Around 300 beers at Brugs Beertje, a brewery with a beer pipeline on the Walplein, escape rooms for up to 24 players and vaulted cellars until 03:00: here's how to plan your stag do or hen party in Bruges, with the best things to do.
Good to know
A draught beer (0.5 l) typically costs about €6 in Bruges, €4–8 depending on the place. During happy hour at the Bauhaus Bar, Stella is €2.30 and Duvel €3.50. The brewery tour at De Halve Maan costs €16 with 1 beer, mussels at Breydel €32, stoofvlees at Pallieterke €25.
All costs and money-saving tips ↓The Old Town is small: from the Markt to the station it's about a 20-minute walk. Several De Lijn buses run until about 23:00, and until about 02:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. A single ticket costs €3, a day ticket €9, and on the bus you can only pay contactless. Taxis wait on the Markt and at the station, and there's Uber too.
Visit Bruges public transport ↗No general closing time is on record, but Bruges goes to bed early. Open longest are 't Poatersgat, until 03:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, and the Irish pub Druid's Cellar, until 04:00 according to the city guide. The Bauhaus Bar has Latin Night on Tuesdays until 02:00. There are hardly any clubs; the partying happens in cellars and pubs.
Glass in the street is banned Thursday to Sunday from 22:00 to 08:00 on the Markt, Eiermarkt, Kuipersstraat, Kraanplein, Langestraat and other nightlife streets, terraces excepted; the police confiscate it and issue a fine. There's a ban on alcohol around the station, and public urination is penalised too.
De Halve Maan has brewed Brugse Zot and Straffe Hendrik in Bruges since 1856; an underground beer pipeline of about 3.2 km runs to the bottling plant on the edge of town. In the alley at De Garre there's the house tripel, and at Brugs Beertje around 300 beers. Belgian beer culture is UNESCO cultural heritage; tip 5 to 10% for good service.
From Brussels-South there are 3 trains an hour to Bruges, taking about 1 hour, and from Ghent it's 28 minutes. From Cologne, take the Eurostar or ICE to Brussels and change there. By car from Cologne it's 310 km in about 3 hours 35 minutes; the Old Town has a 30 km/h limit, and the Park+Ride car parks are free. FlixBus stops behind the station.
For a hotel for your stag or hen do in Bruges, you'll pay about €114 a night on average, cheapest on Mondays and most expensive on Thursdays, plus €2 tourist tax per person. The hostel St Christopher's Inn – The Bauhaus on Langestraat has the Bauhaus Bar in-house; Snuffel Hostel and Lybeer offer dorms with breakfast.
In July the average high is 22.5 °C, in January 6.8 °C; it rains on 134.9 days a year. Plan B if it rains: the brewery tour at De Halve Maan, Bourgogne des Flandres, Choco-Story and the Frietmuseum, escape rooms at Exit Games, Level Up and Amazing Escape, or laser tag at King Kong.
Plan & map
Bars, restaurants, breweries and activities on one map: filter by type, add your favourites with “+ Add to plan” and share the plan with your group via a link, no account needed. Rather have a ready-made schedule? The itinerary generator builds one for you.
Bruges activities by type: click an idea and the list and map show only what matches.
The tour at De Halve Maan, the beer flight at Bourgogne des Flandres, the Bruges Beer Experience, the group tasting at Le Trappiste and guided beer tastings.
Battle Mode for up to 16 people at Exit Games, The Elimination Game for up to 24 at Level Up, Amazing Escape on Ezelstraat and a team challenge in German.
For the stag do, but not only: laser tag across more than 500 m² at King Kong and bowling at Bowl Inn, both a little outside the Old Town.
30 minutes on the Reien, the city's canals, from the Rozenhoedkaai, the guided walk with a boat trip and the retro bike tour through the quiet corners of the Old Town.
A chocolate workshop, a truffle class, a waffle baking class with all you can eat, waffles with a beer tasting and the Choco-Story museum.
Vaulted cellars at Le Trappiste and 't Poatersgat, 300 beers at Brugs Beertje, the house tripel at De Garre, the Druid's Cellar and a pub crawl with shots.
Bands in the back room at De Kelk, happy hour and Latin Night at the Bauhaus Bar, the Hof Van Beroep, soul at Parazzar and gigs at Cactus Club.
Mussels at Breydel and Poules Moules, stoofvlees at De Vlaamsche Pot and Pallieterke, the Bierbrasserie Cambrinus, the Frietmuseum and a food tour.
