Things to do in Bruges

8 activities, venues and outings in Bruges, from theatres and live music to parks and tours.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Do
Ambassadors Tours Bruges
Passionate local storytellers offer tours in the medieval city center. No old-fashioned tour focussing solely on historical details, but engaging stories to bring the history to life. Reservations advised. Tell Me Stories About Bruges, daily at 10:00, 11:00, 14:00 & 17:00, operated in English. Bruges at Night: Murder, Mystery & Dark Stories, selected days at 18:00 or 20:00.
Daily 10:00 - 22:00Daytime: pay-what-you-want; night €31
Do
Bruges Ballooning
Daily hot air balloon flights over the historic centre and its surroundings. The best way to enjoy the romance of Bruges, and its stunning views, from a few hundred metres up in a balloon basket.
Morning and afternoonEUR 170
Do
Jan Breydel stadium
The city has two teams playing soccer in First Division A, the Belgian top tier: Club Brugge KV and Cercle Brugge KSV. They share the Jan Breydel stadium, capacity 29,000, in Sint-Andries district 2 km west of the centre.
Do Not mapped
Canal Tour
To see Bruges from another perspective, take a ride on one of the tour boats around the canals — the multilingual guides provide a potted history of the city in just a few minutes — at only a few euros, it's the best introduction to Bruges. A boat tour will show you places which are otherwise unreachable, as not every canal runs next to a street. Advisable to get there at opening time to avoid the crowds. Cannot be reserved online and all boat tours cost the same.
EUR 15 plus almost obligatory tip to the driver/guide
Do Not mapped
Cycle
There are many rental shops near the main square, shop around for the best prices. You can also rent right at the train station and get to the city centre quickly; remember to return them by 19:30. Cycle 5 km to Damme, a picturesque village on the river with a windmill and excellent pancakes, and optionally follow on to the coast (another 15 km).
EUR 8 for 4 hr at most places, EUR 12 for the day
Do Not mapped
Grote Markt and Belfry Climb
Climb the 366 steps to the top of the 83-m-high tower. Excellent views of the city, Grote Markt and hear the bells ring up close.
Tue-Sun 09:30-17:00EUR 16 for adults 26+; discounts for children & youth.
Do Not mapped
Horse drawn carts
Carriages can be hired for a romantic 30-minute trip around the old city of Bruges. Carts can carry up to 5 passengers.
EUR 70
Do Not mapped
Running
If you are a runner, try running the 7-km circle around the old centre. Walk along the canal and see all of the medieval gates that used to control the traffic in and out of Bruges. Simply stunning!

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Bruges (CC BY-SA 4.0).