Brussels 7-day itinerary

Start at the Grand Place — Europe's most spectacular square, surrounded by gilded guild halls and the Gothic Town Hall. Walk through the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, then find the Manneken Pis on Rue de l'Étuve. Head to Pierre Marcolini on Place du Grand Sablon for exquisite pralines. Continue exploring the Sablon quarter's antique shops and the stunning Notre-Dame du Sablon church.

Take the tram to Saint-Gilles and visit the Horta Museum (€12) — Victor Horta's personal home with curved iron, stained glass, and mosaic floors throughout. Walk along Rue Defacqz and Avenue Louise to spot more Art Nouveau facades. Lunch at the nearby Café Belga on Place Flagey — a local institution with good tartines and people-watching over the square.

The Saint-Géry quarter is Brussels' nightlife hub. Start at the Halles de Saint-Géry — a beautiful covered market turned bar. Dinner at Nüetnigenansen on Place du Nouveau Marché aux Grains for traditional Belgian cuisine. Then explore Delirium Café's 2,000+ beer menu, or try Moeder Lambic on Place Fontainas for craft brews and rare spontaneous fermentations.

Visit the Belgian Comic Strip Centre (€12) in a gorgeous Horta-designed department store. Belgium invented Tintin, the Smurfs, and Lucky Luke — the museum celebrates them all. Afterwards, follow the Comic Book Route — over 50 murals painted on buildings across the city. Pick up the free walking map at the museum or download the Brussels Comic Book Route app.

Head to the Marolles neighbourhood. Browse the daily flea market at Place du Jeu de Balle — vintage posters, Art Deco lamps, and old vinyl records. Lunch at Restobières on Rue des Renards for flemish beef stew carbonnade. Take the free glass elevator from Place Poelaert for panoramic views of the lower city and distant Atomium.

Walk through the European Quarter past the EU Parliament building (free visitor centre). Head to Place du Luxembourg — nicknamed "Place Lux" — where young EU staffers drink on the square every Thursday. For dinner, continue to Ixelles and the Matongé quarter on Chaussée de Wavre for excellent Congolese food at Inzia — a taste of Brussels' African heritage.

Spend the morning at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts (€15) on Rue de la Régence. The Old Masters collection includes Bruegel, Rubens, and van Dyck. The connected Magritte Museum has the world's largest René Magritte collection — 200+ surrealist works including iconic bowler hats and floating apples. Allow 2–3 hours for both wings.

The MIM — Musical Instruments Museum (€15) is housed in a stunning Art Nouveau building on Mont des Arts. Over 7,000 instruments from around the world, with headphones that play each instrument as you approach. The rooftop restaurant has one of the best panoramic views in Brussels — worth a coffee even if you skip the museum.

Explore the Dansaert quarter — Brussels' fashion and design district with Belgian designer boutiques, concept stores, and independent galleries. Dinner at Le Petit Chou de Bruxelles on Rue de Flandre for updated Belgian comfort food. Then cocktails at Café Walvis — a trendy canal-side bar popular with the creative crowd in the up-and-coming canal district.

Metro to Heysel for the Atomium (€16) — Brussels' surreal 1958 World Expo icon, an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. The top sphere has panoramic city views. Each sphere hosts exhibitions or installations. The escalators between spheres are pure retro-futuristic design. Allow 90 minutes for the full experience.

Mini-Europe (€17.60) next door is kitschy but surprisingly fun — 350 models of European landmarks at 1:25 scale. If visiting late April to early May, the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken open their doors for a few weeks — an extraordinary Art Nouveau glass palace designed by Alphonse Balat. Lunch at one of the casual restaurants around Heysel stadium.

Head to Schaerbeek — an increasingly hip neighbourhood with Turkish bakeries, Moroccan restaurants, and craft beer bars along Rue Royale Sainte-Marie. Dinner at Chez Abed for Lebanese mezze platters (€12–18), then drinks at the Green Lab — a botanical-themed bar in a converted greenhouse. End at Le Roi des Belges on Place Saint-Géry.

Take the train from Bruxelles-Midi to Bruges (1 hour, €15.20 return with Go Pass for under-26s). Walk from the station through the medieval streets to the Markt — the main square with its iconic Belfry tower. Climb the 366 steps (€14) for views over the canal-threaded rooftops. Grab a fresh waffle at a stand near the square for €3–4.

Take a canal boat tour (€12, 30 minutes) for a different perspective on the medieval facades. Visit the Basilica of the Holy Blood — a 12th-century chapel housing a relic supposedly containing Christ's blood. Lunch at De Vlaamsche Pot on Helmstraat for classic Flemish stew. Stop at The Chocolate Line on Simon Stevinplein for eccentric flavour combinations by Dominique Persoone.

Visit the De Halve Maan brewery (€16 including a beer) — the last active brewery in Bruges' historic centre, complete with a beer pipeline running under the city streets. Walk the quieter streets around the Begijnhof — a serene 13th-century walled community of whitewashed houses. Grab a final beer at 't Brugs Beertje before catching the train back to Brussels.

Train from Bruxelles-Midi to Gent-Sint-Pieters (35 minutes, €10.60 return with Go Pass). Walk or tram to the medieval centre. Start at Graslei and Korenlei — facing rows of stunning guild houses along the canal. Cross the bridge between them for the classic Ghent photo. Visit Saint Bavo's Cathedral to see the Ghent Altarpiece (€16) — van Eyck's 15th-century masterpiece, recently restored.

Visit Gravensteen — the Castle of the Counts (€12), a 12th-century fortress in the city centre with a torture museum and rooftop views. Explore the street art scene in the Werregarenstraat graffiti alley. Lunch in the Patershol quarter — a medieval web of lanes now home to cozy restaurants. Try Brasserie Pakhuis for Ghent's famous waterzooi (chicken or fish cream stew).

Ghent has a massive student population and the nightlife shows it. Head to the Overpoortstraat for cheap drinks (beers from €2), or try the more refined Trollekelder on Bij Sint-Jacobs for 200+ Belgian beers. Walk along the lit-up canals at dusk — Ghent's illuminated medieval skyline rivals Bruges but feels far less touristy. Catch a late train back to Brussels.

Start with breakfast at Maison Dandoy on Rue au Beurre — the Liège waffle with pearl sugar is the authentic version, not the tourist whipped-cream varieties. On weekends, browse the Sablon Antiques Market (Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 9am–2pm) for art, silverware, and vintage finds. Walk through the charming Petit Sablon garden with its 48 bronze statuettes.

Pick up souvenirs at the specialist shops: Dandoy for speculoos biscuits, Leonidas for affordable pralines (from €2/100g), and the Tintin Shop on Rue de la Colline for comic memorabilia. Visit the lesser-known Coudenberg Palace archaeological site (€10) beneath Place Royale — the underground ruins of the medieval palace of Brussels, eerily atmospheric.

Final dinner at Fin de Siècle on Rue des Chartreux — shared tables, massive portions of Belgian classics like vol-au-vent and stoofvlees at honest prices (mains €14–18). Farewell drink at À La Bécasse on Rue de Tabora — a hidden-alley bar serving lambic beer in ceramic jugs since 1877. End with a midnight walk past the illuminated Grand Place.