Beer café and tasting house on Kemelstraat near 't Zand: around 300 Belgian beers, 5 of them on tap, and according to its own website counted by RateBeer among the best beer destinations in the world. Small and cosy, so ask ahead by phone or email for bigger groups.
Staminee in a hidden alley between the Markt and the Burg, founded in 1984: 140 mostly regional beers and the house beer Tripel van De Garre, full and smooth with a slightly bitter finish. Wednesday to Sunday 12:00–23:00; no bookings, and tight for big groups.
Beer bar in an 800-year-old vaulted cellar on Kuipersstraat with 27 draught beers and 150 bottled beers, daily 17:00–24:00. For groups of 8 or more there's a guided afternoon tasting of 5 Belgian classics with snacks for €25 per person, by advance booking only.
Bar in an underground vaulted cellar on Vlamingstraat with a big list of Belgian beers. One of the few places in the Old Town that stays open late: Sunday to Thursday 17:00–02:00, Fridays and Saturdays until 03:00; the right place for the late round.
Beer bar at the Hotel Rose Red on Cordoeaniersstraat, a few steps from the Markt, with specialty beers on tap and in bottles, exclusively from small family breweries. Daily 16:30–24:00, last orders 30 minutes before closing; book tables online.
Beer café in the Historium with a panoramic terrace above the Markt, accessible without a museum ticket: 9 beers on tap, including Duvel, Duvel 666, La Chouffe and Maredsous 8, plus a tasting of 3 beers. Daily 11:00–18:00, Saturdays until 22:00; groups of up to 120 people.
Irish pub on Sint-Amandsstraat, a few steps from the Markt: according to the city guide daily 11:00–04:00, sometimes later at weekends, closed on Mondays out of season. Lively nights with free entry; one of the places where the night in Bruges keeps going.
Historic café-restaurant right on the Markt: in 1488 Archduke Maximilian of Austria was held prisoner in this building. Flemish-style dining room with a carved bar and stained-glass windows with brewing motifs, daily from 08:00; groups of up to 25 people on request.
Beer shop with a bar and a “Beer Wall” on Wollestraat, plus a canal-side terrace with one of the best views in Bruges. The bar is open 11:15–19:30, Fridays and Saturdays until 20:00; the right stop for the afternoon, not for the night.
According to its own website the oldest inn in Bruges, in the quiet Sint-Anna quarter since 1515. Open daily 11:00–21:00, so more of a stop before dinner; bookings only for groups of 10 or more, by phone or email.
Hostel bar on Langestraat, open every day of the year: happy hour 19:00–20:00 with Stella for €2.30, Duvel €3.50, a double gin and tonic €7. More than 50 beers, Latin Night on Tuesdays until 02:00, karaoke on Wednesdays; groups of 10 or more can ask for offers.
Music pub with craft beers on Langestraat: around 16 beers on tap and about 80 bottled beers, with local indie and rock bands playing in the soundproofed back room. Tuesday to Saturday from 17:00, closed on Sundays and Mondays; a good stop on the way to the Bauhaus Bar.
Traditional pub on Langestraat, named after the court of appeal opposite: lots of local craft beers, gueuzes and natural wines, plus home-made snacks and tapas from the late-night kitchen. Music from the Woodstock generation to today; rooms for parties on request.
Bar in the boutique hotel Le Foulage with wine, champagne, cocktails, whisky and small plates to share, and a terrace heated all year round. Daily 17:00–23:30, side entrance on Oostmeers; no bookings, so better for a small group.
Soul bar and eetcafé with a brown-café feel in Sint-Andries, about 1 km west of 't Zand: around 100 beers, including Chimay Triple on tap, and live gigs. Fridays and Saturdays 17:00–01:00, closed on Sundays; book online.
The city's concert venue on Bargeweg, about 1.4 km south of the Markt: the Cactus Club hall for up to 650 people, the Cactus Café for up to 150. Rock, indie and world music gigs, plus the occasional party; tickets via the website, and some café nights are free.
Family brewery on the Walplein, in Bruges since 1856, with Brugse Zot and Straffe Hendrik: the Classic tour takes about 45 minutes for €16 with 1 beer, and at weekends the 90-minute XL tour with 3 beers costs €26. 25 people at most per tour; the beer pipeline is shown as a virtual experience.
Brewery and distillery on the canal, explored at your own pace from the malt room to the oak barrels: Discovery with a beer tasting €16, a beer flight of 6 tap beers at 12 cl each €28. 30 people at most per ticket type, with a terrace right on the water.
