“As we wheeled back into town, legs strong and hearts full, we realized Belgium is not just a place you visit—it’s a country you ride through, one bell ring, one beer, one breathtaking square at a time.”The Luxury Vacation Guide
The region of Flanders feels best from the bike seat: winding through patchwork fields of bright green, past neatly kept canals, and along quiet lanes where ancient stone villages sit beneath church spires. On this adventure, you’ll ride terrain beloved by pros and locals alike — part challenge part casual, and all pure enjoyment — with plenty of time to savor cafés, local dishes, and community vibes between scenic stretches of countryside and getting to know the welcoming locals. You are invited to experience Belgium’s culture through motion, flavors, and landscapes that simply unfold beneath your wheels.
The Biking
Our own Belgium Biking Adventure will take us through rich, agricultural landscapes and along bustling rivers and canals. We even pop briefly into nearby France and The Netherlands on our rides. You’ll find it hard to get lost as we’ll be on Belgium’s wonderful national cycle route network for portions of this trip where there are easy-to-spot numbered markers at each junction. And you will have GPS route directions to boot!
You can choose from different mileage options for your daily ride. However, most riders will cycle from town to town on the main route each day. It is easy cycling and, with optional e-bikes, it is very easy. We’ll stop in quaint villages and towns to grab lunch, explore, and relax before getting back on the route. You’ll have the option to stop at breweries, cheese makers, chocolatiers, and historic sites from the world wars. Our evenings are spent in classic European-style hotels in the city centers of Ypres, Kortrijk, Gent, and Bruges.
Your Guide
One of the best things about our Belgium tour is our local guide, Yannick. Yannick has been guiding for us for many years and runs tours all over Europe and even outside the region. He is multilingual and a professional tour guide. But when you get him in Belgium, you will be amazed at his knowledge of all things Belgian. Yannick is a wealth of local knowledge and a great way to learn about this country.
“Yannick is above outstanding. He is everything a guide should be.”
Join us on our Belgium Biking Adventure as we explore the marvelous roads of Flanders – it’s a cycling enthusiast’s dream!
Private Tours
Grab a group of your friends or family. With eight or more travelers we can set this up as a guided private tour.
Start planning your private tourDetails
- Dates: July 26 - August 1, 2026
- Cost Per Person: $3,900
- Single Supplement: $700
- Private Tour Minimum: 8
- Activities: Biking
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
- Guides: Yannick de Cocquéau
Other Info: Bike rental not included. E-bikes are also available to rent.
Book this TourTrip Highlights
- Biking through bucolic scenery while following in the footsteps (tire marks?) of the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders)
- Learning about Belgium's history and their role in many World War I battles
- Wandering through the city centers of Ypres, Gent, and Bruges to see the ancient structures
- Indulging in Belgium's iconic beers, cheeses, and chocolates!
- Stopping in small towns for lunch or at beautiful vistas to take photos - speed is not the goal!
Day One: Meet just after lunch in the small city of Ypres, which has been central to the Flanders region of Belgium since the Middle Ages, at one point boasting a population of 80,000 people. It was the site of three major battles during WWI but was subsequently completely rebuilt in the original style. It now has a population of less than half that. We'll do a loop ride in the countryside around the city, stopping at a brewery if there is interest. After our ride, we'll have time to rest and explore the town before dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Route distance: 24 miles
Day Two: This morning we are on a leisurely schedule as we do not need to check out. Our biking today will be a loop ride around Ypres. Our routes have various options depending on what you wish to see and how far you wish to ride. Monteberg and Entre-deux-Monts are two wine producers worth a visit - but it is hillier in the wine region here. You can choose to ride an old cable car located on the routes and we'll do a quick border crossing into France, which allows us to stop and visit multiple World War I sites. This evening we are back in Ypres for dinner and overnight.
Route distances: 29, 39, or 46.5 miles
Day Three: We start with breakfast in our hotel and then check out, with our luggage being shuttled to our next overnight. We then cycle from Ypres to to the small city of Kortrijk. With a population of less than 80,000, Kortrijk has ruins left over from Roman times as well as its beloved pedestrian shopping street, the first one in Belgium. Our route today will take us past some of the main WWI sites, such as Passendale, Tyne Cot Cemetery, and the Golden Spur Battle, which you can stop and explore if you wish.
Route distances: 29, 34, or 40 miles
Day Four: Today we move again, so will need to pack up and check out after breakfast. Our destination for the day is Gent (also spelled Ghent). Our route will take us past one of Belgium's famous cycling routes, through the Flemish Ardennes, known for the hills of the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders). You'll be able to choose just how much of those hills you want to tackle as choose the flatter short route or the hillier long route. We'll hop off the trail for a bit to visit the Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen, a cool, interactive exhibit all about the Ronde van Vlaanderen. After, we'll continue on to the lively city of Ghent, biking along the Scheldt River. Ghent is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders region and the third largest city in Belgium. It has a university and a fantastic historic core, so is a great place to wander around on your own before dinner.
