Amsterdam to Bruges
Beercation Cruise
Day by Day Itinerary*
Day 1 Saturday Amsterdam
Join us on board for welcome drink after unpacking and settling in. Then it's time to see the real Amsterdam during our private guided walking tour of this one of a kind city. As we wind our way through various parts of town we'll learn about the history, architecture and sights of "A'dam" and finally end up at our first brewery of the week, Brouwerij Het IJ. Following our visit here for a tour and tasting, we head back to the barge for our welcome aboard dinner. After dinner if you are not too jet-lagged from the trip overseas, you can join our beer guide for some beer hunting. (This could be visiting an historic pub or searching the local shops for rare and unique beers to sample or add to your collection.)
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Day 2 Sunday Amsterdam to Dordrecht
Breakfast is served on board before we disembark and board our motorcoach to head off to a local cheese farm where we will have a chance to taste their fresh cheeses and ice cream! Then we head to La Trappe, the only Trappist brewery in the Netherlands. Here we will tour, as well as enjoy lunch with (of course) beer. Next it’s off to Brouwerij De Molen to tour the facility and taste some of the best beers coming out of the Netherlands. We will also have an opportunity to visit their bottle shop- which houses a great selection of international beers. Afterwards, we will head back to meet the barge in the town of Dordrecht. Dinner is on board tonight.
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Day 3 Monday Dordecht to Antwerp
The barge will leave early today to sail to Antwerp-the city known for diamonds; but there is much more to see in this interesting town. After breakfast on board, we will disembark at the town of Willemsted where we will meet our private motorcoach for our transfer to Antwerp for our guided walking tour with on of the best guides in Belgium. You will have free time after this for lunch on your own and to sightsee, shop or seek out new brews before dinner is served back on the barge. After dinner, relax or join your beer guide for beer hunting around Antwerp.
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Day 4 Tuesday Antwerp to Dendermonde
Make sure to eat a hearty breakfast onboard this morning, we have a serious day of brewery visits ahead of us! On today's agenda are Bosteels and Malheur breweries-both known for “inventing” the idea of fermenting strong pale ale by the méthode Champenoise, making a beer that resembles champagne. We also visit Moortgat brewery, home of Duvel. Great tours with great tastings! We will enjoy dinner on board tonight.
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Day 5 Wednesday Dendermonde to Gent
Enjoy breakfast on board before we head off to visit Westvleteren, where monks brew what is widely acclaimed as “the best beer in the world”. Here we will taste their famous beer in their In de Vrede pub, where you can also get some lunch. Upon our return to the barge, we will board a small canal boat into town for a guided tour from the canals. Then it’s time for a visit to Gruut, a brewery run by a female brewer which makes a unique hopless beer according to a medieval recipe. The afternoon and evening is yours to explore Ghent on your own. If you’d like, join your beer guide for beer hunting happy hour and visit some historic pubs. There are some great pubs here that you won’t want to miss. And if you are looking for more than the pub scene for dinner, there are plenty of restaurants to tempt your taste buds with a local flair.
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Day 6 Thursday Ghent to Bruges
This morning relax on board as we sail to Bruges, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. After lunch on board, we will enjoy a walking tour of the city known as the “Venice of the North”. Walking along the maze of winding cobbled alleys and romantic canals, you will feel like you have been transported back medieval times. After our tour you can head out on your own to explore some of Bruges museums or maybe take a canal boat tour around the picturesque canals and enjoy the view from the water. Perhaps you may even decide to work up an appetite for this evening’s gastronomic dinner by biking along the canal through some of the most scenic areas in this region into the nearby village of Damme. Tonight our gourmet beer dinner at one of Bruges finest restaurants is sure to be one of the highlights of our trip! After dinner relax on the barge, head into town to explore on your own or join your beer guide for a beer hunting expedition
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Day 7 Friday Bruges
Relax over breakfast then enjoy the morning in Bruges, maybe take a bike ride or go visit the wall of beer at 2Be. Lunch is on the barge then our motorcoach will pick us up for the ride over to De Struise Brouwers to visit their brewery and taste their world class beers. Then it’s off to De Dolle Brouwers where we will take a guided tour with either Kris, the brewer, or his 94 year old mother, Moas (pronounced Moose!) And then, of course, we’ll enjoy a tasting of their famous Oerbier. On to our motorcoach one last time to head back to the barge for our farewell dinner.
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Day 8 Saturday Bruges
A final breakfast on board before we disembark our barge to depart for flights home or wherever your travels will bring you!
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Cabin Space for this Once in a Lifetime Beer Tour is Limited to 22 VIP Guests!
