When in Rome…..or Bruges…  I often shun the very touristy things when I travel but in Bruges, I had to give in to the canal tour.  Sure, I already walked a good portion of the city along the canal but why not get in the boat with thirty strangers to see the city from the water.  At only €8 at the time (now €10), it was easy decision as I was waiting for my room at Hotel du Tuilereen to be ready anyway.

The majority of the canal boat tours leave from two main locations in Bruges when you first arrive (although there are a few other boarding locations throughout the city which are less crowded) – just follow the hoards of people and then come back later when they’ve gone! Tours run generally from 10 a.m. (when the first tour bus arrives) to 6 p.m. (last boarding at 5:30 p.m.) At the street level, the little wooden booth sells tickets (cash only) and then you walk down the stairs to wait in line.  I waited until nearly the end of the day when the line was short (20 minute wait) and the boat wouldn’t be as full as I had seen all day.

The boat rides are about thirty minutes which is just enough to give you a taste of Bruges (or Brugge) from the water.

Tip: Loading the boats there are seats along the sides and single chairs in the middle.  As I was solo, I chose a single seat and it helped with photos too.  The captain had to rearrange the folks to distribute the weight so be prepared to separate from your group if necessary.  

The tour was given in English and French based on the languages on board.  As it was an unusually hot and humid day, I brought water with me and was wearing sunscreen but forgot a hat.

The tour started down the canal to showcase the church and then turned around to go past the various buildings with storied history and really cool architecture, past water access only buildings and past the few Triennale art pieces on display at the time.

The most popular art at the time was the powerful Bruges Whale which we viewed from the water at the stop normally for the statue of the city’s founder Jan van Eyck in what is considered the city centre for locals not tourists.  For tourists, the Bruges Belfry and market square are often referred to as the city centre.

Seeing Bruges from the water on the canal boat tour was a lovely touristy thing to do because I was a tourist after all.  Some days you just need to give in and be a tourist, check off the box and enjoy the ride.  In Bruges, the canal tour is a lovely way to do just that – enjoy the visit from the serenity of the water.