Many Travellers tend to overlook Belgium. But, Belgium is worth a visit because you can visit wonderful attractions with a lesser crowd. Not to mention the savory cuisine, beers, and endless chocolates and waffles. I have been to Belgium many times for both work and leisure. And Brussels is definitely a heaven for foodie and slow traveller. I highly recommend spending at least 3 days to enjoy Brussels trip at a leisurely pace.
Basically, the itinerary contains the important information with the must-see, do, and eat in the city. I hope this travel guide on Brussels will help you in planning your wonderful trip to the beautiful Brussels!
Day 1
Morning: Breakfast at The Paul, Visit Jeanneke-Pis and the Grand Place
Breakfast at Paul with savory pastries and coffee! The Paul has been one of my favorite brekkie places in Brussels for its high-quality pastries and friendly services. Make sure you try out their signature Mille Feuille, Tarte, and Croissant.
I made Jeanneke-Pis (the sister of Manneken Pis, just kidding!) as my first stop before heading to Grand Place because it’s super near to the hotel which was just 4 minutes walking distance. Jeanneke-Pis is the female version of Manneken Pis with two ponytails.
Grand Place, one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is the most popular tourist attraction in Brussels. And it is always full of tourists throughout the day. It is surrounded by the City Hall, Maison du Roi, and guild houses which have been converted into shops, restaurants, and museums. Feel free to grab a waffle or chocolate, and enjoy the beauty of Grand Place. Personally, I love to visit Grand Place both in the morning and evening, particularly during the sunset.
Manneken Pis is just a few minutes walk away from Grand Place. The Manneken Pis is a cute little statue of a young boy with its little seasonal costume, depending on the travel season.
Afternoon: Lunch at Le Marmiton, Visit Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium
Before heading to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, we took our lunch at Le Marmiton. It is just located beside the Grand Place. Le Marmiton is popular for its Three-course meals at the price of 37 €. Personally, I have tried out most of the foods on their menu since I often travel to Brussels. To be honest, I have to say, I like all of them from their starter to main course and dessert even though I have pretty picky taste buds and hence I keep visiting them when I need to hang out around Grand Place because their foods never disappoint me.
Next, we walked about 13 minutes to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, a must-visit for Art Enthusiasts. The museum wasn’t busy and I easily spent about 3 hours admiring the fine collection of Belgian artists across the centuries at the price of 15 €.
Evening: Royal Palace of Brussels, Parc de Bruxelles, Dinner at La Mer Du Nord
The Royal Palace of Brussels as the 5th stop is just 5 minutes walk from the Museum. I just stopped by for a few photos since it was not open for public visit during my trip. But, I would recommend checking out their official website in case it is open for public visits during your travel period.
Brussels is full of many amazing parks and gardens. Next, I made a stop at Parc de Bruxelles which was about 10 minutes walking distance from the museum. I simply love the serenity and enjoyed watching the children playing or adults talking or jogging in the park.
For dinner, I have chosen La Mer Du Nord to satisfy my craving for seafood. La Mer Du Nord is one of the must-eat restaurants for its famous mouthwatering fresh silverfish, and don’t forget to pair it with a good glass of white wine!
Attached here with the map of the Day 1 itinerary in Brussels
Day 2
Morning: Breakfast at The Paul, Scroll along Comic Strip Walk
Today, we will need to travel with the Metro since a few scenic spots are pretty far from the city center. After breakfast, I took the metro from De Brouckere station and got off from Bockstael station to explore the comic strip walk. You will find numerous murals representing cartoon characters such as Tin Tin, Asterix & Obelix, and many more. I am a Tin Tin lover and hence I could easily spend hours here searching around for Tin Tin. I think street art lovers should not miss these fantastic trails.
Afternoon: Quick lunch, The Atomium, National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg
After a long walk, I took the metro to The Atomium and got off from Heizel Station. The Atomium is the main pavilion for the World Expo of Brussels (Expo 58). There are 9 spheres connected by tubes with escalators and lifts which is super huge. To avoid the hassle, I would recommend booking the ticket (16 €) in advance, especially during the peak season. For more details, you could refer to the official website of Atomium for booking. There is a panoramic restaurant on level 8 of The Atomium which offer an amazing view of Brussels with a starting price of 54 €.
