Pints for Prostates Belgian Beer Adventure

September 7 - 15, 2012

Join the good folks at Pints for Prostates for a week long beer tour in Belgium.

Belgium makes a strong case for being "beer heaven". From your first beer in Brussels until the last Gent, you will experience a wide variety of classic breweries and their great beers in optimum condition. Multi-night stays in Brussels, Brugge, and Gent; and daytrips by private coach to visit Cantillon, Chimay, Dupont, Moortgat -- the makers of Duvel, and more. There is plenty of time to explore on your own and take in Belgium's rich history and culture as well. Many great meals, visits to unique and historic breweries, transportation by rail, private coach and public means, fine hotels in three great cities and more are built in to this trip. You should come along!

Detailed Itinerary:

Friday, September 7 - Travel to Belgium

Fly to Brussels, Belgium.

Saturday, September 8 - Brussels city tour, Beer Dinner

Upon arrival, transfer to our hotel in the center of Brussels (arrival advice and details will be provided in your trip documents). After time to settle in, we'll meet our local guide for a walking city tour/ cafe crawl, including the history of Brussels, major sights and monuments, and some good beer stops. After the tour we'll enjoy our welcome beer dinner. Overnight Brussels. (D)

Sunday, September 9 - Daytrip to Chimay & Caves Dupont

This morning, we'll board our private bus for a day of beer exploring. Our first stop will be the tasting room and restaurant of the Trappist brewery - Chimay. Here we will taste all their beers and cheeses, and enjoy a lunch of typical, high quality Belgian fare. After lunch we'll travel to Tourpes, for a stop at the local bar across the street from the excellent Brasserie Dupont. Caves Dupont is a true gem among brewery bars, replete with locals, views of farms, and a great selection of Dupont's excellent beer and cheese. Return to Brussels this evening. The remainder of the day is free to enjoy the restaurants and nightlife of Brussels. (B, L)

Monday, September 10 - AM Cantillon Tour, PM free

Cantillon's cob-webbed brewery awaits our exploration this morning as we go to the source of true lambic. We will learn the finer points of production, tour the brewery, taste all their available beers and enjoy some beer snacks. The remainder of the day is free to explore Brussels. The evening is free, but a variety of must visit beer cafes will be on our agenda. (B)

Tuesday, September 11 - Brewery Visits, Lunch, to Brugge

Today we'll visit two breweries and enjoy a fine lunch en route to Brugge. We have a few plans in the works that can't be confirmed just yet, but we will know for sure by the time final itineraries are sent to trip participants. For now it is a mystery. (B, L)

Wednesday, September 12 - Free Day in Brugge

This morning we'll enjoy a guided tour of beautiful Brugge. The remainder of the day is free to explore beautiful, medieval Brugge. Take a city tour by canal boat, horse drawn carriage, local tour bus, or foot. There are dozens of great bars in close proximity to museums, cathedrals, parks and public squares. There are also a couple of local breweries and a brewing museum if you want more beer related activities. Tonight we will indulge in a gourmet beer meal at Erasmus, a restaurant offering courses paired with fine beers. Overnight in Brugge. (B, D)

Thursday, September 13 - Beer Bus to Gent

Today we drive to Gent, for the last 2 nights of the trip. We'll stop at Moortgat, brewer of Duvel and Maredsous. We'll have a tour and tasting, of course, and learn the correct way to pour Belgium's quinessntial strong golden ale. This afternoon we'll meet our local guide for a walking tour of the historic center of Gent. Overnight in beautiful Gent. (B)

Friday, September 14 - Free Day in Gent

Today is totally free to explore Gent's many attractions, beer or otherwise. Referred to by some as the best beer city in Belgium, there are more than a days worth of great cafes to explore. We'll celebrate a successful trip with a farewell beer dinner tonight. (B, D)

Saturday, September 15 - Return home

Alas, we must leave beer heaven. Transfer by rail to the Brussels Zaventem Airport takes about an hour. Cheers! (B)

Beer Highlights & Brewery Visits

Belgian Beer & Breweries: in endless variety. Lambic, Saison, Geuze, Trappists, Tripels and more.

Breweries and Tasting Room Visits to: Cantillon, Moortgat(Duvel), Chimay, Dupont, among others!

Brussels: The Grand Place, where streets of fine restaurants, centuries-old beer cafes, and shops pour into the gothic, gabled splendor of Brussels' central square.

Brugge: Perhaps the best preserved medieval city in Europe. Canals, clock towers, cathedrals and cobble stone lend Brugge the feel of a city that time forgot, and Brugge's beer cafes are simply great!

The city of Gent -- with it's medieval center, rich history, and many fine beer diversions.

Great beer meals!

Good folks to travel with.

All the details are taken care of... you can relax and enjoy!

Trip Price
(Land-only, Based on double occupancy)

$2195 per person

Single Room add $435

Land Cost includes:

7 nights accommodation (w/private bath) in fine, centrally located hotels, travel by private coach, rail and public transportation, brewery visits, entrance fees, and tours as outlined in the itinerary, breakfast daily, 3 special beer dinners, 2 beer lunches, and trip leadership.

Travel Details and Air Options:

Air Travel to and from Brussels: This trip has been priced without airfare to enable travelers to use mileage awards, travel outside group dates, or visit other European cities while abroad.

From the Airport to the hotel, and vice versa: Brussels' Zaventem International Airport connects to Brussels convenient rail line and the center of Brussels. Inexpensive tickets are available at the airport. Private taxis are available for about $45. Meet and greet arrival services are also available upon request at additional cost. Detailed arrival advice is provided with your trip documents.

The rail line in Gent connects with the Brussels Zaventem Airport. The trip takes about an hour.

How we get around:

For all included excursions and visits, transportation will be included as well. Within the cities, we will rely on walking and public transportation, as this is safe, convenient and inexpensive. Travel Brussels to Brugge, and Brugge to Gent, as well as the daytrip will be done in our private motor coach.

Please Note:

The overall style of the trip is best suited for somewhat adventurous, beer-loving travelers who want the camaraderie and structure of a tour, as well as the opportunity to explore independently. Planned events and excursions will, for the most part, be informal. Guided touring is generally the exception, though travelers can always rely on the support and assistance of the trip leader.

* Please note also:

This itinerary is subject to change based on brewery or hotel availability, force majeur, acts of dieties, common sense or bad weather, etc. Smaller breweries, as well as the Trappists, are often unable to commit to hosting groups until a couple of weeks before we arrive. Substitutions, when necessary, will be as good or better than what we replaced. And, don't worry, the beer is always good!