Route distances: 37, 44, or 52 miles
Day Five: Today we again change hotels, so we'll pack and check out after breakfast. Our route today has us departing Gent and cycling to Bruges. Whereas Gent was the capital and largest city of East Flanders, Bruges serves the same roles for West Flanders. The historic city center of Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bruges is also known for its breweries, museums, canals, city squares, and French Fries!
Route distances: 36, 49, or 58.5 miles
Day Six: No need to pack today as we'll spend a second night in Bruges. After breakfast, we'll depart on a loop ride into the Bruges countryside. This will include a visit to the coastline, which is only about 20 kilometers from Bruges and just a boat ride across the English Channel from the White Cliffs of Dover. Tonight we'll enjoy a delicious farewell dinner in the center of Bruges.
Route distances: 26, 40, or 61 miles
Day Seven: Today is departure day but we still have a final, shorter loop ride for those interested. After our ride we'll check out and say our goodbyes. You are free to take the train back to Brussels for your flight home or continue on your journey.
Route distance: 22 miles
Book this TourTrip Accommodations
NIGHTS 1 & 2 >> ARIANE HOTEL / YPRES
Tonight's accommodations are in a family-run four-star hotel that has been voted the Best hotel in Belgium, located in the heart of the historic city of Ypres.
NIGHT 3 >> PARKHOTEL / KORTRIJK
A luxurious hotel situated in the city center of Kortrijk, featuring a historic facade blended with modern elegance and a serene wellness atmosphere.
NIGHT 4 HOTEL HARMONY / GHENT
Located on the river, in the oldest district of Ghent, our hotel for the night offers cozy elegance. It is the perfect location to wander the bustling streets of one of our favorite cities. The four-star hotel is located in three historic buildings, gets outstanding traveler reviews, and features excellent modern comforts.
NIGHTS 5 & 6 >> HOTEL DUKES' ARCHES / BRUGES
Located in the historic city center, this ancient medieval building is surrounded by canals and cobbled streets and is within walking distance to many of the places we visit during our stay. The hotel was recently renovated and so the historic aspect is accompanied by modern comforts.
Book this TourArrival & Departures
On Day 1, we meet in the town of Ypres, a two-hour train ride from Brussels with multiple departures each hour. You will most likely want to fly into Brussels the day before so that you can ensure that you arrive at our Ypres hotel with enough time. We also highly recommend arriving at least a day ahead of time to recover from your travel and any potential delays. Our adventure ends the last day of the trip in Bruges. You may choose to extend your stay in Bruges, hop on a local train back to Brussels, or continue your travels via a high-speed train to Paris, London or Amsterdam.
What's Included?
- One or two Zephyr guides accompany each trip.
- Double occupancy lodging is included. If you are coming on a trip solo, you have two options: 1) Pay the single supplement to receive your own room. 2) Ask us to try to find you a roommate of the same gender to share a room with; if we are not successful you will be charged the single supplement and receive your own room.
- All of your dinners and breakfasts are included. Gratuity for these meals is also included. We have left lunches open so that you have time to explore and enjoy the local flavors en route.
- All your transportation is included once you meet your guides on the first day.
- NOT INCLUDED Beverages, desserts, lunches, gratuities to your guides, personal expenses and travel to and from the destination.
Weather
Belgium tends to have mild summers, although in recent years heat raves have racked all of Europe. Historically, any months between May and September have been excellent for cycling in the country. Rain can fall all year, with August being the driest month. You'll want to bring light layers that can easily be put on or taken off.
Belgian Cuisine
Much of the Belgian cuisine revolves around a variety of meats ranging from beef, rabbit, and even horse - often braised in a variety of Belgian brews. Green vegetables are not commonplace and may not even be an option on a menu, however, some places have excellent, large salads. Cheeses and chocolates are, of course, a must!
Beer
Belgium is one of the great beer cultures of the world, and they have a very wide variety of brews for nearly anyone. Even if you don’t consider yourself a “Beer Drinker” don’t rule this trip out! Belgian beers bear little resemblance to many American brews. They range from light sweet abbey-style brews to dark spicy Cuvee Royale to bright, fruity and sour lambics.
Changes to Your Itinerary
While everything under “What is Included” will remain the same, the actual restaurants, hotels, and activities listed in our itineraries are subject to modifications. Changes that are out of our control are common – a restaurant closes or loses its awesome chef, a winery changes its visiting hours, a hotel gets remodeled, a road or trail undergoes construction. You are entrusting us to create an outstanding vacation for you and so it is possible we may take the liberty of making necessary changes (even at the last minute, during the guides’ scout trip) to the itinerary that will improve your overall trip experience. If there is any one experience that is going to make or break your trip, please discuss this with us in advance! We will attempt to keep our website itinerary as current as possible and communicate any major changes with you in the weeks prior to the tour.
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