Interactive beer museum on Breidelstraat between the Markt and the Burg, with a quiz and ingredients to smell: entry €14, with 3 tastings €20, groups of 20 or more €19. The bar with 16 draught beers and a view of the Markt is free to enter; 4 beers of your choice €12.
30 minutes on the Reien, the city's canals, between Jan van Eyck Square and the Beguinage; all 5 boat companies run the same route at the same price: €15 per person, and groups of 20 or more book for €12. March to October daily 10:00–18:00, with umbrellas when it rains.
366 steps up a single spiral staircase to the top of the 83 m tower on the Markt, with a carillon of 47 bells and a view over Bruges. Entry €16, €15 on weekdays in winter; very busy, so buy an online ticket in advance, last entry 1 hour before closing.
Museum of Belgian fries on Vlamingstraat; a visit takes 45 minutes on average: entry €12, groups of 15 or more with a booking €10, combined ticket with Choco-Story €21.50. On a group visit you get 1 free portion of fries for every 5 people.
Chocolate museum on Sint-Jansplein with an audio guide, a live praline-making demonstration and tastings, about 1.5 hours. Entry €16, combined ticket with the Frietmuseum €22.50; daily 10:00–18:00, and groups of 15 or more must book.
Escape rooms and VR escape rooms right on 't Zand, such as Brouwerij Zotmans or the VR room The Hangover: €30 per person for three, €25 from 4 people. For big groups there's The Elimination Game for 9 to 24 players in 90 minutes; Wednesday to Sunday.
3 escape games of 60 minutes each on Hoefijzerlaan near 't Zand; in Battle Mode two teams play against each other in parallel, up to 16 people at once. The price drops with group size: €44.95 per person for two, €27.95 for seven or eight.
2 escape rooms on Ezelstraat, about a 5-minute walk from the Markt: Mission Michelangelo for 3 to 6 players and Upside Down for 2 to 6, 60 minutes each. You pay per room, from €100 for 2 to 3 players up to €130 for 6; bigger groups split across both rooms.
Indoor laser tag arena of more than 500 m² with a sports bar in Sint-Pieters, about 1.5 km north of the Markt: 1 game of 20 minutes €13 per person, 3 games €30. With a booking daily 10:00–22:00, and the arena can be booked exclusively for your group.
Bowling in Sint-Andries, about 3 km west of the Old Town: Friday to Sunday €36 per lane per hour, billiards €12. Lanes can't be reserved, only packages such as Stone Grill with 2 rounds of bowling from €38 per person; Fridays and Saturdays until 01:00.
Flemish beer brasserie near the Markt, daily 11:00–22:00, with stoofvlees in beer and shrimp croquettes. According to travel guides around 400 beers, and the menu has a tasting board with 4 tasting beers; groups of 10 or more let them know in advance by phone or email.
Mussels and lobster restaurant between the Markt and the Burg, family-run for more than 70 years: mussels with fries, plain, €32, with garlic butter or white wine sauce €33.50. A room of its own upstairs for 15 to 30 people, group menus from €29; closed on Wednesdays.
Flemish home cooking on Helmstraat, known for stoofvlees that was named the best stoofvlees in Bruges. Room for 200 people across several rooms, group menus on request; if you don't show up, €35 is charged to your credit card.
French-Belgian brasserie on the Eiermarkt with a summer terrace: the Menu Raymond with Flemish stoofvlees, salad, fries, starter and dessert costs €49, steak tartare with fresh fries €31. Tuesday to Saturday at lunchtime and 18:00–23:00, closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Flemish food on 't Zand opposite the Concertgebouw: stoofvlees with salad and fries €25, sole with fries €32. On the 1st floor there's a room for groups of up to 30 people, group menus on request; the kitchen closes at 20:30, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Brasserie on Simon Stevinplein, 250 m south-west of the Markt, with mussels four ways, including in Bruges beer, plus roast chicken and stoofvlees: 3-course menu €41.50, menu with plain mussels €57. Tuesday to Saturday, bookings by phone.
Guided tasting of Belgian beers in Bruges, with cheese according to the listing, 1.5 to 2 hours. A good start to the first evening, after which the beer cellars around the Eiermarkt are just a few steps away; the venue and beers are in your booking. From approx. €38 per person.
Guided pub crawl through Bruges with shots included, about 3 hours. Handy for groups who don't want to hunt down the Old Town's few late-night places themselves; the meeting point, route and number of bars are in your booking. From approx. €35 per person.
