A family of five from Arizona, and a day that started in the valley

Last Saturday I spent the day around Dinant with David V., Beth V. and their family, five of them in all. They come from southern Arizona, about two hours south of Phoenix. In three years of tours, they were my first guests from Arizona. For most of them, it was their first trip to Europe.

A day that starts in the valley

Their trip ran over two weeks. Amsterdam came first, then a few days in Brussels with a walking tour and a waffle workshop. After a weekend near Dinant came Rotterdam, and then a sleeper train to Berlin.

Most guests I pick up in a city, and it is not common that people actually stay down here. This family had arrived in Dinant the day before. So there was no long drive at the start. I picked them up at 09:00 where they were staying, and we were at the first stop within the hour.

How the day was built

The booking came through a Dutch travel company. It was for the version of the day with the caves, a picnic lunch in nature, Walzin, Vêves and Freÿr. The travel company told me there were no birthdays and no dietary needs. I sent the family a WhatsApp seven days before, another one the day before, and my live location on the morning. The car had room for all five of them, and they are all tall.

Coffee and cold chocolate milk at Walzin

The first stop was the viewpoint at Château de Walzin. With the coffee I set out Belgian cookies, chocolates, cold chocolate milk and water.

The cave, then my family’s favourites on the table

From Walzin we drove to Grotte de Lorette at Rochefort, and the family went underground. Lunch came after the cave, with a beer tasting I had kept as a surprise. There were non-alcoholic drinks on the table too.

On this day I put things on the table that the people close to me love: my brother’s beer, Nen Echten, and my mother’s favourite chocolate. Nen Echten is a hoppy blond IPA, and objectively the best beer in the world, even if I say so because it is my brother’s. At the end of the day, those were the details they named first.

Vêves, Celles and the tank

In the afternoon we went to Château de Vêves. I told them it looks bigger from outside than it is inside, because of the courtyard. One of them disagreed: it is big inside too.

At Celles we stopped at the German Panther tank. They had heard of the Battle of the Bulge, but did not know it was fought in this region. The tank marks one of the furthest points the German advance reached.

Freÿr from above

The last stop was Château de Freÿr. We went up to the viewpoint on the cliff first, and the family looked down on the gardens. Then we visited the château, and they also walked up to the railway line above the gardens.

At the end of the day I asked what could be better. The answer was that they did not want the day to end. They also said the messages before the day were the best they had ever had for a tour.

In their words

The next day, one of the sons wrote this review on TripAdvisor, in June 2026:

Overall the experience was amazing, Joris our guide was extremely friendly and knowledgeable, making sure that we had all of our questions answered as well as being comfortable throughout our day. Joris also made sure to take extra care of us on one of the hottest days in Dinant history, with temperatures reaching 37°C (~100°F) by bringing lots of very cold water, and keeping us in temperature-friendly areas. Not only did he bring us to a myriad of beautiful areas, but he used the favorite snacks/locations of friends and family, which gave the tour a more personal feel. Everything was delicious and interesting, and he always double checked that food or places were okay with everyone before continuing to make sure that everyone was comfortable. There were no crowds at all in any of the places we went, but it didn’t feel abandoned, just easier to move around. Joris was a great guy who really gave a look at the beauty of Dinant, as well as Belgian culture as a whole. As the cherry on the cake, his pre-tour communication was on-point, making sure we all felt assured that our day would be amazing.

There were no crowds at all in any of the places we went, but it didn’t feel abandoned, just easier to move around.

One of the sons, on TripAdvisor

A day like this

This day works well for a family, because there is something for every age: a cave, castles, a tank and food. It also works when you stay near Dinant yourself. Then the day is shorter, about seven hours door to door. For this family that was the one downside, because they wanted more of it. If you want the long version, say so when you book.

What would a day like this cost today? Read what a private day in Belgium costs, and what is in it.

If you would like a day like theirs, send us your dates on our private day page.