Time and again, Bruges, a World Heritage Mediaeval City, captivates the hearts and minds of its visitors. Expressions of amazement and emotion galore at the sight of the romantic canals, ancient squares and countless art treasures and architecture. My Bruges walks will lead you past breath-taking spots, revealing our true and unique attractive characteristics. Bruges is grand but at the same time a destination on a human scale that is perfect for exploring on foot. Our wealth of cultural-historical monuments and museums goes hand in hand with a wonderful atmosphere and authentic charm.
Tour Number One: The World Heritage Tour
This tour includes the UNESCO World Heritage sites and must-see venues. This walk will take you through the Bruges tourist centre. A great walking tour for first timers in Bruges that includes the highlights of the city’s rich world heritage. You will discover towering churches, stunning city palaces, cobble stone streets and centuries old buildings. In the meantime, you will be taken back in history whilst learning about amusing anecdotes and legends.
This tour will start from the Market Square and follow through to the Burg Square, the Fish Market, Tanners Square, the Rosary Quay and Dijver, Groeninghe, Hof Arents and the Gruuthuuse museum, the Church of Our Lady, St John’s Hospital, the Beguinage and Lake of Love.
Tour Number Two: History in a Nutshell
Tour two focuses a bit more on the rich history of Bruges, taking you back to the luxury and bling-bling of the 14th and 15th century, the Burgundian age and splendour. The
Burgundian court loved staying in Bruges, and this worked as a magnet on the rich and famous of Europe. We will be strolling along the ultimate locations epitomising Burgundian heritage and follow in the footsteps of the noblemen and powerful merchants and discover the art of the Flemish Primitives.
This tour will start at the former Princes’Court and will include strolling along quiet streets towards the St Jacob’s Church, the Bladelin Court, Old Stock Exchange, the Augustine Bridge, St Giles’ Church and district, the Oosterlingen Square, Wednesday Market, Jan Van Eyck Square, Market Square, Watervliet Court, Dijver, Groeninghe and Gruuthuuse Palace.
Tour Number Three: Off the beaten track
Tour three is a more nostalgic tour taking you to the more silent streets and quarters where the real Bruges people live, away from the madding crowds of tourism. It’s a heaven of tranquillity away from the busy streets and squares. A leisurely stroll through quiet streets where the added spirituality of churches and abbeys will sink in. Where you will catch a breath of fresh air on the ramparts of the city in the shadow of a windmill or relax in dreamy gardens and parks. The perfect remedy for stepping out of the rat race.
This walking tour will take you through the hanseatic quarter and tranquil St Anne’s district. Highlights are the St John’s Square, the stunning baroque St Walburga & St Anne’s churches, the Adornes Estate, the lace centre and local crafts history museum, the longbow and crossbow guilds of St Sebastian and St George, the city ramparts and windmills, the museum or Our Lady of the Pottery and the Major Seminary and of course my favourite watering hole, Café Vlissinghe, the oldest pub in town dating back to the 16th century. Alternatively, we can do this tour as well by bicycle.
Practical
Each tour will last approximately 3 hours and include local tastings such as beer, chocolates and waffles. They can be extended by a light lunch or dinner to discover more about the rich Belgian gastronomy and Burgundian way of living.
Pricing
Each tour costs the same, but prices will defer according to time spent.
3 hour tour – 249 € (around 289 USD)
4 hour tour – 345 € (around 399 USD)
Full day tour (combination of two of the above tours), 549 € (around 639 USD) including lunch stop.
Entrances to museums, bike rentals and tips are not included.
Reservations & payment
Please reserve by sending an email to hugo.slimbrouck@gmail.com and I will respond to you within 24 hours. Payment in advance by international bank draft or cash before the tour. An invoice can be provided for corporate clients.
Pictures by Jan D’Hondt – Visit Bruges, Westoer
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Client referrals
Guy – 20 October 2026 – Brugge anders bekeken. We hadden een aangename en interessante namiddag tijdens de stadsrondleiding met gids Hugo die ons de niet toeristische plekjes van Brugge leerde kennen. Hij deed dat op een rustige ontspannen manier en hield de aandacht gaande ook dankzij lokale weetjes.
