Jenever at Dreupelkot, the shoe deposit at Dulle Griet, party bars on the Vlasmarkt and clubs until 07:00: here's how to plan your stag do or hen party in Ghent, with the best things to do, just over half an hour from Brussels.
Good to know
A Jupiler (0.5 l) costs €4 at Overpoort Bowl, two for €7; a pintje at the Gentse Feesten €3. Food: stoverij at Keizershof €27.80, group menus at 't Klokhuys €44–55. Activities: belfry €13, escape rooms €25–32.45 per person, BattleKart €22, boat trip €11.
All costs and money-saving tips ↓From Gent-Sint-Pieters station, trams 1 and 3 run about every 10 minutes and take around 10 minutes to the centre. Single ticket €3, contactless on board. Taxi from the rank: Thursday to Saturday from 19:00 to 06:00, €12 including 3 km, then €3 per km, plus Uber and Bolt. Blue-bike from €1 for 30 minutes.
Visit Gent ↗No general closing time is on record. It goes on longest at Charlatan on the Vlasmarkt, where DJ nights run until 06:00 or 07:00, at Kompass Klub mostly until 07:00 and at Club 69 until 06:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Bar Des Amis is open until 04:00, and in the Overpoort the party carries on into the early hours.
On Overpoortstraat, Voetweg, Stalhof and Kramersplein there's a glass ban on public ground from 20:00 to 07:00; the GAS fine is €60 for a first offence and €120 for a second. Club Sauvage and Club 69 only let in over-20s. If you're driving, register for the low-emission zone in advance, or it's €185.
Dreupelkot on the Groentenmarkt stocks more than 200 jenevers, many of them home-made. At Dulle Griet you only get the house beer in its big coachman's glass in exchange for a shoe as a deposit, which is hoisted up to the ceiling. Gruut brews without hops, using medieval herbs; then there's Gentse waterzooi and cuberdons, known in Ghent as “neuzekes”.
From Cologne it's around 2 hours 40 minutes on the Eurostar to Brussels-South, then change for Ghent. From Brussels there are 86 trains a day, taking 36 minutes on average, from Bruges 25 minutes, from Antwerp 50 minutes. From the main station, Gent-Sint-Pieters, it's about a 30-minute walk to the Old Town, or around 10 minutes by tram.
For a hotel for your stag or hen do in Ghent, there are several hostels right in town: Hostel Uppelink in a historic building with a view of the three towers and a 12-bed dorm, the Ecohostel Andromeda on a boat for up to 18 guests, and KaBa Hostel with 38 beds. Treck Hostel offers indoor camping in an old brickworks.
In July the average high is 24 °C, in January 4 °C; the best time to go is June. Plan B if it rains: the Gravensteen moated castle, the belfry, escape rooms at Exit Games and Next Level, BattleKart, the arcade machines at Gamestate or a tasting at Gruut.
Plan & map
Bars, clubs, restaurants 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.
Ghent activities by type: click an idea and the list and map show only what matches.
For the stag do, but not only: the Battle Competition at Exit Games, the beer escape room at Next Level, VR at Level Up, BattleKart in the north and the arcade machines at Gamestate.
Jenever at Dreupelkot, the shoe deposit at Dulle Griet, house beers at Artevelde, herb beer at Gruut, the BeerWalk through 5 cafés and guided beer tasting tours.
Private karaoke rooms for up to 18 people at Baraoke, the karaoke room at Piu Di Piu and bowling right on Overpoortstraat.
50 minutes on the Leie, Lieve and Scheldt with De Gentenaer, the boat trip through the medieval centre and the hop-on hop-off water tramway.
Cocktails from test tubes at Aperotheek, seasonal drinks at Jigger's, wine at 't Kanon, the cocktail workshop at Piu Di Piu and chocolate with beer.
Ghent's longest bar at Bar Des Amis, DJ nights at Charlatan, punk at Kinky Star, funk and disco at Club Sauvage, hip-hop at Club 69 and techno at Kompass Klub.
The Gravensteen moated castle, the 91 m belfry, the interactive walking tour, the bike tour and the food walk with tastings.
Group menus with waterzooi at 't Klokhuys, stoverij at Keizershof, groups of up to 120 at Pakhuis, waterzooi at De Raadkamer, spare ribs at Amadeus and brasserie classics at Du Progrès.
Small jenever pub on the Groentenmarkt with more than 200 kinds of jenever, including home-made ones like the well-known vanilla jenever. Open daily from 16:00, closed on Sundays; a round of jenever for the whole group is a must in Ghent.
