Fantastic guide prepared and organised, with a folder of photos and historical information. She lives in Bruges, but actually is from England. Met exactly at start time booked. Tour included everything quoted. Very nice friendly lady.
Private tour in Bruges Natalie T
5.0
(23) reviews
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Natalie T.
5.0
Guide rating
135
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10 hrs
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Hello. My name is Natalie. I invite you on a trip through an unlocked history to hear facts and legends, understand culture and tradition and taste some of Europe's best influences. Despite this region's past of assault, theft, and religious influence (most, I can tell you is true), its legends prevail so strongly that it is not hard to step back into time. I'm English. I once fell in love with a Flemish man, and still agree with my decision. They say "marry a Flemish man, fall in love with the place he was born in". Well there is much truth in this, and quite honestly, the Flemish don't often part from their home villages anyway, fiercely loyal to their birthplace. Bruges is The Fairy Tale City. While Bruges became the centre of my life since 7 years ago, my home town is middle-England, Nottinghamshire, (another beautiful place where time forgot), and traditions still exist. You can ask me about my May Queen accolade if you want. My past career in the UK of Purchasing Manager at head office is long-forgotten since this love affair began, and I am not looking back at all. Bruges could seem like some unrealistic Disney excerpt. One may be forgiven for asking 'What time do the gates close and we all have to leave?'. I could honestly answer to you 18:30 - but that doesn't apply to the main city gates (anymore). The truth behind this poor, lost, mysterious city intrigued me, and several years after my arrival, many history books and city walks later, I am fully equipped with local knowledge and have been sharing my knowledge for the last 3 years, accompanying the Bruges' visitors and sharing stories. I appreciate any opportunity to share it with THE most perfect person in the world - the relaxed holidaymaker, in an abundant frame of mind, ready for the occasional dive into the unknown while accepting sinful pleasures are not so harmful after all. In fact the Flemish are some of the healthiest people I've met. Out of hours, I am a mother of two small things, male and female, and quite a happy jogger around the area. I often get myself into corners I've never been before by running into the distance, and wonder what stories belong to what I see. Now 'History' or 'His Story' aside, being a true immigrant to a historically proud nation I have glimpsed into a culture that I have not seen before. So I can also tell you 'My Story' - what I have noticed here that makes Bruges so unique, how successfully the Flemish economy thrives, how much a local likes to throw parties, at all expenses, with friends from back to primary school days. I might even give you my preference for Three or One Star Michelin dining. Yes, there is so much to a walking talking tour than history. I am a safe driver, with a luxury car with AirCon, BMW X5 (see photo), for collections. Hotels, ports, train station etc. I can fit in 3 passengers. Below I have listed my tour options. See the table for my daily availability for the coming months. Please contact me with any further questions. Every tour will take into consideration your expectations and preferences, so feel free to pick and choose elements from different tours, and if we can, we build them in to the time we share together. With thanks, Natalie - I am a licensed guide for City of Bruges - Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Design, Media & Management (Birmingham, UK) - Driving license (clean) Wheelchairs and buggies pose no problem, with the exception of one or two steps. Flat footwear is best advised. Entry to city museums is not included in my standard tours. Wrap up warm in Winter, (minus -3 degrees max). Summer max 34 degrees.
Have a question or want to customize this tour? Message Natalie T.
This Shore Excursion Tour includes all the best of Bruges in a full day tour. It starts with car collection from the Zeebrugge Passenger Terminal and then evolves into a relaxed and all-encompassing day adventure of Bruges' city, covering historical facts, legends, architecture, culture, taste and even traditions. Bruges was once once of Northern Europe's most affluent trading cities, and evidence is all around us in this small city. It is easy to relax and enjoy its surroundings while I support you with narrative to educate and entertain and satisfy any hunger you have. Traditions remain, architecture shines majestically and history is very alive in a city that was once forgotten, and you will struggle to want to leave. We spend the day together, to take time to cover this city's former glory, visit its many wonderful locations and taste the food and drink traditions that remain to this very day. A lunchtime meal will restore energy levels, and the occasional traditional snack will not be amiss.