Andy – 16 October 2026 – Fantastic Tour! Had a brilliant couple of hours with Hugo showing us around Bruges. Knowledgable and entertaining he was the perfect host . With tips for places to see and eat it was the best intro and made the rest of our stay much more enjoyable . Would recommend to anyone visiting. Hugo is the best!
Kim – 14 October 2026 – Well worth the money! Very informative, interesting and friendly. We all thoroughly enjoyed the experience. A great few hours with Hugo and the tastes of Bruges. Excellent recommendations.
Barbra – 13 October 2026 – The man around town! We had Hugo as our tour guide in Brugge and he was fantastic! Took us to great places, gave us great info/history about the city & basically knew everyone we passed. He was so personable and fun – he made us laugh a lot and then gave us a great recommendation for a chocolate shop.
Myriam – 12 October 2026 – De rondleiding van Hugo was een tocht van fijne nieuwe ontdekkingen in een stad die we dachten toch al te kennen. Hugo brengt je naar heerlijke plaatsen en verborgen juweeltjes. Samen met zowel historische en recente context erbij was het voor ons een wandeling om graag aan terug te denken. We kennen een mooi stukje Brugge erbij en een hele goede gids er bovenop.
Lisa – 11 October 2026 – A great introduction to Bruges! Hugo was a great guide giving personal stories about growing up in Bruges and eventually moving back. We got away from the crowds to see areas less crowded and even had a beer with him in the oldest pub.
Louise – 10 October 2026 – My mum and I had a brilliant time being toured by Hugo around Bruges for the 3 hrs tour. Hugo was so warm and welcoming and full of engaging facts and stories. We knew right away that we’d made the right choice. He’s clearly very involved with the local community so we felt we got a really nice little connection to the place. Bruges is beautiful.
Steven – 5 October 2026 – Hugo is a great host! We loved our tour with Hugo. It was like a stroll through town with a friend, rather than a typical tour. Hugo shared a lot of history but, as a resident, talked a lot about Bruges today. As we strolled, he even picked up trash along the way, keeping his city clean. He is easygoing and also convivial.
Marcus – 27 September 2026 – Literally expert tour guide! We had an unforgettable time exploring Bruges with Hugo. Knowing he literally trained other local guides and previously led the convention bureau set our expectations high, but he exceeded every single one. He was engaging, incredibly knowledgeable, and tailored the experience beautifully. You simply cannot find a better guide in the city. Highly recommended!
Ellen – 26 September 2026 – Hugo is een gezellige gids, die veel over de stad weet te vertellen, niet alleen de voor de hand liggende dingen, maar ook leuke weetjes.
Lisa – 24 September 2026 – Hugo was wonderful. Not only was he interesting and knowledgeable he helped us plan the rest of our stay to maximize our time. We wouldn’t have done the bike ride to Damme, the famous cocktail bar or the pastry shop with all the bird cages – he truly offered hidden gems.
Birgitte – 20 September 2026 – Hugo did the most interesting and informative guided tour of Bruges for our small group. He knows his native city very well and in his calm way he tells the story and the stories of this extraordinary beautiful city. We had such a wonderful experience.
Tanja – 12 September 2026 – Tolle und leichtgängige Tour durch Brügge. Hugo war total flexibel, ist auf unsere Fragen unkompliziert eingegangen! Vielen Dank für die Restaurant- und Barempfehlungen, die wir zum Teil schon ausprobiert haben!
Jen – 7 September 2026 – Hugo took my mother and I around Bruges. He is so knowledgeable about the area and the history. The highlight for me was a stop for a beer at the oldest cafe in Bruges. He was patient when my mom needed extra breaks from walking. Hugo was truly the best!
Mary Jo and Tony – 28 August 2026 – An amazing tour of Bruges! We just finished our tour with Hugo and it was outstanding!! He is a personable local who clearly loves his city and showing off the hidden gems! We started off in the heavily touristy area (with amazing things to see) and transitioned into the beautiful areas where the locals live.
