), windmill open | School holidays run 1 July to 31 August |
| Autumn (September to October) | Trees along the ramparts and parks turn colour | Rain becomes more frequent; autumn school holiday 1 to 7 November 2027 |
Daffodils in the Begijnhof, which Visit Bruges says come into full bloom at the end of March and the beginning of April. Photo: Donarreiskoffer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
Dates for 2027
- Sunday 10 January: the last day to visit the Groeningemuseum, which closes for four years on 11 January; see Groeningemuseum tickets.
- Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 January: the Winter Giant parade.
- Sunday 4 April: the 111th Tour of Flanders starts from the Markt (Visit Bruges, Tour of Flanders).
- Saturday 24 April to Sunday 5 September: the fifth Bruges Triennial of contemporary art and architecture in public space, free to explore (Visit Bruges).
- Sunday 2 May and Thursday 6 May: the Feast of the Holy Blood and the Holy Blood Procession; see the Basilica of the Holy Blood.
Month by month: the KMI figures for Bruges
The Royal Meteorological Institute (KMI/RMI) publishes monthly averages for Bruges for 1991 to 2020 (KMI).
| Month | Mean high / low | Rain | Sunshine a day |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.8 / 1.6 °C | 69 mm | 2.1 hours |
| February | 7.7 / 1.4 °C | 62 mm | 3.1 hours |
| March | 10.8 / 3.2 °C | 54 mm | 4.7 hours |
| April | 14.5 / 5.1 °C | 43 mm | 6.7 hours |
| May | 17.6 / 8.8 °C | 59 mm | 7.4 hours |
| June | 20.3 / 11.8 °C | 66 mm | 7.6 hours |
| July | 22.5 / 13.7 °C | 77 mm | 7.5 hours |
| August | 22.7 / 13.5 °C | 86 mm | 7.0 hours |
| September | 19.7 / 10.9 °C | 81 mm | 5.6 hours |
| October | 15.3 / 8.0 °C | 85 mm | 3.9 hours |
| November | 10.5 / 4.8 °C | 92 mm | 2.3 hours |
| December | 7.3 / 2.3 °C | 95 mm | 1.8 hours |
The year averages 10.9 °C, 869 mm of rain over 135 days with at least 1 mm, and 1,821 hours of sunshine. April is the driest month, with 9.2 rainy days, and December the wettest, with 14.6. The warm days are few: 23.5 a year reach 25 °C, mostly in July and August, and 4.4 reach 30 °C. Frost days average 38.7 a year, from late autumn to early spring, with the last on average on 5 April and the first on 20 November.
The Minnewater on a June morning. Photo: Pere López Brosa, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Weather and what it means
Visit Bruges describes a temperate maritime climate, with July and August the warmest months and winter cold but not freezing. It often rains, especially in autumn and winter, and the canal boats are uncovered, so take an umbrella. The wind is stronger in winter: the monthly average at the coastal station at Middelkerke runs from 5.8 m/s in January to 4.4 m/s in August, so a coat helps on the ramparts in spring too. Daylight changes a lot: the sun sets at about 16:41 on 21 December and at about 22:06 on 21 June, with 5 hours more of evening light in summer. The KMI forecast covers the days before you travel.
Choosing a month
- For flowers and fewer crowds: the last week of March and the first of April, with the Begijnhof daffodils, boats running daily and the driest month, April, ahead.
- For sun and long days: May to August, with 7 to 7.6 hours of sunshine a day and sunset at about 22:06 on 21 June. The school summer holiday runs from 1 July to 31 August 2027.
- For the Holy Blood Procession or the Triennial: the first week of May, or any week from 24 April to 5 September, with rooms booked well ahead.
- For cheaper rooms and quieter museums: January to March, remembering the weeks when some operators close and the Groeningemuseum is shut from 11 January.
- For lights and markets: 20 November to 3 January for Winter Glow, but expect early dark and rain.
Tours worth paying for
Tours run all year, so the date matters less than the weather on the day.
Boat, chocolate and walking tour
From €39 · 4.8 stars from 5,125 reviews · 2.5 hours · small group
Bruges: Boat, Chocolate and Guided Walking Tourad covers the highlights on foot and by boat, with chocolate tasting. In winter the boats run on a rota, so confirm the boat when you book.
Family-friendly bike tour to Damme
From €43 · 5 stars from 24 reviews · 3 hours
Bruges: Family-Friendly Countryside Bike Tour to Dammead cycles through flat countryside and along canals with a local guide, and fits spring and summer.
Small-group tour with a local guide
From €28 · 4.8 stars from 529 reviews · 2 hours
Small-Group Tour of Bruges with a Local Guide, Boat Option and Pralinead is a shorter guided walk with stories from a local, with the boat as an option.
Plan the rest
See Bruges in winter for the colder months, getting to Bruges for trains, and Bruges in one day or 2 or 3 days for routes. For the days out, see day trips from Bruges: the Damme boat runs only in the warm season.
The Sint-Janshuis windmill, which opens to visitors from April to early November. Photo: Rainer Halama, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Bruges?
Visit Bruges says most visitors choose spring or summer but that the city suits every season. Late March to early April brings the Begijnhof daffodils, March to October has daily canal boats, and November to January has Winter Glow and cheaper rooms. On the KMI's 1991-2020 figures April is the driest month and May to August the sunniest, with 7 to 7.6 hours a day.
When do the daffodils flower in Bruges?
The daffodils of the Beguinage come into full bloom at the end of March and the beginning of April.
What is the weather like in Bruges?
A temperate maritime climate with an annual average of 10.9 °C and 869 mm of rain a year over the KMI's 1991-2020 period. July and August are the warmest months, with mean highs of about 22.5 °C, and winters are cold but not freezing.
When is Bruges cheapest?
Visit Bruges says accommodation is extra advantageous in January, February and March, and often on weekdays the rest of the year.
When are the school holidays?
Christmas 21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, Crocus 8 to 14 February 2027, Easter 29 March to 11 April 2027, summer 1 July to 31 August 2027, and autumn 1 to 7 November 2027. Some attractions change their hours then.
How many hours of daylight does Bruges get?
On 21 December the sun rises at about 08:48 and sets at about 16:41, under 8 hours. On 21 June it rises at about 05:31 and sets at about 22:06, about 16.5 hours.
