Belgium · best-of list
16 Top Things to Do in Belgium
All 16 things to do our route editors picked in Belgium, across 3 destinations, gathered in one list. 5 come with an insider tip, and 3 cost nothing to visit.
Our curated picks
16 things to do in Belgium, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Ghent 7 picks
Belfry of Ghent
Ghent · On our Amsterdam to Bruges by Rail route
14th-century belfry with a lift to the top.
Photo: Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer) · CC BY 4.0
Ghent canal boat tour
Ghent · On our Amsterdam to Bruges by Rail route
Short boat trip past the guildhouses and castle.
Photo: De Bootjes Van Gent - Rederij Dewaele · Google
Graslei and Korenlei
Ghent · On our Amsterdam to Bruges by Rail route
Medieval guildhouses facing each other across the Leie river.
Tip: Best at night from St Michael's Bridge.
Photo: Pascal Brachais · Google
Gravensteen
Ghent · On our Amsterdam to Bruges by Rail route
12th-century castle of the Counts of Flanders in the city center.
Photo: lubomir cehelsky · Google
MSK Ghent
Ghent · On our Amsterdam to Bruges by Rail route
Fine arts museum with Flemish masters and Bosch.
Photo: Museum voor Schone Kunsten (MSK) · Google
Patershol
Ghent · On our Amsterdam to Bruges by Rail route
Old neighborhood of narrow lanes and restaurants near the castle.
Photo: Solène Houzé · Google
St Bavo's Cathedral
Ghent · On our Amsterdam to Bruges by Rail route
Home of the van Eyck brothers' Ghent Altarpiece.
Tip: Book the Ghent Altarpiece visit ahead.
Photo: huaiyu cai · Google
Bruges 5 picks
Basilica of the Holy Blood
Bruges · On our Amsterdam to Bruges by Rail route
Romanesque lower chapel and Gothic upper chapel on the Burg square.
Photo: Jim Linwood · CC BY 2.0
Belfry of Bruges
Bruges · On our Amsterdam to Bruges by Rail route
366 steps to a carillon tower above the Markt.
Tip: Go early; entry numbers are capped.
Photo: Mermaid Denizkızı · Google
Bruges canal boat tour
Bruges · On our Amsterdam to Bruges by Rail route
Half-hour ride past bridges and backyards.
Photo: 林鳳聲 · Google
Damme bike ride
Bruges · On our Amsterdam to Bruges by Rail route
Flat canal-side bike ride to the village of Damme.
Photo: Svitlana Lebiga · Google
Groeninge Museum
Bruges · On our Amsterdam to Bruges by Rail route
Flemish Primitives including Jan van Eyck.
Photo: Michalina Pabianczyk · Google
Brussels 4 picks
Atomium
Brussels · On our Amsterdam to Bruges by Rail route
Steel model of an iron crystal built for Expo 58, with a top-sphere view.
Photo: Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer) · CC BY 4.0
Grand-Place
Brussels · On our Amsterdam to Bruges by Rail route
Square lined with gilded guildhalls and the Gothic town hall.
Tip: Return at night when it is lit up.
Photo: Celuici · CC BY-SA 4.0
Horta Museum
Brussels · On our Amsterdam to Bruges by Rail route
Victor Horta's Art Nouveau home and studio.
Tip: Book a time slot; it is small.
Photo: Luke Tsekouras · Google
Magritte Museum
Brussels · On our Amsterdam to Bruges by Rail route
Large collection of René Magritte's surrealist works.
Photo: EmDee · CC BY-SA 3.0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Belgium?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 16 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Belgium has the most things to do on this list?
Ghent has the most (7 of 16), followed by Bruges (5) and Brussels (4).
Are any of these free?
3 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Graslei and Korenlei, Grand-Place and Patershol. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Belgium
Top things to do nearby
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.