What to see in Belgium in 4 days: Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges

If you are reading these lines it is because you want to know what to see in Belgium in 4 days and we will do everything possible to help you organize your trip. In this case, we will focus on telling you the itinerary what to do in Belgium If you want to know some of the most tourist cities y populated from this country: Brussels, Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp. We also tell you about it in a video at the end, in case it is more convenient for you than reading all our advice. Here we go!

This is the index of contents that you will find in this article about the places to visit in Belgium and tips.

What to see in Belgium in 4 days: route through Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges

You should know that this tour of the tourist places in Belgium is valid for visit the country in the order you prefer. The train connection is fantastic and the beautiful cities in Belgium that we share with you are less than an hour by train from each other. What we did was sleep one night in each city (except in Bruges). He Belgium itinerary was the following:

• Outbound trip. Arrival in Brussels at night: Hotel La Bourse
• Day 1, what to see in Brussels: Hotel La Bourse, 5 minutes from Grand Place and 10 minutes from Central Station.
• Day 2, what to see in Antwerp: hotels Premier Suites Plus Antwerp, 5 minutes from the central station and downtown.
• Day 3, what to see in Ghent: Chamade Hotel, 5 minutes from the central station and 20 minutes from the center.
• Day 4, what to see in Bruges: Hotel La Bourse. Train from Ghent to Bruges, we left our suitcases at the Bruges station and at the end of the day we traveled by train to Brussels back.
• Return trip

Tip for your trip to Belgium: Bruges station ticket offices

The hotels in Bruges They were very expensive, so to visit this city and save a little money we took an excursion from Ghent (30 min by train). It seemed to us super practical to leave your suitcases in the station lockers (we show it to you in the video, although you can see the prices of all the stations here). You can do the center walk on foot in about 5 hours. At the end of the day, we returned to Brussels by train (approx. 1 hour) and spent the last night there to fly back the next day. At the end of this article we explain how to get around Belgium by train. Below, we tell you the detailed itinerary about what to see in Belgium in 4 days.

DAY 1: What to see in Brussels, one of the best places to visit in Belgium

One of the places to visit in Belgium It is its capital, too capital of the European Union. So Brussels cannot be missing from your list of Belgium cities to visit.

✔ Grand Place, one of the essential things to see in Belgium

For us, the Grand Place of Brussels (Grote Markt in Flemish) is one of the best places to visit in Brussels. It is completely surrounded by monuments and you will not get tired of appreciating the different details of each of the buildings: gargoyles, golden figures, incredible facades... From this main square start the free tour of Brussels. You can reserve it free and see reviews from other travelers on this page.

Plus, it's also one of the best things what to see in Belgium in winter, since for Christmas they celebrate a light show night at the Grand Place. This 2024 the show will be from November 29 to January 5, 2025. This is definitely one of the best things what to do in Belgium at Christmas. We show you part of this show in the video of our visit to Belgium at the end of this article, although we give you a sneak peek in photos. When we travel (2022), The lighting was every hour from Monday to Thursday from 17:22 p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. and from Friday to Sunday every half hour.

✔ Galeries Royales St. Hubert

Our second favorite place what to see in Brussels could possibly be the Royal Galleries of St. Hubert. It is about shopping galleries from 1847. If you walk through them, note that you will pass through the galleries of the queen, those of the king and, in a perpendicular direction, those of the prince. Here you will find restaurants like The Marmiton (Belgian food), Everyday pain (coffee and breakfast) and the famous chocolate shop Neuhaus (one of their several stores).

✔ Manneken pee, Jeanneke pee and Zinneke pee. Monuments to visit in Belgium capital

La Manneken pis sculpture (1619) is one of the main attractions of Brussels and one of the places to see in Belgium more mythical. This black sculpture simulates a boy urinating and it measures only half a meter. It is located in the center, right next to the comic mural of Tintin and Captain Haddock. If you want to know all the legends behind the city and this sculpture, you can hire a free tours. There is also a museum, the Museum of the Ville, where you can find more than 700 suits that have been given to this child.

