Bruges, Belgium is one of my favorite cities in Belgium and I’m not alone. Many travelers will pick Bruges as their favorite Belgian city and after a visit, it’s easy to see why. There’s beautiful architecture, loads of canals, plenty of good food, and so much more. If you have the time, I recommend giving yourself two days here, but even with just one day in Bruges, you can see the highlights.
I had limited time on my trip to Belgium, so I had just under one day in Bruges (because I combined my day in Bruges with a half day in Ghent). Despite just a short time in the city, I decided that Bruges is a city I’d return to because I feel like I only scratched the surface. It’s easy to say “oh just spend two or three days here”, but for some people, that’s just not an option. So, if you’re like me, you should know that you can experience some of the top sights in Bruges with just a short time.
Bruges or Brugge
Before I get into what you you should do with your one day in Bruges, I want to address this. You’ll likely see two different spellings. Bruges is the French spelling of the city, while Brugge is the Flemish spelling. You can use either spelling as French is one of the official languages of Belgium. So depending on where you are, you may see either spelling.
Now, back to what to do how to spend your one day in Bruges.
One Day in Bruges – The Highlights
Rather than giving an exhaustive list of everything to do in Bruges, I’ve narrowed it down to what I think you can comfortably see in one day. It covers the highlights the city, though you should know that there is more to do than what I’ve included here. For those with limited time, this will be all you’ll be able to reasonably see.
Basilica of the Holy Blood
The Basilica of the Holy Blood was only a chapel when it was first built in the 1100s. At the time, it was built specifically to hold drops of Jesus Christ’s blood that one crusader brought back from Jerusalem. Now, it’s been declared a basilica.
There is a lower chapel, but the upper chapel is more interesting. Enter the building and climb the stairs. You’ll emerge in a colorful interior with a curved wooden ceiling. The original chapel was gutted and redecorated in the 1800s and is what you see today.
The Basilica of the Holy Blood is free to visit, but there is a small treasury museum that costs 5 euro to tour.
As a note, I was here on a very cloudy day and the Basilica felt very dark. In my journal, I specifically noted that it was a nice experience, but I was certain that I’d have to edit my photos just to be able to make out the details of the Basilica’s interior. So I think that’s important to keep in mind.
Take a Canal Boat Tour
When I was planning my day trip to Bruges, I figured that taking a canal boat tour would just be some really touristy experience that I wouldn’t enjoy much. I was wrong and it ended up being one of my favorite activities from my day in Bruges. It is touristy, but riding through the canals on a boat gives you a new perspective on the city.
I had spent the early part of the morning morning doing a self-guided walking tour of the city, so while I had seen a lot, I was still pleasantly surprised by the tour. There are several options for canal boats in Bruges and almost all of the boats offer similar pricing. I boarded my boat near Rozenhoedkaai and paid 12 euro for a 30 minute tour (in spring 2023).
Note: Try to time your canal boat correctly because the boats will not leave until they are full. If you’re the first person in the boat, you may be stuck sitting in the boat until enough people join the tour. I walked by, saw that the boat was only half full, wandered for ten minutes to take some photos. When I came back, I boarded the boat with the same people who had been waiting. I sat on the boat for maybe a minute and a half before it was full and we departed.
It should be noted that I took my boat tour shortly after 10:00 am in March. If you try to take a tour later in the afternoon (or you’re visiting at a more popular time), you may have to wait in a line just to get on the boat.
Photograph Boniface Bridge
This is one of the most photographed spots of Bruges. I’m not sure if it was my favorite view of Bruges, but it definitely is a nice view and worthy of a detour.
Try and visit earlier in the day because as the day goes on, it can become quite a tourist photo hot spot.
Church of Our Lady
Right next to Boniface Bridge, you’ll find the Church of Our Lady. The interior of this church was beautiful and I liked it more than the Basilica of the Holy Blood. In some ways the Church of Our Lady and the Basilica of the Holy Blood are opposites. The Basilica is very dark, while the Church of Our Lady had white walls and felt very bright.
