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Brussels itinerary

7 days, hour by hour · BelgiumOctober–May

Days
7
Stops
34
Per day
≈ €104
First stop
09:00

By TripWalkers · Updated:

Short answer

The TripWalkers Brussels itinerary runs 7 days and lays out 34 stops, hour by hour, for October–May. The first three days:

  1. Day 1 Grand-Place and city centre
  2. Day 2 Sablon, Magritte and Marolles
  3. Day 3 Bruges

Staying less? Start with the first days — TripWalkers uses the opening days of this plan for shorter trips too. Days 3 and 5 are day trips out of the city. Food, entry fees and local transport come to about €104 a day (excluding accommodation and flights).

Day 1 · 09:00–20:00

Grand-Place and city centre

  1. Landmark

    Grand-Place

    A UNESCO square with guildhouses and the Town Hall, empty before 10:00. Manneken Pis is 2 streets away. In even-numbered years the Flower Carpet appears in August.

    Free
  2. 30 min · travel, break, free time

  3. Shopping

    Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert

    A glass-roofed arcade from 1847, home to Neuhaus's first shop and Pierre Marcolini.

    Free

  4. Food

    Maison Dandoy Grand-Place

    Speculoos and Brussels waffles (rectangular, light) since 1829. Compare with a Liège waffle (dense, sugary).

    ≈ €7 per person

  5. Food

    Fritland

    A friterie next to the square. Try the twice-fried chips and a mitraillette sandwich, part of UNESCO-recognised culture.

    ≈ €8 per person
  6. 5 h · travel, break, free time

  7. Food

    Delirium Café

    Guinness record holder with 2,000+ beers. In Impasse de la Fidélité, opposite Jeanneke Pis.

    ≈ €12 per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
  • Chez LéonMoules-frites (mussels and chips) since 1893. On Rue des Bouchers.
  • Museum of the City of Brussels Maison du RoiThe city museum in the King's House on the square, with Manneken Pis costumes.

Day 2 · 10:00–17:30

Sablon, Magritte and Marolles

  1. Culture

    Magritte Museum

    200+ surrealist works (bowler hat, apple). Combined ticket with the Royal Museums 15 EUR, closed Mondays.

    ≈ €10 per person

  2. Shopping

    Place du Grand Sablon

    Antique dealers and chocolatiers (Wittamer, Marcolini), plus an antiques market at weekends.

    Free

  3. Food

    Le Pain Quotidien Sablon

    The chain's first branch. Try the tartines and soup.

    ≈ €15 per person

  4. Shopping

    Place du Jeu de Balle Flea Market

    A daily flea market in Marolles, best in the morning, in Brueghel's old neighbourhood.

    Free
  5. 1 h 15 min · travel, break, free time

  6. Culture

    Musical Instruments Museum MIM

    An Art Nouveau building (the Old England store). Instruments come with headphones, and the rooftop café has views.

    ≈ €15 per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
  • Wittamer SablonA pastry shop from 1910 and royal supplier.
  • Royal Museums of Fine ArtsBruegel and Rubens. Go instead of the MIM (combined ticket with Magritte).

Day 3 · 10:00–15:15Day trip

Bruges

  1. Landmark

    Markt Bruges

    Take the train, 1 hour from Brussels-Midi (~15 EUR). The square has the Belfry and guildhouses.

    Free

  2. Landmark

    Belfry of Bruges

    366 steps to the bell chamber and a panorama over the canal town. Timed tickets.

    ≈ €15 per person

  3. Nature

    Bruges Canal Boat Tour

    A 30-minute boat ride past Rozenhoedkaai (the most photographed corner). 5 departure docks.

    ≈ €12 per person

  4. Food

    De Halve Maan Brewery

    Home of Brugse Zot beer. The tour takes 45 minutes plus a beer, with rooftop views. Go at lunchtime.

    ≈ €18 per person

  5. Culture

    Begijnhof Bruges

    A beguine courtyard from 1245, very peaceful. Minnewater, the Lake of Love, is nearby.

    Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
  • Frituur Bruges MarktTwo chip huts beneath the Belfry.
  • GroeningemuseumFlemish Primitives (van Eyck). Go instead of the Begijnhof.

Day 4 · 10:00–17:30

Atomium and Laeken

  1. Landmark

    Atomium

    The 102 m iron crystal from Expo 1958. Spheres and views, book online (combined ticket with Design Museum).

    ≈ €16 per person

  2. Culture

    Mini-Europe

    350 miniatures of Europe's landmarks, at the foot of the Atomium. Good with children.

    ≈ €19 per person

  3. Food

    Atomium Restaurant

    A restaurant with views in the top sphere. Go to the outdoor café instead.

    ≈ €30 per person
  4. 30 min · travel, break, free time

  5. Nature

    Royal Greenhouses of Laeken

    Open for only 3 weeks in April and May. At other times, see Laeken Park and the Japanese Tower from outside.

    ≈ €4 per person
  6. 30 min · travel, break, free time

  7. Nature

    Parc du Cinquantenaire

    A triumphal arch and museums, in the EU quarter.

    Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
  • Frit FlageyThe city's best friterie (Place Flagey). Take the tram.
  • Autoworld Cinquantenaire300 classic cars. Go instead of the park.

