Program Overview
What's Included?
Everything below. Daily Breakfast Included. Transportation to and from all activities. All tours and talks. It's an incredible value.
What's the size of the group?
A maximum of 16 guests.
Is there a cancellation policy?
We're bootstrapping this, so we really need a solid idea of who is committing. That said, we'll give you a 7-day grace period.
Day 1 | Friday, July 10 2026
Welcome to Leuven, European Beer Capital
09:30: Meet in Arrival Hall, Brussels Zaventem Airport
09:34: Coach transfer to Leuven
11:00: Welcome and Program Overview
11:45: Sandwich Lunch
12:30: Lecture: History of the Belgian Beer Economy: From Monasteries to Multinationals (and back again)
14:00: Beer and Brewing Themed Walking Tour of Leuven
16:00: Free evening in Leuven
Day 2 | Saturday, July 11 2026
Exploring Breweries Near Leuven
09:00: Breakfast served in dining room
10:00: Research on Beer Barrel Aging by KU Leuven faculty - conference room
11:30: Coach transfer to Abdij van Park (Park Abbey)
12:00: Picnic Lunch at Park Abbey
13:00: Visit to Braxatorium Parcensis Brewery – Tour and Tasting
The ancient abbey site of Abdij van Park (Park Abbey) has been home to the Noerbertine order since the year 1129. After more than 200 years, brewing was revived at the abbey and Braxatorium Parcensis (“Brewery of Park” in Latin) was born. The beers brewed are true abbey beers because they are – just like the Trappist beers – produced within the walls of the abbey, and not by a commercial, secular brewery that pays a community of abbeys a licensing royalty for the use of the abbey’s name. In the Park Abbey Brewery, only very small quantities of beer are produced using local raw materials according to age-old principles. One brew is 1000 liters. Only organic ingredients and herbs that grow on the abbey itself are used. We follow the seasons when brewing. The grain is ground in the nearby water mill.
15:00: Coach transfer to Hof ten Dormaal
15:30: Visit to Hof ten Dormaal Farm Brewery – Tour and Tasting
Hof ten Dormaal is a unique concept where farming and brewing go hand in hand. This goes back to the centuries-old.tradition of brewing at home on the farm, with the ingredients that were grown in the fields around the farm. They grow their own grains and hops and malt, brew and bottle themselves. All barley products and draff are processed as cattle feed for the livestock on the farm. This completes the cycle and makes it a truly ecological brewery.
17:00: Coach returns to Leuven
17:00: Free evening in Leuven
Day 3 | Sunday, July 12 2026
Brugge and its UNESCO-protected Old City Brewery
07:30: Breakfast served in dining room
08:15: Meet in reception
08:20: Coach to Brugge (Bruges)
11:00: Free time to explore Bruges and lunch on own
Options for free time:
• Historium – a digitally enhanced experience dedicated to the history of Bruges during its golden age.
• Take a boat trip on Bruge’s famous canals
• Climb the Belfort – Bruge’s iconic bell tower
• Gruuthusemuseum – An impressive collection of art and artifacts in a historic palace and chapel
14:30: Gather at meeting point and walk to De Halve Maan Brewery
15:00: Visit to De Halve Maan Brewery – Tour and Tasting
Beer has been brewed at the site of the brewery for approximately 500 years, and De Halve Maan since 1856. From home delivery by horse and cart, to a unique beer pipeline to transport our beer, the brewery continued to innovate throughout the centuries. Now De Halve Maan is the last authentic family brewery in the historical centre of Bruges. During your visit, you will also enjoy some of the best views of the city.
17:00: Walk to Coach
17:15: Return to Leuven
19:30: Free evening in Leuven
Day 4 | Monday, July 13 2026
Research and Innovation in Brewing
08:00: Breakfast served in dining room
09:15: Meet in reception
09:20: Walk to Leuven Institute for Beer Research
10:00: Presentation on Brewing Research Projects
KU Leuven Institute for Beer Research Bio-Incubator
12:00: Picnic lunch at the KU Leuven Arenberg Campus
13:30: Visit to the Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics / VIB Laboratory of Systems Biology
Research on Brewer’s Yeast KU Leuven, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
15:30: Walk to bus stop
15:49: Public transport to Stella Artois Brewery
16:45: Brewery Tour: Stella Artois
The Belgian conglomerate InBev was formed in 2004 with the merger of Interbrew and the Brazilian brewer AmBev.
Anheuser-Busch was acquired in 2008 making AB InBev the world's largest beer brewer by both volume and revenue, operating more than 600 beer brands in 150 countries. Leuven is home to AB-InBev’s global headquarters, and Belgium’s most internationally recognizable beer – Stella Artois.
19:00: Free evening in Leuven
Recommended Restaurant – De Hoorn. An award-winning reconversion of the eighteenth-century brewery
where Stella was originally produced. The copper kettles are still on display, but the site has been transformed into a new creative community buzzing with activity and business. Its bar and restaurant make for a perfect dinner after touring the Stella Artois Brewery.
Day 5 | Tuesday, July 14 2026
Gent: Modern Brewing in a Medieval City
08:00: Breakfast served in dining room
09:00: Meet in reception
09:05: Coach to Gent
10:30: Free time in central Gent
Options for free time:
• Visit the Gravensteen castle - dates from 1180 and was the residence of the Counts of Flanders.