Beer pub on the Vrijdagmarkt with a big choice of Belgian beers and a ritual: for the house beer “Max van 't Huis” in its big coachman's glass, you hand over a shoe as a deposit, which is hoisted up to the ceiling. Tuesday to Saturday 12:00–01:00, no bookings.
Tucked-away jazz bar in a narrow alley off the Groentenmarkt with a small courtyard: live jazz from September to May, Sunday to Thursday, mostly at 21:00, from swing to free improvisation. Free entry, no bookings; no gigs on Fridays and Saturdays.
Historic beer house on Pensmarkt, one of the oldest in the city, with terraces front and back: beers such as Gentse Graaf, Gentse Maagd and Mede honey beer. Two rooms for 40 and 50 people can be booked without a hire fee as long as the group is drinking, from 19:00 in the evening.
Pharmacy-themed bar on the Vrijdagmarkt: cocktails come in measuring beakers, Erlenmeyer flasks or test tubes. Fridays 14:00–03:00, Saturdays 13:00–03:00, and on Sunday afternoons “Café Chantant” with music; a photo stop for a hen do.
Cocktail bar on Oudburg with a seasonal menu made from local and home-made ingredients, and terraces at the front, the back and on the water. Tuesday to Friday from 17:00, Saturdays from 16:00, free aperitivo snacks on Fridays; groups of more than 6 book ahead.
Beer house with food and an art deco interior on Oudburg, with a terrace on the Leie: Friday to Sunday 12:00–01:00, kitchen open all day until 22:30 at the latest. Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, booking recommended; good for food and beer at the same table.
Wine-focused café on Meerseniersstraat between the Vrijdagmarkt and Oudburg: wine by the glass and food all day, daily from 14:00, at weekends from 13:00. Ask about private events by email or Instagram.
Microbrewery with a bar on the Botermarkt opposite the town hall, daily 11:00–01:00: house beers Gentse Wijze, Gentse Leute and Gentse Grand Cru. Ask about brewery visits and room hire via the website; with Next Level there's even an escape room about the brewery.
Said to be Ghent's oldest pub, a brown café on the Botermarkt in a 15th-century building: freshly tapped beer, whisky and cognac, jazz and blues, and Gentse boterhammen as a snack. Daily from 11:00, with a room for 30 people that you can use free of charge.
Small cocktail bar on Donkersteeg with a private karaoke room in the basement for up to 8 people in 2-hour slots. Cocktail workshops for 6 to 10 people take about 2 hours and cost €55 per person with 2 cocktails; Fridays and Saturdays 17:00–01:00.
Party bar on the Vlasmarkt on two floors with two bars, and according to the owners Ghent's longest bar counter: DJs Tuesday to Saturday, open until 04:00, Wednesday to Saturday from 18:00. Group bookings of up to 200 people by email; one of the best venues for stag and hen parties.
Music centre and café for underground music on the Vlasmarkt, run by volunteers and with its own record label: more than 300 bands a year, mainly punk, rock and metal, with gigs mostly from 21:00 and free entry. English comedy nights too.
Rustic beer pub in a 15th-century house by Sint-Jacobskerk, decked out with trolls and mythical creatures: more than 300 beers, including the house Trollenbier, Ghent beers, Trappists and big bottles to share. The warm-up before the Vlasmarkt.
Café-bar on Romain Deconinckplein near the Viernulvier arts centre, between the Old Town and the Overpoort: daily 11:00–03:00, with beer, wine, sparkling wine, spirits and cocktails, plus hot food. The stop on the way to the student quarter.
“Day to night bar” on Kramersplein in the student quarter: coffee and lunch by day, apéro and cocktails in the evening, Monday to Thursday until 03:00, heated terrace. On Fridays and at weekends it closes at 18:00, so it works better for a stag or hen do during the week.
Cult pub and gig café on the Vlasmarkt with walls almost entirely covered in graffiti, the setting of the film “Belgica”: gigs from ska to indie, comedy and DJ nights with house and disco until 06:00 or 07:00. Daily from 22:00, closed on Sundays and Mondays, tickets mostly on the door.
Underground club in the historic centre for funk, house and disco, no hard techno, with a central DJ booth. Club nights Thursday to Saturday, mostly 22:00–04:00 or 23:00–05:00, with free entry to many parties; over-20s only, so bring ID.
Disco on the Oude Beestenmarkt with two rooms: hip-hop, R&B, amapiano, Afrobeat, dancehall and trap. Open on Fridays and Saturdays from 23:00 to 06:00, over-20s only; it's just a few minutes' walk from the Vlasmarkt.
