Tour Introduction
Discover the many faces of Belgium on this fabulous Sisterhood adventure, beginning with three nights in stylish Antwerp, where diamonds, fashion and Flemish history combine, along with a visit to charming Mechelen and the fascinating story of Margaret of Austria. The centrepiece of our adventure is our 7-day exclusive Sisterhood charter aboard CroisiEurope’s intimate MS Raymonde. With just 11 cabins, we’ll cruise from Ghent to Halle through Belgium’s picturesque waterways, discovering medieval towns, magnificent castles, vineyards, Belgian chocolate and beautiful countryside along the way. After our cruise, we’ll journey into Wallonia for three nights in Namur, exploring spectacular Dinant and the Meuse Valley, the beautiful Gardens of Annevoie and storybook Durbuy in the Belgian Ardennes. Diamonds, canals, castles, chocolate and countryside – Belgium, Sisterhood style!Highlights
Explore stylish Antwerp, Belgium’s diamond and fashion capital
Discover the fascinating story of Margaret of Austria in beautiful Mechelen
A gorgeous 7 Day Exclusive Charter Cruise onboard the MS Raymonde cruising Belgium's picturesque canals
Wander the medieval streets and romantic canals of Ghent and Bruges
Visit magnificent Château de Beloeil, known as the Belgian Versailles
Taste award-winning Belgian sparkling wine at Chant d’Éole vineyard
Explore historic Mons and Belgium’s remarkable waterways
Discover Brussels’ spectacular Grand Place
Indulge in a delicious Belgian chocolate experience
Stay three nights in the beautiful Château de Namur
Explore spectacular Dinant beneath its dramatic riverside Citadel
Cruise through the picturesque Meuse Valley
Wander the elegant fountains and waterways of Annevoie Gardens
Journey through the beautiful forests and countryside of the Belgian Ardennes
Enjoy a leisurely day in charming cobbled Durbuy
Savour wonderful Belgian food, chocolate, wine and local flavours
Inclusions
Hosted throughout by a Sisterhood Womens Travel Tour Hostess, ensuring a smooth, supported and memorable travel experience
Return economy airfares from Melbourne to Brussels, including taxes (other departure cities available upon request)
Professional English-speaking local guides throughout the itinerary
All accommodation as per itinerary
6 nights aboard our exclusive MS Raymonde canal barge
All transportation and private transfers as per itinerary
Meals as per itinerary
All sightseeing and excursions as per itinerary, including applicable entrance fees
Sisterhood Welcome and Farewell Dinners
Willing to share option (subject to availability)
Zoom Meet and Greet prior to departure
Notice
Activity Level:
This tour is designed for travellers with a good level of general fitness, mobility and stamina who are comfortable exploring historic European cities, towns and villages on foot. Throughout Belgium we’ll discover cobbled streets, medieval centres, castles, gardens, canal-side pathways and historic sites, as well as embark and disembark our intimate CroisiEurope canal barge. Travellers should be comfortable walking approximately 10,000 steps on many sightseeing days and maintaining the group’s pace during guided touring. Some days will involve uneven surfaces, cobblestones, stairs, slopes and periods of standing, particularly in Antwerp, Mechelen, Ghent, Bruges, Namur, Dinant and Durbuy. Accessing attractions such as citadels, castles and gardens may also involve steps and inclines.
Activity Factors:
✔ Approximately 10,000 steps likely on many sightseeing days
✔ Regular guided walking tours through historic cities and medieval towns
✔ Cobblestones, uneven pathways and canal-side surfaces
✔ Stairs and inclines at castles, citadels, gardens and historic attractions
✔ Ability to embark and disembark MS Raymonde independently
✔ Comfortable standing for extended periods during guided sightseeing
✔ Ability to get on and off coaches and other transport independently
✔ Travellers are responsible for managing their own luggage when required
✔ Ability to maintain the group’s pace without individual assistance
✔ A good level of general mobility, balance and stamina is required
Additional Meal Allowance:
While many meals are included during our CroisiEurope cruise and selected meals are included throughout our land itinerary, there will be opportunities to enjoy Belgium’s wonderful cafés, brasseries and restaurants at your own leisure. For meals not included in the tour price, we recommend allowing approximately €300–€350 per person for the duration of the tour. This should comfortably cover additional lunches and dinners, depending on your dining preferences, and does not include alcoholic beverages. We also recommend allowing a little extra for those irresistible Belgian treats along the way – waffles, chocolates, pastries, coffee and perhaps the occasional Belgian beer!
