Brussels To Berlin – Small Group Europe Tours

From windmills and war memorials to dramatic dykes and dreamy villages, the countryside on this 16-day Brussels to Berlin tour is laced with fascinating history and intrigue - and there are enough picturesque sights and scenery to fill up the memory card on your camera. But save some photo space for the cities on your itinerary. Offering compelling contrasts to the rural idylls, these urban gems are packed with magnificent architecture, cultural highs and some unexpectedly lovely slices of nature. A mix of guided activities and free time will help you generate fond memories of these storied cities on this wonderful coach tour through Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

Explore Brussels to Berlin - Chocolate, Canals & Culture tour!

Brussels

Kicking off the tour in Belgium’s capital means you’ll get to marvel at one of Europe’s finest civic spaces as your Brussels to Berlin journey begins. That’s the giant central square of Brussels, which the city’s Francophile residents know as the Grand-Place and its Dutch speakers call the Grote-Markt. Medieval merchants used to sell textiles and other treasured wares here, with the prosperity helping to fund the square’s ornate guildhouses and gothic city hall. Brussels is still renowned for its artisan goods, which decorate the windows of the boutiques lining the neighbouring streets rich in art nouveau architecture. Chocolate is one speciality and you’ll enjoy a tasting at a store that has been hand-making chocolate for the Belgian royals since the 1940s.

Ghent

Some of the attractive buildings gracing Ghent, a highlight of any Belgium travel itinerary, look almost good enough to eat. Take the colourful gabled properties lining the quays where two rivers meet. This location was pivotal in Ghent’s emergence as one of the wealthiest city-states of the Middle Ages with prized cargo like wool transported along these aquatic arteries. Ghent’s historic core is woven with charming cobblestone lanes and landmarks from this period, including a moated 12th century fortress and St Bavo’s Cathedral, which displays pieces by Flemish artists like Peter Paul Rubens and the Van Eyck brothers. You may wish to climb the 91-metre belfry - the tallest in Belgium - for stirring views over Ghent, now the second largest city in Flanders after Antwerp.

Bruges

Bruges is another Belgian beauty that you can savour from up high, and one of the most atmospheric stops on this Belgium and the Netherlands tour. Scale the 366 steps of the Belfort tower, which is among the filming locations in the 2008 dark comedy, In Bruges, starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. That movie sparked a surge in visitors to the so-called “Venice of the North”, a moniker that’s earned by the canals threading through Bruges’ enchanting medieval core. You might work up a thirst as you explore, particularly on a warm summer day, but don’t worry - there are plenty of watering holes offering refreshments, including cosy bars serving hundreds of Belgian beers, from blonde ales and chocolate stouts to fruit and wheat tipples made by monks.

Rotterdam

If Bruges appears almost perfectly preserved, and somehow trapped in time, Rotterdam is a different kettle of fish. This is the largest seaport not only in the Netherlands, but in all of Europe. Destroyed during World War II, Rotterdam has enjoyed an incredible rebuild and renaissance, which you’ll witness on a boat cruise on the River Maas, a waterway to the nearby North Sea. As well as the mighty Erasmus Bridge, a cable-stayed, 800-metre wonder named after the celebrated Rotterdam-born scholar, colourful and quirky contemporary buildings vie for your attention as you sail. And set back from the waterfront, the Markthal is your lunch spot. Chefs at this vibrant indoor market hall drum up everything from classic Dutch snacks to spicy dishes from the Netherlands’ former colonies.

Amsterdam

Your Dutch base for four nights, and springboard for adventures, will be Utrecht, a lovely, canal-sliced university city dubbed “Amsterdam without the crowds”. But you’ll be visiting the real thing too. Indeed, a Netherlands tour would be incomplete without a sightseeing cruise on the famous canal belt of the Dutch capital. Drifting by the gabled canalside houses and ducking under bridges crossed by bell-tingling cyclists, you’ll hear how Amsterdam became the hub of a global empire in the 17th century, with the trade in slaves, spices, sugar, coffee and other commodities paying for the ostentatious landmarks that catch the eye as you glide serenely along.

Bremen

You may have read the Town Musicians of Bremen, a classic German fairytale adapted by the Brothers Grimm. A bronze statue of the story’s star characters - a donkey, dog, cat and rooster - stands by the town hall on Bremen’s Marktplatz. The setting of the city’s Christmas Markets, this square is a spectacle, year-round, with its splendid buildings recalling Bremen’s past as a member of the Hanseatic League, a powerful medieval trading bloc that stretched from Russia to the east of England. After a boat ride on the River Wesser, Bremen’s portal to the North Sea, stretch your legs on the promenade and break for a drink and a bite to eat at one of the riverside cafes or restaurants. 

Hamburg

Also part of the Hanseatic League, Hamburg has proud medieval roots and picturesque properties in its Altstadt (Old Town), but it’s the city’s newer buildings that often cause jaws to drop, making Hamburg a striking stop on this tour. One is the Elbphilharmonie, an extraordinary concert hall opened in 2017, with architects Herzog & de Meuron adding a glossy glass structure to an old cocoa warehouse, one of a glut of imposing brick buildings lining the harbourfront. Though it’s recovered and thriving as one of Europe’s richest ports, Hamburg was badly damaged in World War II bombing, just like another famous port city, Liverpool. Ironically, a young band left Liverpool for Hamburg in 1960 hoping to make a name for themselves. That band was The Beatles and you can call in at some of the Hamburg bars and clubs they played at.

Berlin

It’s fitting that this tour wraps up in one of the continent’s most enthralling cities, which has had a new lease of life since the infamous wall came down in 1989. Remnants of that old barrier between east and west Berlin are among the sights to peruse in Germany’s reunified capital. It’s also a thrill to walk through the Brandenburg Gate and visit the rebuilt Reichstag, which is crowned with a panoramic dome designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster. Other spots that will stay with you long after your trip are the disorienting memorial to the Holocaust victims of World War II and Checkpoint Charlie, a crossing point during the Cold War which has featured in countless spy films and novels. We’d recommend you pack a book or two for this trip. You can dip in and out of them on all those scenic coach journeys from Brussels to Berlin.

The journeys for Brussels to Berlin - Chocolate, Canals & Culture 2027 are now available! Discover a beautifully relaxed journey through Europe’s most charming canals, historic cities, and cultural treasures. ✨