Waffle baking class in Bruges, 1.5 hours: mix the batter, bake and eat as many waffles as you can manage. A relaxed afternoon activity, especially for a hen party; the venue and toppings are in your booking. From approx. €38 per person.
Chocolate making workshop in Bruges with entry to the chocolate museum, about 1 hour of class. The group makes its own chocolate and takes it home; dates, language and schedule are in your booking. From approx. €45 per person.
Chocolate truffle making class in Bruges, 1.5 hours: filling, coating and decorating under guidance. Everyone takes their truffles home, a classic for a hen do; the venue and dates are in your booking. From approx. €46 per person.
Guided walk through Bruges with a chocolate stop and a boat tour on the Reien, with beer as an option, 2 to 3 hours in total. The quickest way to see the Markt, the Burg and the canals on your first day; the meeting point and options are in your booking. From approx. €25 per person.
Guided bike tour of Bruges on retro bikes in a small group, 2.5 hours with a drink along the way. Most Old Town streets are cycle zones, so the group gets into the quiet corners too; the meeting point is in your booking. From approx. €45 per person.
Guided beer tour through Bruges pairing Belgian beers with matching chocolate, about 2.5 hours. Suits mixed groups who want to combine beer and sweet things; the stops and beers are in your booking. From approx. €65 per person.
Workshop in the south of Bruges: bake your own Belgian waffles and taste beers with them, about 1.5 hours. A good mix for a mixed group in the afternoon before heading into the Old Town; the venue and beers are in your booking. From approx. €59 per person.
Food tour through Bruges with fries, chocolate, waffles and beer, about 2 hours with a look behind the scenes. It replaces lunch and shows you the city's specialities in one go; the stops are in your booking. From approx. €60 per person.
Guided team challenge through Bruges in German, about 2.5 hours with tasks in the Old Town. The price is per group of up to 12 people, so with a full group it's a little over €24 a head; the start and schedule are in your booking. From approx. €290 per group.
Tour of the family brewery on the Walplein, brewing in Bruges since 1856: the Classic tour takes about 45 minutes for €16 with 1 beer, and at weekends the XL tour takes about 90 minutes with 3 beers for €26. 25 people at most per tour, with 220 steps, some of them steep.
Escape rooms on Hoefijzerlaan near 't Zand: 3 games of 60 minutes each, and in Battle Mode two teams play against each other in parallel, up to 16 people at once. €27.95 per person for seven or eight, €44.95 for two; big groups can ask for a quote.
The central square with the 83 m belfry, considered the heart of Bruges. At Markt 1 is the Historium with the Duvelorium and its terrace above the square, next to the chip stands; in winter most of the Christmas market is here.
Square with the town hall and the Basilica of the Holy Blood, about 200 m east of the Markt, for centuries the city's centre of power and, according to the tourist office, its soul. Breidelstraat, with the Bruges Beer Experience, leads to the Markt, and the Rozenhoedkaai is a few steps away.
Canal-side quay with the best-known view of the belfry, one of the 5 landing stages for the 30-minute boat trip. Tickets are sold on site only, and groups of 20 or more book ahead; 2be Beer Wall and Bourgogne des Flandres are just round the corner.
Large square by the Concertgebouw with lots of brasseries and terraces, an easy walk from the station, with an underground car park beneath. Level Up Brugge and 't Pallieterke are on the square, and in summer it hosts the Zandfeesten, the city's biggest flea market.
The “Lake of Love” in the south of the Old Town, part of the medieval fortifications, next to the Beguinage, founded in 1245. A quiet spot for the group photo, about 300 m south of the De Halve Maan brewery; in July the Cactusfestival plays in the park next door.
Arrival point for groups coming by train, with a tourist office open daily and Blue-bike rental bikes on the Stationsplein. The Markt is about a 20-minute walk via 't Zand, buses to the Old Town run about every 5 minutes, and FlixBus stops at the back.
Guide prices excluding travel, food & accommodation. Check the provider for today's prices.
🗺️ Open route in Google MapsNeighbourhoods
Bruges goes out in five neighbourhoods: beer cafés around the Markt and the Burg, vaulted cellars around Eiermarkt and Vlamingstraat, beers and escape rooms on 't Zand, pubs on Langestraat and breweries along the canals between the Rozenhoedkaai and the Walplein.
For beer cafés, a beer museum and mussels
Around the Markt: 9 draught beers on the Duvelorium's terrace above the square, the house tripel at De Garre in the alley towards the Burg, the Bruges Beer Experience beer museum on Breidelstraat and mussels in the group room for up to 30 people at Breydel-De Coninc.
