Podge’s Belgian Beer Tours

The Beer & Monasteries Tour 2027

Wednesday 12 May - Sunday 16 May 2027

The Belgians are unique in their historical links between quality beer and monastic life. Our travellers love these monastic-themed tours, perhaps because in the U.K. we lost so much of this culture hundreds of years ago. This Tour will explore Belgium's Trappist Beer, Abbey Beer and other religious-affiliated beers and the buildings associated with them.

Orval grows on trees in Chelmsford

Our base for this Tour is the gorgeous Flemish city of Gent and we are staying in an ex-Monastery! It is the Hotel Monasterium PoortAckere in central Gent which is only an 8-minute walk from the great beer café Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant on the River Leie (Fr. Lys). The hotel incorporates the Pugin-Neo-Gothic chapel, cloisters and much of the nineteenth century nunnery built over the original medieval PoortAckere monastery built on this spot in 1278.

Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant, Gent, one of the city's great beer bars

Gent is one of the top beer destinations in Europe and it is in a great spot to travel to all the places we need to be for this excellent beer tour. Have a look at Podge's Central Gent Bar Guide for some of our favourite, hand-picked bars in this fabulous Flemish city.

A Trappist beer at Sint Sixtus Monastery Brewery, Westvleteren

Fresh Westmalle Dubbel and Tripel at Cafe Trappisten, Westmalle

Outside summer drinking in a Belgian beer cafe

La Trappe beers at Koningshoeven

We are based in Chelmsford in Essex and we use a UK hired coach to travel. We try to use Le Shuttle (Eurotunnel) from Folkestone to get to and from Belgium, but if not available we go by ferry from Dover to Calais. Most of our Travellers join the Tour at our main pick up point outside The Woolpack Pub, 23 Mildmay Road, Chelmsford CM2 0DN and most come from other parts of the UK, and some from further afield, especially USA. Lots of our Travellers stay the night before a Tour (and often the night of our return) at Chelmsford Travelodge, only a few minutes walk from The Woolpack or at the Premier Inn, near the Railway Station, about a 10 minute walk to the pick up point at The Woolpack. Podge's Central Chelmsford Map shows suggested accommodation and pubs! We all usually pop in to The Woolpack the night before departure for a meet, greet and a few beers with Siobhan who is your Tour Manager, Tour Guide and drinking pal for the duration.

Our Galloways luxury coach (49 seater coach with toilet) starts from Suffolk and on the way to Folkestone (or Dover if we go by ferry) and picks up at several points, as agreed with Siobhan, as below:

Ipswich, Bus Stop, Tesco Store, Pinewood, Ipswich IP8 3TS.

Colchester, McDonald's, Tollgate West, Stanway, Colchester C03 8RG.

Chelmsford, The Woolpack, 23 Mildmay Road, CM2 0DN.

Dartford, BP Garage (formerly Esso) 474 Princes Road, DA1 1YT. On the return leg we drop off at Dartford Railway Station DA1 1DR.

Swanley, Unit 4, Moreton Industrial Estate, London Road, BR8 8DE.

Ashford, pull in Outside Dobbies Garden Centre, Opposite Premier Inn, Ashford Eureka Leisure Park, Rutherford Road, Ashford, Kent, TN25 4BN.

Folkestone, Shell Garage, Stop 24 Services, J11, M20, Kent, CT21 4BL.

This Tour is currently being built, and the detailed, timed itinerary will be set out below at least six weeks before our departure date. If you want to find out about general updates on this and all Tours you can subscribe to our monthly email newsletter - there is a form to do this at the foot of this page. If you would like to join us please send Siobhan an email or call on +44 (0) 7722 724 558 for details on how to secure a place and pay the deposit of £300 per person. The Tour price is at the foot of this page. Travellers who wish to cancel a booking on any Tour must give written (email or letter) notice to Siobhan McGinn prior to the Tour departure date. If the cancellation is received more than 12 weeks prior to the Tour departure date the Traveller’s deposit, and any other Tour monies paid will be refunded. If the cancellation is received less than 12 weeks prior to the Tour departure date the Traveller’s deposit will not be refunded.

Tour Price is £1250 per person price sharing a double or twin room.

Single Supplement is £420 if you would like a room of your own.

The deposit payable to secure a place on this Tour is £300 per person.

Send Siobhan an email to find out how to pay the deposit.

Included in the cost of this Tour are:

Hotel accommodation and breakfasts;

Hotel city taxes;

Luxury coach travel on a 49 seater coach with toilet;

All brewery visits, tours and brewery beer tastings;

Entrance fees to attractions, museums and historical sites;

All items marked with an asterisk above and on the individual detailed tour itinerary when issued;

Copies of Podge’s City Bar Guides and Maps for the town where we stay or spend some time;

Free bottled water on the coach;

Pick up from one of our agreed joining points on the way to Folkestone or even on the other side of the channel.

Courier Services from Siobhan McGinn, your Tour Guide.

Travellers are responsible for the costs of all food and drink apart from items marked with an asterisk on the detailed itinerary plus all passport and insurance costs.

All itinerary times are local and approximate.

Personal insurance is not included in the Tour price but is required to be taken out by Travellers on Podge's Belgian Beer Tours, as is carrying the free UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) which is the 2021 replacement for the old EHIC. You can still use your EHIC card so long as it is in date, then you need to apply for the GHIC replacement online.

All Tours are subject to our Terms and Conditions.

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