Tipping:
To make tipping simple and stress-free throughout our Belgian adventure, we recommend allowing approximately €80 per person for the Sisterhood Tipping Kitty. The Tipping Kitty is paid to your Sisterhood Tour Hostess at the beginning of the tour and will be used to take care of appropriate gratuities for our local guides, drivers and other local services throughout the land portion of our journey. For our MS Raymonde cruise, gratuities for the onboard crew are separate. We recommend allowing approximately €10 per person per day, or €60 per person for the six-night cruise, which can be given at the end of the cruise. We therefore suggest budgeting approximately €140 per person in total for tipping throughout the adventure.
Accommodation Note:
Twin Share Accommodation
As the MS Raymonde is a boutique canal barge with cosy, compact cabins, twin share accommodation is reserved for friends travelling together.
For the comfort and privacy of all travellers, we are unable to offer our usual "Willing to Share" room matching service on this particular journey. If you wish to book a twin share cabin, both travellers must be travelling companions and book together.
Single cabins are available in limited numbers and are subject to availability.
Canal Barge Information:
For seven wonderful days, the MS Raymonde becomes our very own floating home as we enjoy an exclusive Sisterhood charter along the beautiful waterways of Belgium. This intimate Premium canal barge normally accommodates just 22 guests in 11 cabins, making her wonderfully suited to relaxed, small-group cruising. Stylish yet comfortable, she has an elegant restaurant, welcoming lounge and bar, outdoor terrace, jacuzzi and a spacious sun deck with loungers – perfect for watching the countryside slowly drift by. Our cabins are compact and cleverly designed, with outside views and their own bathroom with shower and toilet. Each cabin also includes independent air-conditioning, television, safe, hairdryer and Wi-Fi. The main deck cabins are approximately 9m² and feature two single beds. With just six crew members looking after the ship and her guests, the MS Raymonde offers the personalised, intimate style of cruising we love. Best of all, we have chartered the entire barge exclusively for Sisterhood Womens Travel, with a maximum of just 12 Sisterhood travellers. That means plenty of room to relax, settle in and enjoy a very special week on the waterways together. This isn't big-ship cruising. It's slow, intimate and wonderfully relaxed – unpack once, enjoy beautiful meals, share a glass of wine on deck and watch another little corner of Europe glide gently past.
Visa Information and Travel Advice:
Please visit https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/belgium for all travel advice.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Saturday 14 August 2027
Melbourne - Belgium (Meals Inflight)
Our Belgian adventure begins today as we meet at Melbourne Airport and prepare to discover a country that may be small in size but is overflowing with history, beautiful architecture, wonderful food and some of Europe's prettiest towns and waterways.
We'll settle aboard our international flight and make our way towards Brussels, ready for a fabulous two weeks exploring Belgium from a very different perspective.
Day 2 - Sunday 15 August 2027
Brussels - Antwerp (D)
Welcome to Belgium! On arrival at Brussels Airport, we'll be met by our private coach and travel north to Antwerp, Belgium's stylish second city and our home for the next three nights. For centuries Antwerp has been one of Europe's great trading cities, growing wealthy through its port, diamonds, art and fashion. Today it manages to combine magnificent Flemish architecture with a distinctly contemporary, fashionable edge.
After checking into our boutique hotel, the remainder of the afternoon is ours to rest, unpack or perhaps take a first wander through the atmospheric streets surrounding the hotel.
Tonight we'll come together for our Sisterhood Welcome Dinner, raise a glass to the adventure ahead and get our first taste of Belgian hospitality.
Overnight - Hotel Rubens, Antwerp (or similar)
Day 3 - Monday 16 August 2027
Diamonds, Fashion & Antwerp Style (B)
After breakfast, we'll head out with our local guide to discover Antwerp's magnificent historic heart. We'll wander through the Grote Markt with its elaborate guild houses, see the impressive Cathedral of Our Lady and discover hidden streets and squares that reveal the enormous wealth Antwerp enjoyed during its Golden Age.
But Antwerp has another story to tell. The city has been at the centre of the world's diamond trade for more than 500 years, and we'll delve into this fascinating history with a visit to DIVA, Antwerp's museum of diamonds, jewellery and silver. Antwerp is also Belgium's undisputed fashion capital. The legendary Antwerp Six helped put Belgian fashion on the international stage in the 1980s, and today the city remains home to designers, independent boutiques and the renowned Fashion Department of the Royal Academy.
We'll include a visit to MoMu, Antwerp's Fashion Museum, before enjoying some free time to browse the boutiques, cafés and chocolate shops.
This evening is free to discover one of Antwerp's many restaurants at our own pace. Your Sisterhood hostess will suggest a venue.