• Climb the Belfry- the tallest belfry in Belgium
• The VR experience in the cathedral on the famous Ghent Altarpiece
13:30: Gather at Meeting Point / Walk and Public Transport to Stroom Brewery
14:00: Visit the Stroom Brewery
Stroom is an independent brewery started by a Belgian-American duo who bring together traditional and progressive craft in its beers. They fuse art, innovation, and community into every beer they make: from their 100% renewable energy brewing, to its collaborative projects with neighbours, artists and more, they aim to reflect the values of the community.
15:00: Gather to depart for next visit
15:30: Visit the Dok Brewing Company
Dok Brewing Company is an innovative microbrewery defining Belgian beer on their terms, from a craft beer perspective.
17:30: Coach returns to Leuven
19:00: Free evening in Leuven
Day 6 | Wednesday, July 15 2026
In Flanders Fields
07:00: Breakfast served in dining room
07:45: Meet in reception
07:50: Coach to Poperinge
11:00: Visit to Hop Farm Specialising in Ecological Cultivation
Over 185 hectares of hops are cultivated in Belgium, of which no less than 85% come from the Poperinge region.
12:15: Coach Transfer
12:30: Lunch on your own at De Vrede
A restaurant attached to Sint-Sixtus Trappist, which brews the Westvleteren beer - a rare and exceptional beer.
13:30: Coach transfer to Sint Bernardus Brewery
14:00: Visit to Sint Bernardus Brewery – Tour and Tasting
Beer brewed using local hops from Poperinge. St. Bernardus Abt 12 is widely regarded as one of the best beers in the world. In the early 1900s the Trappists fled the Mont des Cats (named after an ancient local tribe) and escaped to Watou. There they took up residence at the 'Patershof' farm, just a stone’s throw from the current brewery.
15:15: Coach transfer to Roeselare
16:00: Visit to Rodenbach Brewery – Tour and Tasting with Dinner
Rodenbach produces the classic Flemish red Belgian Beer, which owes its sweet and sour fruitiness to the fact that it
is partially matured in oak casks.
19:00: Coach returns to Leuven
21:30: Free evening in Leuven
Day 7 | Thursday, July 16 2026
Brussels: Old Brewing Methods in a Modern Capital
08:00: Breakfast served in dining room
09:00: Meet in reception
09:05: Depart College / Walk to Leuven Station
09:58: Train to Brussels Midi
10:25: Walk to Cantillon
11:00: Tour of Cantillon Geuzerie
A small traditional family brewery that produces traditional lambic style beers. Cantillon was one of more than one hundred operating breweries in Brussels when founded, and was the only one to remain operational through the 2000's
12:30: Walk to Brussels Grand Place
13:00: Free time in the Grand Place
14:15: Gather at meeting point and transport to Tour and Taxi District
15:00: Visit to La Source Brewery
La Source is an artisanal and creative microbrewery active since October 2019. It produces IPAs, sour & wild
beers, seasonals, barrel aged or classic styles revisited.
17:00: Return to Leuven
18:30: Free evening in Leuven
Day 8 | Friday, July 17 2026
Antwerp: Traditional Belgian Legends
08:30: Breakfast served in dining room
09:45: Meet in reception
09:50: Coach to Antwerp
11:00: Visit to De Konnick Brewery – Tour and Tasting
Founded in 1833, De Konnick uses traditional Belgian brewing methods including open fermentation and aging in oak casks. The brewery is known for its flagship beer, De Koninck, which is a pale ale that is brewed using a blend of Belgian malts, hops and yeast.
12:30: Free time in Antwerp City
Options for free time:
• Walk the Meir - a pedestrian street filled with shops.
• Tour The Cathedral of Our Lady, a gothic style Roman Catholic cathedral
• See Antwerp Central Station - a magnificently restored train hub
• Visit The Grote Markt (Big Market) - central square situated in the heart of the old city quarter.
15:15: Gather at meeting point / Walk to coach
15:15: Coach transfer to Duvel Brewery
16:00: Visit to Duvel Brewery – Tour and Tasting
Known for its strong golden pale ale, Duvel is exported to more than forty countries. Duvel is a natural beer with a subtle bitterness, a refined flavour and a distinctive hop character. The refermentation in the bottle and a long maturation, guarantees a pure character, delicate effervescence and a pleasant sweet taste of alcohol.
18:00: Coach returns to Leuven
19:30: Free evening in Leuven
Day 9 | Saturday, July 18 2026
Choose your own adventure in Leuven and beyond
08:00: Breakfast served in dining room (until 10:00)
09:00: Free time in Leuven and beyond
Options for free time:
• Leuven street art walk
• Leuven sound art walk
• Tour the botanical gardens
• See the famous town hall
• Visit The Groot Begijnhof
• Spend an afternoon at the M-Museum
Day 10 | Sunday, July 19 2026
Thanks for the memories!
08:00: Breakfast served in dining room (until 10:00)
10:00: Check-out: Individual journeys to airport by train from Leuven according to individual flight arrangements or onward travel plans (Train travel time approx. 14 minutes / tickets provided)