Another of the sister sculptures of Manneken pis what to visit in Brussels are that of Jeanneke pee (1985) and that of Zinneke pee o Het Zinneke (1998). The first is of the girl urinating, who is next to the famous Delirium Tremens Café brewery. On the other hand, the second is that of a dog urinating next to the Sainte Catherine square.

✔ Atomium, for those who want to see Brussels in two days

El Atomium is one of Brussels tourist places and, therefore, of the Belgium tourist sites most photographed. His figure represents nine atoms that correspond to each of the provinces that make up Belgium. We decided not to go because it is on the outskirts of central Brussels. That is, approximately 8 kilometers from the center and we prefer to dedicate that time to others places to visit in Belgium.

✔ Everard't Serclaes Bronze Statue (next to Grand Place)

Another of the Brussels tourist attractions that you can visit next to the Grand Place is the bronze sculpture of Everard't Serclaes. Apparently it was a belgian hero who faced the Flemish troops. You will see that the sculpture is somewhat worn, since hundreds of tourists pass by here daily to touch it because they say that It brings good luck if you rub your arm.

On the other hand, we have also read that if you miss the hand from head to toe will help you get married and, on the contrary, If you touch him from head to toe, he will help you separate.

✔ Sainte-Catherine Square and Church

The square of Sainte-catherine It is known because here they set up a flea market of eco or bio products. Furthermore, it is surrounded by bars and restaurants (we ate here at The Beers Garden). During Christmas they have several food stalls and even a carousel like the one you can see in the video. Next to the square is the Sainte-Catherine church.

✔ Brussels Palace and Brussels Park

If you want to take a pleasant walk among the trees, we recommend visiting the Brussels park. It is next to the Brussels Palace, so you can take the opportunity to visit both.

✔ Mont des Arts, one of the best views of Brussels

Another very nice area what to visit in Brussels is mount of arts, with one of the best panoramic views of the city. Here, in addition to its beautiful gardens, you are surrounded by buildings with incredible architecture.

✔ St. Michel Cathedral and Notre Dame du Sablon Cathedral

These two cathedrals are a spectacle inside and out. In the case of St. Michel, we recommend you pay attention to its stained glass, organ and pulpit. Access is free. In the case of Notre Dame, its sculptures carved on one of its side doors are amazingIt also has very beautiful stained glass windows. We show you in the video!

✔ Comic murals, what to visit in Brussels

Another stuff what to do in Brussels It's the comic route. Throughout the entire center you will be able to discover several murals with characters from Belgian and French comics better known as Tintin. You have several of these murals in the video of the trip below. We did not follow any route as such, but we were attentive in every corner and street we visited.

Finally, as you can imagine, there are several museums in Brussels to visit, so if you are looking for what to see in Brussels in two days, you will have time to go to the Atomium and other museums such as the Natural Sciences Museum, the Brussels City Museum, the Manneken Pis Costume Museum (Musée de la Ville), among others.

✔ Restaurants in Brussels

If you do not know where to eat in Brussels, write down these restaurants where you can try Belgian food.

• Nüetnigenouh Restaurant (near Grand Place). Here we recommend you order the famous beef stew with beer called “Carbonnade flamande” and sausage with smoked rib «Saucisse de campagne et Kasselrib». We recommend you reserve online, since the site is small.

• The Beer Garden, Saint Catherine. Here we recommend the mussels with white wine sauce and a white sausage with mashed potatoes (we show you photo before). For dessert, you have to try the Brussels waffle and chocolate mousse. If you want to try the Belgian beer, ask for the Leffe Brüne, without a doubt our favorite.

• Brasserie Du Lombard. We recommend the mussels with fries and salad with Chimay cheese. In both cases they usually come with onion and celery, we always order them with white wine. Here we try the beer Red Delirium Tremens made with cherry and the normal. Delicious!

On the other hand, for buy chocolate in Brussels, we stay with The Biscuterie, Here You can even see how they prepare the tablets live just as we show you in the video.

✅ We also leave you our hotel in Brussels with full buffet breakfast, clean, comfortable, Close to the station and 5 minutes walk from Grand Place.

