Signature experience — Ghent
Antwerp, fashion and diamonds
Duration
Full day
Price
From €590
Mercedes
Dedicated vehicle & chauffeur
Back in 1447, Antwerp’s guilds enforced gemstone weighing rules on the Grote Markt, a quiet turning point that, by the 1500s, anchored the diamond trade around Pelikaanstraat and later Hoveniersstraat (formal bourses opened in 1929). The day links Notre-Dame Cathedral—home to four Rubens—to the Modenatie fashion hub and the old merchants’ houses on Hoogstraat. Just 60 km from Ghent, you read the city like a ledger: industry, trade, creation, each quarter adding a chapter.
Your driver collects you from your Ghent hotel in a polished Mercedes, timing and route tailored to the rhythm you prefer. Into Antwerp, close drop-offs by the Cathedral and the Diamond District keep walking short while you visit; he handles parking and waits, then swings you to a prearranged cutting lab. Lunch in the historic center is booked ahead if desired. The afternoon traces the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and boutiques linked to the Antwerp Six, before an easy return along the Scheldt side if traffic cooperates.
Your itinerary
- I
09:00 — Pick-up at your Ghent hotel and direct drive to Antwerp (about 1 hour).
- II
10:15 — Drop-off by Cathedral of Our Lady, see the Rubens and stroll the Meir (1h15).
- III
12:00 — Diamond District, pre-booked visit to a cutting lab (45 min), then lunch near Groenplaats.
- IV
14:30 — Modenatie and Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp Six boutiques on Nationalestraat, depart back to Ghent around 16:30.
What’s included
- ✓ Dedicated French-speaking driver
- ✓ Mercedes E-Class or V-Class
- ✓ Hotel pick-up in Ghent
- ✓ Waiting time, near-site drop-offs
Your chauffeur’s tip
Schedule the Diamond District on a weekday between 11:00 and 14:00 when bourses and workshops are active; book 48 hours ahead to secure access to certified labs (HRD/IGI).
Book this experience
Confirmed within 30 minutes · Fixed price quoted in advance