In this guide
💡 The Short Version: De Halve Maan is a family brewery in the centre of Bruges, brewing since 1856, and it sells guided tours. The classic tour is €16 with one beer and takes about 45 minutes; the XL tour is €26 with three beers and runs at weekends only. There are 220 steps. Book online at halvemaan.be. Or book a tour: the brewery sells its own tickets, so for a guided beer experience elsewhere the Belgian beer tasting with six beersad (from €38, 4.6 stars from 95 reviews) runs 1.5 to 2 hours, and the Bourgogne des Flandres brewery visitad (from €16, 4.4 stars from 422 reviews) is a second brewery in the old town.
⚠️ 220 steps, some steep. The brewery says to wear suitable shoes. Groups are capped at 25 people, so book a time slot before you go.
Tour prices
Prices are from halvemaan.be.
| Tour | Price | Length | Beers | Languages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | €16 | About 45 minutes | 1 | Dutch, French, English |
| Classic, children 7 to 15 | €8.50 | About 45 minutes | 1 | Dutch, French, English |
| XL, weekends only | €26 | About 90 minutes | 3 | Dutch, English |
Children under 6 are free on the classic tour. Groups and private tours are available on request, as a classic or an XL tour with a personal guide.
What the tour covers
The entrance passage to the brewery on Walplein. Photo: Spotter2, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The classic tour starts in the brewing hall, where all the beers are brewed, passes the installations used over the past centuries, and goes up to the roof for a 360-degree view over central Bruges. It finishes with an unfiltered Brugse Zot Blond, Brugse Zot Dubbel or Straffe Hendrik Tripel. The brewery says this is the only place in the world to drink the unfiltered versions. The XL tour adds a tasting session with the guide in the brewery’s cellars, where you try three beers and learn how to taste them.
The brewery says it receives more than 100,000 visitors a year, and that brewing has gone on at this site for over five centuries, six generations of them by the family. The family story starts in 1856, when Leon Maes (called Henri the First) became owner of the brewery De Halve Maan; Straffe Hendrik (“Strong Hendrik”) was launched in 1958 and named after the many Hendriks in the family, and Brugse Zot followed in 2005.
Brewery tanks and the courtyard terrace seen from above. Photo: TomVSL, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The beers
The brewery’s range, from its own site, runs from Brugse Zot Blond, Brugse Zot Dubbel and Brugse Bok to Straffe Hendrik Tripel, Quadrupel, Wild, Heritage and X-Mas Blend, plus Sportzot, Blanche de Bruges and Rosé de Bruges. Rosé de Bruges launched in June 2025. The brewery says Sportzot, launched in June 2018, was the first non-alcoholic speciality beer launched by a Belgian brewery. The tour ends with an unfiltered Brugse Zot Blond, Brugse Zot Dubbel or Straffe Hendrik Tripel, and the brewery has a gift shop and a webshop.
The beer pipeline
The tour was renewed in April 2024 with audiovisual updates, including a virtual experience of the underground beer pipeline and the bottling plant. The pipeline was built in 2016, partly thanks to the support of many crowdfunders, and is 3.3 kilometres long. It links the brewery in the historic centre to the bottling plant at Waggelwater just outside the city, so all the beer flows underground.
Tours worth paying for
The brewery sells its own tickets at the prices above, so the GetYourGuide products below are other beer experiences in Bruges. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices.
Belgian beer tasting experience
From €38 · 4.6 stars from 95 reviews · 1.5 to 2 hours
Belgian Beer Tasting Experience in Brugesad is a tasting of six Belgian beers with a host who tells the stories behind them.
Bourgogne des Flandres brewery visit
From €16 · 4.4 stars from 422 reviews
Bruges: ‘Bourgogne des Flandres’ Brewery Visit & Free Beerad is a self-guided audio tour of a second Bruges brewery and distillery, with a beer afterwards. The brewery sells its own tickets from €13; see beer bars and tours.
Waffle workshop with beer tasting
From €59 · 4.9 stars from 1,061 reviews · 1.5 hours
Bruges: Belgian Waffle-Making Workshop with Beer Tastingad has you taste three Belgian beers, make waffle dough and bake it, then eat as many waffles as you like.
History, chocolate and beer walking tour
From €55 · 4.9 stars from 65 reviews · 3.5 hours
Bruges: History, Chocolate and Beer Walking Tourad combines a walk through the city’s highlights, a chocolate shop and a local brewery tour with a tasting.
Eating and drinking at the brewery
The brewery restaurant sits inside the brewery, with a view across the brewing hall and a terrace among the brewing kettles. It serves lunch and dinner. You need a reservation only for more than 16 guests.
| Day | Bar | Restaurant |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Wednesday | 11:00 to 18:00 | 12:00 to 15:00 |
| Thursday to Saturday | 11:00 to 21:00 | 12:00 to 15:00 and 18:00 to 21:00 |
| Sunday | 11:00 to 18:00 | 12:00 to 15:00 |
Brugse Zot, one of the beers brewed at De Halve Maan. Photo: Gordito1869, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
Getting there
The brewery is at Walplein 26, close to Brugge station and easy to reach on foot or by bicycle; it has no car park. Pair it with the Beguinage, or find more bars in Bruges beer bars and tours. For somewhere to eat, see where to eat in Bruges.
Common questions
How much is the De Halve Maan brewery tour?
The classic tour is €16 per person and includes one beer. Children aged 7 to 15 pay €8.50, and children under 6 are free. The XL tour is €26 with three beers.
How long is the tour?
The classic tour takes about 45 minutes and the XL tour about 90 minutes. Groups are limited to 25 people.
Is the XL tour available every day?
No, only at weekends, in Dutch and English. The classic tour runs in Dutch, French and English.
Is the tour accessible?
There are 220 steps on the tour, which the brewery says can be steep, so wear suitable shoes.
What is the beer pipeline?
A 3.3 km underground pipe, built in 2016 with the help of crowdfunders, that carries beer from the brewery in the centre to the bottling plant outside the city.
Can I park at the brewery?
No. The brewery has no car park; there are several private and public car parks nearby. It is not far from Brugge station and easy to reach on foot or by bike.
Can I eat at the brewery?
Yes. The brewery restaurant serves lunch daily from 12:00 to 15:00 and dinner from 18:00 to 21:00 on Thursday to Saturday, and you need a reservation only for more than 16 guests.
.jpg){kind=link}