Lille and Bruges Short Break

Rozenhoedkaai (Rosary Quay) in Bruges ©Visit Bruges, Toerisme Brugge, Jan D'Hondt
Grand Place in Lille ©Lille Tourisme, Laurent Ghesquiere

4 day tour

Price on request

Lille is a surprising city, full of hidden gems just waiting to be discovered and Bruges is one of the best-preserved small cities in Europe. Combine both of these cities and enjoy a short break full of memorable experiences.

Just a short drive from Calais, Lille is renowned for its outstanding Flemish architecture and rich history. It is one of the most important towns in northern France, there is much to discover in the bustling city, with many green spaces. Perhaps take a stroll through the maze of cobbled lanes in Lille’s old town. Feast your eyes on the ornate 17th century Vieille Bourse, the city’s finest building, and the Grand Place, the favourite meeting place of the Lillois.

Bruges needs no introduction. Beautiful architecture and picturesque canals await around every corner. Explore the old town and experience the Belgian lifestyle. Another important aspect of visiting Bruges is visiting chocolate shops and sampling the local beers. See the towering Belfry dominate Bruges’ old market square or watch the swans swim serenely on the Lake of Love. Art lovers should take the opportunity to visit the Notre Dame church which houses Michelangelo’s Madonna. Also embark on a canal cruise to see the city from a different perspective as you pass under many of it’s quaint bridges or a romantic horse and carriage ride.

Dates

2025 and 2026 on request

Suggested itinerary by coach

Day 1

Travel to Lille

Take the short sea crossing from Dover to Calais and travel to Lille for the next 3 nights. Dinner is included at the hotel each evening.

Day 2

Lille Sightseeing and Wazemmes Market

Meet up with a local guide for a city tour to see La Vielle Bourse, the old stock exchange and Lille’s most beautiful building, the Opera and the Belfry of the Chamber of Commerce, Palais des Beaux Arts and the landmark of the city. After the tour, the afternoon is free explore the old town with its trendy boutiques and historic buildings and get some lunch. Maybe climb the steps of the town hall’s belfry, the largest Belfry in Belgium and France or stroll around the Grand Place.

Alternatively, head to the Wazemmes Market. Here, you can pick up your best bargains from the many stalls and sample some of the local cuisine prepared on the spot. The indoor market is open Tuesday-Sunday and the outdoor market is open Tuesday/Thursday and Sunday (the most popular day).

(Optional Beer Themed walking tours available)

Day 3

Bruges Sightseeing

Make the short journey over the border and into Belgium to travel to Bruges to explore the many waterways and the beautiful buildings that give this little city the nickname ‘The Venice of the North’. The Grote Markt, the main square in the centre of Bruges, is bounded by colourful, ornate, historic gable-housed buildings. On one side of the square is ‘Historium Bruges’, an interactive experience telling the story of Bruges from the 13^th century to the present day (entrance cost not included).

See the sights of the city from a different angle and take to the canals with a 30min boat cruise (which has been included). For the adventurous, perhaps climb the 366 steps to the top of the Belfry for a birds eye view across the rooftops. A horse and carriage ride is another way to see the city.

For chocolate lovers visit Choco-story, a contemporary museum in which one discovers the history of Belgian Chocolate and brings the history of chocolate to life in words, images and taste. Enjoy a demonstration and tastings of a variety of chocolate. Or for beer lovers head to Bruges Beer Experience offering a fresh combination of interactivity, innovative technologies and the stimulation of the senses. Play the quiz and discover the unique collection and numerous topics relating to beer and don’t forget to visit the unique bar with a view of the market square and shop!

Return to Lille for dinner and an evening at leisure.

Day 4

Return to the UK

Drive to Calais for the ferry crossing to the UK.

Greatdays offer a selection of good quality hotels in Lille.

Suggested hotel

Mercure Lille Lesquin

Departure date (Fridays)	4 days / 3 nights	Single Supplement
2025 and 2026	Price on request	Price on request

All prices are per person based on sharing a double or twin room and with one free place in a single room, based on a minimum 25 full fare paying passengers. Prices do not include UK coach hire or travel insurance. Dates are subject to availability. Smaller groups can be quoted for on request. Greatdays Holidays Limited is a member of ABTA (Y0380) which means you have the benefit of ABTA's assistance and Code of Conduct. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. Greatdays Holidays Limited has an ATOL licence (4279) and all of our air package tours are protected under this licence. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the Civil Aviation Authority will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any monies you have paid to us for an advance booking. All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this tour are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate. Our website policy is to use only copyright free images or images which have been authorised to us for free use by the owner. If you consider an image to be unauthorised or to be your property, please contact us immediately and if invalid we will have the image removed. If your image requires crediting or is missing a copyright statement then we will be pleased to add this to the webpage, contact us at info@greatdays.co.uk