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Brussels, Bruges and the Floriade Flower Show

Brussels, Bruges and the Floriade Flower Show

21st April – 6 October 2022 | 5 days from £795 per person

Discover the historic cities of Belgium and attend the Floriade Flower Show.
  • Guided tour of Bruges
  • Attend the exclusive Floriade flower show, a once-in-a decade horticultural event
  • Time to explore Brussels at your own leisure

Description

Staying in the cosmopolitan Brussels, soak up the history and the foodie culture of Brussels and Bruges, including a visit to an artisan chocolate maker, before enjoying entrance to the Floriade flower show, a unique horticultural event which only happens every ten years.

Itinerary

Day 1 | London and Brussels
Meeting at London St Pancras, we join the Eurostar to Brussels. Once in the Belgian capital, a coach transfers to our hotel for a four-night stay. Afterwards, you’re free to settle in or begin exploring a city famous for its café culture, green, open spaces and long political history. Wander the cobbled market places of this medieval destination, where street musicians fill the air with traditional songs and Art Nouveu architecture is waiting to be discovered on every street corner. We enjoy dinner this evening at a local restaurant, Chez Leon, a true Belgian institution.

Includes dinner

Day 2 | Bruges
We take the train to nearby Bruges today, a charming city boasting a picture-postcard, UNESCO-listed centre. Our guided tour begins at a famous artisan chocolate maker, Chocolaterie Sukerbuyc, in the heart of the city, where we see how the delicious confectionery is made and get to sample some of the delicious creations.

With its history as a city dating back to 1128, Bruges has a long and fascinating heritage, becoming known internationally for wool weaving and cloth making. It was also something of a cultural centre, as William Caxton was in Bruges when he printed the very first book in English. In the 17th century, the city’s famous lace trade took off and by the late 1800s, Bruges was beginning to attract wealthy tourists from England and France.

Nowadays, storybook buildings and cobbled streets are an all-year-round draw, accompanied by its mastery of beer and penchant for sublime food. Beautiful Bruges has many reminders of its prosperous past, as much of its medieval architecture has been preserved, and we enjoy visiting these as we continue our guided walking tour. Afterwards, the rest of your afternoon is free. A canal cruise is a great way to see the medieval sights, or you can take a horse drawn carriage around the bustling boulevards before finding a cosy tavern to enjoy one of Belgium’s world-famous beers. There’s plenty to choose from with a beer to suit every palate; from blonde ales to stouts, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Includes breakfast

Day 3 | Floriade flower show
Today we enjoy the highlight of our holiday, transferring by coach to Almere for the 2022 Floriade flower show. Held in the Netherlands just once every ten years, Floriade is not only the world’s ultimate flower show, spread over five themed zones across an enormous 66 hectares, it’s also a celebration of plants, vegetables, fruit and produce from across the world. Almere is a modern garden city and the show site has been built on land reclaimed from the sea, a true Dutch tradition.

This decade’s theme is ‘Growing Green Cities’ and there are exhibitions from over 30 different countries, each split into four sub-themes that delve into the possible future development of our city centres; green, celebrating the open spaces which make cities a more pleasant place to be; food, exploring more environmentally friendly food production options; health and the effect of green structures on a healthy living environment; and energy. This sub-theme looks at possible sustainable energy solutions as well as the effect of green spaces on the well-being of a city’s population. Alongside these vibrant and thought-provoking displays, there’ll also be street food trucks selling different world cuisines and live entertainment.

Includes breakfast

Day 4 | Brussels
Your day is free to enjoy some sightseeing in Brussels. If Floriade whet your appetite for all things horticultural, then on the August departure you may like to visit the Grand Place to see the spectacular ‘Flower of Carpets’ display. Held every two years at this beautiful landmark, volunteers painstakingly weave nearly one million begonias into tapestry-like creations that fill the entire 19,000 square foot space. Each biennial event features a different theme, with previous years celebrating different cultures from across the globe such as Mexico, Japan and Africa.

You may also want stop by Brussel’s cheeky mascot, the infamous Manneken Pis, take a break to enjoy some traditional waffles or visit the Maison du Roi, a museum featuring stunning wall hangings and paintings from the 16th century. As today is Sunday, you could make your way to the farmer’s market held at Place Flagey, where vendors sell delicious local produce including organic vegetables, succulent burgers, oysters and even Champagne.

Includes breakfast

Day 5 | Brussels & London
We return to the train station by coach this morning for the Eurostar to London St Pancras. Here, our tour comes to an end.

Includes breakfast

What's Included

  • Standard Class Rail
  • All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
  • 4* Hotel Accommodation
  • 4 nights' hotel accommodation
  • UK Tour Manager from start to finish
  • 5 meals including 4 breakfasts and 1 dinner
Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour but can be arranged

Trains

Eurostar
The high speed Eurostar trains link St Pancras International in London with Paris and Lille in France as well as Brussels in Belgium.

Eurostar’s Standard Class coaches feature two seats on either side of the central aisle, most of which is arranged in an ‘airline’ seating configuration with drop down tray tables. There are two tables for four per carriage. Passengers travelling in Eurostar Standard Class coaches can take advantage of the Bar-Buffet which sells a range of snacks, meals, hot and cold drinks – including Champagne!

The highest class of Eurostar travel available for leisure customers is Standard Premier Class. In your dedicated Standard Premier carriage you’ll find a less dense seat configuration, meaning the seats are larger and you have ample space to relax and stretch out. As part of the service you’ll enjoy complimentary drinks and refreshments, served at your seat by friendly, helpful waiting staff.

For the class of travel used on your chosen tour, please refer to the ‘What’s Included’ section of the tour page.

Hotel

Thon City Centre Hotel, Brussels
The 4-Star Thon City Centre Hotel is a modern establishment located in downtown Brussels, just a short walk from the station and many of the city’s historic landmarks. Amenities on site include a lively and well stocked bar, as well as a fitness room and sauna, while the en suite bedrooms each come with a flat-screen television, a mini fridge, a safe, tea & coffee making facilities and free Wi-Fi.

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