Guided walks

• Submit a written request to Ypres Tourismat least 2 weeks in advance
• No minimum number of people required
  (so smaller groups can also book a guide)
• €80.00 per guide for 2 hours
  €40.00 per additional hour

Introduction to Ypres

Guide: €80 (max. 25 people per guide)
Duration: 2 hours

On this walking tour, the guide will introduce you to the highlights of Ypres. He’ll give a concise overview of the city’s rich history and take the group to several sites, including the English church: Saint-George’s Memorial Church. They’ll showcase the stunning interior of St. Martin’s Cathedral and the Council Chamber in Ypres City Hall. A stop at the Grote Markt will include some history about the imposing Cloth Hall, after which the walk concludes at the Menin Gate.

Join the herald on a journey through the Middle Ages

Guide: €80 (max. 25 people per guide)
Duration: 2 hours

A medieval herald guides you through the rich history of medieval Ypres: you’ll stroll past the majestic Cloth Hall, the impressive St. Martin’s Cathedral, and the site of a former bathhouse. From there, the tour proceeds via the Zaalhof to the Godelieve Chapel and concludes at the medieval execution chamber.

Ypres and World War I

Guide: €80 (max. 25 people per guide)
Duration: 2 hours

During this walk, the guide takes the group past the city’s most important war memorials. The moving Menin Gate, the Irish Cross, and the solemn Saint George’s Memorial Church stand as enduring reminders of the city’s wartime history. Along the way, the guide will share the story of the war and introduce you to some aspects of the city’s post-war reconstruction. This walking tour is an excellent introduction to or complement for a visit to the In Flanders Fields Museum.

Ypres and World War II

Guide: €80 (max. 25 people per guide)
Duration: 2 hours

The period from 1940 to 1945 was also turbulent for Ypres. Not to the same extent as the Great War, but significant enough to warrant the erection of a monument to those who died in World War II on the ramparts.
The role of the Polish Armored Division in the liberation is covered in detail during this walking tour.

On and beneath the historic Ypres ramparts

Guide: €120 (max. 25 people per guide)
Duration: 3 hours

The Ypres fortifications are the best-preserved in our country. Their story begins ten centuries ago, when the city was founded on the banks of the Ieperlee. The tourist fortification route is 4.5 km long and has 5 possible starting points. The walk takes you past the Menin Gate, the castle moats, and the “Tenaille de la Bêche,” with the footbridge over the ramparts’ moat as the highlight. At the Rijsel Gate, you’ll discover the lock chamber and the Gatekeeper’s House.

It’s also possible to shorten the route to two hours. You can then choose from:

• Ypres Fortifications: From Vauban to the Present

Depart from the De Kazematten Visitor Center to the Menen Gate, visit the ice cellar, take the secret passage to the footbridge over the Kasteelgracht, pass through the Vauban fortifications to the Rijsel Gate. Return to the Grote Markt via Rijselstraat. This can be combined with a visit to the De Kazematten Brewery (more info under “other activities”).

• Ypres Fortifications: With Burgundian Towers and the Saskamer

Start at the Kruitmagazijn. You’ll pass the Peace Bridge and head across the Burgundian fortifications to the Bellepoort, along the Majoorgracht to the Burgundian towers. Continue to the British military cemetery. Return to the Grote Markt via Rijselsestraat.

Out and About with the Beer Master

Guide: €80 (max. 25 people per guide)
Duration: 2 hours
Practical info: The cost of tastings and selected beers at 1 or 2 cafés along the way is payable separately
Extra: Visit the Kazematten city brewery, either before or after your beer storytelling walk.

Bart Vermeulen, a beer expert, beer sommelier, and passionate storyteller, will take you on a journey through modern-day Ypres with one goal in mind: through dozens of entertaining anecdotes and historical stories, he’ll convince you that Ypres was—and still is—truly a city of beer.

Will you join Bart or his colleagues on a beer storytelling walk? And of course, we’ll also sample some delicious local beer along the way! You can start or end your tour with a visit to the De Kazematten city brewery, where Bart is a regular. Beer-tasting tours and themed tastings can also be customized for any group.

The Night Watch: Evening Walk

Guide: €80 (max. 25 people per guide)
Duration: 2 hours
Practical info: can start as soon as it gets dark for extra ambiance during the walk

The Night Watchman awaits you near the model, at the top of the stairs at the Menin Gate. He’ll be there with his halberd and torch at 8:30 p.m., after the Last Post. He’ll guide you through the darkness of medieval Ypres and shed light on some of the city’s well-known and lesser-known medieval spots.

Sneukel Route

Guide: €120 (max. 25 people per guide)
Duration: 3 hours
Price: €13.00 per person for the tastings
Additional info: Minimum of 6 participants; not available on Mondays

The Tasting Tour is a three-hour walk through Ypres. To treat visitors to something special during this
walk, they’ll be offered a tasty treat here and there. The route takes visitors past lesser-known corners of Ypres. It’s an ideal way to experience a surprising exploration of Ypres while
.

1,000 Years of Ypres

Guide: €120 (max. 25 people per guide)
Duration: 2.5 hours

An in-depth introduction to historic Ypres. You’ll discover the five themes featured in the Yper Museum right here in the city itself: Ypres’ origins by the water, its prosperity through the cloth industry, as well as its decline due to the plague and violence. This walking tour also explores Ypres as a bishop’s seat.

Ypres: Water City on the Yperlee

Water was invaluable to medieval Ypres and shaped the city’s layout. A brand-new walk in the “Stories for the Road” series takes you along the course of the Ieperlee, both inside and outside the city, near the Verdronken Weide.

Guide: €80 (€120 for a 3-hour program; max. 25 people per guide)
Duration: 2 hours (3 hours including the Verdronken Weide)

Ypres: The Reconstruction

Guide: €80 (max. 25 people per guide)
Duration: 2 hours

As early as 1919, the people of Ypres began returning to their devastated city. There were differing views on the future of Ypres, but the residents decided to roll up their sleeves and get to work themselves.
This walking tour is also available in the boroughs of Ypres.

Mysterious Ypres

Guide: €80 (max. 25 people per guide)
Duration: 2 hours

Here, you’ll discover things about Ypres you didn’t know before. In several places, doors will open to reveal what the public doesn’t normally get to see.

Through Her Eyes: Women in Ypres’ History

Guide: €80 (max. 25 people per guide)
Duration: 2 hours

Cities with a rich history often owe that to important men.
But in Ypres’ history, women often played a significant role. During this walking tour, you’ll learn more about these remarkable women and discover the daily life of ordinary women.

Ypres: A True Medieval City

Guide: €80 (max. 25 people per guide)
Duration: 2 hours

For those who really want to immerse themselves in Ypres’s medieval past:
You’ll hear the story of the Cloth Hall and St. Martin’s Cathedral. From there, you’ll head through the Lapidarium to the Vleeshuis and the old Fish Market, St. Peter’s Church, and the Steen.