For vaulted cellars, fries and late rounds
North of the Markt: 27 draught beers in the 800-year-old cellar at Le Trappiste, the vaulted cellar at 't Poatersgat until 03:00, the Menu Raymond with stoofvlees at Brasserie Raymond on the Eiermarkt and the Frietmuseum, with free fries for groups of 15 or more.
For 300 beers, stoofvlees and escape rooms
Between the station and the Old Town: around 300 beers at Brugs Beertje on Kemelstraat, 5 of them on tap, award-winning stoofvlees at De Vlaamsche Pot, escape rooms for up to 24 players at Level Up on 't Zand, and stoofvlees with fries for €25 at Pallieterke opposite.
For pubs, live music and happy hour
In the east of the Old Town: Café Vlissinghe in the quiet Sint-Anna quarter, open since 1515, 16 craft beers on tap and bands at De Kelk on Langestraat, a late-night kitchen at 't Hof Van Beroep and happy hour from 19:00 to 20:00 with €2.30 Stella at the Bauhaus Bar.
For breweries, the canal and boats
Along the canals south of the Burg: the 30-minute boat trip from the Rozenhoedkaai, the waterside terrace at 2be Beer Wall, the beer flight with 6 tap beers at Bourgogne des Flandres and the tour of the De Halve Maan brewery on the Walplein with Brugse Zot and Straffe Hendrik.
Sample itinerary
This is what a weekend that works in Bruges looks like, whether it's a stag do, a hen party or a quieter group. You'll find every venue in the planner above, where you can swap out individual stops.
Stoofvlees and a tasting board.
27 draught beers in the vaulted cellar.
Irish pub by the Markt.
Cellar until 03:00.
Battle Mode, two teams head to head.
XL tour with 3 beers.
Laser tag in your own arena.
Mussels in the group room.
More than 50 beers until late.
Champagne on the heated terrace.
Mussels in Bruges beer.
Beers from small family breweries.
A late round in the cellar.
Make your own truffles.
30 minutes on the Reien.
Terrace on the canal.
Stoofvlees for the whole group.
Craft beer and live music.
Meet beneath the belfry.
Tripel in the alley.
Flemish food on 't Zand.
366 steps, with 47 bells at the top.
Beer flight on the canal.
A walk by the Lake of Love.
The oldest inn in the city.
300 beers to try.
Your group's a bit different? The itinerary generator builds a plan around your group, budget and mood, using the same venues.
Budget
In Bruges, a draught beer typically costs about €6, the brewery tour €16, an escape room €22–44.95 per person and mussels €32. Hotels are expensive, especially on Thursdays; happy hour at the Bauhaus Bar and the €2.20 group ticket on the bus keep costs down.
| Option | Per person | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| One night out | €50–100 | stoofvlees or mussels, two beer cellars and a late pub |
| A day with an activity | €90–170 | plus a brewery tour, an escape room, laser tag or a boat trip |
| Weekend | €180–380 | two nights out, one activity, one night in a double room, travel not included |
Guide prices per person, based on the prices of the venues and tours on this page. The bride or groom usually doesn't pay; their share is split across the group. The planner above adds up what your programme costs.
Travel isn't included, as that depends on where you're coming from. Accommodation is based on the country's price level. Work out your own budget with the cost calculator.
Seasonal tips
These dates come round every year. If your weekend falls on one of them, the city will be packed. If you'd rather keep things relaxed, plan around them.
On Ascension Day the relic is carried through the city, with more than 1,600 residents taking part; it's UNESCO intangible heritage.
In July, a 3-day music festival from Friday to Sunday in Minnewaterpark, right next to the Lake of Love.
The city's biggest flea market, on the first Sunday in July and in August and in September, from about 06:00 to 18:00 around 't Zand.
On the second weekend of September, a 2-day beer festival at the convention centre on the Beursplein, organised by the Brugse Bierproevers.
From late November to early January on the Markt and Simon Stevinplein, plus a covered ice rink in Koning Albert I-park.
83 m tall, 366 steps up a single spiral staircase with no lift, and at the top a carillon of 47 bells, 26 of them originals from the 18th century. Entry €16, €15 on weekdays in winter.
The De Halve Maan brewery pumps its beer through an underground pipe about 3.2 km long from the Walplein to the bottling plant on the edge of town; the beer takes about 45 minutes.
At 115.6 m its tower is the tallest structure in Bruges, and inside stands Michelangelo's marble Madonna; a good plan B for a rainy day between the Markt and the Walplein.
Questions