DAY 2: What to visit in Antwerp, the largest city to see in Belgium

Of cities what to see in Belgium in 4 days, Antwerp was the one that captivated us the least. But that doesn't mean it's not worth a visit. Keep in mind that she is the most populated city in the country and it has several tourist attractions that we are going to tell you about in the next few lines.

✔ Grote Markt main square in Antwerp: Brabo fountain and town hall

This central square, like that of Brussels, is surrounded by emblematic buildings with golden touches. We highlight the building of town hall and the Brabo fountain (1887) which we show you below. This sculpture represents the hero Silvius Brabo, who is said to have defeated the giant Antigoon, who charged a toll for crossing the bridge over the river Scheldt from this city. From here starts a free tours with very good opinions from other travelers, you can reserve it for free at this page.

✔ Antwerp Cathedral

This is the largest cathedral in Belgium and one of the most important Gothic style churches in all of Europe. Given its size, You will have the best view of the cathedral (and the city) from the top of the MAS museum, which we will tell you about below.. It is impressive to walk next to this monument given its immensity, your neck will hurt looking up. When we went it was under construction and Access had a cost of €8.

✔ Steen Castle

El castle Stone is oldest building in the city of Antwerp (built between 1220 and 1225). It is a medieval fortress erected to control access to the Scheldt River. In case you don't know, stone It means stone or rock in Dutch. At the entrance to the castle you will see the statue of Antwerp giant Lange Wapper.

✔ Antwerp Station (Antwerpen Central)

Another of the most emblematic buildings in Antwerp (built between 1895 and 1905) and that you can visit during this 4 day Belgium trip is Antwerp Central Station. Any train you take to get there from another Belgian city will leave you here, so you can take the opportunity to visit it.

✅ We stay very close to here (Premier Suites Plus Antwerp) so as not to carry the suitcases around too much, that is, in the diamond quarter. The rooms were super spacious, clean and comfortable. They had a kitchen, so we prepared breakfast “at home” this time, although they also have a buffet. In short, if you want buy diamonds, take advantage of the fact that you are in this neighborhood of Antwerp : )

✔ Aan de Stroom Museum, one of our favorites to see in Belgium

The visit to Aan de Stroom Museum (in Flemish: "in the current") is one of the places to see in Belgium its unique architecture and its views of the entire city of Antwerp. Its last floor (10 if I remember correctly) is Meters 60 and it is exposed. Here you will have a 360 view of the entire city.

When we were the Access to the top was free and there was a photography exhibition on its stairs and hallways. It is a short walk from the Schipperskwartier neighborhood in the Eilandje district.

✔ Rubenshuis Museum, Platin Moretus Museum and Hendrik Conscience Library

Finally, there is more things to do in Antwerp, although to access you have to pay. First of all, the house-workshop of the painter Peter Paul Rubens. On the other hand, the oldest printing press in the world «Platin Moretus». Lastly, the Hendrick Conscience Library, one of the most beautiful in the world.

✔ Restaurants in Antwerp

• Bakkerij Diné: Homemade waffles away from the tourist streets. We found it returning towards the center after visiting the MAS museum and it was a great success. I leave you the address here. Look how these waffles look!

• Grand Café De Rooden Hoed: It is a few steps from the Antwerp Cathedral. A local super cozy with Belgian food, good service and apparently nothing touristy (everyone eating here seemed local). In this case we ask for some soups of the day to get warm and sirloin with béarnaise sauce.

And here ends our mini guide on what to do in Antwerp. As you can see, the city is quite interesting. Still, if you have to decide what to see in Belgium in 3 days, perhaps I would delete Antwerp because of everything that Brussels, Ghent and Bruges hide.

DAY 3: What to see in Ghent, Belgium

In the next lines we are going to detail the essential ones what to visit in Ghent and where to eat. Remember that if you don't want to be wasting your time reading, you can always hire a free tour of Ghent. You can book it for free and see the opinions of other customers at this page.

