Brussels in 3 Days: tips, what to see, and much more
If you plan to visit Brussels for three days, you'll get to see a lot of the city, which is small in itself. Find out what you can't miss
Manneke Pis in Brussels | ©Frédéric Paulussen
On your three-day trip to Brussels, you will be able to do almost anything you want. Of course, there will always be something left to do. But this depends not so much on the number of days available as on the number of attractions in the world's major cities.
To visit as much as possible, you don't necessarily have to have such a tight itinerary. That's up to you and how much you want to relax while strolling around or how hard you want to work to cross items off your list of things to see and do in Brussels.
Day 1: Historic centre, waffles, chocolates and lights on the Grand Place
On your three-day Brussels itinerary, you'll have time to visit museums, monuments and eateries for all the Belgian delicacies you want to try. In this article, you can see some of the best tours and excursions in Brussels.
For the first day, I recommend touring the geographical heart of the city, starting from the Grand Place, and then continue on to the surrounding area, which is full of culture, history and attractions.
Start your day at the Grand Place
The Grand Place is the historic centre of Brussels, but it is also one of the most beautiful squares in the world. Without a doubt, starting your tour in a place like this will be a great way to get off on the right foot.
The square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and I think you will find it as fascinating as Victor Hugo found it, who called it "the most beautiful square in the world".
Pass by the Stock Exchange building and discover the Manneken Pis
Leave the Grand Place and head to the Stock Exchange building, an imposing neoclassical building in the centre of the capital. It's all in the same central area, so you'll move really quickly so you can take more time to enjoy yourself than to get around.
Once you've seen the building, you head to the Manneken Pis, which is a sculpture of a boy whose clothes are being changed all the time: a real curiosity and one of the things you must see in Brussels.
- Opening hours: all day.
- Price: free.
- Address: Pl. de la Bourse, 1000
Time for breakfast: how about a waffle?
Around the sculpture, you will see that it is full of stalls, from which you can choose the one to satiate your stomach. My recommendation: try the waffles. You'll love them.
Elegance and chocolates: don't miss this stop!
After breakfast, you should walk to the very elegant Le Sablon district, which is full of chocolate and antique shops. If you are a chocolate lover, you can read this article with the best chocolate tastings you should do in Brussels.
There you can take a shopping break, but I also recommend you to visit the Palace of Justice and, above all, to enter the church Notre-Dame du Sablon. It will blow your mind.
- Church opening hours: Monday to Friday from 10am to 6pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 6pm.
- Price: free.
- Address: Rue des Sablons, 1000
In addition, you have the small square and the large square, both equally beautiful: the Place du Petit Sablon and the Place du Grand Sablon. Before going on to the next stop, while you're at it, you can stop for lunch at the C'est bon c'est belge.
First afternoon: Old England, Parc de Bruxelles and a break
In the afternoon, I recommend that you head for the Parc de Bruxelles, but not without first passing the Art Nouveau building of the Old England.
Once in the park, I insist: take a break. I know you've just restarted your tour, but seriously: you won't want to miss the chance to stop and enjoy the architecture of the place.
Also, here you can visit the rooms of the great Royal Palace, another point not to be missed.
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10.30am to 5pm.
- Price: free.
- Address: Rue Brederode 16, 1000
Don't miss the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula.
The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula is the most important church in the city of Brussels, making it a must-see on your 3-day Brussels itinerary.
After visiting its interiors, you can return to the centre and visit the Galeries Saint Hubert and its surroundings, which are located around the Grand Place. There, you will find shops of all kinds, to make gifts, to stroll around or to stop for chocolates.
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 6pm.
- Price: free.
- Address: Pl. Sainte-Gudule, 1000
1, 2, 3, beer!
Just a few metres from where you're staying you'll find the Delirium Café, which is one of the most recommended places to drink beer in Brussels.
Another thing you can do, however, is to book a typical Belgian beer tasting tour, where you can try various types of beer, while continuing your walk.
Next to the Delirium, you will also see the Jeanneke Pis, the little girl version of the Manneken, which you saw at the beginning.
Lights on the Grand Place to end the first day
On the way back, you can stroll along Rue des Bouchers and see how the Grand Place looks illuminated. If you weren't convinced of its beauty, take another look.
In this area, you can also find a place to sit down for lunch. There are many options to suit all tastes, so you won't have any trouble finding somewhere that suits you.
Day 2: An ideal tour for children
On your second of 3 days in Brussels, I recommend starting with the Comic Strip Route, the European Quarter and the Cinquantenaire Park. After lunch, a stroll through the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, the Atomium and the Mini-Europe.
It starts in full colour: the comic strip route
The Comic Strip Route is a tour of the murals of Belgium's most famous comic strips, such as Tintin, sound familiar? It's an ideal route to do with children, but also without them. I recommend that you buy a map from the tourist office beforehand to make sure you don't get lost and that you see everything worth seeing.