Day 5 · 10:00–17:00Day trip

Ghent

  1. Landmark

    Gravensteen

    35 minutes by train. The counts' castle has a funny audio guide and ramparts with city views.

    ≈ €13 per person

  2. Landmark

    Graslei & Korenlei

    Guildhouses along the canal, the best view in Ghent from St Michael's Bridge.

    Free

  3. Culture

    Saint Bavo's Cathedral Ghent Altarpiece

    Van Eyck's Adoration of the Mystic Lamb panel (AR tour). Opposite the Belfry.

    ≈ €16 per person
  4. 1 h 15 min · travel, break, free time

  5. Food

    Patershol

    A medieval quarter full of restaurants. Try Gentse waterzooi (chicken stew).

    ≈ €20 per person
  6. 45 min · travel, break, free time

  7. Nature

    Ghent Canal Boat Tour

    40 minutes, departing from Graslei. Then take the train back.

    ≈ €9 per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
  • Belfry of GhentA UNESCO bell tower. Go instead of the cathedral.
  • Frituur Filip GentA Ghent chip hut.

Day 6 · 10:00–16:00

Ixelles, Art Nouveau and the EU

  1. Culture

    Horta Museum

    The home of Victor Horta, the inventor of Art Nouveau, in Saint-Gilles. Timed tickets, closed Mondays.

    ≈ €12 per person

  2. Landmark

    Avenue Louise Art Nouveau Walk

    The façades of Hôtel Tassel and Solvay, in Ixelles.

    Free

  3. Nature

    Place Flagey & Ixelles Ponds

    A square and lakeside, with a market at weekends.

    Free

  4. Food

    Belga Café Flagey

    A café on Place Flagey. Order a croque and a beer, opposite Frit Flagey.

    ≈ €15 per person
  5. 30 min · travel, break, free time

  6. Culture

    European Parliament Parlamentarium

    A free interactive EU museum. Hemicycle tour with your passport.

    Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
  • Moeder Lambic FontainasA bar for lambic and gueuze beers. A more local option than Delirium.
  • Museum of Natural SciencesEurope's largest dinosaur hall. Go instead of the Parlamentarium.

Day 7 · 09:30–13:45

Chocolate morning and farewell

  1. Culture

    Choco-Story Brussels

    A chocolate museum with demonstrations, next to Grand-Place.

    ≈ €12 per person

  2. Shopping

    Pierre Marcolini Grand Sablon

    One of Belgium's best chocolatiers. Buy a gift box.

    ≈ €15 per person

  3. Food

    Noordzee Mer du Nord

    A stand-up fish bar in Sainte-Catherine. Have shrimp croquettes and white wine as a farewell.

    ≈ €15 per person
  4. 30 min · travel, break, free time

  5. Landmark

    Gare Centrale

    The train to Zaventem takes 20 minutes (Midi/Central). The bus to Charleroi takes 1 hour. Farewell.

    Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
  • Le Pain Quotidien Sainte-CatherineA café on the square.
  • Comics Art MuseumTintin and the Smurfs, in a Horta building. Go instead of the chocolate.

Good to know: 6 things that make a Brussels trip easier

  1. A STIB day pass costs 8 EUR, and the city centre is walkable. Take the train to Bruges and Ghent (weekend tickets are 50% off). The train to Zaventem takes 20 minutes.
  2. In December there is a light show on Grand-Place and a Christmas market (Plaisirs d'Hiver). Winter weather is 3-7°C and rainy, so museums and beer bars are warm refuges. The Laeken greenhouses open in April and May.
  3. Waffles cost 3-7 EUR (Brussels = rectangular and light, Liège = dense and sugary), frites 4-6, moules-frites 25, beer 4-6. For a tip, round up the bill.
  4. French is spoken in Brussels and Flemish in Bruges and Ghent; English also works. Avoid the restaurants on Rue des Bouchers (tourist traps), except Chez Léon.
  5. Museums are closed on Mondays. Book Atomium and Belfry tickets online. On the first Wednesday of the month, many museums are free in the afternoon.
  6. Chocolate: Neuhaus, Marcolini, Wittamer, Mary. Leonidas is cheap and good.

Spending: ≈ €730 per person for 7 days

  • Food€380
  • Entry and tours€180
  • Local transport€90
  • Other€80

Excludes accommodation and flights. 2026 price estimate, per person.

We did the planning. You just pick the dates.

TripWalkers rebuilds this route around your number of days, budget and pace — on a map, day by day, in your pocket.

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Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need in Brussels?

This itinerary is built for 7 days. With 3 days, do the first 3 — TripWalkers uses the opening days of the plan for shorter trips too. The day trip is on day 3 and 5; skip it on a short stay.

How much does a day in Brussels cost?

In this plan, food, entry fees and local transport come to about €104 per person per day. Accommodation and flights are not included. Figures are 2026 estimates.

What time should you start the day in Brussels?

The first stop is at 09:00. Most days start early so you arrive before the crowds, and evenings end with dinner.

Which season is this itinerary for?

This page covers October–May. There is a separate plan for June–September: opening hours, the sea and the weather change the route.