Techno, house and trance club in an old hall on Nieuwevaart, about 1.6 km north of the Korenmarkt, with international and local DJs. Open for events only, mostly from about 23:00 to 07:00, over-18s only; tickets online or on the door, no re-entry.
City brewery that brews without hops, using medieval herbs: a 50-minute tasting with 3 tasting glasses for €20 per person, or 1.5 hours as a beer alchemist with your own 75 cl bottle for €28. Daily in the afternoon without booking, and from 10 people also combined with a boat trip.
Medieval moated castle built in 1180 by Count Philip of Alsace, with instruments of torture in the executioner's cabinet and a walk along the battlements. Entry €15, groups €13, audio guide included; daily 10:00–18:00, last tickets at 16:40.
The 91 m belfry on Sint-Baafsplein, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the dragon on top since 1377: climb the stairs, with a lift from the first floor. Entry €13, groups €11, tickets until 17:00; at the top, the view over the three towers.
6 escape games of 60 minutes each on Bagattenstraat, each for 2 to 8 people: €32.45 per person for four, €27.95 for eight. In the Battle Competition, up to 16 people play Alcatraz against each other in two identical rooms; ages 14 and up, with Demonia full of jump scares.
Escape room on Sint-Niklaasstraat developed with the Artevelde brewery: grave robbers steal an old beer recipe, for 6 people at most in 70 minutes, from €25 per person. Plus axe throwing and a VR arena, also as a combo of 2 or 3 activities.
The escape room “The Mine” for 2 to 4 people and 14 VR escape rooms on Normaalschoolstraat near the Overpoort, €28 per person each. For groups of 9 to 20 people VR costs €250 per hour; closed on Tuesdays, Saturdays until 23:00, book online.
Bowling right on Overpoortstraat in the middle of the student quarter, open on non-school days from 14:00 into the early hours. Jupiler costs €4 per 0.5 l, €7 for two; book online, and the Sint-Pietersplein car park is open round the clock.
6 private karaoke rooms for 2 to 18 people on Sint-Pietersplein with more than 25,000 songs, drinks and snacks ordered by QR code. Book online for 2 hours; Fridays and Saturdays are usually fully booked, cancellation up to 72 hours ahead, and the whole venue can be hired for private events.
Augmented reality karting on the industrial estate in the north, about 2.5 km from the centre: €22 per person per game, a session lasts 15 minutes, 2 to 12 players. On a stag or hen do, the guest of honour in fancy dress gets one game free; Fridays and Saturdays until 24:00 by booking.
Arcade hall on the Korenmarkt with more than 50 machines, from Pac-Man to current games, paid for by playcard. Packages for groups of 10 to more than 100 people, Fridays and Saturdays 12:00–01:00, half credits on Wednesdays.
Guided cruise on the Leie, Lieve and Scheldt, 50 minutes for €11 per person, €10 for groups of 20 or more; in summer the boats leave about every 15 to 20 minutes. Afterwards, the gin and tonic experience for €27, and private boats for up to 210 people with 1 week's notice.
Brasserie in the Patershol with Ghent classics such as Vlaamse stoverij and Gentse waterzooi made with free-range chicken. Groups of 14 or more choose a set menu for €44–55 per person, and “Op z'n Gents” to share costs €52; closed on Mondays, book online or by phone.
Brasserie on the Vrijdagmarkt with the motto “In stoverij we trust”: Ghent beef stew with fresh fries and salad for €27.80. Tuesday to Saturday 18:00–23:00, kitchen until 21:30; groups of 10 or more enquire by email, up to 40 people during the week.
Brasserie in an old warehouse on Schuurkenstraat with Belgian food: meat mains from €27.70, fish from €30.70. Groups of 9 to 120 people enquire via the contact form; on Fridays and Saturdays the kitchen is open until 23:00, closed on Sundays.
Small restaurant on Nederkouter with Gentse waterzooi a permanent fixture on the menu, voted Ghent's best waterzooi according to the restaurant. Groups of up to 20 people by booking only; early kitchen 18:30–20:30, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Brasserie on Sint-Baafsplein with Belgian food from stoverij to steak-frites and a big terrace looking onto the cathedral. Daily from 09:00, closed on Thursdays, book online; the BeerWalk starts right next door.
Brasserie on the Korenmarkt since 1952, family-run for generations: Belgian classics such as a 200 g Witblauw beef steak for €26.80 and shrimp croquettes. Groups of up to 25 covers, plus the Green Room on the first floor in winter and the terrace in summer.