Jennifer – 27 August 2026 – Incredible personalized experience. Our day with Hugo was wonderful. It was clear he had done research and even recommended reordering our stops so that our stops would be open when arriving. His local knowledge of the area was clear. So glad we had Hugo as our guide!
Jon – 23 August 2026 – Wonderful Tour of Bruges! We spend the morning and early afternoon with Hugo in Bruges. Hugo was fantastic. He’s insightful, has a wonderful knowledge of the city – its history and culture – and is very knowledgeable on where to eat and sample local beers. Highly recommended.
Eva-Maria – 23 August 2026 – Food Tour mit einem echten Insider. Hugo ist ein toller, weit gereister Local, der in seiner Heimatstadt gefühlt die halbe Stadt kennt. Eine tolle Überraschung war auch, dass er die Tour spontan auf Deutsch mit uns gemacht hat. Sehr lecker, super sympathisch und eine absolute Empfehlung!
Machias – 22 August 2026 – Lovely and humerous local guide! Amazing local guide with perfect English! He showed us a quieter, less touristy side of Bruges with fun, personal anecdotes and recommendations. Highly recommended!
Debbie – 18 August 2026 – Best Tour Guide in Bruges! Hugo promptly answered any questions we asked before our trip, especially with tailoring our tour. Even while we were in Bruges but not with him, he answered a couple questions we had. He kindly met us in our hotel lobby, and our tour steered clear of the August crowds as much as possible.
Carole – 18 August 2026 – Hugo was very knowledgeable and took us to some of the hidden gems in the city. He quickly realized what we were interested in and tailor made our tour for us.
Susan – 14 August 2026 – The Perfect Guide to Bruges. Hugo was informative and charming. He showed us parts of Bruges that tourists don’t normally see, along with the major sights. He answered all questions and gave good selections for dinner and the Belgian specialties to order. The walk gave us good insights into the history and culture. We enjoyed the stop in a beautiful old bar that had no tourists, only locals.
Kristen – 13 August 2026 – A personal touch to Bruges. Hugo was a fantastic guide through Bruges. Born and raised here, Hugo knew the ins and outs of the city, offered historical context, and was a great guy to hang out with. Hugo steered us to great local foods including frites, local beer, chocolate…
Marc – 12 August 2026 – Great guide and person. We had a private tour with Hugo and can’t recommend enough his guidance and kindness. As we were with an infant he made our trip thoughtful and entertaining.
Nancy – 3 August 2026 – Bruges at its best with Hugo. Hugo, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and tips of Bruges. We had a great time with you and hope to see you again some day. Tot de noaste kè!
Michael – 25 July 2026 – Worldly traveler charms us with his city! Hugo was a magnificent guide without a doubt. He knows the history of the city and where all of the biggest sights and stops are, but what really made this tour standout was just how many people he knows around town. It seemed like every few minutes he stopped to greet a neighbor, give us a tip about a great restaurant run by his friend, or to introduce us to the owner of his favorite chocolate shop. Experiences like that cannot be found with large tour groups – you really need to walk the streets with a local. Bruges is a beautiful city with quiet back alleys and serene strolls along the canals. Our tour with Hugo made us fall in love with this charming place!
Fabrice – 20 July 2026 – Un moment parfait ! Hugo est très interessant et cultivé. Beaucoup d’anecdotes et de références rigolotes. Nous avons passé un très beau moment.
Vitesse – 19 July 2026 – Hugo spricht super Deutsch und hat uns die Stadt gezeigt, hat alle Fragen beantwortet und ist sehr nett! Danke für die schöne Tour. Sehr informativ, tolle insights!
Terry – 16 July 2026 – We really enjoyed our experience with Hugo in Bruges. Hugo took us to some great locations to try the local fare while explaining the history and surrounding of the city. It was truly an enjoyable time and Hugo made it memorable and special. Wonderful experience with Hugo.