Next, I took the metro from the Atomium and exit College S.-couer station to visit the National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg, one of the largest churches in the world built at the beginning of the 20th century. It is free to visit unless you would like to go up to the dome for which you would need to pay 6 €.
There is a huge park located opposite of National Basilica of the Sacred Heart and if you have time, it’s nice to just chill in the park with a drink or some snacks to eat.
Evening: Mont des Arts, shopping at Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert, Dinner at Taverne du Passage
To reach Mont des Art, just hop off at Centrale station. Mont des Art is located between the Grand Place and Place Royale which connects the downtown with the uptown of Brussels. It is a must-see landmark in Brussels guarded by the equestrian statue of King Albert with a beautiful garden landscape and monuments. It is definitely a nice place to relax and unwind for the day. Sharing here the photos of the evening and day view of Mont des Art.
Before heading for dinner, I went for a quick shopping at the Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert which is just about 5 minutes walk. There are nothing much to shop in Brussels besides chocolates, chocolates and more chocolates!!! There are two things I enjoy in the Royal Gaquickllery of Saint Hubert, first – the restaurants and second – the numerous chocolate shops here. I am a big fan of Neuhaus Chocolate shop and I find the customer service of the Neuhaus branch in the Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert is the best in Brussels town in my opinion and plus it’s super convenient to where I am staying.
Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert is also nice to visit in the afternoon in which you can enjoy the afternoon tea there.
For dinner, I choose Taverne du Passage, a classic traditional restaurant in Brussels decorated in black and white, and the waitress or waiter dressed in nice suits. Taverne du Passage is one of the highly recommended restaurants by the locals and normally it’s pretty crowded during the movie night because there is a theatre located nearby to the gallery. I have tried a lot of dishes on the menu and most of them are fabulous hence it becomes my top pick restaurant when I visit Brussels. I would recommend you try their mussels, croquettes, and cherry wine (kriek).
Attached here with the map of Day 2 in Brussels.
Day 3
Morning: Brunch at Peck 47, visit Horta Museum
It was a relaxing day for me, woke up a little bit later than usual since the plan was more chilling with lesser traveling. I had my brunch at Peck 47, a cute little local café with superb service and nice coffee. Peck 47 is my top pick when I would like to have healthier and vegan-friendly meals. I strongly recommend their poached eggs with hollandaise sauce. However, if you visit the café during the peak hour, please expect slower service because I think they are pretty under stuff which is the only down side of this lovely café.
After brunch, I went to Horta Museum by metro. The Horta Museum is a museum dedicated to the work of the Belgian Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta and if you are a fan of Art Nouveau, this is a must-visit attraction spot. Advance reservation is required to visit the museum and the ticket could be booked online via the official website at the price of 12 €.
Afternoon: Visit Parc du Cinquantenaire, Music Instruments Museum and Notre Dame Du Sablon
Next, I made a move to Parc du Cinquantenaire by metro. In my opinion, Parc du Cinquantenaire is the Belgium version of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It is a super large well-maintained park with a few museums surrounding it. Personally, I am a park lover and always love to visit one whenever I have extra time because it’s not a usual activity I would do on my ordinary day.
After spending an hour at Parc du Cinquantenaire, I decided to visit the Music Instruments Museum because it’s rare to find a museum with a great collection of musical instruments. The exterior view of the museum is so beautiful with the Art Nouveau style.
Next, I walked 5 minutes down to visit Notre Dame Du Sablon, one of my favorite cathedrals in Brussels with 15th-century Gothic architecture. It is free to visit however it was closed on both Saturday and Sunday, so I could only take the picture from the outside.
Evening: Visit Place Poelaert. Dinner at Mozart
Before sunset, I quickly made a move to Place Poelaert which was just five minutes walking distance from Notre Dame Du Sablon. What makes Place Poelaert interesting is the fact that it offers a good view of the Belgian capital, especially the sunset. A gigantic Ferris wheel was recently installed next to the square and it offers a bird eye view to the city.
