In this guide
💡 The Short Version: A Bruges canal boat tour is 30 minutes, €15 for adults and €9 for children aged 4 to 11, and you buy a ticket on the quay from one of five companies at the same price. Individuals cannot book online. From March to October boats run daily 10:00 to 18:00. From November to February only one jetty is guaranteed open each day. Every boat takes the same route between Jan van Eyck Square and the Begijnhof. Or book a tour: the boat, chocolate and walking tourad (from €39, 4.8 stars from 5,125 reviews) bundles a boat ride with a certified guide and a chocolate tasting in 2.5 hours, with a booked start time.
⚠️ No online booking. Individuals buy at the jetty and may queue in busy periods. The boats are open, and in heavy rain the companies may not sail at all.
The five jetties
The companies all sail the same route at the same price, and you must end where you began. Pick the jetty with the shortest queue. The boats are not hop-on hop-off.
| Jetty | Company |
|---|---|
| Huidenvettersplein 13 | Venetië van het Noorden |
| Rozenhoedkaai | Coudenys |
| Wollestraat 32 | De Meulemeester |
| Nieuwstraat 11 | Gruuthuse (boottochten-brugge.be) |
| Katelijnestraat 4 | Stael |
Prices and sailing times
Prices and rules are from Visit Bruges.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | €15 |
| Child aged 4 to 11 | €9 |
| Under 4 | Free |
| Visitor with a disability, with the European Disability Card | €9 (a companion goes free) |
| Group of 20 or more | €12 per person |
| Private boat | Adult price times 30, so €450 at the 2026 price |
These prices run to 31 December 2026.
| Period | Sailings |
|---|---|
| March to October | Daily 10:00 to 18:00; last departure 30 minutes before closing |
| November to February | One jetty open each day on a rota; the others decide for themselves |
The companies may vary these times with the weather and demand.
Tours worth paying for
The ordinary boat cannot be reserved, so these are the ways to get a booked time. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices.
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 is led by a local certified guide on foot and by boat. Its highlights include sailing along the canals with swans next to the boat, near the Beguinage, and a chocolate tasting. The boat on its own costs €15, so the tour’s price is mostly for the guide and the walk.
Walking tour with chocolate tasting and a boat ride
From €40 · 4.8 stars from 300 reviews · 2.5 hours
Bruges: Walking Tour with Chocolate Tasting and Boat Ridead combines a guided walk of the medieval centre, a chocolate tasting and a canal cruise, with free cancellation.
Guided tour with an optional boat
From €25 · 4.4 stars from 4,941 reviews · 1.5 to 3 hours
Bruges: Guided Tour, Chocolate Stop, Boat & Beer Optionsad is a guided walk of the historic centre with a visit to a chocolate shop. The canal boat ride and the tasting of four Belgian beers are options, so the €25 “from” price is for the walk alone.
From Brussels with an optional boat trip
From €34 · 4.5 stars from 1,594 reviews · 10 hours
From Brussels: Bruges day trip with optional boat tripad is a day trip from Brussels with the boat as an add-on.
Guided rickshaw tour
From €76 · 4.9 stars from 1,278 reviews · 1 to 2 hours · private group
Bruges: Guided Rickshaw Tourad is a private-group tour of the city’s top monuments by rickshaw, with the history explained on the way. It must be booked online at least 10 hours ahead and has free cancellation, and it is the nearest thing to a booked, private alternative on land.
Bike tour with a local twist
From €40 · 4.8 stars from 327 reviews · 2.5 hours · small group
Bruges: The Bike Tour with a Local Twistad is a small-group ride with a local guide, with no fixed route: every guide has their own way of showing you Bruges.
The route
The captain narrates through a microphone in the languages of the passengers on board, usually from Dutch, French and English. The loop passes:
- Jan van Eyck Square and the medieval port district with the Burghers’ Lodge.
- The Groenerei, which Visit Bruges calls one of the most romantic canals in Bruges.
- The Rozenhoedkaai, with a view of the Belfry.
- The Dijver, with a view of the Church of Our Lady and the tallest tower in the city.
- The Gruuthuse bridge, the widest bridge in the city, and the Bonifacius Bridge.
- Sint-Janshospitaal, and the gate of the Begijnhof.
The Rozenhoedkaai and the Belfry from the water. Photo: Ank Kumar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Boats moored at a canal jetty beside a terrace. Photo: Dennis G. Jarvis, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Which boat, and when to go
All five companies charge the same and take the same route, so the choice is the length of the queue. The Gruuthuse company on Nieuwstraat has its own site, boottochten-brugge.be, and the others take bookings by phone for private boats: Venetië van het Noorden on +32 50 33 00 41, Coudenys on +32 50 33 13 75, De Meulemeester on +32 50 33 41 20 and Gruuthuse on +32 50 33 32 93; Stael’s contact is on the Visit Bruges boat page. From March to October every jetty can be open, and Visit Bruges warns of waiting times in busy periods. From November to February at least one jetty is open each day, but the rota decides which, so walk the central jetties until you find an open ticket booth.
Swans, rain and children
About a hundred swans live on the canals, are used to the boats and move aside themselves, and the City of Bruges staff care for them. The Bakkersrei next to the Begijnhof is the only feeding spot in the centre, so the boat is a good place to see them there. In winter the city moves the swans to a covered winter residence, and it also moves them if bird flu is circulating.
Swans on a Bruges canal. Photo: Superchilum, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The boats are not covered. Umbrellas are handed out in a sudden shower, and in prolonged heavy rain the companies may suspend sailings or not open at all. Visit Bruges says the trip is not tailored to children, but children enjoy boarding, the swans and ducking under a low bridge.
Looking along the canal towards Jan van Eyck Square from a boat. Photo: Chad K, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
What to do before or after
The Belfry and the Basilica of the Holy Blood are in the centre, and the Church of Our Lady and Sint-Janshospitaal are on the loop. The Beguinage gate is at the far end. More ideas are in free things to do in Bruges.
Common questions
How much is a canal boat tour in Bruges?
€15 for adults and €9 for children aged 4 to 11; under-4s are free. These prices run to 31 December 2026 and are set by the City of Bruges, so every company charges the same.
Can I book a Bruges canal cruise online?
Not as an individual. You buy your ticket on the quay from one of the five boat companies. Groups of 20 or more can reserve, and any size of party can book a private boat.
How long is the tour?
Thirty minutes without stops. You cannot get off, so you finish where you started.
Do the boats run in winter?
From March to October they run daily from 10:00 to 18:00. From November to February the companies guarantee that one jetty opens each day, on a rota.
Is the boat covered?
No. In a sudden shower umbrellas are handed out, and in prolonged heavy rain the companies may stop sailing.
How much is a private boat?
The adult price times 30, whatever the number of passengers, which is €450 at the 2026 price. Book it in advance with any of the five companies.
What language is the commentary in?
The captain asks which languages are on board and decides from that. Most captains speak Dutch, French and English, and some also speak a little German or Spanish.