✔ Graslei and Korenlei docks, a boat ride

One of the most beautiful places in Ghent are the docks of the river Lys next to the streets of Graslei and Korenlei. You can give a Walk along both sides of the river to appreciate the architecture of the houses. Even take a boat trip to tour the city through its canals. You can reserve the activity here.

As we show you in the video, a few steps away is the red Dulle Griet cannon from the 15th century.

✔ Church of Saint Nicholas

Possibly it is one of the most spectacular monuments of the city of Ghent, both day and night. Access is free! We leave you with a photo below from the San Miguel bridge.

✔ San Miguel Bridge

this beautiful stone bridge which has become one of the most instagrammable from Ghent. From here you will have some incredible views of the group of houses next to the river Lys and the ports of Graslei and Korenlei. Also, as we show you below, at the Church of San Nicolás and finally to the Saint Michael's Church.

✔ Castle of the counts of Flanders (Gravensteen)

It's the only one medieval castle in Flanders with a defense system practically intact. Inside they have a collection of torture instruments and is surrounded by Lys river. The access is paid, but you can also see it from the outside, since its stone structure is beautiful.

✔ Belfort Belfort in Ghent (there is another one in Bruges)

The Ghent Bell Tower is one of the city's three medieval towers (along with those of St. Bavo's Cathedral and St. Nicholas' Church). Has a height of 91 meters, so from here you will have one of the best panoramic views of the city. Of course, to go up you also have to pay.

✔ Saint Bavo's Cathedral

La St. Bavo's Cathedral (Sint-Baafskathedraal) began to be built in the year 1228. Here the central tower of almost 90 meters. Inside there is also a work of Rubens, The Entrance to the Monastery of Saint Bavo. The visit to this cathedral is is free.

✔ Vrijdagmarkt Square

Other site what to see in Ghent it's the square Vrijdamarkt, oldest in the city. Vrijdagmarkt means Friday market in Dutch. The weekly fruit and vegetable market takes place here. The square is surrounded by the beautiful traditional buildings of flanders. Next to these you will find several restaurants to have a drink. In the center of the square is the sculpture by Jacobo Van Artevelde, known in Ghent as the “wisest man”.

✔ Citadelpark

We also walked through this park, since it was on the way from our hotel to get to the center. However, it is not that it is one of the essential things to see in Belgium.

✅ By the way, point out our hotel in Ghent if you want to stay near the station so as not to carry the suitcases. The buffet breakfast was super complete with a variety of breads, pastries, cereals, yogurt, cold cuts and fresh fruit. The facilities and cleanliness are also super.

✔ Restaurants in Antwerp

• Café 't Klokhuys: here we ate quite well some vegetable soups and the famous traditional dish of the flamenco cuisine: The Waterzooi of chicken. It is a type of chicken stew that was spectacular. If you visit Belgium in winter, it is a dish that should not be missed.

• Cuberdon and Liege waffles: In Ghent you can also try cuberdon, made from syrup and gum arabic and traditionally flavored with raspberry. Here we also test the Liège waffles that have more sugar in their dough and have an irregular shape (unlike those in Brussels which are perfectly rectangular).

Although waffles are traditional from Liège, you can find them practically all over Belgium. However, the cuberdons are an original sweet from Ghent. In flamenco they call it «neuzeke«, which means small nose and in French «curé hat» (priest's hat). You can find them at stalls on the streets of the city.

DAY 4: What to see in Bruges, beautiful cities in Belgium

One thing to keep in mind is that Bruges is very touristy, so if you can, avoid weekends. As we mentioned, we did not spend the night there given how expensive the hotels were. hotels in Bruges and the excursion from Ghent was a good idea. Next, we tell you what to see in Bruges in 1 day.

✔ Grote markt and free tour Bruges

Without a doubt, one of the most beautiful places in Belgium It is the main square of Bruges. Here you will have a sample of the traditional flamenco houses (we show it to you at the beginning). From here practically all the free walking tour. You can take a look at the opinions from other travelers and book your free tour at this page. Since there is no cost, you only pay the tip you think is appropriate to the guide at the end of the activity.

