Why travel to Belgium? You might wonder why we have not one but two trips on our 2026 schedule to Belgium.
Belgium is Not Over-Touristed
Belgium is not a huge tourist destination, and we love that. According to the European Union, in 2023 the country hosted 45 million visitor overnights – and that included business trips, such as to the European Union headquarters. This is about only 1/10th the overnights in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. It is only 1/3rd of the overnights visitors spent in Greece and next-door The Netherlands, even though Belgium has more people than in Greece and 2/3 of the population of The Netherlands.
So why is tourism not as popular in Belgium? Well, can you name a famous Belgian landmark or ancient ruin? How about a famous Belgian mountain? Or even a famous Belgian?
Belgium is a Very European Country
It is exactly for this lack of tourist popularity that we love Belgium. The relatively lower number of tourists means we can experience Belgium as it really is – a typical European country.
This past summer I visited Belgium with my now 12-year-old daughter. I picked Belgium because I wanted to show her what Europe is really like: walking in city parks, shopping for bread in the local market, or having a break at the local cafe. On our trip, we saw few tourists and almost no Americans. Sure, they were there. But unlike in major cities like Paris or hot spots like the Alps or on the beaches of the Mediterranean, we did not feel like one of the tourist crowd. Even nearby Amsterdam was packed with tourists compared to Brussels.
Why Travel to Belgium
So other than a dearth of tourists, why travel to Belgium? Here are the reasons we have created two tours there in 2026.
- First off, as we said, Belgium is a fantastic place to see what real Europe is like and how real Europeans live. Major cities like Brussels and Ghent are lovely but we especially like small Belgian towns and villages.
- We have an outstanding local guide, Yannick de Cocquéau. Yannick guides tours for Zephyr throughout Europe and beyond and helps to set up and run all of our Belgium tours. He is a walking (or cycling) encyclopedia of all things Belgium: history, culture, food, beer, and more.
- The food and drink is quite amazing. Belgium is famous for its frites (what Americans call French fries), waffles (those crispy and sweet Belgium waffles), and chocolate. It is also one of the finest beer-producing countries in Europe, famous for its abbey-brewed beer overseen by actual monks.
- The country is mostly flat, except for the Ardennes, which we primarily avoid. This makes it very manageable for both our biking and walking tours.
Our 2026 Tours
Here are our two Belgium public tours, both of which are also available to run as private tours with your own group, as well as our sister tour that we thought was worth including.
- Belgium Biking Adventure – July 26 – August 1: This is a great tour for those looking for moderate distances without a lot of elevation change, although e-bikes are still available!
- Belgium Walking & Cultural Adventure – August 3 – 9: This tour is offered with our sister company, Taste Vacations, and is designed to showcase Belgium and Europe. We travel and spend our time just like Yannick does in his home country, with walks taking place in cities and out in the countryside.
- Belgium Beer Vacation: This tour is offered by our sister company, Taste Vacations, and focuses on the local beer and food, leaving the physical activity at home. Belgium is one of the most famous beer countries in the world and Yannick is able to show us the best beers and breweries. This tour is only available as a private tour with a minimum of four people.
So why travel to Belgium? Come join us in 2026 and find out!