Fantastic guide prepared and organised, with a folder of photos and historical information. She lives in Bruges, but actually is from England. Met exactly at start time booked. Tour included everything quoted. Very nice friendly lady.
We have used Tours by Locals all over the world and this has to have been one of my favorite tours so far. Natalie was wonderful from the communication before hand to the seamless collection of us at port to the incredible experience in Brugge. She knows the city so well, truly customized the tour for us, and was great in sharing interesting information about it. We highly recommend her and appreciate everything she did to make us comfortable and get the most out of our day in port!
Natalie is a great tour guide! She showed us lots of local finds for chocolates, beer, and Belgian fries. She has lots of jokes and interesting facts about the city of Bruges. We would highly recommend Natalie as your tour guide.
Wow! What a beautiful day our group had with Natalie exploring Bruges. From the outset, Natalie was a burst of energy and this continued throughout the tour. From a true local's perspective, she shared all that this intriguing city has to offer. We had ample time to explore, shop, and enjoy a wonderful meal. Natalie went the extra mile to arrange a chocolate tasting for us and the day could not have been more lovely. For a true local experience and day of fun, do not hesitate to book Natalie today. :-)
Natalie was extremely knowledgeable about Bruge and her love and enthusiasm was evident as she drove by and described the history and landmarks of many sites within the Unesco designated areas. She found various parking areas that allowed us to walk at a leisurely pace and did not require us to trek long distances to reach specific places. Our timing was perfect for the canal tour - we had a very short wait before boarding and were able to avoid the crowds. We comfortably sat down adjacent to a waffle shop where we enjoyed two different types of waffles. She took us to Neuhaus to sample and then purchase premier chocolate; we also had time for to visit another chocolate shop she recommended. If you are visiting Bruges, i highly recommend that you use Natalie for a wonderful day.
Natalie was fantastic! She communicated before the tour to assess our preferences and picked us up on time! She showed us all the beautiful sites and told many stories of the city. (She's quite funny!!) We were able to adapt the tour as we were going so that if we wanted more time in one place we could have it, or if we wanted to move on, she adapted for that too! She arranged a canal tour for us, and a couple of chocolate tastings!! Waffles too - two different kinds. I mentioned a specific chocolate that I had loved on my last trip, and she was hell bent to find it for me (which she did)! Bruge is a beautiful city and I highly recommend having Natalie show you around.
Collect: Zeebrugge Cruiseship Passenger Terminal, (or other agreed collection point) 25min transfer to Bruges. Leading in to an easy-paced city tour. We will visit: - Central Maarkt Square - Belfort Tower and Trading Halls - St Salvator's Cathedral - The Old St John's Hospital - Half Moon Brewery - Begijnhof - The 'old red light district' - Church of Our Holy Lady - Tanners Square - Burg Square. - We pause for coffee and waffles at a suitable time, and take lunch at a local restaurant that serves delicious traditional dishes. I then escort you for the remainder of our time together. See my 'What's Extra' section for further details, and we can visit the Basilica of the Holy Blood, St Salvatore's Cathedral, Foundations of the destroyed St Donatius' Cathedral. or shop or tour by carriage or boat. So many options! The day completes with a sampling of local beer and our return journey to Zeebrugge before departure. NB *For less than 5 days booking notice please message with your request.
Tell your guide which places matter to you, skip what doesn't, and tailor the experience for your group's needs. Not finding what you want? Message your guide to build something unique.
We walk the city by foot - it is very small and easily reachable. The City has no need for taxis or cars, because it is so easily negotiated by foot (or by bike if you are local). Collection to from Zeebrugge Cruise terminal and return is with a Maserati Levanti, which I drive slowly :)
Bruges, Flanders, Belgium
Airport: ,Cruise: ABC terminal Zeebrugge Harbour. By the external doors to the zebra crossing. *alternative pick up point can be arranged privately
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