For dinner, I picked Restaurant Mozart, 15 minutes walking distance from the square. For meat lover especially pork rib, this would be the right place for you because it offers all-you-can-eat spareribs with a jacket potato at the price of 24.25 €. The portion is super big and the waiter would ask every 20 minutes if you like to top up the ribs.
Well, the night was still young, after the meal, I stopped by the Grand Place for the evening view before joining my friend at the Delirium, one of the best places for beer lovers. Delirium café holds the Guinness World record for having more than 2000 number of beers available for tasting. Personally, I don’t know if that’s the truth, but indeed there are a variety of choices, but I always stick back with the Belgian Trappist beer, especially the Chimay, Westmalle and Rochefort. Voilà! That’s wrapped up the 3 days Brussels trip, see ya!
Attached here with the map of Day 3 in Brussels
Getting Around Brussels
Brussels is easily accessible and simple to navigate with Google map as long as you have the Internet!
If you would like to travel by metro, you can get a single trip ticket easily from the metro station. And if you plan to stay a bit longer, I would recommend that you get a MOBIB card which is a reloadable card to travel in Brussels by both metro and tram. MOBIB is available at any of the five branches of Bootik Mivb/Stib in Brussels stated below: –
- Gare du Midi / Zuidstation
- Roodebeek
- Gare de l’Ouest / Weststation
- Rogier
- Porte de Namur / Naamsepoort
If you would like to travel to Airport or from Airport to the city, the Airport Line is convenient with a cost of 30 €, from Brussels Zaventem Airport to Brussels Central Station every 10 minutes between 5am and midnight. But if you travel in a group, getting an airport taxi would be a better option.
Where to Stay in Brussels
Generally speaking, the Hotels are pretty expensive in Brussels. If you aim to spend a short trip in Brussels, I recommend staying near Brussels Central. The location is good and pretty near to many scenic spots, metro, train station, restaurants and bars. Below is my hotels recommendation.
- Aparthotel Adagio Brussels Grand Place
Address: 20 Anspachlaan, 1000 Brussels
Price: 150-180 € per night
- Hotel Saint-Géry,
Address: Sint-Goriksplein 29/32, 1000 Brussel, Belgium
Price: 120-150 € per night
- Hotel Hubert Grand Place
Address: Rue d’Arenberg, 18, 1000 Brussels
Price: 180-220 € per night
What to Eat in Brussels and my Top 10 picks restaurants, cafes and bars
- Paul Boulangerie Patisserie
Address: Bd Anspach 9, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
Business Hours: 7.30am – 7pm
Address: Rue des Bouchers 43, Galerie de la Reine 38, 1000 Brussels
Business Hours: 12pm – 3pm and reopen 6pm – 11pm
- La Mer Du Nord
Address: Rue Sainte-Catherine 45, 1000 Brussels
Business Hours: 11am – 5pm (Tuesday to Thursday), 11am – 6pm (Friday and Saturday), 11am – 8pm (Sunday), closed on Monday
Address: Galerie De La Reine 30, 1000 Brussels
Business Hours: 12pm – 3pm and reopen 6pm – 11pm
- Peck 47
Address: Rue du Marche aux Poulets 47, 1000 Brussels
Business Hours: 9am – 10pm
- Mozart Restaurant
Address: Petite rue des Bouchers 18, 1000 Brussels
Business Hours: 6pm – 11pm
Address: Impasse de la Fidelite 4, Getrouwheidsgang, 1000 Brussels
Business Hours: 10am – 4am
- Sharazad Restaurant (Middle Eastern)
Address: Rue Jourdan 28, 1060 Brussels
Business Hours: 2pm – midnight
- Sharazad Restaurant (Middle Eastern)
Address: Rue Jourdan 28, 1060 Brussels
Business Hours: 2pm – midnight
- Vitalgaufre – The best waffle in Brussels
Address: Quai de Mariemont 53c, 1080 Brussels
Business Hours: 10am – 6pm