Spare ribs restaurant in the Patershol, the original branch of the Amadeus chain: open daily, and after 17:00 you can only book for the same evening by phone. Groups of 40 or more can get a slot outside opening hours too; a second branch is by the belfry.
Guided boat trip through the medieval centre, past the Graslei, Korenlei and Gravensteen, about 40 to 50 minutes according to the listing. The classic first activity in the afternoon; the landing stage and departure times are in your booking. From approx. €11 per person.
Beer tasting tour with a brewery visit and a young local as your guide: according to the listing, about 3 hours through Ghent. The start of the first evening for beer-loving groups; beers, stops and the meeting point are in your booking. From approx. €79 per person.
Beer and sightseeing tour through Ghent: according to the listing, about 4 hours with several pubs and the Old Town sights in between. For groups who want the city and its beer culture in one afternoon; inclusions are in your booking. From approx. €89 per person.
Workshop with Belgian chocolate and a beer tasting: according to the listing, about 2 hours making your own pralines and trying matching beers. Suits a hen party and mixed groups; the venue and content are in your booking. From approx. €59 per person.
Waffle baking class in Ghent: according to the listing, 1.5 hours with as many waffles as you can manage. A relaxed activity for the morning after the first night, for a hen do too; the venue and inclusions are in your booking. From approx. €39 per person.
Cocktail and mocktail workshop at Fourth Wave: according to the listing, about 2 hours for a private group. The price is per group, from approx. €220; how many people it covers and which drinks you mix are in your booking.
Guided bike tour of the highlights and lesser-known corners of Ghent: according to the listing, about 2.5 hours, bike included. Fresh air for the morning, and Ghent is flat and bike-friendly; the meeting point and route are in your booking. From approx. €45 per person.
Food walking tour through Ghent with tastings: according to the listing, about 2.5 hours with Ghent specialities. A relaxed activity for a quieter group or your arrival day; the stops and tastings are in your booking. From approx. €79 per person.
Hop-on hop-off boat through Ghent, as a day ticket according to the listing: get on and off at several stops on the water. Handy for getting between the Old Town and the pub districts during the day; stops and frequency are in your booking. From approx. €18 per person.
Interactive story walk through Ghent: according to the listing, about 2 hours of stories about the Gravensteen, the belfry and Ghent's quirks. For groups who don't want a dry guided tour; the meeting point and language are in your booking. From approx. €29 per person.
3-hour guided beer walk with 5 tastings in 5 city cafés, starting on Sint-Baafsplein: public tours €49.50 per person, private €495 for up to 10 people, with 2 guides from 20 people. Free cancellation up to 48 hours before, and you keep the tasting glass as a souvenir.
Beer tasting at the Gruut city brewery, which brews with medieval herbs instead of hops: 50 minutes with 3 tasting glasses for €20 per person, or 1.5 hours as a beer alchemist with your own 75 cl bottle for €28. From 10 people it can also be combined with a boat trip.
Central square between the Leie and Sint-Niklaaskerk: on the square, Brasserie Du Progrès and the Gamestate arcade hall, a few steps from the Graslei with its boat landing. From here the belfry, Groentenmarkt and Vrijdagmarkt are a few minutes away.
Quay on the Leie lined with guild houses, with the Korenlei opposite: Gent-Watertoerist leaves from here for its 40-minute cruise for €11, and from November to the end of March De Gentenaer does too. In the evening people sit on the quay wall; the meeting point for the group photo.
Bridge over the Leie right next to the Graslei and Korenlei, with the view of the three towers of Sint-Niklaaskerk, the belfry and Sint-Baafs. There's another boat landing nearby on the Korenlei, and Pakhuis and Club Sauvage are just a few steps away.
Large square in the north of the Old Town with the beer pub Dulle Griet, Brasserie Keizershof and Aperotheek. Beneath it is an underground car park, and the Gruut city brewery is about 300 m away; the meeting point before heading to Oudburg or the Vlasmarkt.
Large square on the edge of the student quarter with Baraoke at number 58 and a car park that's open round the clock. A few steps further on, Overpoortstraat begins; the meeting point for an evening in the south of the city.
Student nightlife street in the south; according to Visit Gent, the party here goes on into the early hours, and right in the middle is Overpoort Bowl with Jupiler from €4 per 0.5 l. From 20:00 to 07:00 there's a glass ban on public ground in the street.
Guide prices excluding travel, food & accommodation. Check the provider for today's prices.
🗺️ Open route in Google MapsNeighbourhoods
Ghent goes out in five neighbourhoods: old pubs around the Korenmarkt and Botermarkt, jenever and jazz on the Groentenmarkt, cocktails and the shoe deposit on the Vrijdagmarkt, party bars on the Vlasmarkt and the Overpoort student quarter in the south.
