Amsterdam to Bruges

Bruges UNESCO World Heritage Site

Amsterdam to Bruges is a very popular and easy day trip. It is often coupled with Brussels on day tours, but can be visited independently too. You can get to Bruges from Amsterdam by train, bus, coach tour and even by flying.

Bruges offers picture perfect canals and medieval architecture with a deep history to explore. You can walk or take a canal boat tour, there are plenty of museums, galleries and shops. Bruges also has a thriving food scene with of course, amazing Belgium chocolate.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to companies and services we trust. If you purchase something after clicking any link, then we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you (policy page).

What to do in Bruges

Bruges should be high on anyones list for a visit. It is a beautiful city, steeped in history and has that magical charm you can only find in rare places.

Walking in Bruges

We love a good walk and walking round Bruges is a lovely experience. The cobbled streets are lined with quaint buildings with original features that make you feel like you have strolled onto a film set.

Your walk should take you to the iconic Belfry Tower, the medieval churches and to the town squares. Stay for a little at the Belfry Tower and you can climb the tower for panoramic views of the city and surrounding countryside. The ascent may be a bit daunting, but the stunning vistas from the top make it well worth the effort.

Canal tours in Bruges

Exploring on foot is great, but Bruges has some of the most beautiful canals in the world. Take a canal boat tour round the canals and see the stunning architecture blend into the canals in a mirror of beauty.

Bruges art and culture

Bruges is not a huge city by any stretch, but it packs a punch when it comes to arts and culture.

Visit the Groeninge Museum to admire works by Flemish masters like Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling, or explore the fascinating exhibits at the Gruuthusemuseum, Historium Bruges and the Frietmuseum (French Fry Museum). You will also find the Begijnhof, beautifully named Lake of Love – Minnewater (engagement location anyone? ) and various chocolate stories and beer museum attractions.

Food and drink (and chocolate) in Bruges

No trip to Bruges would be complete without indulging in Belgium’s culinary delights. Sample exquisite Belgian chocolates from renowned chocolatiers, and don’t miss the opportunity to taste a variety of local beers, including Trappist ales and fruity lambics.

Amsterdam to Bruges Day Trip

Amsterdam to Bruges tour

An Amsterdam to Bruges tour will take a whole day, expect your tour to last a memorable 12 hours including travel time. The journey to Bruges by coach from Amsterdam takes about 3hrs. The views are very nice and the coach is luxury air-conditioned, with a guide who will point out areas of interest along the way.

Once in Bruges you will have a guided 1-hour tour of this unique medieval city. After the one hour tour, which showcases the key attractions and areas, you are left to your own devices to explore at your leisure.

In this free time you will have 4hrs in Bruges to visit the museums, galleries, enjoy some food and ride the canals. Overall, you will be in Bruges for 5 hours. Leaving Amsterdam from De Ruijterkade 34A at 9am and returning at around 8.15pm.

This tours runs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays only and costs just €79pp.

Amsterdam to Bruges Day Trip

Amsterdam to Bruges tour 2

A similar tour but with a 2-hour guided tour upon arrival in Bruges (instead of 1-hr) and 3-hours of free time (instead of 4-hrs). Some visitors prefer to have more time with a knowlegedable guide, others prefer more time alone to explore, so you can pick which of the tours suits you best.

This tour is slightly cheaper at €65pp.

Amsterdam to Bruges & Brussels Day Trip

A stunning Belgium day trip from Amsterdam

This is one of those epic day trips from Amsterdam where you will get to experience two amazing Belgium cities and be guided throughout.

This tour lasts 16-hours so that you have ample time to explore and enjoy both cities fully. The tour departs at 7am from De Ruijterkade 151 Amsterdam.

The tour starts with the journey to Brussels. Once in Brussels you will have two hours to experience a photostop at Atomium, a guided visit to Saint-Hubert Royal Galleries, Grand-Place, Manneken Pis, Tintin Comic Mural. Mont des Arts and Brussels Town Hall.

Then it is time to catch your breath on the coach as you journey to Bruges.

Once in Bruges you will have a further two hours with guided visits to the Lake of Love, Berguinage, Halve Maan Brewery, Bonifacius Bridge, Rozenhoedkaai, Belfry of Bruges and Bruges City Hall.

Then it is a relaxed journey back to Amsterdam.

As you can see this is a day trip from Amsterdam to Brussels and Bruges that will live long in the memory and fill your camera/phone with more images than you thought possible. There is also no denying it is a long day with a lot of travelling between cities. The scenery is beautiful and is a great way to see a bit more of the Netherlands outside of Amsterdam.

For a taste of belgium whilst staying in Amsterdam, it is a day trip that is hard to beat. Do make sure you choose the correct language for your tour as it comes in both English and Spanish.

Tour price is €149pp (but you will often find it on special offer throughout the year).

Amsterdam to Bruges Train

There is no direct train from Amsterdam to Bruges. However, it can be a very easy route with just one transfer at Brussels.

As with everything being prepared pays off.

Intercity Train

You can take an intercity train to Brussels from Amsterdam and just turn up, pay and get on board. Once in Brussels you change to the intercity Brussels to Bruges train. Overall this journey will take you just over 4hrs.

Eurostar

If you want to get to Bruges quicker, you can pre-book a Eurostar to Brussels ticket. By pre-booking early you get the best rates and guarantee your seat. The Eurostar trains are not ones to just turn up on and hope you get a seat, especially in peak season.

Using the Eurostar to Brussels will speed up your journey time and after the transfer from Brussels to Bruges by intercity train, your overall travel time will be around 3hrs 10m.

Another option is to use the Eurostar train, but get off at Antwerp, take a intercity train to Gwent and then another intercity from Gwent to Bruges. Although two transfers it actually works out quickest (2hrs 50m), but has the additional changes to deal with.

Leaving from Amsterdam

All the above routes leave from Amsterdam Centraal Station including the Eurostar. The Eurostar will be more expensive than the intercity trains, but is faster so it is up to you on speed vs cost.

Remember by visiting Bruges from Amsterdam that you are travelling to another country and although cities from France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands do not require a passport to travel between, this presumes you are from one of those countries. There are spot checks, so you may not even be asked, but do take your ID/Passport with you to be on the safe side.

Book train tickets including Eurostar

Use the above link to check train times and prices including those for Eurostar to Brussels and intercity trains to Bruges.

Amsterdam to Bruges bus

Going from Amsterdam to Bruges by bus is by far the cheapest option, but it is also the slowest.

The distance from Amsterdam to Bruges is 155 miles and travelling by bus will take approx 4hrs 20 mins on a good day.

The route is interesting though and you will see lots of nice scenery on your drive. Using the bus to Bruges would be a good option if you were planning to stay over for a night or two and not be returning to Amsterdam the same day.

There are multiple coach operators running the route between Amsterdam and Bruges, with Flixbus and BlaBlaBus being the two dominant operators. Coaches either leave from Sloterdijk Station or Biljmer Arena.

Prices vary, but average around €25-€30.

Book Flixbus Tickets from Amsterdam to Bruges

Compare all prices using Busbud