Andy – 11 July 2026 – My wife Molly and I spent three days in Bruges. It was a big mistake to book a private tour with Hugo on day three as for the first two days all we managed to do was get caught up with all the other tourist and do the over crowded, over priced, usual tourist sight seeing stuff. We were beginning to dislike Bruges. But then we had our private tour with Hugo and he showed us all the quiet back streets with lovely old buildings, and some really interesting history. If only we had done our private tour on day one we would have two days to revisited the off-the-beaten-track areas of Bruges that Hugo took us to. Thank you Hugo we had a great time – your city is lovely when you know where to go! Great fun.
Jana – 10 July 2026 – What an enjoyable day we spent with Hugo. It felt like walking around the city with a friend. Because he grew up in Bruges, he had amazing local knowledge of the city & showed us some incredible sights. He also got us a dinner reservation for that evening which we would never have known about on our own & the food & atmosphere were wonderful.
Patrick – 2 July 2026 – Wonderful walk with Hugo in the less-touristed but very interesting parts of Bruges. Great story teller who obviously loves his hometown.
Excellent stroll.
Incognito – 27 June 2026 – We thoroughly enjoyed our 2hr walk through the historical parts of Bruges with Hugo, he was a hive of knowledge about the area and Belgium history in general. Well known amongst locals as we passed by and very entertaining.
Latha – 22 June 2026 – Hugo was amazing. He met us at the hotel in the historic district and we set out. It was a hot day but Bruges was beautiful and after a few minutes in the regular tourist frequented area, Hugo took us to the historic parts of Bruges normally not visited by tourists and regaled us with some gems of Bruges history. The canalized river flows in and out of the city like long fingers, houses, restaurants and hotels hugging her sides. Hugo was kind enough to let us take a break at the oldest cafe in Bruges, far from the madding crowd! He is a veritable font of knowledge and I’m thrilled I chose him for our tour.
Hugh – 7 June 2026 – A lovely, personal tour of Bruges with our family of 6 including an 84 year old. Pace was perfect, and a great mix of history and culture. Relaxed and informative.
Lisa – 29 May 2026 – Hugo was terrific. He walked us away from the crowded tourist areas to show us quieter streets that were beautiful. He also gave us so much background on Bruge, weaving together history (ancient and recent) with culture, music, politics adn his own experiences. We really enjolyed ourselves.
Teresa – 25 May 2026 – Hugo was amazing! He was so knowledgeable about the city and he made the tour so much fun as well. Best guide ever!!!!
Marc – 21 May 2026 – Hugo spent much of his life in Brugge and lived there close by his family. His years in hospitality prepared him well for his customer orientation and coupled with his outgoing personality and local/historical knowledge work well. We truly enjoyed being with him and learning about Brugge from many perspectives. Brugge Expert!
Barbara – 14 May 2026 – Hugo made our day. Tailoring the tour to what we were interested in and being able to answer our many questions. It was as though we were taking a stroll with a very knowledgeable friend. The guidance on food and drink was spot on, too. Thank you Hugo! Best guide ever!
Kyle – 10 May 2026 – Hugo was terrific , knowledgeable , lovely to spend time with. He introduced us to some wonderful places that were off the beaten track
Janet – 7 May 2026 – Since Hugo was born in Bruges and has spent most of his life there, he gave us a true insider’s perspective and shared personal anecdotes. We saw major historical sites, but as we requested, Hugo showed us some beautiful, very quiet and luxurious residential areas, and described how these residences had been restored. He showed us the church where he had been christened, some tiny hidden spaces, and guided us to our own exploration after the tour. Hugo is very well-connected, and we met many people he knew along the way!
Janice – 13 April 2026 – Spent a very enjoyable afternoon with Hugo who was very knowledgeable about the history of Bruges and adapted the tour to suit our interests. Very enjoyable!
Adam – 8 April 2026 – Hugo was able to quickly adapt to our preferences and our timeline. Provided an excellent experience and set us up perfectly to catch our train for our next adventure. Highly recommended. Amazing tour.