For house beer, the oldest pub and funk
Around the Korenmarkt: house beers from the Artevelde brewery on the Botermarkt opposite the town hall, next door Den Turk, said to be Ghent's oldest pub, funk and disco at Club Sauvage on Schuurkenstraat, and Belgian food at Pakhuis, an old warehouse.
For jenever, jazz and waterzooi
On the Groentenmarkt and in the Patershol: more than 200 jenevers at Dreupelkot, free live jazz at the tucked-away Hot Club from September to May, rooms for 40 and 50 people at 't Gouden Mandeken on Pensmarkt, and waterzooi and stoverij as a group menu at 't Klokhuys.
For the shoe deposit, test-tube cocktails and the Leie
Around the Vrijdagmarkt: the house beer in exchange for a shoe at Dulle Griet, cocktails from Erlenmeyer flasks at Aperotheek until 03:00, seasonal drinks at Jigger's on Oudburg, and beer with food at the art deco ABA-JOUR on the Leie.
For party bars, punk and DJs until morning
On the Vlasmarkt by Sint-Jacobskerk: more than 300 beers at the Trollekelder, DJs at the long bar of Bar Des Amis until 04:00, punk and rock with free entry at Kinky Star, and DJ nights at the graffiti-covered Charlatan that run until 06:00 or 07:00, closed on Sundays and Mondays.
For bowling, karaoke and student bars
In the student quarter in the south around Overpoortstraat: bowling with €4 Jupiler at Overpoort Bowl, private karaoke rooms for up to 18 people at Baraoke on Sint-Pietersplein, Bar Jan Cremer on Kramersplein and VR escape games at Level Up.
Sample itinerary
This is what a weekend that works in Ghent 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.
Stoverij with fries on the Vrijdagmarkt.
House beer in exchange for a shoe.
Ghent's longest bar, DJs until 04:00.
DJ night until 06:00 or 07:00.
Battle Competition with up to 16 people.
Augmented reality karting; the guest of honour drives free in fancy dress.
A round of jenever for everyone.
The “Op z'n Gents” group menu.
Hip-hop and Afrobeat until 06:00.
Free aperitivo snacks with your cocktails on Fridays.
Brasserie classics on the Korenmarkt.
Cocktails from test tubes until 03:00.
Funk and disco, over-20s only.
Bake waffles and eat them.
50 minutes on the Leie and Lieve, then a gin and tonic.
Cocktail workshop for 6 to 10 people.
Gentse waterzooi; book early.
Private karaoke room for the group.
Meet by the guild houses on the Leie.
Gentse Graaf and honey beer on Pensmarkt.
Belgian food in the old warehouse.
The moated castle, with a walk along the battlements.
Lift from the first floor, view over the three towers.
Herb beer with 3 tasting glasses.
Wine by the glass in the afternoon.
Brasserie looking onto the cathedral.
Your group's a bit different? The itinerary generator builds a plan around your group, budget and mood, using the same venues.
Budget
In Ghent, a Jupiler in the Overpoort costs €4, stoverij €27.80, a group menu €44–55 and an escape room €25–32.45 per person. Brasserie menus with a drinks package and private beer walks push the budget up; free gigs at Kinky Star, jazz at the Hot Club and the €11 boat trip keep it down.
| Option | Per person | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| One night out | €50–100 | dinner at a brasserie, two beer pubs and a club |
| A day with an activity | €80–170 | plus an escape room, BattleKart, a boat trip or a beer tasting |
| Weekend | €170–380 | 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.
In July, a 10-day free festival with concerts, street theatre and a funfair, drawing around 1.6 million visitors; it's the only time the tower of Sint-Baafskathedraal is open.
The Gent Jazz Festival in July, most recently running for a good 2 weeks.
In mid-August, 3 days of festivities in the Patershol, the old quarter full of restaurants and pubs behind the Gravensteen.
In September, around 18 days with some 180 concerts, from classical to jazz.
From early December to early January, the Christmas market in the Old Town.
The moated castle was built in 1180 by Count Philip of Alsace, and its wall has 24 towers. It's considered the only surviving medieval moated castle in Flanders with an almost intact defence system; entry €15.
91 m tall and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the dragon on top since 1377. A lift runs from the first floor, and at the top the city and its three towers lie below you; entry €13, groups €11.
The “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” by the van Eyck brothers in St Bavo's Cathedral, unveiled in 1432, consists of 18 panels; the Just Judges panel, stolen in 1934, is still missing today. Entry €12.50.
Questions