Overnight - Hotel Rubens, Antwerp (or similar)
Day 4 - Tuesday 17 August 2027
Margaret of Austria & Magnificent Mechelen (B)
Today we'll venture to beautiful Mechelen, one of Flanders' lesser-known treasures and a city with a fascinating female story at its heart. During the early 16th century, Mechelen became the political centre of the Habsburg Netherlands under Margaret of Austria. Highly educated, politically astute and an accomplished diplomat, Margaret governed a vast territory from her palace here and became one of the most influential women in Europe.
We'll explore Mechelen with a local guide, discovering Margaret's story and seeing her former palace, the charming Grote Markt and impressive St Rumbold's Cathedral.
There is a wonderful Sisterhood connection here too. In 1529, Margaret of Austria and Louise of Savoy negotiated the famous Ladies' Peace, helping bring an end to years of conflict between France and the Habsburg Empire. Two women doing what armies of men had failed to achieve!
We'll enjoy lunch together and have time afterwards to wander the picturesque centre before returning to Antwerp.
Dinner at leisure tonight- Your Sisterhood hostess will suggest a venue.
Overnight - Hotel Rubens, Antwerp (or similar)
Day 5 - Wednesday 18 August 2027
Antwerp - Ghent (B, D)
After breakfast we'll farewell Antwerp and make our way to Ghent, where the next chapter of our Belgian adventure begins.
Today we board the intimate MS Raymonde for our six-night canal journey through Belgium.
With only 11 cabins, Raymonde offers a wonderfully personal style of cruising. This is very different from a large river ship — we'll be travelling along Belgium's smaller waterways and canals, watching villages, fields, locks and historic towns slowly pass us by.
We'll meet the crew, settle into our cabins and enjoy a welcome cocktail before our first dinner aboard.
And for the next six nights, we unpack just once!
Overnight - MS Raymonde
Day 6 - Thursday 19 August 2027
Ghent & Beautiful Bruges (B, L, D)
Today we're treated to two of Belgium's great Flemish treasures.
We'll discover Ghent, a city of canals, medieval towers, magnificent architecture and centuries of history. Once one of Europe's largest and wealthiest cities, Ghent remains wonderfully atmospheric, particularly around the Graslei and Korenlei waterfronts.
Our journey also takes us to glorious Bruges, often described as one of Europe's best-preserved medieval cities. Cobbled lanes, stepped-gable houses, romantic canals and magnificent squares have helped earn its historic centre UNESCO World Heritage status.
After our sightseeing, we'll return to Raymonde and continue our leisurely journey through Belgium's waterways.
Overnight - MS Raymonde
Day 7 - Friday 20 August 2027
Oudenaarde & the Heart of Flanders (B, L, D)
Our barge continues through the peaceful landscapes of Flanders towards Oudenaarde, a lovely historic town sitting beside the River Scheldt.
Oudenaarde became internationally renowned for its exquisite tapestries, which were once sought after by Europe's royal families and aristocracy. Its beautiful Town Hall is considered one of Belgium's finest examples of late Gothic architecture.
We'll explore the town and discover some of its artistic and cultural heritage before returning to Raymonde.
One of the pleasures of this journey is simply being aboard — enjoying lunch, chatting over a glass of wine on deck and watching rural Belgium drift gently past.
Overnight - MS Raymonde
Day 8 - Saturday 21 August 2027
Château de Beloeil, Belgian Wine & Mons (B, L, D)
Today gives us a taste of Belgium's aristocratic side as we visit the magnificent Château de Beloeil, often referred to as the Belgian Versailles.
Home to the Princes de Ligne for centuries, the château contains beautiful period rooms, an impressive library and formal French gardens surrounded by water.
From royalty to wine! We'll also discover a much more contemporary Belgian success story at the Chant d'Éole vineyard, where sparkling wines are produced using traditional methods. Belgium may not immediately spring to mind when we think of wine, which makes this visit even more interesting.
Later we'll discover Mons, with its beautiful Grand Place, historic streets and distinctive bell tower.
It's a wonderful day of castles, countryside, wine and Walloon history.
Overnight - MS Raymonde
Day 9 - Sunday 22 August 2027
Belgium's Extraordinary Waterways (B, L, D)
Today we're going to see just how ingenious Belgium's canal system really is.
Our journey takes us into the remarkable industrial landscape around Strépy-Thieu, home to one of the world's great boat lifts. This enormous feat of engineering raises and lowers vessels between dramatically different canal levels.
We'll also encounter the Ronquières Inclined Plane, another extraordinary piece of Belgian engineering where boats are transported in huge water-filled caissons along an inclined track.
