Brussels, Bruges and the Floriade Flower Show

Meeting at London St Pancras, we join the Eurostar to Brussels. Once in the Belgian capital, a coach transfers to our hotel for a four-night stay. Afterwards, you're free to settle in or begin exploring a city famous for its café culture, green, open spaces and long political history. Wander the cobbled market places of this medieval destination, where street musicians fill the air with traditional songs and Art Nouveu architecture is waiting to be discovered on every street corner. We enjoy dinner this evening at a local restaurant, Chez Leon, a true Belgian institution.

• Dinner

We take the train to nearby Bruges today, a charming city boasting a picture-postcard, UNESCO-listed centre. Our guided tour begins at a famous artisan chocolate maker's, Chocalaterie Sukerbuyc, in the heart of the city, where we see how the delicious confectionery is made and get to sample some of the delicious creations.

With its history as a city dating back to 1128, Bruges has a long and fascinating heritage, becoming known internationally for wool weaving and cloth making. It was also something of a cultural centre, as William Caxton was in Bruges when he printed the very first book in English. In the 17th century, the city's famous lace trade took off and by the late 1800s, Bruges was beginning to attract wealthy tourists from England and France. Nowadays, storybook buildings and cobbled streets are an all-year-round draw, accompanied by its mastery of beer and penchant for sublime food. Beautiful Bruges has many reminders of its prosperous past, as much of its medieval architecture has been preserved, and we enjoy visiting these as we continue our guided walking tour. Afterwards, the rest of your afternoon is free. A canal cruise is a great way to see the medieval sights, or you can take a horse drawn carriage around the bustling boulevards before finding a cosy tavern to enjoy one of Belgium's world-famous beers. There's plenty to choose from with a beer to suit every palate; from blonde ales to stouts, you'll be spoilt for choice.

• Breakfast

Today we enjoy the highlight of our holiday, transferring by coach to Almere for the 2022 Floriade flower show. Held in the Netherlands just once every ten years, Floriade is not only the world's ultimate flower show, spread over five themed zones across an enormous 66 hectares, it's also a celebration of plants, vegetables, fruit and produce from across the world. Almere is a modern garden city and the show site has been built on land reclaimed from the sea, a true Dutch tradition. This decade's theme is 'Growing Green Cities' and there are exhibitions from over 30 different countries, each split into four sub-themes that delve into the possible future development of our city centres; green, celebrating the open spaces which make cities a more pleasant place to be; food, exploring more environmentally friendly food production options; health and the effect of green structures on a healthy living environment; and energy. This sub-theme looks at possible sustainable energy solutions as well as the effect of green spaces on the well-being of a city's population. Alongside these vibrant and thought-provoking displays, there'll also be street food trucks selling different world cuisines and live entertainment.

• Breakfast

Your day is free to enjoy some sightseeing in Brussels. If Floriade whet your appetite for all things horticultural, then on the August departure you may like to visit the Grand Place to see the spectacular 'Flower of Carpets' display. Held every two years at this beautiful landmark, volunteers painstakingly weave nearly one million begonias into tapestry-like creations that fill the entire 19,000 square foot space. Each biennial event features a different theme, with previous years celebrating different cultures from across the globe such as Mexico, Japan and Africa. You may also want stop by Brussel's cheeky mascot, the infamous Manneken Pis, take a break to enjoy some traditional waffles or visit the Maison du Roi, a museum featuring stunning wall hangings and paintings from the 16th century. As today is Sunday, you could make your way to the farmer's market held at Place Flagey, where vendors sell delicious local produce including organic vegetables, succulent burgers, oysters and even Champagne.

• Breakfast

We return to the train station by coach this morning for the Eurostar to London St Pancras. Here, our tour comes to an end.

• Breakfast