Day 1: Brussels to Dinant — Saxophones, Citadels & Leffe Abbey
Welcome to Belgium! Your Exodus Travels guide meets you at Brussels Airport for the scenic drive south into the Ardennes region — a landscape of forested hills, limestone cliffs, meandering rivers, and ancient fortified towns that feels worlds away from the flatlands of Flanders. Your destination is Dinant, a picturesque town squeezed between the Meuse River and towering limestone cliffs. Dinant’s most famous son is Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone (1840), and the town proudly displays its musical heritage with colourful oversized saxophone sculptures along the Charles de Gaulle Bridge. After checking into your hotel, take the cable car or climb the 408 steps to the Citadel of Dinant, perched on a 100-metre cliff. The citadel’s turbulent history includes destruction by Charles the Bold of Burgundy in 1466, when 800 citizens were tied together and thrown into the Meuse. The museum inside tells the story of Dinant’s copper-working tradition (dinanderie) and the citadel’s role in both World Wars. Below, visit the remarkable Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame, a 13th-century Gothic masterpiece with an unusual bulbous spire, built into the base of the cliff. End the day with a visit to the Leffe Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe), founded in 1152, where Premonstratensian canons still live. Taste the famous Leffe beers in the abbey’s welcoming tasting room. Welcome dinner featuring Ardennes specialties like smoked ham and trout from the Semois River.
Overnight: Dinant (3-star riverside hotel)
Meals: Welcome Dinner
Day 2: Bouillon Castle & The Semois Valley
After breakfast, drive through spectacular forested countryside to Bouillon, a town dominated by one of Belgium’s most impressive medieval fortresses. Bouillon Castle, perched on a rocky spur above a tight loop of the Semois River, was the seat of Godfrey of Bouillon, the legendary knight who led the First Crusade and became the first Christian ruler of Jerusalem in 1099. Explore the castle’s labyrinthine passages, dungeons, and ramparts — the guided tour through the underground galleries is particularly atmospheric, with special lighting effects that bring medieval life to shadow. From the castle’s highest tower, the view over the Semois Valley ranks among Wallonia’s most photographed panoramas. After lunch, set out on a moderately challenging hike along the Semois River (approximately 8 km). The trail follows the riverbank beneath overhanging limestone cliffs, passes through ancient oak and beech forests, and crosses small footbridges over tributary streams. The path emerges at the Roche a l’Appel viewpoint, where a massive rock formation provides panoramic views over the meandering river. Birdwatchers should look for the black stork and kingfisher that inhabit this protected valley. In the late afternoon, visit the Ducal Museum in Bouillon’s former convent, which traces the town’s history from Celtic settlement to Crusader capital. Return to Dinant for overnight.
Overnight: Dinant (3-star riverside hotel)
Meals: Breakfast, Packed Lunch
Day 3: Rochefort, Han Caves & Durbuy — The Smallest City
This morning, travel to Rochefort to visit the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy, a Trappist monastery founded in 1230. The monks here produce the world-renowned Rochefort beers (6, 8, and 10) — among the most coveted of the Trappist ales. While the abbey interior is closed to visitors, you can visit the abbey shop and enjoy a tasting of these legendary beers. Continue to the medieval ruins of the Castle of the Counts of Rochefort, a hilltop fortress with a history of sieges dating to the 11th century. From Rochefort, drive a short distance to the famous Caves of Han, one of Europe’s largest underground cave systems. A vintage tram ride through the wildlife park takes you to the cave entrance. Inside, a 2-kilometre guided tour reveals colossal chambers — the Salle du Dome rises 129 metres — with spectacular stalactite and stalagmite formations, underground rivers, and the dramatic “Trophee” column. The cave’s sound-and-light show in the cathedral-like Hall of the Dome is a highlight. In the afternoon, arrive in Durbuy, officially recognized as the world’s smallest city with fewer than 500 residents in its medieval core. Despite its diminutive size, Durbuy is exquisitely charming: cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, and the Ourthe River flowing beneath a 17th-century stone bridge. Visit the Topiary Garden, featuring over 250 sculpted boxwood trees, and the Durbuy Castle, a private residence with origins in the 9th century. Check into your hotel and enjoy dinner at a local brasserie.
Overnight: Durbuy (3-star hotel)
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4: Semois Hiking — Frahan Viewpoint & Ardennes Trails
Today is dedicated to the finest hiking in the Belgian Ardennes. Begin at the village of Rochehaut for the spectacular Frahan Viewpoint (Belvedere de Frahan), one of Wallonia’s most photographed scenes. From this vantage point, you look down upon the tiny village of Frahan, nestled inside a near-perfect meander loop of the Semois River, with forested ridges rising on all sides. Descend to Frahan (approximately 2 km, steep in sections) and cross the Semois via the small passenger ferry. From here, a well-marked trail climbs through mixed woodland to the Croix de la Hasse viewpoint, offering yet another stunning river panorama. The full loop trail (approximately 12 km) returns to Rochehaut through peaceful forests where wild boar and red deer are occasionally spotted. After the hike, enjoy a well-earned lunch at a traditional Ardennes farmhouse inn featuring game terrine and locally foraged mushroom dishes. In the afternoon, visit the nearby Abbey of Orval (approximately 30 minutes’ drive), arguably the most beautiful Trappist monastery in Belgium. The atmospheric ruins of the medieval Cistercian abbey, destroyed during the French Revolution, stand beside the modern monastery built in 1926-1948. The Orval legend tells of a widowed countess who lost her gold ring in a spring — a trout miraculously returned it, and she founded the abbey on the spot, declaring “This truly is a Val d’Or” (Golden Valley). Tour the ruins, the herb garden, and the brewery museum, then sample the distinctive amber Orval beer in the abbey tavern. Return to Durbuy for overnight.
Overnight: Durbuy (3-star hotel)
Meals: Breakfast, Packed Lunch
Day 5: La Roche-en-Ardenne & Return to Brussels
On your final day, travel to La Roche-en-Ardenne, a postcard-perfect Ardennes town on a bend of the Ourthe River. The ruins of its medieval castle, built in the 9th century and partially restored, command a hilltop above the town. La Roche was heavily damaged during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944-45, and a British Sherman tank displayed in the town centre serves as a reminder of its liberation. Visit the Battle of the Ardennes Museum, housed in a former school, with an extensive collection of uniforms, weapons, and photographs documenting the “Bulge” campaign — the last major German offensive of WWII. After exploring the town and castle, enjoy a riverside lunch with views of kayakers navigating the Ourthe’s gentle rapids — kayaking is one of the Ardennes’ most popular summer activities. In the afternoon, begin the journey back to Brussels, driving through the rolling countryside of Wallonia. Depending on your flight time, you may have the opportunity to stop at the Maredsous Abbey, another famous Trappist beer and cheese producer, for final Belgian tastings. Transfer to Brussels Airport for your departure, carrying memories of saxophone music over the Meuse, Crusader castles on sandstone crags, the silence of underground cathedrals of stone, and the wild, green beauty of Belgium’s most unexpected region — the Ardennes.
Meals: Breakfast