It is something completely different from our historic cities and castles and gives us a fascinating insight into how Belgium's network of waterways has shaped the country's trade and development.
And, of course, there's still plenty of time to relax aboard Raymonde as we cruise towards our final destinations.
Overnight - MS Raymonde
Day 10 - Monday 23 August 2027
Brussels & Belgian Chocolate (B, L, D)
We couldn't visit Belgium without spending some time in its capital — or without talking about chocolate!
We'll discover Brussels, including its magnificent Grand Place, one of Europe's most spectacular city squares. Surrounded by ornate guild houses and dominated by the Gothic Town Hall, it's a wonderful introduction to this cosmopolitan city.
Then it's time for something delicious as we learn more about the Belgian tradition of chocolate making with a chocolate experience/workshop.
Belgium takes its chocolate very seriously, and we'll discover some of the craftsmanship behind those beautiful pralines — with tasting naturally being part of the experience!
Tonight we'll enjoy our final evening aboard MS Raymonde.
Overnight - MS Raymonde
Day 11 - Tuesday 24 August 2027
Halle to Namur – Welcome to Wallonia (B)
This morning we'll farewell our crew and our floating home in Halle, but our Belgian adventure certainly isn't finished. We'll travel south into Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium, where the scenery begins to change dramatically.
Our destination is Namur, beautifully positioned at the meeting point of the Sambre and Meuse rivers.
Dominating the city is the enormous Citadel of Namur, whose strategic location has attracted everyone from the Romans to Napoleon. We'll explore the Citadel and enjoy the wonderful views over the rivers and rooftops below.
Then it's time to check into somewhere rather special.
Dinner at leisure tonight - Your Sisterhood hostess will suggest a venue.
Overnight - Le Château de Namur (or similar)
Day 12 - Wednesday 25 August 2027
Dinant, the Meuse Valley & Gardens of Annevoie (B)
This could be one of the prettiest days of our entire adventure. We'll follow the beautiful Meuse Valley to Dinant, where colourful houses hug the riverbank beneath dramatic limestone cliffs and the imposing Citadel towers high above.
We'll discover the town and its Citadel and learn about one of Dinant's most famous sons, Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone.
Then we'll change our perspective and take to the water for a leisurely cruise along the Meuse, allowing us to appreciate the cliffs, forests, châteaux and villages lining this beautiful valley.
After lunch we'll continue to the magnificent Gardens of Annevoie. Created in the 18th century, these elegant gardens combine French symmetry, English romanticism and Italian charm, with fountains, cascades and waterways powered entirely by natural water pressure.
We'll return to our château in Namur after a wonderfully scenic day. Dinner at leisure tonight - Your Sisterhood hostess will suggest a venue.
Overnight - Le Château de Namur (or similar)
Day 13 - Thursday 26 August 2027
Durbuy & the Belgian Ardennes (B, D)
Today we'll journey into the green hills and forests of the Belgian Ardennes to discover gorgeous Durbuy, often promoted as one of the smallest cities in the world. With its stone houses, cobbled lanes, little bridges and flower-filled streets clustered around a château, Durbuy feels wonderfully removed from the larger cities we've experienced earlier in our journey.
After an introduction to the town, we'll enjoy a leisurely lunch together before having proper free time.
Browse the little boutiques, find a café, sample something local, enjoy a Belgian beer or simply find a pretty spot and watch the world go by. No rushing and no long sightseeing list today.
We'll return to Namur with time to relax and prepare for our final evening.
Tonight we'll come together for our Sisterhood Farewell Dinner, celebrating an adventure that has taken us from Antwerp's diamonds and fashion to medieval Flanders, Belgium's canals, castles and vineyards, and finally the beautiful rivers and forests of Wallonia.
Overnight - Le Château de Namur (or similar)
Day 14 - Friday 27 August 2027
Namur to Brussels – Homeward Bound (B)
After breakfast we'll farewell our château and travel by private coach to Brussels Airport. It's time to say au revoir to Belgium as we check in for our international flight back to Melbourne.
There'll be plenty to talk about on the journey home — diamonds and chocolate, castles and canals, beautiful little villages, Belgian bubbles and, most importantly, another wonderful adventure shared with our Sisterhood.
Day 15 - Saturday 28 August 2027
Arrive Melbourne
We arrive back into Melbourne today and say our farewells to our fellow sisters! Our suitcases may be a little heavier — Belgian chocolate will do that! — but we'll also be bringing home some fabulous memories of a country that revealed far more than we ever expected.
Welcome home, Sisters and we look forward to welcoming you to your next adventure.