Belgium sits in central Europe and offers a lot for visitors to do. There’s delicious food, amazing architecture, beautiful churches, and some great museums. While some may think you need a week or more to really explore, I think four days in Belgium can give you a great overview. And because many travelers also visit Paris and Amsterdam, stopping in Belgium on the way just makes sense.
About This Itinerary
This itinerary is based out of Brussels. This may be a bit controversial because Brussels is typically not a favorite among travelers. Honestly, I agree. There are more exciting cities in Belgium (that you will visit on this itinerary). However, I think Brussels can make a great base for exploring because it has so many connections, not just to other cities in Belgium, but to the rest of Europe.
So while I think Brussels can be a great base, you’re welcome to use another city as your base. Since this is a short, four days in Belgium, I recommend just picking one city instead of wasting valuable time packing up each day. So if you don’t want to stay in Brussels, I’d recommend Ghent as it also has a central location. Just note that if you choose Ghent as a base, you may wish to alter this itinerary. It may be beneficial to swap some days around.
Now, let’s get into how to spend four days in Belgium.
Day 1 – Hello, Brussels.
We’re starting our trip to Belgium in its capital of Brussels. As I mentioned earlier, Brussels is not the most exciting city, but I think it can make a good introduction into Belgium. Plan to arrive in the morning. This gives you the afternoon for sightseeing. In my opinion, a half day in Brussels is really all you need.
Upon arrival into the city, head to your hotel and drop off your bags before exploring. Then, head for the Grote Markt. This is Brussels’ Great Market, or main square. While full of tourists, this is the best architecture in Brussels. In general, I found Brussels architecture to be boring, but when you enter into this square, you’ll want to turn and take it in from every angle.
Just off the main square, you’ll find the most famous statue in Brussels: Manneken-Pis. It’s not a large, or even impressive statue, but everyone who comes to Brussels seems to want to see it. For less tourists, but a similar statue, head to Jeanneke-Pis. There are two major differences between the statues.
First, Manneken-Pis is a little boy peeing while Jeanneke-Pis is a little girl.
Second, Jeanneke-Pis seems to get significantly fewer visitors
Beyond that, start your trip to Belgium with some tasty treats. There’s loads of chocolate shops and I recommend visiting several to pick up some treats. You could sign up for a chocolate tour, but with a little bit of research, it’s totally possible to make a DIY tour for significantly cheaper. My one day in Brussels guide gives information on my favorite chocolate shops in Brussels so you can start planning your own chocolate tour.
And if chocolate isn’t your thing, you’ll find plenty of other treats. Eat some frites, drink some beer, enjoy a waffle, and more. While Brussels may not have as many amazing sights as some other European capitals, it does have some great food.
When you’ve finished with your main sightseeing, head back to your hotel for a good night sleep. Tomorrow is a busy day.
Day 2 – Bruges and Ghent
Day 2 of your four days in Belgium is busy one, but that’s because you’ll be visiting two Belgian cities. Bruges and Ghent frequently rank high on traveler’s favorite cities in Belgium and today you’ll visit both. Now, some people will tell you that visiting both of these cities in one day is a waste of time (because you couldn’t possibly do them justice), but I disagree.
I’m a fast paced traveler who wants to see as much as I can when I’m younger (and have more energy), so I know what places I need to come back to explore more in depth. However, if you’re concerned about moving too fast, cut one of the cities (I’d skip Ghent if I had to choose).
In Bruges, take in the architecture, tour the canals by boat, climb the Belfry for views of the city, and visit some beautiful churches. Plus, if you haven’t gotten your fill on Belgian treats, visit some more chocolate shops to sample their selection. You’ll find some shops here that weren’t in Brussels.
In Ghent, you’ll have similar experiences to Bruges. However, the two cities do still feel different. Take in the architecture, especially at Sint-Michielsbrug (St. Michael’s Bridge). Tour some squares, climb the Belfry for views of the city, or take a canal boat tour. The choice is yours.
Because it’s going to be such a busy day, it’s a good idea to get an early start. When I did this I spent my morning in Bruges and my afternoon in Ghent and found this to work really well.
Here’s a rough idea of how my day looked:
7:30 – Depart Brussels
8:30 – Arrive Bruges
1:30 – Depart Bruges
2:00 – Arrive Ghent
5:00 – Depart Ghent
5:30 – Arrive Brussels
This type of itinerary worked well for me because I got a lot of variety, but never felt rushed while sightseeing. I did however find myself running for two of my three trains but that was poor planning on my part. If you still want to visit each city, but the above itinerary feels a bit rushed, you could easily add an extra 30 to 60 minutes in each city. Even an extra 30 minutes in each city would give you enough buffer so you shouldn’t have to run for a train.
Day 3 – Antwerp
While Day 3 is still busy, there’s fewer trains than yesterday. Today, you’ll only be visiting one city and that alone makes things more calm. Still, I think it’s a good idea to get an early start. From Brussels, it’s an hour train ride to Antwerp, where we’ll be spending today.
Once you arrive in Antwerp, don’t head out to explore immediately. Antwerp’s train station is a major sight here. The interior is one of the most beautiful train stations in Europe. Take it in before you go out to explore the rest of the city. Wander the city and explore the architecture, shopping malls, chocolate, and great food. There’s plenty of tourist sights to see here, and I’ve written a whole post about it, but this city has an old town that was just great to wander.
Admittedly, by now, the cities in Belgium will start to blur a little bit because you’ve seen so much in such a short amount of time. But, by the end of the day, you should have a really good idea of which cities you want to visit again for a deeper dive (for me that was Bruges) and which you’re ok with your short amount of time (Brussels in my case, and to an extent, Ghent).
Day 4 – Goodbye Belgium
It’s time to say goodbye. Head home or onto your next destination.
With More Time
If you have five days, I would definitely split Bruges and Ghent into two days. By giving each city its own day, you can really dive into it. Instead of just blitzing through and having a wander, you have time to pick out a museum in each city. Plus, take time to find a nice place to eat, relax, and enjoy the city, something I wasn’t able to really do doing my visit to to Bruges and Ghent.
With Less Time
If you have less than four days in Belgium, you’ll need to think about what is most important to you. This four day itinerary doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room, so a whole city will need to be cut. In my opinion, that city should be Brussels. Yes, it is the base for this itinerary, but it’s also the least interesting city on this itinerary. So cut Brussels and use Ghent as a base to explore Bruges and Antwerp. And quite honestly, my highlight of Brussels was my DIY chocolate tour and that’s something that is possible to do in any city in Belgium.
When to Do This
This is an itinerary that can be done all year round. In summers, expect warmer temperatures and the most crowds. In winter, you’ll find fewer crowds, but colder temperatures. Shoulder season can be an ideal time to visit.
I visited Belgium in mid-March. While the temperatures were cool and I experienced some rain, crowds felt manageable. Plus, prices were lower than had I traveled during summer.
Final Thoughts
For those looking for an introduction to Belgium, but are limited on time, I think this four day itinerary works well. See four major cities in Belgium and learn what stands out to you. On a return trip, dive deeper into those cities.
Continue Your Adventure
Belgium: Belgium is full of great cities. Brussels is the capital and a highlight for me was my DIY chocolate tour. Bruges was gorgeous, Ghent has a few interesting sights, and Antwerp has so much to see.
Belgium Travel Guide: Start planning your trip to Belgium with my Belgium Travel Guide.
Europe in 10 Days: Starting in Paris, travel to Belgium before finishing in Amsterdam on this amazing 10 Days in Paris, Belgium, and Amsterdam Itinerary.