Antwerp and Ghent Day Trip from Brussels With Atomium Photo Stop

Love to see the cities in Brussels, i could do my own trip but want the added knowledgeable tour guide this with Jarmel, kearning stories and some history if this towns.

Jamal is a very good guide. Its a little tiring but its a good tour. I will recommend to our friends.

More than three quarters of the Group on the tour were Spanish and were given head sets so that they could hear the commentary via ear phones. They seemed to be given lots of information on the journeys between the cities on the coach. We were a very small group of English speakers and so had to rely on the guide telling us things face to face. I am a slow walker and so by the time I caught up with everyone I missed a lot. The coach was cramped with no seat belts and there was a nasty moment when it hit something- maybe the kerb. Fortunately only things from the overhead shelf went flying.

Exploring the castle in Ghent and learning all of the history from our guide in the several beautiful churches we saw.

This could have been a great tour but our guide, Jamal, was less than interested in it. To start, this was not advertised as a bilingual tour, yet it was. We have no problems with bilingual tours, we have done plenty in the past. However, on this one we just sat on the bus and listened to the other tour guide giving his guests commentary. Our guide, Jamal, stood up and said he would tell us everything the other guide said at our destination. I’m sure this didn’t happen. Our first real stop, Antwerp, was good. The sights we saw were good and Jamal is very knowledgeable at the sites. Unfortunately as we walked from site to site there was not the normal sightseeing dialogue. We just rushed from one site to the next. Our last stop was in Gent. The sites and churches were very nice. Again, no commentary from Jamal between the sites. Let’s just hurry up and get to the next site. Unless, of course, Jamal runs into a friend and he wants to say hello to him. Once we met up after our free time we had to do an extended walk back to the bus due to street closures. No fault of the company. However, Jamal appeared to be in a race to get back to the bus because our small group of approximately 12 people were stretched out for a couple hundred yards. Jamal had his headphones on, talking on the phone and never looked back to check on the guests who were unable to keep his pace. Once on the bus for our return trip to Brussels, Jamal came around to us and asked what we thought of the trip. When I gave him my disappointment about just sitting on the bus while Carlos was commentating to his group, Jamal said it was for their history, since they were Spanish. I advised I like history, no matter the culture. Jamal asked if I spoke Spanish and I told him no. He basically replied that if I spoke Spanish, I would have gotten the commentary. I also advised I like commentary about the areas we are going through and here I will quote Jamal “Based on my years as a tour guide, I don’t think you would enjoy it”. WHAT???? Now he knows what I like. He just made up excuses for not being engaged with his group. The gentleman behind me told Jamal he didn’t have enough time at the castle and Jamal told him an hour was plenty. It obviously wasn’t enough for this gentleman, or he wouldn’t have mentioned it. Also, Carlos came around on the bus and offered water to his group. Jamal never offered it or even mentioned if we could buy some on the bus as per some previous tours. The “What’s included” on the Viator site advertised discounts for chocolatier shops and restaurants, none were offered to our group.

Great tour. Good pace even for my age and condition. The tour guide Jamal was great with a good sense of humor. Extensive knowledge of history plus his communication skills makes the tour much better. The transportation bus is comfortable and clean. The driver was good too. Take this tour.

I took a trip with this same company on the previous day and it was excellent. But this day did not go as smoothly. The guide did everything he could to get us through the trip, but it was a bit rough. The bus driver did not seem to know exactly how to maneuver the bus and he did not pick us up after Antwerp. We waited over an hour. We ended up needing to take a train, then a city bus to Ghent. The visitors office was closed by the time we got there and we could not get a map to try to find highlights of the town. Frankly, we were all so exhausted, we sat and ate and drank until it was time to leave. We did end up having a nice time meeting one another! I think that when you travel, you have to be prepared for inconvenience and trouble. Being flexible is good. I know the company did its best, but it did impact my enjoyment of the tour. My 3 stars is based on the fact that, for me, these cities were worth seeing, but the history was presented in a drier fashion and in comparison to the tour I took in Bruges the day prior, it just did not compare. If you have to only choose one tour, I would choose Bruges. If you have more time, these two cities are definitely worth the visit.

Jamal was a great guide and made the tour a very fun experience. I highly recommend this tour as it helps cover both cities in a day if you're short on time.

Our tour guide, Jamal, took us on a fascinating trip to Antwerp and Ghent. Jamal always made sure everyone was enjoying the tour and he even ensured individual tastes were incorporated. His superior understanding of history and architecture enriched the experience. Jamal also shared important cultural and social norms to help visitors gain a deeper understanding of the region.

Very quick views of Antwerp and Ghent, but perfect for our four day vacation to Brussels as we would not want to spend a day in each city. If your vacation is longer I would recommend spending a day in each city. We loved Ghent and the walking tours of each city.