✔ Rosario Pier and walk through the canals of Bruges

The Rosario pier has to be on your list of places to visit in Bruges. From here is where the boat routes through the canals of Bruges. Furthermore, from the Rosario Pier there is a beautiful photo in which one of its canals is framed (there are usually swans), the Belfort tower, a beautiful tree (which they decorate at Christmas) and some traditional Belgian houses.

✔ Belfort Tower Bruges

Another things to do in Bruges is to climb to the top of the Belfort tower to have the best views of the historic city center. Of course, you have to climb 366 steps to reach the top (it measures 80 meters). This tower is one of the symbols of Bruges and you can find it in the Grote Markt or main square.

✔ Begijnhof

Begijnhof is a beguinage that was built in medieval times (1245) so that orphaned or widowed women would have a place to live. This place was declared a World Heritage Site in 1998. To this day, some Benedictine nuns still reside there and you can access the common areas for free. If you want to enter the museum you have to pay.

✔ Burg Square, one of the most beautiful places in Belgium

La Burg square It is another of the places what to visit in Bruges for the number of historic buildings it houses. These are the Town Hall, the Basilica of the Holy Blood, the Palace of Justice, among others.

And these are the main things what to do in Bruges in 1 day. If you have more time, take note of the following sites:

• Minnewater Park or Lake of Love
• San Salvador Cathedral
• Church of Our Lady of Bruges
• Jan Van Eyck Square
• Beer Museum, Groeninge Museum and Memling Museum

Video what to see in Belgium in 4 days

Next, we leave you with the video of our trip through Belgium and places of interest that we traveled. Remember that in our YouTube Channel You have more videos about other destinations to visit.

How to get from Charleroi Airport to Brussels

First of all, we understand that you will arrive in Belgium by Charleroi airport or Brussels airport. We arrived through Charleroi and the option we chose to go from Charleroi to Brussels center it was that of private transfer. We reserve it with Civitatis on the way They did not have availability for the return and we resorted to Taxi2Charleroi. Another option is the bus from Charleroi airport to Brussels with FlibcoThey also have shared transfer. It bad thing about the bus is that it only drops you off at one point in the center and then you would have to figure out how to get to your hotel from there.

Civitatis also has transfers from Brussels airport, not only from Brussels Charleroi south. You can see the prices and opinions of other travelers at this page.

How to get around Belgium by train

To move through the different Destinations to visit in Belgium, the best option is the train. The journeys between best cities in belgium They have a duration of between 30 minutes and an hour. So if you spend one night in each city, you will save time and money. Trains cost approximately €7-€9 each way, depending on how far in advance you buy them. There is a ticket called Rail Pass that includes 10 trips for about €90 and can be used by several people (over 26). For those under 26 it is the same, but it is cheaper and it is called GoPass. Prices may have changed since 2022, you can see all prices, routes and Belgium train schedules here.

Still, we always recommend ask at the station on the first day whatever is best and take out all the tickets at once (in case there are people over 65 or under 26 in your group). What we liked most about traveling by train through Belgium is that you can take the train at the time you want within the day you book and there were always seats available.

Beautiful cities in Belgium

Finally, you should know that if you are going to be in the country and want to know what to see in Belgium in 5 days o what to see in Belgium in 7 days even, you must take other cities into account. The most notable are Leuven, Dinant, Mechelen, Mons, Namur and Liège. Anyway, there are others Belgium tourist sites like the coastal town of Ostend which we think you should take into account.

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We hope that this Belgium tour in 4 days has been of help to you. If one day you travel to Gran CanariaRemember that we have a super complete blog to get to know the most authentic side of the island. We will wait for you!

Ruth González

Hello! I am Ruth, Canarian with a traveling soul. With training and experience in the tourism and digital marketing sector. In this blog I tell you all the tips you need to get to know the most authentic side of Gran Canaria on your own. I also share my travel guides to all the places in the world that I am visiting so that you can discover the destinations like a local and save time planning. In addition to traveling, I love gastronomy and sports. I run and hike in the mountains with my “dog-children” (Silver and Plata). In all these adventures my partner accompanies me, Jorge, which you will also see a lot on this blog.