Entry to the Church of Our Lady is 8 euro for adults. If you’re a thrifty traveler (or on a very tight budget), you can go inside and get a good feel for the church before you reach the ticket office and are required to pay.
Enjoy Some Chocolate
Depending on how long you’ve been in Belgium, you may or may not be sick of chocolate. I’m not a huge chocolate lover to begin with, but I had still gone a little crazy in Brussels the day before. By the time I got to Bruges, I was kind of sick of chocolate. However, if chocolate still sounds appealing to you, there are two chocolate shops that I want to mention.
The first is Dumon, which I had consistently read was the best place to get chocolate in Bruges. I was shopping for some birthday gifts for a friend and planned to splurge a bit here, but then I passed another store promoting that they had been named Chocolatier of the Year (in 2023 when I visited). Well, I had to get some chocolate from there too! Just down the street from Dumon, you’ll find The Chocolate Line.
While I personally did not eat chocolate from these stores, I picked some up for a friend. She said that all of the chocolate I picked out (both in Bruges and from stores in Brussels) was delicious.
Beyond those two chocolatiers, you’ll find several others as well. Quite honestly, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with spending your one day in Bruges on a DIY chocolate store tour (that’s what I did in during my short time in Brussels!).
Visit Market Square
This is one place that I have to mention because it’s the big market square and it feels like such a tourist hub. After arriving at the train station, I came here to start my self-guided walking tour. I was just blown away my the architecture here. Yes, it reminded me of the main square in Brussels, but this just as spectacular.
Plus, if you skip out on Brussels, I think it’s even more important that you stop here for some awesome architecture.
Don’t forget to spin around 360 degrees. You’ll get amazing views no matter which direction you are looking.
Bonus: The Belfry
This is one sight I skipped and that’s simply for the price. If you want a view over the whole city of Bruges, you can climb The Belfry. Tickets to climb the tower are 15 euro per person.
How to Get to Bruges
Bruges is easily connected with other major tourist cities in Belgium. Because of these connections, it’s easy to make Bruges a day trip, rather than a full destination. That said, if I had time, I’d absolutely spend the night in Bruges.
Antwerp – 90 minutes by train
Brussels – 60 minutes by train
Ghent – 25 minutes by train
How to Get Around Bruges
Bruges is a very walkable city. Plus, I found the city much more interesting than Brussels (where the interesting architecture doesn’t seem to extend much beyond the main tourist hub at the Grote Markt).
However, it is a nearly 20 minute walk from the train station to the Market Square. You can save some time and energy by taking public buses to get to and from the train station.
Is One Day Enough in Bruges?
You can see everything on this list in just a few hours, although you could easily spend one day in Bruges to get a feel for the city. Other travelers have written about spending multiple days here and not running out of things to do.
I didn’t have that time, so I limited myself to a half day. I was based in Brussels and took one day to visit Bruges and Ghent. This is roughly what my day looked liked:
7:30 – Depart Brussels
8:30 – Arrive Bruges
1:30 – Depart Bruges
2:00 – Arrive Ghent
5:00 – Depart Ghent
5:30 – Arrive Brussels
Final Thoughts
I’m at a point in my life where I travel fast to get a taste of as many cities as possible. I find this the best way to figure out which cities are the ones that I need to come back and explore more. Of the four cities I visited in Belgium, Bruges is one of two that I enjoyed enough that I would like to return one day (the other being Antwerp). The architecture, the food, and the sights, are all reason enough to not only spend some time in this city, but also to return.
Continue Your Adventure
More in Belgium: Continue your travels in Belgium with a visit to Ghent or visit the capital city of Brussels. Plus, don’t miss Antwerp, another great city in Belgium. Combine all of these cities into a long weekend in Belgium. Find everything you need to start planning your trip with my Belgium Travel Guide.
Paris: I visited Belgium after a trip in France, which is just a short train ride away from many Belgian destinations. Spend five days in Paris or two days in Paris.
Amsterdam: After Belgium, I continued on to Netherlands, which included a stop in Amsterdam, a city with so much to do.
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.