If you're travelling with children, you'll find lots of other things to do with them in this article on the top ten things to do in Brussels with children.
At the end of the tour, be sure to visit the Comic Strip Museum, which exhibits several of the objects from the mythology of these comics.
- Opening hours of the Comic Strip Museum: 10 am to 6 pm.
- Price: 10 euros.
- Address: Rue des Sables 20.
Visit the European Quarter
After the Comic Strip Museum, take bus 71 and get off at the European Quarter. There, you can visit the European Parliament, the seat of the Council of the European Union and the official seat of the European Commission.
Also, you should not miss the very quiet Leopold Park, from where you will depart to the next point of the 3-day tour in Brussels.
Don't miss the amazing attractions of the Cinquantenaire Park
From Leopold Park it is only a short distance to the Cinquantenaire Park. In this park you can visit several places of great interest, such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Autoworld Museum and the Military History Museum, which are among the best museums to visit in Brussels.
You can also take a lunch break in this area - how about Italian food? You could stop by the Costa D'Amalfi, which is one of the most highly rated restaurants in the Belgian city.
- Parliament opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm.
- Price: free.
- Address: Pl. du Luxembourg 100, 1050.
Afternoon of sights and dreamy walks
The afternoon of your second of 3 days in Brussels should continue by taking the metro to the Sacré Coeur Basilica. There, you will enjoy the best views of Brussels from the terrace.
Admission to the basilica is free. However, to go up to the belvedere you have to pay an entrance fee.
- Opening hours: in summer, from 9am to 5pm, and in winter, from 10am to 4pm.
- Price: Adults €4 (if there is a group of more than 10 people, each person pays €3). Students and seniors €3. Brussels Card 40% discount.
- Address: 1083 Brussels.
Enter the Atomium
Take metro line 6 and you will arrive at the Atomium, one of the icons of the city that you can't miss. The tour lasts an hour and a half and also gives you access to the museum.
- Opening hours: from 10am to 4pm.
- Price: from 20 €.
- Address: Pl. de l'Atomium 1, 1020
Tour miniature monuments from all over Europe
Not far from the Atomium, you will find the Mini Europe park. It contains miniature replica buildings from 80 European cities. This afternoon is undoubtedly the part of the tour that children will love the most.
- Opening times: 14 March to 30 June: 9.30am-6pm.
1 July to 31 August: 9.30am-8pm. 1 October to 6 January: 10am-6pm. 4 January to 12 March: closed.
- Price: Adults: 16,50 € (18,10 US$)
Children under 12: €12 (US$13.20) Seniors over 65: €16.50 (US$18.10) Children under 120 centimetres: free admission.
- Address: Av. du Football 1, 1020
Time for dinner
Then, you can choose from the restaurants in the Atomium and Mini Europe area the one that serves the dishes you want to eat to end your second day in Brussels with a tasty meal.
On the spot, you have the option of dining at the Atomium Restaurant, but you can also choose from other nearby restaurants, such as Salon 58, the Brasserie Du Primerose, or the Delizia Restaurant.
You can also have a beer in one of Brussels' beer gardens. Afterwards, take a rest, you still have a day left.
Day 3: Three options for the Fairy Tale Tour
The last of your 3 days in Brussels can be spent visiting some of the most incredible places in the country: Ghent, Bruges or Antwerp.
My favourite option: Bruges
To get to Bruges from Brussels you can take one of the trains to Bruges. They leave every half hour from Midi, Central or Nord stations.
In one hour you will be at Bruges city station, a 20-minute walk from the historic centre. You can walk, or you can take a bus right in front of the station.
If you prefer something simpler and without so much walking, you can book an excursion to Bruges from Brussels.
- Duration of the tour: 10.5 hours.
- Price: from €45.
A different option: Ghent
Ghent is another of Belgium's medieval wonders. There you can visit the Graslei and Korenlei quays, St Michael's Bridge, St Bavo's Cathedral, the Castle of the Counts of Flanders and other amazing sights.
You can reach Ghent from Brussels by train in the direction of Ostend and you will be at St-Pieters station in half an hour. From there, walk another 30 minutes or take tram 1 to the centre.
You can also book the day trip to Bruges and Ghent from Brussels, so you don't miss out on either.
- Duration of the tour: 10.5 hours.
- Price: about €48.
Another dream location: Antwerp
Antwerp is another beautiful and easily accessible city to visit in one day from Brussels. It has several attractions that you definitely don't want to miss.
You can reach Antwerp from Brussels by train and get off at Antwerp Antwerpen-Centraal station. It takes 40 minutes to get there and then you only have to walk about 20 minutes to the centre. On the way, you can stop to explore the diamond quarter.
However, if you are looking for something more direct, you can book a day trip to Ghent and Antwerp from Brussels. It's a great day trip.
- Duration of tour: 10 hours.
- Price: around €48.